"What, so soon?" was the cool rejoinder. "It will take you more than
ten minutes to force an entrance into this citadel of ours. Don't
mistake it for a _jacale_. Though our fortress be of wood, it is
stronger than you suppose, senor captain."
"We can set fire to it!"
"Ah! you won't do that. I've no fear of being burnt up, or smoked out,
so long as I am in such goodly company."
The sneer with which the speech was accompanied goaded me to frantic
rage--at the same time that it made me feel my impotence to carry out
the threat I had so boastingly pronounced.
"We shall not need to set the house on fire," was my reply; "we shall
get at you without that. My men are provided with axes. They are
backwoodsmen, and know how to use them. It won't take us ten minutes to
break open your door."
"Open it!" interrupted the robber, "and one half of you will never live
to stride across the threshold. Those who do, will be witnesses to a
scene which I know, noble captain, _you_ won't love to look upon."
"What scene?" I involuntarily asked, as a horrid fancy flashed across
my brain.
"A woman--a beautiful woman--with a poignard in her breast! By the Holy
Virgin, you shall see _that_!"
I felt as if a dagger had been plunged into my own. I knew it was no
idle vaunt. There was a terrible firmness in the tone of the brigand's
voice that told of his being in earnest.
"Let me take a shot at him," whispered the sergeant by my side. "I
think I can fetch him 'ithout touchin' the gurl."
"No--no!" I hastily answered, "Leave it to me. For your life, don't
fire--not yet!"
I stood trembling--uncertain what course to pursue. I had my own rifle
in hand, and was considering whether I should not risk taking a shot at
the ruffian. Under other circumstances I should have been confident
enough of making a sure one; but just then I felt my nerves shaking
through the throes of my excited heart. It was a terrible crisis. The
sinews of Tell could not have been more severely tried, as he adjusted
his arrow to the string.
The bandit seemed thoroughly to comprehend my hesitation.
There was something fiendishly exultant in the laugh with which he
followed up his last speech.
"Now, senor Yankee!" he went on, without waiting for a reply. "I hope
you are ready to accede to my request. If so, state your terms for our
release; and remember! make them easy, or it will be impossible for us
to accept them. I don't wish to hurry you. As it's a matter of some
importance to both of us, and to _her_ as well,"--I could see him nod
towards Mercedes--"I beg you will take time to consider. Meanwhile, we
shall retire, and patiently await your answer."
Saying this, he receded from the parapet--as I supposed, still staying
on the azotea.
The white shield was drawn back along with him: and once more Mercedes
was out of sight--leaving me to fell fancies, more torturing than the
sting of the _tarantula_.