“ ’Twere a shame to kill you,” he said. “You are an excellent officer, I have heard, and the army needs a few such. But you have spoken falsehood regarding me, and so must pay a price. Presently I shall run you through, but in such manner that your life will not emerge when I withdraw my blade.”
“Boaster!” the captain snarled.
“As to that we shall see presently. Ha! I almost had you there, my captain. You are more clever than your big sergeant, but not half clever enough. Where do you prefer to be touched—the left side or the right?”
“If you are so certain run me through the right shoulder,” the captain said.
“Guard it well, my captain, for I shall do as you say! Ha!”
The captain circled, trying to get the light of the candles in the highwayman’s eyes, but Señor Zorro was too clever for that. He caused the captain to circle back, forced him to retreat, fought him to a corner.
“Now, my captain!” he cried.
And so he ran him through the right shoulder, as the captain had said, and twisted the blade a bit as he brought it out. He had struck a little low, and Captain Ramón dropped to the floor, a sudden weakness upon him.
Señor Zorro stepped back and sheathed his blade.
“I ask the pardon of the ladies for this scene,” he said. “And I assure you that this time I am, indeed, going away. You will find that the captain is not badly injured, Don Carlos. He may return to his presidio within the day.”
He removed his sombrero and bowed low before them, while Don Carlos sputtered and failed to think of anything to say that would be mean and cutting enough. His eyes, for a moment, met those of the Señorita Lolita, and he was glad to find that in hers there was no repugnance.
“Buenas noches!” he said and laughed again.
And then he dashed through the kitchen and into the patio, and found the horse awaiting him there, as he had said it would be, and was quick to mount and ride away.
X
A Hint at Jealousy
Within the space of half an hour Captain Ramón’s wounded shoulder had been cleansed of blood and bandaged, and the captain was sitting at one end of the table, sipping wine and looking very white in the face and tired.
Doña Catalina and Señorita Lolita had shown much sympathy, though the latter could scarcely refrain from smiling when she remembered the captain’s boast regarding what he purposed doing to the highwayman, and compared it to what had happened. Don Carlos was outdoing himself to make the captain feel at home since it was well to seek influence with the army, and already had urged upon the officer that he remain at the hacienda a few days until his wound had healed.
Having looked into the eyes of the Señorita Lolita, the captain had answered that he would be glad to remain at least for a day, and despite his wound was attempting polite and witty conversation, yet failing miserably.
Once more there could be heard the drumming of a horse’s hoofs, and Don Carlos sent a servant to the door to open it so that the light would shine out, for they supposed that it was one of the soldiers returning.
The horseman came nearer, and presently stopped before the house, and the servant hurried out to care for the beast.
There passed a moment during which those inside the house heard nothing at all, and then there were steps on the veranda, and Don Diego Vega hurried through the door.
“Ha!” he cried, as if in relief. “I am rejoiced that you all are alive and well!”
“Don Diego!” the master of the house exclaimed. “You have ridden out from the pueblo a second time in one day?”
“No doubt I shall be ill because of it,” Don Diego said. “Already I am feeling stiff and my back aches. Yet I felt that I must come. There was an alarm in the pueblo, and it was noised abroad that this Señor Zorro, the highwayman, had paid a visit to the hacienda. I saw the soldiers ride furiously in this direction, and fear came into my heart. You understand, Don Carlos, I feel sure.”
“I understand, caballero,” Don Carlos replied, beaming upon him and glancing once at Señorita Lolita.
“I—er—felt it my duty to make the journey. And now I find that it has been made for naught—you all are alive and well. How does it happen?”
Lolita sniffed, but Don Carlos was quick to make reply.
“The fellow was here, but he made his escape after running Captain Ramón through the shoulder.”
“Ha!” Don Diego said, collapsing into a chair. “So you have felt his steel; eh, captain? That should feed your desire for vengeance. Your soldiers are after the rogue?”
“They are,” the captain replied shortly, for he did not like to have it said that he had been defeated in combat. “And they will continue to be after him until he is captured. I have a big sergeant, Gonzales—I think he is a friend of yours, Don Diego—who is eager to make the arrest and earn the governor’s reward. I shall instruct him, when he returns, to take his squad and pursue this highwayman until he has been dealt with properly.”
“Let me express the hope that the soldiers will be successful, señor. The rogue has annoyed Don Carlos and the ladies—and Don Carlos is my friend. I would have all men know it!”
Don Carlos beamed, and Doña Catalina smiled bewitchingly, but the Señorita Lolita fought to keep her pretty upper lip from curling with scorn.
“A mug of your refreshing wine, Don Carlos,” Don Diego Vega continued. “I am fatigued. Twice today have I ridden here from
