Wall Street," the bandit now addressed Pell, "you 'ave ten sousand
dollar. I want it."

Pell was amazed. "But I--"

Lopez snapped his fingers. Pedro, who came back at that very moment, took
the money from Pell, and watched his master closely for further
instructions as to what to do. Lopez nodded toward Smith.

"For 'im," he said.

"For me?" cried Uncle Henry, joyfully.

"I must make my frand 'appy," the bandit said. Pedro gave the money to
Uncle Henry. The latter grabbed it as a child might have grabbed a cooky.

Lopez turned to Pell. "Now--you is rob." To Hardy he said: "You is paid,"
and to Uncle Henry, "An' you get your money back. _Bueno!_ Ees finish."

Pell was cynical. "I'll say that's service," he murmured; and a sardonic
grin came to his thin lips. Perhaps the bandit was joking, after all. But
damn these jokes that kept one in long after school!

Uncle Henry, however, had a strange apprehension, and wheeled about, facing
Lopez.

"You ain't goin' to take it back from me, are you?" he inquired.

"No, Ooncle Hennery," the bandit laughed, "she is yours for keeps. Zat is
all. You may go!" And he waved him out. "And you," to Hardy. "Pedro, show
zem into ze open space!"

"'Im too?" asked Pedro, indicating Morgan Pell who stood, as though made of
stone, in one corner.

"_Poco tiempo!_" the bandit said.

"_Debommultalo!_" his henchman replied.

"_Si_," Lopez smiled. And Pedro got the invalid and the lanky Hardy through
the door, as a woman might have swept two geese from her path.

Left alone with the bandit, Pell remarked:

"Look here, there must be some way to settle this thing." But he had grave
fears.

"To zat, I 'ave come at last," the bandit replied with an emphasis that
could not be mistaken.

"You have?" Pell's voice was weak.

"It shall cost me planty money. I could 'ave tooken you wiz me for
ransom--'elluva big ransom--a million dollar, mebbe. But I am not soddid!"
He laughed, and rubbed his hands together.

"You aren't going to hold me for ransom?" Pell questioned, relief in his
voice.

"No."

"What--what are you doing to do?"

The reply was as swift as an arrow. "Kill you."

Pell did not believe what he heard.

"Kill me?" he repeated, his head on one side, like a bird listening, and
pointing to his chest.

"_Si._" Lopez had never used a politer tone.

"You--you're joking." There was a crack in Pell's voice.

"Joking?"

"You must be!" huskily. "I thought so all along--no