THE SPIRIT OF A TRUE ENGINEER
"Do you know, Don Luis," drawled Tom, "that you have one fine quality?"
"What do you mean?" demanded the Mexican.
"You are very explicit. You are also extremely candid! You don't
leave the other fellow guessing."
Don Luis Montez frowned. He felt certain that fun was being poked
at him.
"I am trying to make you young men understand that you must do
exactly what I wish of you," he returned, after a moment.
"And we have tried to make it plain, sir, that we haven't, any idea
of doing what you want," Tom Reade answered him.
"You will change your minds," retorted the mine owner.
"Time will show you that, sir. In the meantime, since we cannot
live here, what do you expect us to do?"
"I have said nothing about your not living here," uttered Don
Luis, looking astonished. "You are very welcome to all that my
poor house affords."
"Thank you; but we can't live here, just the same."
"And why not, _caballeros_?"
"Because we shall henceforth be on the most wretched sort of terms
with the owner of this house."
"There is no need of that, _caballeros_. You will, I think, find
me extremely courteous. My house is open to you, and there is
no other place that you can go."
"Nowhere to go but out," mimicked Harry Hazelton, dryly.
"You will find yourselves unable to get out of these hills," Don
Luis informed them, politely, though with an evil smile. "You
may decide to leave us, and you may start at any time, but you
will assuredly find yourselves stopped and brought back. You
simply cannot leave me, _caballeros_, until I give my consent.
Remember, no king could rule in these hills more absolutely than
I do. No one may enter or leave this part of the state of Bonista
without my consent."
"As to that, of course we shall know more later, Don Luis," Tom
returned. "However, we cannot and shall not remain longer as guests
in your house."
"I trust you will consider well and carefully on that point,"
retorted the Mexican.
"No; we simply can't and won't remain here unless--well, unless--"
"What are you trying to say, senor?"
"Then possibly you have overlooked building any dungeons under the
house? Dungeons, I understand, were a part of the housekeeping
scheme in old Mexico."
"There are no dungeons here," said Don Luis icily.
"You relieve me, sir. Then the last obstacle is removed to our
departure. We shall go at once. Come on, Harry."
Tom turned to leave the room, Hazelton at his heels. But Montez,
with an angry exclamation, leaped to the doorway, barring their
exit.
"_Caballeros_, you shall not leave like this!"
"No?" Tom inquired. "Harry, our late host wishes us to leave
by the windows."
"All right," nodded Hazelton, smiling. "I used to be something
of an athlete."
"You shall not leave me in any such childish spirit," Don Luis
insisted, stubbornly.
"If you are going to try to reopen the proposition that you made us,"
said Reade, "you may as well stop."
"You will come to your senses presently."
"We are in full possession of them at present."
"We shall yet come to a sensible arrangement of the matter," Montez
continued, coaxingly. Indeed, the Mexican had suddenly come to
see that he was absolutely dependent upon the young Americans
if he hoped to sell his mine in the near future.
"You are wrong, Don Luis," Reade continued. "We can come to no
understanding. Matters have now gone so far that we are no longer
bound by the rules of courtesy. Nor do the laws of hospitality
weigh with us, for you have chosen to bully and threaten us under
your own roof. I will therefore be frank enough to tell you that
we regard you as a mere rogue. Am I right, Harry?"
"Wholly right," nodded Hazelton. "Don Luis, I cannot see that
you are one whit more honest, or in any sense more of a gentleman,
than any of the outlawed bandits who roam these mountains. Therefore,
as Americans and gentlemen, we find it wholly impossible for us
to remain either your employs or your guests. There can be no
hope whatever that we shall consent to serve you, even in the
most innocent way."
Don Luis heard them with rising anger, which, however, he kept down
with a fine show of self-control.
"_Caballeros_, you are young. You have not seen much of the world.
You are mere boys. You have not even, as yet, developed good
manners. Therefore I overlook in you what, in men, might arouse
my anger. Take my advice. Go to your rooms. Think matters over.
When you have cooled we will talk again. No--not a word, now."
Don Luis stepped aside. Tom bowed, very stiffly, in passing the
Mexican. Harry merely gazed into the Mexican's eyes with a steadiness
and a contempt that made the mine owner wince.
Straight down the hallway, to their rooms, Tom marched, Harry
following. Barefooted Nicolas sprang forward, bowing, then swinging
open the door. He bowed again as the young engineers stepped
inside. Then Nicolas pulled the door shut.
"Are you going to stay, Tom, and have any further talk with this
thief?" sputtered Harry, who had held in about as long as was
safe for him.
"What do you think?" Tom asked, grimly, as he knelt upon his trunk
and tugged at the strap.
"I reckon I think about the same as you do," rejoined Hazelton,
closing his own trunk and strapping it.
"One--two _hoist_!" ordered Reade, settling his own trunk upon
his shoulder.
Harry followed suit. In Indian file they moved across the room.
"Nicolas," called Tom, "be good enough--the door!"
The barefooted servant swung the barrier open.
"Thank you," said Tom, marching out. Then he dumped the trunk,
noiselessly, to the floor. Going into an inner pocket he produced
a five dollar bill.
"Nicolas," said the young chief engineer, "you have certainly
done all in your power to make us comfortable. I am sorry that
we are not longer to have the comfort of your services. Will
you do me the favor of accepting this as a remembrance? It is
American money, but you can easily get it changed. And now, let
us shake hands."
Nicolas appeared dazed, both by the money and by Tom's desire to
shake hands with him. The hand that Tom clasped trembled.
"Same here," murmured Harry, also producing a five-dollar bill.
"Nicolas, you're a Mexican, but I wish they produced more of your
kind on the American side of the Rio Grande."
"The _caballeros_ have been too generous with me," protested the
poor fellow, in a husky voice. "I have not deserved this. And,
though I have been a stupid servant, you have not once beaten
me with your canes."
"If you can find the canes you may keep them, then, as a souvenir
of what you didn't get," laughed Reade. "And now, Nicolas, we
must hasten, or we shall lose our trains."
The Mexican would have said more, but he was too dazed. In his
left hand he held ten dollars in American money, about the same
thing as twenty in Mexican coin. It was more money than he had
ever held of his own before--it was almost a fortune. Surely,
these _Americanos_ must suddenly have taken leave of their senses!
Then, too, Senor Reade had just spoken of missing the train.
Did they not realize that the nearest railway train was seventy
miles away? Assuredly, they must be mad!
In the meantime Tom and Harry, having once more shouldered their
trunks, kept on down the broad hallway and out on to the porch.
There was no one there to oppose them, though Don Luis was secretly
regarding them through the crack of a nearly closed door. There
was an evil, leering smile on the face of the Mexican mine owner.
Down the steps, along the drive--it was not a short one, and
then out into the road, Tom continued. His back was beginning
to feel the unaccustomed load on his shoulder.
"Drop it, pretty soon, Tom," muttered Hazelton, behind him.
"I believe I will Reade nodded. Reaching the farther side of
the road he dropped one end of the trunk to the ground. Harry
did likewise.
"Whew!" sputtered Tom. "I'd rather be an engineer, any day, than
a delivery wagon!"
"Well, we're here," announced Harry. Then inquired, "What are
we going to do now?"