y face might be too much for you,
senor," retorted Don Carlos, with a muffled laugh. "But I am willing
to face you as man to man, if the idea is acceptable to you, and to
fight you with such weapons as you may select, or without weapons. I
flatter myself I am fairly proficient in your English sport of boxing,
if you would prefer a fist fight rather than a duel with swords or
pistols. I rather fancy we can settle this matter without calling for
the intervention of the British Government!"

"What are you blathering about?" asked the astonished Tony. "Why do
you want to fight me?"

"I am making you what an Englishman would surely call a sporting offer,
senor," explained Don Carlos. "I will fight you for Miss Myra
Rostrevor. If I beat you, you surrender her to me. If you beat me, I
surrender her to you, set you both at liberty, and promise you safe
conduct back to El Castillo de Ruiz without any question of payment of
ransom, provided you give me your word of honour not to betray my
identity, which I shall reveal to you. Is it a bargain?"

"But--but--hang it all!--the whole thing's fantastic!" stammered Tony,
more bewildered than ever. "Why should I take the risk of having to
surrender Miss Rostrevor to you? It is an absurd proposal, although
you may think it is a sporty offer. I'm not afraid to fight you, but
I've got to consider Miss Rostrevor."

"Does this proposal appeal to Miss Rostrevor?" inquired Don Carlos,
turning his hooded head in Myra's direction. "It is possible that the
risk of becoming the property of El Diablo Cojuelo is not altogether
distasteful to her!"

Myra did not know how to answer. She felt inclined to bid Tony accept
the offer, yet she knew it would be an unwomanly thing to do.
Instinctively she felt, moreover, that in a fight Don Carlos would
prove the victor.

"The risk is distasteful to me," she equivocated, after a pause.

"You seem to forget that you are completely at my mercy," remarked Don
Carlos drily. "It is an act of grace on my part to offer Senor
Standish the opportunity of fighting for you."

"Here, cut out this nonsensical talk and drop your pose of being a
sportsman," interposed Standish. "What's the idea, anyhow? It's heads
you win and tails I lose, I suppose, if it comes to fighting you. If I
beat you, one of your gang of cut-throat ruffians would probably knife
me. I see through your bluff, my man. You are pretending that you
want to keep Miss Rostrevor