Captain Carmichael frowned as he studied the situation that had suddenly developed. Certain facts which aligned themselves in his mind seemed to have a bearing on one another and on the very assignment from the governor on which he was engaged.
Texas, as the next-door neighbor to Mexico, has many business relationships with the southern republic and Texans believe they understand Mexico and Mexicans better than do the residents of most other States. There was a period, during the early revolutions, the insane Plan of San Diago which set the border aflame, and the aftermaths of the Columbus raid, when the administration at Washington did not satisfy Texans because it watched and waited. Following the establishment of relative order below the Rio Grande certain of the Texas business citizenry became dissatisfied because watchfulness and waiting still continued and the Mexican government was not officially recognized.
With whether these were right or wrong Captain Carmichael was not concerned. His duty was to the State administration and that administration was doing what it might to bring about more perfect peace and understanding between the two countries. And it was convinced that more perfect peace and understanding was being hindered by certain American corporations which had financial interests below the Rio Grande.
Such a corporation was the Tarbox Exploration and Mining Company—whose biggest concession was there in the mountains back of where Miller had boarded the train.
Fighting the political ambitions and desires of the combination of which the Tarbox outfit was a member was another combination. Wallace Locke was a member of it. Notwithstanding his youth, because of connections with the governor and other strong men of Texas, he was powerful.
Miller was an Argentinian. He might not have come from the Tarbox camp. But on the other hand——
Carmichael lounged to the hotel desk and asked the clerk, who knew him well:
“What did that old feller with the scar—Miller—ask you a few minutes ago?”
“Who the young man was with the young lady in white with the red hair,” the clerk told him promptly. “With Miss Alsbury—although he didn’t know her name.”
“You told him, of course.”