Careful not to let him know that I had seen him, I resumed the writing. But after adding a couple of lines I scribbled the word “Cancelled” in big sprawling letters right across the paper, rose with a laugh and tore it into minute fragments. “I’m like you, Dr. Barosa, I cannot write. I’ll see my skipper and tell him personally; and you can send your letter to him later. I’ll tell him to wait for it.”
“That will answer the same purpose, of course,” he said, not quite successful in hiding his chagrin. “I will send it to the yacht in less than an hour.”
“Will you see that Mademoiselle Dominguez comes to me?” I said, and unlocked the door.
As I threw open the door he caught me by the arm. “Wait a moment, there is another——”
The sentence was not finished. I turned at his voice and a cloth was thrown over my head, I was seized before I had a chance to resist, my arms were pinioned and a gag thrust into my mouth; and I was carried down the stairs and flung on the floor of a room the door of which was locked and bolted.
CHAPTER XXVIII
“YOU SHALL DIE”
I WAS not left alone very long, but it was quite enough for me to curse my own folly for having allowed myself to be trapped in this way. I ought never to have entered the house at all without taking ample precautions. I could have brought half a dozen of the Stella’s men with me. That was the first stupid blunder; but even in the house itself, I had acted like an idiot.
I could see the whole business plainly enough now. Everything had been done to secure delay. The instant I had arrived Inez had sent for Barosa, and her talk to me had been merely intended to create delay until he arrived. Then in order that the two might consult together, Miralda had been brought to me.
They had filled her with the fear of arrest, calculating that she would hesitate long enough to serve their purpose; but of course they had never intended to allow her to leave the house. Then as their preparations were not complete, Barosa had come to me to cause more delay.
He had first detained me with a threat in order to gain more time; and as soon as the trap for me was ready, he had affected to submit to defeat. This was to learn precisely how matters were on the Rampallo, and the steps necessary to secure the freedom of his companions.