Espinosa was evidently enraged at the lad’s daring words.
“You are brave,” he said suddenly, a spark of suspicion coming into his mind, “to speak this way before me knowing that I can have you hung, or tortured, by simply giving the order.”
“I know your yellow soul too well,” Phil declared in answer, “to believe that anything I might say now would influence the plan for revenge which you have already made. But I am curious to know why you left Palilo so suddenly. Did you believe that Rodriguez would betray you?”
The outlaw glared at the midshipman, his hands twitching longingly to take forcible hold on his tormentor.
“Because of that shot,” Espinosa answered finally, “I feared there might have been an enemy at the meeting and I feared Captain Blynn’s hand,—I would give a box of old Rodriguez’s gold to have him here a prisoner,” he added, a flash of terror in his eyes.
“He may be here any moment now,” Phil said quietly. Then he would have bitten off his tongue as he saw the sudden gleam of suspicion in his enemy’s eyes.
Espinosa gave the lad a searching look. “What do you mean?” he asked casting a glance of fear about him.
“Oh, nothing,” the lad answered carelessly, “only he knows you killed Rodriguez, stole his money and tried to carry off his daughter; also by this time he will know that I’m a prisoner in your hands. And if for no other reason, you hold Lieutenant Tillotson, and his father is overturning the war department to rescue him. You made a bad fist of it there.”
Phil had been watching the native leader’s anxious face, as he glanced about him as if half fearing the big American to appear suddenly from the ground. He now saw it light up with keen enjoyment as his eyes encountered something which amused him. Looking up quickly the lad uttered an exclamation of horror as he realized with overwhelming force the true position in which he had placed himself and his trusted boatswain’s mate.
O’Neil, bound hand and foot, had been triced up, his toes just resting on the ground, and his strong bronzed face swollen and blue from a strangling rope knotted about his neck, the end thrown over a framework apparently built for this diabolical torture.