"Say no more, señorito," said Romaña, cooling at once. "I am rejoiced at your success. But there is still much to do."
"How did you get in?"
"I climbed the wall and got over the stable roof. That must be guarded, señorito. When the men come from the hacienda they will certainly try to get in. The Prefect will hang them if they do not recapture the place."
"It shall be done: I ought to have seen to it before, but I have been thinking of other things."
He went on to tell Romaña his recent decisions.
"I thought of both, señorito," said the man. "I debated whether to ride at once from the road to Señor O'Hagan; it would have gained much time; but I felt that I must first see what had become of you. The duty is mine: I know the way: no one else does. Give me a dozen men; we will sally out on horseback down the street and get away before the men in the plaza are ready to pursue us. Galdos has my horse in the wood half a mile away, but I need a fresh one."
"What about the supplies?" asked Tim, remembering the errand on which they had come.
"I took out two laden mules to the place where we had arranged to meet. Finding that you were not there, I tied them up in the wood and went to the house to fetch petrol, as I promised. Little did I imagine what I should see there!"
"I got tired of waiting and went myself. There are several petrol cans in the shrubbery. Of course I had no intention of fighting; but I simply couldn't stand Pardo thrashing Asumi, and when the other Japs began to attack I saw a chance. It was a mad thing to do: I didn't look ahead."
"It may turn out to be the best thing that could possibly have happened. But I must go, señorito; time is precious."