"Ef you don't nail him, he'll nail me."
"Keep cool—that's all."
"I'm cool now—I'm ketchin' cold." And he sneezed.
"If you sneeze again, I'm going to use a gun on you. Here, give me one of those two guns you have. And whatever you do, don't sneeze. I'm catching cold myself here—anyone would in this musty old hole."
He pocketed the weapon and ordered Rusty to his place.
There came another sound—a repetition of the earlier faint sound. He turned quickly, and Princess Maria Theresa of Aragon rushed into the room, followed by Dolores.
"Thank God you are safe, Mr. Warren! I heard the shooting, down in the other court of the castle."
"Where have you been? Why didn't you wait for my signal? The hour is not over yet."
"We've been wandering through this dreadful place an eternity—trying to find you, calling everywhere, so that we could reach you before it was too late—before something happened that had always happened before!"
Dolores had seated herself at the side table, and her face was buried in her hands. She was sobbing.