Felipe swore in Spanish.
"Then you are doomed!" he panted.
Suddenly he paused and lifted his head. A sound had reached his ears from some distant part of the house. It seemed that some one was stirring.
"Lie still!" he hissed. "If you try to follow, at the door you shall die!"
He sprang away with the soft step of a cat, and darted out at the door.
In a twinkling Merry slipped from beneath the cord, leaped from the bed, and made the house echo with the shout he uttered.
Unmindful of Jalisco's threat, he was out of that room and after the fellow in an amazing hurry. It must have been amazing for Jalisco, for the fellow was overtaken by Merry at the head of the stairs. He whirled and struck at Frank's breast, but the strong arm of the young American swept the blow aside.
Merry seized his foe, and together they went bounding and rolling the full length of the stairs.
When they landed at the bottom, Frank was on top, and the Mexican was pinned to the floor.
By this time the whole house was in commotion. Voices were calling, and lights were beginning to gleam.