“You must be mistaken.  I hope you are.  Men used to do that sort of thing, but under existing laws . . .”

“Under existing laws men do a good many things in and about San Juan which they shouldn’t do.  I have found out that there was a Caleb Patten who was a young doctor; that there was a Charles Patten, his brother, who was a young scamp; that they both lived in Baltimore a few years ago; that from Baltimore they both went hastily no man knows where.  This gentleman whom we have with us might be either one of them. . . .  Here comes Ignacio. Que hay, Ignacio!”

“Que hay, Roderico?” responded Ignacio, coming to lean languidly against the veranda post.  He removed his hat elaborately, his liquid eyes doing justice to Virginia’s dainty charm. “Buenos tardes, senorita,” he greeted her.

“What is new, Ignacio?” queried Norton, “No bells for you to ring for the last ten days!  You grow fat in idleness, amigo mio.”

Ignacio sighed and rolled his cigarette.

“What is new, you ask?  No? Bueno, this is new!” He lifted his eyes suddenly and they were sparkling as with suppressed excitement.  “The Devil himself has made a visit to San Juan. Si, senor; si, senorita.  It is so.”

Virginia smiled; Norton gravely asked the explanation.  Why should his satanic majesty come to San Juan?

“Why? Quien sabe?” Ignacio shrugged all responsibility from his lazy shoulders.  “But he came and more bad will come from his visit, more and more of evil things.  One knows. Seguro que si; one knows.  But I will tell you and the senorita; no one else knows of it.  It was while in the Casa Blanca men are shooting, while Roderico Nortone will make his arrest of poor Vidal who is dead now.”  He crossed himself and drew a thoughtful puff from his cigarette.  “I run fast to ring the bells.  I come into the garden and it is dark.  I come under the bells.  And while my hand cannot find the rope . . . Si, senor y senorita! . . . before I touch the rope the Captain begins to ring!  Just a little; not long; low and quiet and . . . angry!  And then he stop and I shiver.  It is hard not to run out of the garden.  But I cross myself and find the ropes and make all the bells dance.  But I know; it was the Devil who was before me.”

CHAPTER XV

THE KING’S PALACE

Not only was Galloway back in San Juan but, as Norton had predicted of him, he appeared to have every assurance that he stood in no unusual danger.  There had been a fight in a dark room and one man had been killed, certain others wounded.  The dead man was Galloway’s friend, hence it was not to be thought that Galloway had killed him.  Kid Rickard was another friend.  As for the wound Rod Norton had received, who could swear that this man or that had given it to him?