"I owe one hundred dollars and my thanks, sir. I'll pay them both. But
Miss Valdes cannot ask me to give up prosecuting these men because she
would not stand back and see murder done."

"Will you then leave it to her to punish these men?"

"No. I pay my own debts."

Manuel was troubled. He had expected to find the prisoner so eager for
release that he would consent at once to his proposal. Instead, he found
a man hard and cold as steel. Yet he had to admit that Gordon claimed
only his rights. No man could be expected to stand without an appeal to
the law such outrageous treatment as he had been given.

"Will you consent then to settle the matter with me, man to man? These
men are but peons. They are like cattle and do not think. But I--I am a
more worthy foeman. Let me take the burden of their misdeeds on my
shoulders."

Dick wagged a forefinger at him warningly. "Now you've got that
swashbuckler notion of a duel again. I'm no cavalier of Spain, but a
plain American business man, Don Quixote. As for these jail-birds"--his
hand swept the room to include the Mexicans--"since I'm an unregenerate
human I mean to make 'em pay for what they've done. That's all there is
to it."

Don Manuel bowed. "Very good, Mr. Gordon. We shall see. I promise you
that I shall stand between them and prison. I offer you a chance to win
the friendship of the Mexicans in the valley. You decline. So be it. I
wash my hands, sir."

He turned away and gave directions to Pablo, who left the room at once.
The Spaniard called for candles and lit two. He pointedly ignored
Gordon, but sat with his hands in his pockets whistling softly a popular
air.

About a quarter of an hour later Pablo returned with a hot meal on a
tray. Gordon, having done without food for two days, ate his ham and
eggs and drank his coffee with an appetite given to few men. Meanwhile
Pesquiera withdrew to the passage and laid down an ultimatum to the
Mexicans. They must take horse at once and get back to the hills above
the Rio Chama Valley. He would bring saddle horses from a stable so that
they could start within the hour and travel all night.

The Mexicans listened sullenly. But they knew that the matter was now
out of their hands. Since the arrival of Pesquiera it had become
manifestly impossible to hold their prisoner longer. They agreed to the
plan of the Spaniard reluctantly.

After Pablo and Sebastian had taken horse Pesquiera returned to the
prisoner.

"We