MR. HAYNES ASKS A FEW QUESTIONS
Slowly the car started clown the drive. "Oh, Don Luis!" called
Mr. Hippen, running to the corner of the porch.
"Stop!" said Montez to his chauffeur. "Mr. Haynes is signaling you,"
continued Mr. Hippen. "I think he wants to say something to you."
Don Luis turned, and beheld the president and the general manager
of the A.G.& N.M. Railroad hastening toward the gate.
"Drive down to the gate and await the gentlemen there," was Don
Luis's next order.
Mr. Hippen, too, started down the roadway, seeing which Dr. Tisco
reached his side and went with him.
There was a general meeting of the different parties at the gate.
"I signaled you, Don Luis, to inquire if Ellsworth and myself
might go on your drive with you?" explained Mr. Haynes.
"Gentlemen, I am truly sorry," began Don Luis Montez, in his most
honeyed tones, "but the truth is that I desire to have a private
conference with Senores Reade and Hazelton."
"Then we won't ask to accompany you, this time." said Mr. Haynes,
laughing.
"We would be glad to take you, but our business conversation would
then be delayed," Don Luis explained. "However, if you wish--"
"I don't want to spoil your talk," laughed Mr. Haynes. "But I
have this to say to Reade and Hazelton. We gentlemen have been
discussing the new management of the mine, and we are united in
feeling that we want these young men to remain here and manage
our new property for us. In fact, with such a valuable mining
property on our hands we wouldn't feel in the least easy with
any one else in charge."
"Here is a telegram that came for you, Mr. Haynes," said Mr. Hippen,
quietly, handing over the sheet. "Of course, Reade and Hazelton
are not going to sign with any one else."
"Pardon me," said Mr. Haynes, and let his glance fall on the telegram.
Any one noting the railway president's face at that moment would
have noted a quick, though suppressed, change there.
"Don Luis," went on Mr. Haynes, quickly, "I fear that I really
shall have to interrupt your drive for a little while. I have
just received news that I shall want to discuss with you."
"Why, your news refers to nothing more than a wreck on your Arizona
railway system, doesn't it?" inquired Don Luis, who was eager
to get away and attend, as speedily as possible, to the impending
assassination of the young engineers.
"You will oblige me by coming back to the house, won't you, Don
Luis?" insisted Mr. Haynes, who seemed, somehow, a changed man
within the last minute.
"Certainly," agreed the Mexican courteously, and the chauffeur
turned the car.
As they walked along, Mr. Haynes managed to whisper a few words
in Mr. Ellsworth's ear.
"I have sent Ellsworth to call all our associates together," explained
Mr. Haynes, as he joined Don Luis and the young engineers on the
porch. Something in the changed atmosphere of the place made
Don Luis Montez feel decidedly uneasy.
The Americans responded quickly to Mr. Ellsworth's rounding up.
Each of them, as he came forward, looked unusually grave. Mr.
Haynes waited until he saw all of his associates around him.
Then he began:
"Don Luis, in my recent absence a telegram came for me. Mr. Hippen,
though a director of our railway, is not familiar with the telegraph
code that we use in our inner office. This telegram, sir"--unfolding
it--"is from my private secretary, a most careful and trustworthy
man of affairs. I feel certain, Don Luis, that he would not have sent
this telegram unless he had had the strongest reasons. Now, in our
office code a wire relating to a wreck of Train Thirteen--there's
no such train on our schedule--means always just one thing. The
significance of this telegram is, 'Don't on any account put through
the impending deal.'"
If Don Luis Montez felt any inward start he controlled his facial
expression wonderfully.
"Senor Haynes," he replied, "I don't understand the meaning of
your code message. You have no deal here to put through. You
have made and closed the only deal here about which I have the
honor to know anything."
"But my secretary doesn't yet know the state of affairs here,"
continued Mr. Haynes, gravely, "and he doesn't know that we have
yet bought the _El Sombrero_ Mine. Therefore, his despatch can't
refer to anything else. My private secretary is certainly warning
me not to buy _El Sombrero_ Mine until we have further information."
