“It may be that you know what you are doing. And we fellows are sticking to you like brothers. But if you got any coin for kidnapping this girl, the least you could do is to share it with us.”
The gaucho looked at him with scornful anger.
“Money—nothing! Haven’t I told you man, that this is a matter of getting even?... Old Rojas insulted me, and I’m doing the worst thing to him that I can think of ... and anyway, you know what our bargain was.... You are to keep her for me, and as soon as we get into the mountains, it will be your turn....”
Piola showed his fangs in a smile of appreciation at this part of the contract.
“All right,” he said. “We’ll keep her for you ... your turn first ... that is if you catch up with us by tomorrow. But if you’re late, you won’t find her quite as you left her.... But why don’t you start out with us now? What’s up in La Presa tonight that you can’t go along with us?”
“Just a little matter to settle,” said Manos Duras with an insolent smile. “I want to leave all my accounts in order before I go.”
But Piola was far from sharing his comrade’s assurance that the adventure in hand would end successfully. He calculated that perhaps at that very moment what had happened at the Rojas ranch was already known at La Presa. If news of the kidnapping had not yet reached the town, it would be sure to do so before long, for don Carlos would be returning to his ranch after his fruitless trip to see the comisario. Wasn’t Manos Duras afraid, he inquired, that the inhabitants of La Presa would attribute the girl’s disappearance to him?
“Maybe,” replied the gaucho, in a tone of contemptuous indifference. “But they have attributed so many things to me without being able to prove any of them ...! If they see me in town they’ll think that I haven’t had anything to do with this affair. Nobody saw me at the Rojas place. Besides, I shall go to my ranch first in case anyone should come up there to look for me. Then this afternoon I’ll ride into town as usual ... by midnight I’ll have finished my business and be on the way to join you.”
Piola winked his left eye and pointed towards the ranch house.
“What does she say?”