"He is a clever doctor, Señor," said Antonio.
"He tells me that you have the Frenchmen we captured at Morata."
"Sí, Señor, and another lot too."
"Indeed! It is well that he managed to persuade you to do them no harm."
"What does the Señor mean?"
"My friend Señor Dugdale tells me that you were going to torture the prisoners, and he made a speech and—"
"Oh, that!" exclaimed Antonio, with a wave of the hand. "We didn't understand. We thought the Señor wanted us to cut all their throats; but I knew you would not like that."
Jack became almost hysterical with laughter at this explanation, and Dugdale bundled Antonio out of the cave, and told Jack he must go to sleep again. He allowed no more talk on that day, but the patient was so much better next morning that he made no objection when Jack asked to see the guerrillero again.
"I want to hear what has happened," said Jack to him. "I am anxious."
"I know, Señor; but there is no need. The day after we got back with the prisoners, the gitano Pepito came and said the Señorita Juanita had been captured by the French and was living with a colonel's lady in Morata. I got my men together and we went down at once, and in the night surprised the French, killed a great many, and captured the rest. But the Señorita was not among them. We found the colonel's lady; she told us that the Señorita had escaped."