A hail brought Martinez to the car. A few minutes’ rapid speech there followed. Then the lawyer mounted beside Weir, the machine went on, turning into a side street and vanishing. To Madden there was nothing unusual in the circumstance, and he only noted the surprise and silence along the street at the engineer’s passage. The Mexicans would know the man wasn’t yet arrested at any rate, he thought. But he should like to learn what was the purpose in bringing them all to town! He would keep an eye open for any lynching nonsense if it were attempted.
Weir and Martinez were hastening to Judge Gordon’s 213 house, for shortly before the engineer had received an unexpected call from Pollock for him to join him there. Evidently the eastern lawyer had turned a card of some sort; and Weir had gone at once, wondering what the meeting might portend. The sight of Martinez, free and composed of hearing, walking along the street, further amazed him.
He perceived, however, when the lawyer stepped out to the car from Vorse’s place that he was pale, his mouth tight-drawn and his eyes glittering.
“You got my message?” the latter asked, quickly.
“The telephone message, yes. Janet Hosmer got the paper also.”
“They dragged me to Vorse’s cellar,” Martinez whispered fiercely. “They beat me with their fists, Vorse and Burkhardt. Then they tied me and squeezed my eyeballs till I could stand the pain no longer and told. I’ve been there ever since, bound and without food or water, the devils! Sorenson came with them last night, afterwards. And now he and Vorse came again––there they are back there in the bar yet––and gave me a draft on a Chicago bank for a thousand dollars and said to get out and stay out of New Mexico and never open my mouth about what had happened.”
“Get in with me,” Weir ordered.
At Judge Gordon’s house the lawyer said:
“You are going in here? He’s one of them.”
“I know it. Come in, however. I may need you. You’re not going to leave San Mateo, but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t cash the draft. That’s only part of the damages you’ll make them pay for what you underwent.”