Bandit Love
Page 111"So you assert that Don Carlos lied?" demanded Cojuelo sternly. "You
did not tell him you would accept your freedom and leave the señorita
to me if I refrained from flogging you and branding you? Will you
swear that on oath--on your sacred word of honour as an English
gentleman?"
"Don Carlos must have misunderstood me," Standish responded, nervously
licking his dry lips. "Look here, Cojuelo, drop this fooling and be
sensible. I realise you've got the whip hand, so to speak, and can
dictate your own terms. How much do you want? I told Don Carlos I am
willing to pay you ten thousand pounds--that's something like a million
man--a million, and----"
"You have not answered my question, Señor Standish," interrupted
Cojuelo curtly. "Do you assert that Don Carlos de Ruiz lied when he
said you were willing to accept your freedom and leave the Señorita
Rostrevor to me? Will you meet Don Carlos face to face and denounce
him as a liar?"
"Don Carlos must have misunderstood me," repeated Tony. "It--er--it
isn't a question of calling him a liar. Look here, Cojuelo, what's the
use of all this bluff and bluster? Why don't you come down to brass
"Don Carlos did not misunderstand you, and you are lying," Cojuelo
rasped at him. "Confess now to the Señorita Rostrevor that you have
renounced her."
"I shall do nothing of the sort, confound you!" Standish exclaimed
angrily. "Why the deuce don't you state your terms and have done with
it?"
"My terms were clearly dictated to you through the medium of Don
Carlos," said Cojuelo. "I give you your freedom on condition that you
renounce the Señorita Rostrevor and surrender her to me. Incidentally,
"I made the promise, Tony, because Don Car--er--I mean El Diablo
Cojuelo--boasted that you would surrender me to save yourself,"
interposed Myra hastily. "I knew nothing would induce you to give me
up, Tony. It isn't true, is it, that you agreed to go away with Don
Carlos and leave me here?"
"No, of course I didn't mean that, Myra," answered Tony, gulping as if
he had a lump in his throat. "Didn't I come here to ransom you?"