Juan returned late in the evening on the second day. He brought with him a letter addressed to Lennox. It was from Pasquale. The message was written in English. It said:—
Greetings, señor. Your friends are the guests of General Pasquale. They came to Noche Buena to find one Señor Yeager. They are resolved to stay here until he is found by them, even though they remain till the day of their death.
The note was signed, "Siempre, Gabriel Pasquale."
After reading, it, Yeager handed the note back to Lennox and spoke quietly.
"Pasquale passes the buck up to me. I've been thinking he might do that."
"You mean—?"
"—That he serves notice he's going to kill our friends if I don't give myself up to him."
"But would he? Dare he?"
Yeager shrugged. "It will happen in the usual Mexican way—killed by accident while trying to escape, or else ambushed by Federals on the desert while coming home, according to the story that will be dished up to the papers. He will be full of regrets and apologies to our Government, but that won't help Threewit or Frank any."