The Valiant Runaways [50]
and pointed them fur home. They seemed in a hurry to
vamos these parts."
The priest groaned and struck his fist on the table. "Then they are
leagues away by this."
"They be, for a fact. Their horses was fresh and they was powerful keen.
They was just sweaten' to git home."
"And Rafael Carillo? Did he go with them?"
"He didn't. He allowed to, but his father warnt agreeable. In fact he
was--savin' your grace--cussed disagreeable. He corralled us as we was
corrallen the horses; and although he was mighty mad at such French
leave, he said, speakin' of the other two kids, that they could take the
two horses and git, and the sooner the better, and if they never come
lookin' for adventures in these parts agin the better he'd be pleased."
The priest did not appear to doubt him. He was looking through the
doorway. Roldan could not see his face, but he saw the stare of wonder
on Hill's.
"Very well," said the priest, after a moment, and his voice was hardly
audible. "I shall return now. Can you come down to the Mission to-
morrow--no, the day after. I have a secret to confide to you, and it
will not be to your disadvantage to know it. I had no intention of
telling any one, but I need help, and now more than ever. There is no
time to be lost. Can you come early?"
"I'll be there between dawn and ten o'clock."
"That will do. Good night." And the priest went out.
No one spoke until the sound came up to them of a horse fording the
creek. Then Hill said cautiously,--
"Hi, there, young uns."
"In the name of Mary let us come down, Don Jim," hissed Roldan, through
the crack.
"Well, I guess you kin. He's climbin' the hill, and I don't see as
there's anything to bring him back. I hope the fleas ain't et ye alive."
The boys lowered the ladder as rapidly as their stiff fingers would
permit, and a moment later stood on the floor of the room, shaking
themselves vigorously.
"Where's Rafael?" demanded Roldan.
"Tucked in his little warm bed with a warmer hide, I guess. The old man
caught us in the very act of horse stealin'. Holy smoke, but he did
cuss. I ain't got no pride in Yankee cussin' left."
"What did Rafael tell him?" interrupted Roldan, eagerly.
"He told him as how he had made up his mind to go home with you for a
little paseo--"
"Did he say nothing about the priest?"
"Nothin'. Never opened his head about the priest--"
"When I'm governor I'll reward him," said Roldan, warmly.
"When you're President of the United States you might make him Secretary
of State--"
"But the horses? the horses?"
"They're tethered just over the mountain. I suspicioned the priest might
be here, seein' as you were expectin' him, more or less."
"Did Don Tiburcio say about me--us--what you told the priest?"
"He did, and more of it. He was as mad as a bear with a sore head. You
see, he hadn't had no peace of mind for some hours, and as for the old
lady I believe she's been havin' high strikes regular since breakfast.
Now, I'm hospitable, but my advice to you is to git. Like as not the
priest'll see old Carriller to-morrow, and then the cat'll come out. I
kin git outen it all right enough--I'll say as how the old man didn't
see you, that you were restin' on the other side of the wall. Like as
not he'll believe me, but he thinks you're pointed fur home, and if he
wants you badly, he'll follow. You'd better go South fur a month or so
and go home by barque. I'll fetch the horses down now and put them in my
shed. That'll rest 'em a bit and keep 'em warm, and then you kin start
the minute it's daylight."
"You have been a friend to us in trouble, Don Jim, and I shall never
forget it."
"Don't mention it, Rolly, don't mention it. I kinder like excitement,
when I ain't the hero, so ter speak. There's only one thing I've got to
ask in return: Have you got a grudge agin the priest?"
"I have."
"Be you meditatin' revenge?"
"A Spaniard never forgives an insult."
"Oh, . . . have you got it in yer power to injure Padre Osuna in the
sight o' men?"
"I have,
vamos these parts."
The priest groaned and struck his fist on the table. "Then they are
leagues away by this."
"They be, for a fact. Their horses was fresh and they was powerful keen.
They was just sweaten' to git home."
"And Rafael Carillo? Did he go with them?"
"He didn't. He allowed to, but his father warnt agreeable. In fact he
was--savin' your grace--cussed disagreeable. He corralled us as we was
corrallen the horses; and although he was mighty mad at such French
leave, he said, speakin' of the other two kids, that they could take the
two horses and git, and the sooner the better, and if they never come
lookin' for adventures in these parts agin the better he'd be pleased."
The priest did not appear to doubt him. He was looking through the
doorway. Roldan could not see his face, but he saw the stare of wonder
on Hill's.
"Very well," said the priest, after a moment, and his voice was hardly
audible. "I shall return now. Can you come down to the Mission to-
morrow--no, the day after. I have a secret to confide to you, and it
will not be to your disadvantage to know it. I had no intention of
telling any one, but I need help, and now more than ever. There is no
time to be lost. Can you come early?"
"I'll be there between dawn and ten o'clock."
"That will do. Good night." And the priest went out.
No one spoke until the sound came up to them of a horse fording the
creek. Then Hill said cautiously,--
"Hi, there, young uns."
"In the name of Mary let us come down, Don Jim," hissed Roldan, through
the crack.
"Well, I guess you kin. He's climbin' the hill, and I don't see as
there's anything to bring him back. I hope the fleas ain't et ye alive."
The boys lowered the ladder as rapidly as their stiff fingers would
permit, and a moment later stood on the floor of the room, shaking
themselves vigorously.
"Where's Rafael?" demanded Roldan.
"Tucked in his little warm bed with a warmer hide, I guess. The old man
caught us in the very act of horse stealin'. Holy smoke, but he did
cuss. I ain't got no pride in Yankee cussin' left."
"What did Rafael tell him?" interrupted Roldan, eagerly.
"He told him as how he had made up his mind to go home with you for a
little paseo--"
"Did he say nothing about the priest?"
"Nothin'. Never opened his head about the priest--"
"When I'm governor I'll reward him," said Roldan, warmly.
"When you're President of the United States you might make him Secretary
of State--"
"But the horses? the horses?"
"They're tethered just over the mountain. I suspicioned the priest might
be here, seein' as you were expectin' him, more or less."
"Did Don Tiburcio say about me--us--what you told the priest?"
"He did, and more of it. He was as mad as a bear with a sore head. You
see, he hadn't had no peace of mind for some hours, and as for the old
lady I believe she's been havin' high strikes regular since breakfast.
Now, I'm hospitable, but my advice to you is to git. Like as not the
priest'll see old Carriller to-morrow, and then the cat'll come out. I
kin git outen it all right enough--I'll say as how the old man didn't
see you, that you were restin' on the other side of the wall. Like as
not he'll believe me, but he thinks you're pointed fur home, and if he
wants you badly, he'll follow. You'd better go South fur a month or so
and go home by barque. I'll fetch the horses down now and put them in my
shed. That'll rest 'em a bit and keep 'em warm, and then you kin start
the minute it's daylight."
"You have been a friend to us in trouble, Don Jim, and I shall never
forget it."
"Don't mention it, Rolly, don't mention it. I kinder like excitement,
when I ain't the hero, so ter speak. There's only one thing I've got to
ask in return: Have you got a grudge agin the priest?"
"I have."
"Be you meditatin' revenge?"
"A Spaniard never forgives an insult."
"Oh, . . . have you got it in yer power to injure Padre Osuna in the
sight o' men?"
"I have,