the devil with your
propositions?"

"I do not know. Maybe you would," the doctor said, with a roughness of
tone intended to hide the sinking of his heart and the faltering of his
voice. "All I know is, that you had better get away from here. Some of
Sotillo's men may turn up here looking for me."

He slipped off the table, listening intently. The Capataz, too, stood
up.

"Suppose I went to Cayta, what would you do meantime?" he asked.

"I would go to Sotillo directly you had left--in the way I am thinking
of."

"A very good way--if only that engineer-in-chief consents. Remind him,
senor, that I looked after the old rich Englishman who pays for the
railway, and that I saved the lives of some of his people that time when
a gang of thieves came from the south to wreck one of his pay-trains.
It was I who discovered it all at the risk of my life, by pretending to
enter into their plans. Just as you are doing with Sotillo."

"Yes. Yes, of course. But I can offer him better arguments," the doctor
said, hastily. "Leave it to me."

"Ah, yes! True. I am nothing."

"Not at all. You are everything."

They moved a few paces towards the door. Behind them the late Senor
Hirsch preserved the immobility of a disregarded man.

"That will be all right. I know what to say to the engineer," pursued
the doctor, in a low tone. "My difficulty will be with Sotillo."

And Dr. Monygham stopped short in the doorway as if intimidated by the
difficulty. He had made the sacrifice of his life. He considered this
a fitting opportunity. But he did not want to throw his life away too
soon. In his quality of betrayer of Don Carlos' confidence, he would
have ultimately to indicate the hiding-place of the treasure. That would
be the end of his deception, and the end of himself as well, at the
hands of the infuriated colonel. He wanted to delay him to the very
last moment; and he had been racking his brains to invent some place of
concealment at once plausible and difficult of access.

He imparted his trouble to Nostromo, and concluded--

"Do you know what, Capataz? I think that when the time comes and some
information must be given, I shall indicate the Great Isabel. That is
the best place I can think of. What is the matter?"

A low exclamation had escaped Nostromo. The doctor waited, surprised,
and after a moment of profound silence, heard a thick voice stammer out,
"Utter folly," and stop with a gasp.

"Why folly?"

"Ah! You do not se