Bandit Love

"What are you blathering about?" asked the astonished Tony. "Why do

you want to fight me?"

"I am making you what an Englishman would surely call a sporting offer,

señor," explained Don Carlos. "I will fight you for Miss Myra

Rostrevor. If I beat you, you surrender her to me. If you beat me, I

surrender her to you, set you both at liberty, and promise you safe

conduct back to El Castillo de Ruiz without any question of payment of

ransom, provided you give me your word of honour not to betray my

identity, which I shall reveal to you. Is it a bargain?"

"But--but--hang it all!--the whole thing's fantastic!" stammered Tony,

more bewildered than ever. "Why should I take the risk of having to

surrender Miss Rostrevor to you? It is an absurd proposal, although

you may think it is a sporty offer. I'm not afraid to fight you, but

I've got to consider Miss Rostrevor."

"Does this proposal appeal to Miss Rostrevor?" inquired Don Carlos,

turning his hooded head in Myra's direction. "It is possible that the

risk of becoming the property of El Diablo Cojuelo is not altogether

distasteful to her!"

Myra did not know how to answer. She felt inclined to bid Tony accept

the offer, yet she knew it would be an unwomanly thing to do.

Instinctively she felt, moreover, that in a fight Don Carlos would

prove the victor.

"The risk is distasteful to me," she equivocated, after a pause.

"You seem to forget that you are completely at my mercy," remarked Don

Carlos drily. "It is an act of grace on my part to offer Señor

Standish the opportunity of fighting for you."

"Here, cut out this nonsensical talk and drop your pose of being a

sportsman," interposed Standish. "What's the idea, anyhow? It's heads

you win and tails I lose, I suppose, if it comes to fighting you. If I

beat you, one of your gang of cut-throat ruffians would probably knife

me. I see through your bluff, my man. You are pretending that you

want to keep Miss Rostrevor with the idea of extorting a bigger ransom."

"You insult me!" thundered Don Carlos, springing up from his chair and

bringing his clenched fist down on the table with a crash. "El Diablo

Cojuelo has never broken his word and has kept his every promise, yet

you dare to suggest he would not fight fair. Let me insult you in

return, Señor Standish, by suggesting you are too much of a coward to

fight for the girl you profess to love, and would surrender her rather

than suffer pain."