"It led to Pasquale Sanchez."
"What! More Mexicans?"
"One more only. Sanchez lives in a house near where Domingo has his room. He tells me that he comes from the same district as Domingo. Although Domingo did not make a confidant of him, or even ask his advice, his visit to his friend cleared up some things for me, for by following Domingo I came upon Sanchez."
"What could he know, if, as you say, he was not in the confidence of Domingo?"
"He knew some things which seem to be common knowledge in his native land. He is even more Americanized than his friend, for he fully appreciates a glass of whiskey, though I doubt not the habit was first acquired at home. I should think it would take many years to acquire such a—let me call it—capacity. I never saw a man who could swallow such powerful doses without a change of expression. The only effect seemed to be to loosen his tongue. It is needless to repeat all the stages by which I approached my subject. He knew all about the Aztec opals,—for really there are two of them,—except of course their present whereabouts. I asked him if they would be valuable, supposing that I could get possession of them. He was interested at once. 'You get them, and I show you million dollars.' I explained to him that I might see a million dollars any day by visiting the United States Treasury, upon which, with many imprecations and useless interpolations of bad Spanish, he finally made it clear to me that the priests who have the idol from which the opals were obtained, have practically little power over their tribe while the 'god is in heaven,' as has been explained to the faithful, the priests not caring to exhibit the image without its glowing eyes. These priests, it seems, know where the mine is from which these opals were taken, and they would reveal this secret in exchange for the lost opals, because, though this mine is said to be very rich, they have been unable themselves to find any pieces sufficiently large and brilliant from which to duplicate the lost gems."
"Then you think it was to obtain possession of this opal mine that Mr. Livingstone sought to obtain Mrs. Gray's opal?"
"Undoubtedly. So certain am I of this that I would wager that he will endeavor to get the opal from you."
"Let me read a letter to you, Mr. Barnes."
Mr. Mitchel took out a letter and read as follows:
"'Leroy Mitchel, Esq.:—