same moment giving the dead body a vicious kick: "You
black devil, take that! Now I've squared accounts with you for killin'
th' Padre--and it's the best day's work I've ever done!"

Though the struggle between the two had been a very desperate one, there
had been no noise about it. Through the whole fight Rayburn had remained
buried in his death-like stupor; and Pablo, though so near to us, had
heard no sound of it at all.

"Now, then, Professor," Young said, when he had got his wind back,
"we've got t' bounce. Th' first thing t' do is t' fasten that gratin' on
our side, so's nobody can get in here t' bother us while we're doin' our
skippin'. I guess we can sort o' wedge it fast so's t' stand 'em off for
an hour or two, anyway, an' that's time enough to give us a fair start."

"We can do something better than that, I think," I said, as we went
together towards the grating. "Unless I am much mistaken, only the
Priest Captain knew about this sliding door and the treasure-chamber
beyond it. If we can restore to their places those three plates, and can
close the door behind us, I am persuaded that so far as pursuit of us is
concerned we shall be absolutely safe."

"Gosh!" Young exclaimed. "D' you know, Professor, I wouldn't 'a' given
you credit for havin' that much common-sense. It's a big idea, that is,
an' we'll try it on. But, all th' same, we've got t' make things as
sure as we can, an' this little job must be attended to first."

As we approached the grating we saw two of the temple guard standing
outside of it, apparently waiting for the Priest Captain's return; and
these men looked at us with such evident suspicion that I feared for the
success of our plans. "Just talk to 'em," Young said, hurriedly. "Talk
to 'em about th' last election, or chicken-coops, or anything you
please, while I take a look 'round an' sec how we're goin' t' get this
job done."

Young dropped behind me, and then aside and so out of sight, as I
advanced to the grating and spoke to the men, whose faces somewhat
cleared as I told them that the Priest Captain desired that they should
wait there a little longer. And then I managed to hold their interest
for some minutes while I spoke about the devil that was in El Sabio, and
about other devils of a like sort whom I had known in my time. While I
thus spoke I heard a little tinkling sound, as of metal striking against
stone--but if the soldiers also heard it they paid no attention to
it--and t