"But you have bought it," cried Don Luis, in a voice pitched rather
higher than usual. "You have bought it and have the deed to all
this property. The money has been paid, and is now mine, subject
to my order."
"Don Luis," continued the American railway president, "I ask you,
before all my associates, to consider the matter still open until
I can receive further particulars from my private secretary.
If there is any good and sound reason why we should not have bought
this mine--"
"But you have bought it, paid for it, and the money is mine!"
cried Don Luis Montez. "There is no more to be said about it."
"Sir," went on Mr. Haynes, gravely, "there is but one question
of fact that can affect the sale. Suppose--I hate to say it,
but suppose that the mine is not a rich one, not worth any such
price as we paid for it, and that you sold it to us, knowing--"
"The mine is a rich one--one of the richest in Mexico," insisted
Montez, "and you have secured a very great bargain."
"I trust and hope that all that is true," continued Mr. Haynes.
"Yet, if such should not be the case, and if we have bought a
property under conditions that would make it certain swindle had
been perpetrated--"
"Senor!" warned Don Lids, taking a step forward, a deadly light
in his eyes. "Be Careful!"
"I am only stating a supposition," resumed Mr. Haynes, coolly.
"Don Luis, I believe I have stated enough of that supposition
to make it all clear. If that supposition is true, then you would
have to buy the mine back from us again."
"Would I?" sneered the Mexican.
"Yes, Don Luis, or we could bring the matter about in another
way. I know the name of the bank in Mexico City to which you
have transferred the funds received from us. Our attorneys, acting
through Mexican lawyers, can tie that money up and keep it in
the bank until the question has been decided as to whether--"
"Be careful, senor!" again warned Don Luis.
"Sir," demanded Mr. Haynes, bluntly, "is the mine a valuable one,
or is it a swindle?"
"You should not ask me," Montez retorted, bitterly. "You have
your own engineers on the ground--engineers whom you trust.
Ask them! They will tell you."
"Thank you," assented Mr. Haynes, bowing. Then, turning to Tom,
the American railway president went on:
"Reade, tell me the truth about this matter in a word. Have we
been defrauded in any way?"
"You have not, Mr. Haynes," Tom answered steadily. "You have
now in your possession a property that is worth far more than
has been paid for it."
"You agree with that statement, do you, Hazelton?" asked Mr. Haynes.
"I do, sir," Harry nodded.
Dr. Tisco, standing in the background, had all he could do to keep
himself from dancing a few jig-steps.
"Decidedly, these young Americans are champion liars!" he thought
to himself. "They can readily outlie Don Luis or myself. Now,
if Don Luis still insists on having these gifted young engineers
killed I am afraid I shall look upon him as being a man without
honor."
"You have heard your own engineers, senores," broke in Don Luis.
"You trust them. Now, are you not satisfied that I have dealt
fairly with you?"
"Somehow, I ought to be satisfied," agreed Mr. Haynes. "And yet
my private secretary is such a very careful and dependable man
that I shall have to await further advices. Of course, I place
the fullest confidence in the honesty of our American engineers,
Reade and Hazelton. Tom, do you believe that you could possibly
have been deceived as to the valued of this mining property?"
"I do not believe it possible, sir," Tom replied, as steadfastly
as before. "In the face of anything that might be said, Hazelton
and I will continue to claim that you have bought a property here
worth more than you have paid for it."
"Then I apologize, Don Luis, for what might have seemed to be
slighting language," Mr. Haynes continued, bowing to the Mexican.
"You will understand, of course, what good reason I had to be
anxious."
"Say no more, senor. You had most excellent reasons," smiled
Don Luis, at ease once more. "I cannot blame you in the least for
your passing doubts, but I am glad they have been set at rest by
these capable and honest young engineers. And now, Senores Reade
and Hazelton, shall we resume our interrupted ride in the car?"