These worthy people, however, were not in the sick-chamber of Dolores
Garcia, which, on the whole, was just as well. At an earlier part of the
night the Tia had administered to Dolores a potion which caused her to
sleep soundly for several hours. For the Tia was skilled in simples, as
well as in a good many things of a nature far from simple. A faint
clinking sound, as of counting money, guided Rollo to the spot.

The master of the house and his faithful "Tia" sat bending over a table
in the upper hall, or general meeting-place of the family. The door
which opened off the stairway up which the visitors came, gave a slight
creak, but Luis Fernandez and his associate were so engrossed in their
work that neither of them lifted their eyes.

A considerable number of trinkets of gold and silver, articles of
attire, crucifixes, and ornaments were spread out upon the table. As
soon as Ramon's eyes fell upon these, Rollo felt him grip his arm
convulsively, but the young man resolutely kept the outlaw behind him.
The time was not yet.

Tia Elvira was not for the moment on good terms with her companion.

"Listen, Luis Fernandez," she said, extending a pair of withered claws
across the table like the talons of some unclean bird; "if you think
that I am going to do your business and run hot chances of the iron
necklace that has no beads, and then when all is done allow your
father's son to cheat me out of my dues, you are much mistaken. If you
do not deliver me all the ornaments her husband gave this woman Dolores,
according to your agreement, by the chief of the devils that inhabit the
four hells I will go to the _Corregidor_ to-morrow at day-break and
lodge information against you and your brother for the crime of child
murder!"

"And where, think you, would you find yourself in such a case?" quoth
Luis Fernandez, a cold-eyed, dark-haired man of forty years of age. He
sat leaning well over the table, the more precious of the objects
gathered between his arms. "You were the nurse in attendance, my Tia--to
that the _Sangrador_ would bear witness. He left you in charge of the
infant, my dear aunt. And though times are hard and men in office
unbelieving, I still think that I, Luis Fernandez, could command enough
testimony in this town to bring the guilt (if guilt there be) home to a
certain Elvira the Gipsy, whose record, at any rate, is none of the
best!"

He laughed a little chuckling laugh as the hag exploded into a swarm o