"You look tired, Cocom," said Jack, passing him a flask of aguardiente. "Take a drink of this. It will do you good."
The old man greedily seized the flask, and drained it to the bottom. As it was more than half full Jack fully expected to see him fall helplessly intoxicated on the floor. But Cocom's head was seasoned to strong drink, and it only made him look younger, as though the aguardiente were a draught from the fountain of Youth.
"Have you it, Señorita?" he asked, fixing his beady eyes on Dolores.
"Yes," replied Dolores, off her guard. "That is, I——"
"Bueno!" said Cocom, nodding his head. "You have the opal. I am content."
Jack drew a long breath of relief. Cocom's sympathy with the idolatry of his youth was not evidently strong enough to stir him into protest against the gem being stolen. Or perhaps he deemed that Dolores had more right to it than Huitzilopochtli. At all events, he did not seem ill-pleased that she was now in possession of the celebrated stone.
"What say the priests, Cocom?" he asked anxiously.
"They are in despair, Señor, over the loss of the sacred stone."
"Do they know who has taken it?"
Cocom pointed one copper-coloured finger at Dolores.