Page:Gaston Leroux--The bride of the sun.djvu/141

Rh risen in the night, only a few feet away, and had fired; the rider rolled from his saddle, while the shadow, seizing the horse's bridle, swung itself into his place. Little Christobal ran toward it.

"Tell your father I've bagged one of them," shouted Dick, turning his mount and riding for the sierra.

The child, without answering, ran after the llama, which in its turn was following the horse. His little fingers caught in its wool, he checked it with the words one uses to llamas, scrambled up and dashed after Dick. Uncle Francis, on the roadway, was passed by two black streaks, and left alone there, speechless.

Meanwhile, in the room on the first floor, Libertad was making his confession. Natividad had realized, and had made the Marquis realize, the great value to them which this might have. Nor, to tell the truth, did he forget the value of the Marquis as a witness to this confession, which he regarded in the light of a valuable piece of fresh evidence in his case against the Indians generally. For this twofold reason, Natividad was merciless, and forced the negro to speak till his last breath.

This confession, made in gasps and groans, built up by question and answer, and cut short by death, showed clearly that the abduction had been long planned, and that the daughter of the