THE APPARITION
Jim now had one purpose in mind when he gracefully withdrew, and closed
the door behind him and stood in the upper hall once more and that was
to find where in the castle the Señorita da Cordova was. James waited
for a minute in the broad hall, not only to get accustomed to the
darkness, but to make sure that there was no one coming, or waiting for
him.
Our friend had not been taught by harsh experience to no purpose. Nor
had he fought the crafty Indian, and failed to learn something of their
strategy. So he closed the door as tenderly as a mother, who fears to
waken her sleeping babe, and then stood as still as stone waiting,
watching, listening. Well it was that he did so. What was that gray
bundle across the hall and lying in front of the door opening into the
library?
At first glance Jim thought that it might be the hound, but it was not
that. It looked more like a shapeless bundle of old clothes. Then under
the directness of his gaze the thing stirred, a head was slowly lifted,
and like the gradual resurrection from the cerements of death a figure
half rose, and a gaze from the gray hood that seemed to burn was fixed
upon him.
Next the figure half raised, moved straight and steadily in his
direction, noiselessly, but with terrible intentness, direct towards
him. Jim did not move. What was the use? It was his purpose to avoid all
disturbance or fracas, which would surely wreck his plan now for the
rescue of the señorita. He would see what this creature meant and he
merely moved his hands lightly, one to grasp, the other to defend a
possible thrust at his heart or throat.
To say that he was cool and unmoved would not be true; his heart thumped
and he could feel the blood beat in his ears, but he was not trembling
or unmanned, though curious chills crept all over his body. This person
had advanced now half the way toward him, moving with the same half bent
posture, and the left hand gripping the gray cloth at the throat,
forming a hood. Then the woman, within three feet of him, raised her
face, and looked at him with the wildest eyes ever set in a human
visage. They were shot with horror, terror and an insane desperation. By
the half light from the end of the hall Jim could not tell whether she
were young or old.
Her face seemed to be lighted by her terrible eyes, and from her robe
one lean hand crept, half curved as though to claw. It seemed as if at
any instant she might scream and clutch him and something must be done
forthwith. Jim returned her gaze soberly, but not defiantly, and there
was no fear in his eyes. For a moment she paused, a curious questioning
showing in her glance.
"I wish to see and speak to a young girl who has been brought to this
place," he said quietly. "I am her friend, and would do neither one of
you any harm. You see many things and you believe me and know that I
speak the truth."
That was a simple speech, but there was more wisdom in it than appears
on the surface. It was spoken directly and was phrased to grip with
confidence the woman's poor broken mind; and notice also, that there was
nothing to unduly excite her by a show of sympathy or to arouse her by
denouncing her oppressors, for she was no doubt another victim who had
been held for a ransom that had not been forthcoming.
She made no direct reply to Jim, but only threw her head back and
laughed noiselessly with wide opened mouth. Then leaving the spot she
glided to the staircase and bent down listening intently. As if
satisfied she returned in a moment and beckoned Jim to follow her, which
he was only too willing to do.
She was a strange guide and might lead him to his destruction, but he
was determined to follow her at all hazards for he must find the
señorita and that quickly. So he kept only a short distance behind the
gray crouching figure.
Going through the main hall they came to a fairly broad staircase,
leading to the third floor, thence along a hall dimly lighted to a
narrow winding stair, that brought the two of them to a round platform
of stone with rooms on three sides. This place was badly lit by a tallow
candle, held by a miner's holder, stuck into the wall.
The woman crouched in front of one of the doors, with a wicket in it,
whence Jim heard a low voice repeating something over and over, and the
sound of it thrilled him for he recognized it as the voice of the
Señorita Cordova, praying softly for deliverance. It pierced through
Jim's heart, the pity and the pathos of it, and for a moment his eyes
were blinded with tears. The next moment he was himself again, as he
well needs be. He pushed gently aside the grating covering the aperture
in the door itself, so that he was able to see in. It did not require
much of a slit for that purpose, and he was able to get a good look at
the interior, which was like a cell, with low arched, white-washed
ceiling.
It was not a forbidding room either, for at one end was a latticed
window with diamond panes, and in the ivy that grew outside it you might
imagine the little birds twittering in the summer time. The floor was
covered with a heavy rug and a candelabra of a dozen candles gave a
pleasant light. The room or cell was heated by coals glowing in an
old-fashioned brazier.
Although there were two persons visible, what fastened Jim's eyes was
the figure of the Señorita da Cordova. She was kneeling before a _prie
dieu_ near the casemented window, in evening dress such as she wore when
she got into the carriage. She had supposed that she was going to be
taken to her father, and instead had been brought to this desperate
castle. Her dress of white was ornamented with lace, and there was a
bracelet of odd antique design on her rounded arm that made Jim gasp.
He knew where she had got that. It was his present to her, one of the
many treasures that he and the other Frontier Boys had found in that
mysterious mountain in the interior of Mexico. Why did she wear it? But
in regard to that interesting question he had no time to think at this
juncture. She looked pale as she knelt there, but hers was a natural
pallor and did not mean fear. The graceful figure with a rope of pearls
twined in the dark hair was to remain in James Darlington's memory for
many a year.
The other figure was that of a tall, gaunt woman, hard featured with
reddish brown hair. Jim noted the powerful looking hands and arms and
felt sure that she was not an antagonist to be regarded lightly. At that
moment the woman rose suddenly from the chair in which she had been
seated and Jim saw that she was nearly his equal in height.
"Is that you, you crazy fool?" she questioned in a harsh voice, coming
to the wicket and shoving it back. Jim dodged down, hoping that she
would unbolt the door but she did nothing of the kind.
"Oh, ho! you're here are you, walked into the cap'en's trap have you,
young fellar? I'll tell you one thing, you'll never get out of this
house, because nobody wants you enough to pay a ransom. Got that
straight, Bub."
Jim had had all kinds of experiences, but this was the first time that a
woman's tongue had begun to be sharpened on him and he did not relish it
in the least. He felt small and insulted, so mad that he began to see
things zig-zag way and was tempted to do something rash, and in fact he
did call out.
"Never fear, Señorita, I will get you out of this place."
He saw her clasp her hands and turn towards the door when the sight of
her was eclipsed by the bulk of her jailer.
"So it is you, Señor Jim, with the light head."
"It isn't red anyhow," he replied with humorous indignation.
"Ha, ha," she laughed, "you scored that time anyhow."
Jim took this opportunity to throw his weight against the door with all
his strength; it sagged, but the bar held.
The woman was furious as she glared out at Jim.
"I could throttle you, you sassy, long legged cub," she yelled, "only I
got orders from the cap'n to stay in this here room, and I obeys him."
She made a quick motion with her hand to a place near the jamb of the
door.
"Run, Señor, for your life," cried the poor demented woman; "the Devil
and his dogs are coming."
Jim saw that he must make his escape instantly or be caught helpless
like a rat in a trap to be done to death. He fled with all his speed,
and Jim was no slouch of a runner. Down the narrow stairway he sped, and
along the hall to the second floor. The question was, could he reach the
library where he had climbed in, before the gang in the banquet hall
came rushing up the main staircase.
The chances were against his doing this for the pursuers had only half
the distance to go and they would be certain to respond to the alarm
with much promptness. The Mexican dwarf was notorious for the swiftness
of his attack, so that it looked bad for our friend Jim. He must reach
that room or what would happen?