Argosy All-Story Weekly, December 4, 1926 — page 68: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

378 hardly expecting to find Rosita there; nor was she. “That being the case, I’ll have to go after her, looks like,” he thought. “I sure ain’t intending to ride alone to-night.” The cluster of trees seemed to offer a safe place of concealment for the horse, and so Rusty left it there, starting for the hacienda on foot. “ Everything’s been easy so far,” he cog- itated. ‘““What comes now ain’t liable to be quite so soft.” Dubiously he worked around, wishing he _ knew the location of Rosita’s room. “ This here’s sure a hard nut to crack,” he grunted, “ but I got to shake a leg. Time ain’t so plenty as it might be,” for Rusty was fully aware that his escape from the improvised jail might be discovered at any instant. “My best bet,” he decided, “is to hop some stray woman and make her take me to Rosita.” He made his entrance around at the side which instinct told him would probably contain the servants’ quarters. Lights were not plentiful, and Rusty gingerly proceed- ed, feeling his way along what seemed to be a sort of hall, bordered by rooms that might or might not be occupied. Rusty was quite curious regarding this fact, but decided to forego investigation. The hall -terminated in a_storeroom, judging from the miscellaneous odds and ends Rusty’s groping fingers encountered. “¢ Shucks!” he grumbled in disgust. “ I’m way off the trail—in a regular blind canon. I got to go back and tackle it again.” He retraced his way along the hall previ- ously followed, and presently, casting off to the left at a venture, found himself out- doors, having gained the patio, or inner courtyard, which the hacienda surrounded on all sides like a huge square. Across the patio several rooms appeared quite bril- liantly lighted, and Rusty concluded to see what could be seen. The first room which his exploring gaze investigated proved empty, and he was on the point of moving on to another when a door opened and a girl entered—perhaps two or three years older than Rosita. The richness and taste of this young woman’s ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. dress—together with the air of self-assur- ance that she displayed—proclaimed her far above the servant type. ‘““ Now, who the devil might that be?” Rusty grumbled. “She ain’t what I want. That’s plain enough.” There was about this girl a slight super- ficial resemblance to Rosita, suggestive of relationship, | . ‘“Mebby she’s a sister of Rosita’s,’ he mused, “or a cousin, or something. Might be she’d be glad to help me, and then again she might give the whole game away. I don’t dast tackle her, durn the luck!” She seemed to be searching for some- thing. ** Josefa!” “Si, sefiorita!’” came prompt answer from an adjoining room, and a second girl, clearly of lowly rank, entered. ‘““ My book I was reading this afternoon —have you seen it?” “No, seforita. But it may be under the tree in the patio.” ‘* Look and see,” was the imperious com- mand. “If you find the book, bring it to my room.” Much to Rusty’s gratification, the aris- tocratic damsel did not wait to learn the result of this search. She left the room by an inner door even as Josefa stepped out into the courtyard. — Rusty blocked her way, his big pistol carelessly in evidence. “Don’t scream, muchacha!’ he hissed savagely. Spanish, of course. The girl gazed silently at him, spell- bound with fear and surprise at his sudden appearance. : “Do you know where Senorita Rosita is?”’? he demanded. She opened her lips, but no words came forth—nothing but chattering of teeth. Impatiently Rusty repeated his ques- tion. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he added, “‘as long as you behave. But I’ve got to find the senorita. Where is she?” “In her- room.” “* Alone?” “No. With her aunt, Senora Perenzo, and her father, Don Eugenio.” “No wonder she couldn’t get away, poor kid,” Rusty thought. Then to the servant EOPMIC OOOKS Eo