"I was a damn' fool, Jim," he said bluntly. "Forget it, if you can,
and take a passenger back to the States with you. Or tell me to go to
hell--and I guess I'll tuck my tail between my legs and go."

Kendric's hand went out impulsively and he cried with great heartiness:

"Forget it, boy.--What about Barlow?"

"Barlow's like a crazy man," said Bruce. He spoke quickly as though
eager to get through with what he had to say. "After that cursed game
of cards he got the same sort of a message I got; we were to wait, each
in his own room, for--for her." He hesitated; Kendric understood that
it hurt him even to refer to Zoraida. "We waited a long time. Then
something happened which I know little about; I guess you know all of
it. At any rate, when she burst in on us--we had gotten tired waiting
and were in the _patio_--she, too, was like one gone mad. We had heard
the shooting outside but when we started to run out some of her men
threw guns on us and held us back. She came running in, terribly
excited. When I tried to speak she cursed me, called me a fool, told
me that she had never loved any but one man and that that man was--was
you. Then she swore that she was going to see you dead and Betty
Gordon dead with you. I guess I came to my senses a little at that."

"And Barlow?" insisted Kendric. Bruce had paused, was staring off into
the night, seemed to have forgotten to go on.

"I had two words with Barlow when she left us. He looked ready for
murder and just snapped out that he was going to stay until he lined
his pockets. Rios came in. He told us you were on the run, trying to
make it down here. He offered to get me and Barlow clear; he seemed
anxious to have us both gone. He promised us we'd be dead in
twenty-four hours if we stayed; he tipped his hand enough to say that
there was loot to be had and he meant to have his half and didn't care
what happened to us so long as we got out of the way. I came, hoping
that you'd break through and get here. I told Barlow I was coming. He
just shrugged his shoulders at that and said he'd stay; if we could
square for the rent of the _Half Moon_ in San Diego we could have her.
Otherwise, for God's sake to sink her in the ocean and let the old man
know. And off he went, looking for--for her."

"You've had a hard deal, Bruce." Kendric put a kindly hand on the
boy's shoulder. "But you'll come alive yet. I've made a haul today;
just how big I won't know unti