"I don't know about the wages, sir," said one of the assistants, "but
we caught him in the act of cuffing the boy."
"What does he owe you, my lad?" asked Major Shervinton.
"Nothing," replied Mariquita, trembling and in very imperfect English.
"I only wanted to get him here to denounce him as a friend of the
Russians and a spy."
"There's not a word of truth in what he says!" cried Joe, looking at
her with open-mouthed astonishment.
"We have long had our eye upon you, my friend, you know that; and I
shall inquire into this more closely."
"At this moment there is a man--his name is Benito Villegas--in the
bakehouse below the shop," said Mariquita. "He is wounded; you will
find him there. Go and seize him; make him tell you what he has done
with the English officer, Mr. McKay."
"Mr. McKay!" said the provost-marshal, deeply interested at once. "He
is absent--missing! Have you heard anything of him or his fate?"
"Make Benito tell you. He has betrayed him into the Russians' hands."
"This is very important intelligence. What you say shall be verified
at once. See to the prisoners, one of you, and let some one come with
me to Joe's shop."
Major Shervinton made short work of Benito.
"Look here, my fine fellow, you had better make a clean breast of it
all. What have you done with Mr.
Pages:
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331