rocks for a brief moment, a moving shadow
uncertain in its outlines, grotesque, shapeless: and then the daylight
vanished as suddenly as it dawned. There was a faint click, as though
a door closed, while darkness resumed sway, the silence unbroken, but
for the scraping of a step on those rude stairs. The two guards below
came to their feet, rigid in the glow of the lantern, their faces
turned upward. Then a man came slowly down the last few steps and
joined them.

CHAPTER XXVII: A DANGEROUS PRISONER

He was tall and thin, wearing a wide cloak about his shoulders, and
high hat with broad brim. Even at that distance it could be seen that
his long hair was grey, and that a heavy moustache, snow-white, made
more noticeable the thin features of his face. The man was Mexican, no
doubt of that, but of the higher class, the dead pallor of his skin
accented by the black, deep-seated eyes. He looked at the two men
closely, and his voice easily reached the ears of the listeners.

"Who posted you here?"

"Juan Cateras, _senor_," answered one.

"Not on my order. Dias is watching above. Did the lieutenant give you
a reason?"

"The prisoners, _senor_."

"The prisoners! Oh, yes; those that Lacy had confined here. Well,
they will not be here for long. I do not believe in prisoners, and
because I do business with that dog is no reason why he is privileged
to use this place to hold his victims. I have just despatched a
messenger to Haskell to that effect, and we'll soon be rid of them.
Where is Cateras?"

"In the valley, _senor_! he went back down the passage with Silva after
posting us here."

"And the prisoners?"

"Occupy the two inner cells. Merodiz here says one of them is a girl."

"A girl!" the tall man laughed. "That then will account for the
unusual interest of Juan Cateras, and why he preferred being left in
charge. A girl, hey, Merodiz! You saw the witch? What sort was she?"

"An American, _senor_, young, and good to look at," the other man
explained. "Her eyes as blue as the skies."

"Good! 'tis not often the gods serve us so well. I forgive Cateras for
failure to report such a prize, but from now on will see that he takes
his proper place. She was here when we came?"

"No, _senor_; the two Americanos brought her; it was Silva and I who
put her in the cell."

"At Cateras's order?"

"Yes, _senor_."

"In what cell?"

"The second in the passage; the man who was here when we came