"I--I shot him!" Betty gasped.
"And serves him right," cried Kendric heartily. He took the gun from
her hands and strode over to Rios while, at last, Betty's face was
hidden by her shaking hands. "So you're on the job, are you?"
Rios looked sick and miserable. But slowly, as he lifted his black
eyes to the man standing over him the old evil fires played in them.
He stirred a little and lay back.
"My shoulder is broken," he groaned.
"You're in luck to be alive," Kendric told him sternly. "What do you
want here?"
"I'll bleed to death!" Quick fright sent a shiver through him. "For
the love of God stop the blood for me."
Kendric could scarcely do less than look at the wound. Presently he
straightened up with a grunt of disgust.
"It's only a flesh wound," he said coolly. "The bone isn't even
touched and it's a clean hole. You'll last for a lot of devilment yet."
Rios sat up. He felt of his hurt with tender fingers and slowly the
fear went out of his look and his old craft and hate came back.
"You've found the treasure--here," he said. "You will have to talk
with me before you touch it, senor."
"You talk big, Rios," snapped Kendric angrily. "It strikes me that you
are just now in no position to dictate. You should thank your stars
if, presently, we let you go about your business. Whether or not we
have found treasure does not concern you.
Pages:
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296