“Perhaps he will leave me, and try to force an entrance into the office,” soliloquized Frank.  “If he does, I am all right!  I’ll jerk my arms out of this sash, pick up that rifle, and the first thing Mr. Pierre Costello knows, he’ll be the prisoner.  I’ll march him to the quarters, and tell Felix to tie him, hand and foot.”

Unfortunately for the success of these plans, the Ranchero did not leave the room after he had tied Frank’s arms.  He was too well acquainted with the old house to think of trying to force an entrance into the office.  He knew that the doors and window-shutters were as strong as wood and iron could make them, and that it would be a dangerous piece of business to attempt to break them open.  Felix, all unconscious of what was going on in the house, snored lustily in his quarters, and the housekeeper slept in a room adjoining the kitchen; and if Pierre awakened either of them, he might bid good-by to all hopes of ever securing possession of the gold.  His only hope was in compelling Frank to tell where he had put the office key.

“Now, then,” said he, “I will give you one more chance.  Where is it?”

“Where’s what?” asked Frank.

“The office key!” exclaimed the Ranchero, enraged at the coolness of his prisoner.  “Tell me where it is, or I’ll drive you through the floor!”

As he said this, he raised his fist over Frank’s head, as if he were on the point of putting his threat into execution.

“Drive away!” replied Frank.

“Then you won’t tell me where it is?” yelled the Ranchero.

“No, I won’t!  And when I say no, I mean it; and all the threats you can make won’t scare me into saying any thing else!”

Pierre hesitated a moment, and then jumped to his feet, his actions indicating that he was determined to waste no more words.  He placed his knife upon the table, closed the windows, and dropped the curtains, so that any one who might happen to pass by could not see what was going on in the room.  His next action was to seize Frank by the collar of his jacket, and pull him roughly to his feet, preparatory to putting into operation his new plan for compelling him to tell where he had hidden the office key.

“If you conclude to answer my question, let me know it,” said the Ranchero.

“I will,” was Frank’s reply.

Pierre stepped upon a chair, and removing one of the pictures from its hook, tossed it upon the bed.  After that, he took Frank’s lasso down from the nail, beside the book-case, and holding the noose in his hand, threw the other end over the hook.

Frank had thus far shown himself to be possessed of a good share of courage.  He had bravely endured the choking, and had made defiant replies to all Pierre’s threats; but when he saw this movement, he became thoroughly alarmed.  He knew what was coming.

“Aha!” exclaimed the Ranchero, who had not failed to notice the sudden pallor that overspread the boy’s countenance; “Aha!”