er his attempt to catch the Ranchero by the hair, the latter had
turned him upon his face, and was kneeling upon him to hold him down--he
could not help chuckling to himself when he thought how he would
astonish Pierre if he did not mind what he was about.

"Perhaps he will leave me, and try to force an entrance into the
office," soliloquized Frank. "If he does, I am all right! I'll jerk my
arms out of this sash, pick up that rifle, and the first thing Mr.
Pierre Costello knows, he'll be the prisoner. I'll march him to the
quarters, and tell Felix to tie him, hand and foot."

Unfortunately for the success of these plans, the Ranchero did not leave
the room after he had tied Frank's arms. He was too well acquainted with
the old house to think of trying to force an entrance into the office.
He knew that the doors and window-shutters were as strong as wood and
iron could make them, and that it would be a dangerous piece of business
to attempt to break them open. Felix, all unconscious of what was going
on in the house, snored lustily in his quarters, and the housekeeper
slept in a room adjoining the kitchen; and if Pierre awakened either of
them, he might bid good-by to all hopes of ever securing possession of
the gold. His only hope was in compelling Frank to tell where he had put
the office key.

"Now, then," said he, "I will give you one more chance. Where is it?"

"Where's what?" asked Frank.

"The office key!" exclaimed the Ranchero, enraged at the coolness of his
prisoner. "Tell me where it is, or I'll drive you through the floor!"

As he said this, he raised his fist over Frank's head, as if he were on
the point of putting his threat into execution.

"Drive away!" replied Frank.

"Then you won't tell me where it is?" yelled the Ranchero.

"No, I won't! And when I say no, I mean it; and all the threats you can
make won't scare me into saying any thing else!"

Pierre hesitated a moment, and then jumped to his feet, his actions
indicating that he was determined to waste no more words. He placed his
knife upon the table, closed the windows, and dropped the curtains, so
that any one who might happen to pass by could not see what was going on
in the room. His next action was to seize Frank by the collar of his
jacket, and pull him roughly to his feet, preparatory to putting into
operation his new plan for compelling him to tell where he had hidden
the office key.

"If you conclude to answer my question, let me