The Broncho Rider Boys with Funston at Vera Cruz

by Frank Fowler

  CHAPTER XXVIII.

  BILLIE MAKES A DISCOVERY.

  Having released Lieut. Grimes and taken the plotters intocustody, the next task was to locate Strong, the mountebank, andto solve the mystery of the box.

  Outside the one exclamation which Donald had uttered when herecognized Strong as the third of the plotters, he had notbetrayed his secret to any one, and when Lieut. Grimes told hisstory to Gen. Funston and described the American, Donaldvouchsafed no information which might help to apprehend him.

  "The plotter told the Mexicans that he could be found at theHidalgo Hotel whenever he was wanted," explained Lieut. Grimes."While he may have lied about it, I think we should send a forceand try to locate him."

  The advice was acted upon and a corporal and four soldiers sentto the hotel, but to no purpose. No such man was known there.

  "What was the use of my saying anything about it?" asked Donaldof the other two boys when he returned to Santiago's house andnarrated to them the story of his evening's adventure. "I wassure he was not there and I have no idea where he is; but we'llfind him and the ten thousand dollars given him by the Mexicansfor his treachery."

  "That's right, Don," was Billie's comment. "If you can get thatmoney and I can get my ten thousand pounds, this trip won't be sobad."

  "In the meantime," said Adrian, "I propose that some of us go tobed. It's nearly two o'clock and there is mighty little chancethat any one will try to steal the box again."

  "I think you are right," said Billie. "We might as well all go.The doctor is still with Santiago and will stay until he isbetter. It isn't at all likely that any one will try to come intothis room while he is here."

  Billie voiced the unanimous opinion, and a few minutes later theyoung people had all sought their beds, leaving instructions withthe physician and the servants that they were to be called if anychange for the worse occurred in Santiago's condition.

  It was probably two hours later, just about daylight, that theentire household was awakened by a terrible shriek and one of themaids rushed out into the patio.

  The boys came to their feet with a bound and hurried from theirroom on the ground floor, while the others appeared at the headof the stairs.

  "What is it?" asked Donald as soon as he could quiet theshrieking maid. "What are you yelling about?"

  "Oh, senor!" she cried. "I have seen the devil."

  "Nonsense," laughed the boy. "You had a nightmare."

  "No, senor. It was the devil. He had horns and a tail and he hadthe little box under his arm. I saw him!"

  "The box!" cried Billie. "Quick, Lucia, look and see if the boxis gone!"

  The girl rushed back into the library and she, too, gave ashriek.

  "It's gone!" she cried. "It's gone!"

  The boys sprang up the stairs three at a time and into thelibrary. Lucia was right. The box was gone.

  "It must be the old boy, sure enough," said Billie, "or at leastone of his imps." Then to the maid: "How did he get in?"

  "I don't know, senor. I only saw him go out. He went rightthrough the door without opening it."

  "Nonsense!" from Donald. "His Satanic majesty might go througha solid door, but the box wouldn't. There is some otherexplanation."

  "But who could it be?" queried Lucia in great fear.

  "Some one who knows the house," declared Adrian emphatically. "Hemay have put on some masquerade costume just to frighten thesesuperstitious servants in case he was discovered."

  "I believe Ad is right," agreed Donald. "What do you think,Billie?"

  "Maybe, Don; but I have a theory of my own. If I am right, I canwork it better if I tell no one."

  At this moment the physician entered the room.

  "How is Santiago?" asked Donald.

  "Better! He has gone to sleep, and if he is not disturbed, Iexpect him to be greatly improved when he awakens. I should notbe surprised if this were the turning point in his illness."

  "Then we had all better go down on to the first floor and leavehim alone with his nurses."

  "I'd give a good deal to know where Strong is," remarked Donaldas they were drinking their coffee an hour later.

  "So would I," declared Billie. "I believe, if we can find him, wecan solve this entire mystery."

  "As soon as we finish our coffee," suggested Donald, "let's getbusy and find him. He can't be far."

  "That's right," said Adrian. "We'll round him up in short order.Hey, Billie?"

  "We ought to; but I'll tell you what. You fellows go out and seeif you can get a line on him, and I'll hang round the house tosee that the devil doesn't come and steal the rest of the house."

  "Especially Lucia," laughed Donald.

  "That's all right," was the good-natured reply; "but I have anidea that the devil and Strong may have something in common."

  "You don't think it was Strong who came and took the box, doyou?" queried Adrian.

  "I don't know just what I do think, Ad; but I'm going to do alittle detective work and I want to give the impression that weare all out. When you fellows go out, don't say anything thatwould cause any one in hiding to think we are not all going outtogether. Do you sabe?"

  "Sure. I hope you'll get a clue if we do not."

  When the others had gone, Billie sat quietly in his room for along time. He could easily have gone to sleep, as he had had onlya couple of hours' rest, but he made up his mind that he wouldnot be caught napping again if anything should happen.

  But nothing happened.

  The minutes passed into hours and it was rapidly nearing noonwhen Billie made up his mind that it was a bad job.

  "We had our chance at daylight," he muttered, "and now we willnot get another. Whoever is after the box, has it and is notgoing to take any further chance of being caught."

  He went out into the patio and looked up at the sun. It wasalmost in the zenith and the air was stifling.

  "Any one would be a fool to go out at this time of day," hemused. "I wonder where the fellows are?"

  He stepped back under the shade of the arcade that extended cleararound the patio and threw himself onto a stone seat.

  "Queer old place," he thought, "and a queer old seat."

  He laid his hand on one of the carved arms and mechanically toyedwith an eagle's head that formed one of the decorations. To hissurprise the head turned in his hand.

  "I hope I haven't broken it," he said as he examined it moreclosely.

  It was clearly made to revolve and so he turned it clear around,when of a sudden the arm of the seat fell apart and the bottomcollapsed, disclosing to Billie's astonished eyes a pair ofstairs.

  Almost thrown to the pavement by the giving way of the seat,Billie picked himself up and looked about to see if he wereobserved.

  There was no one in sight and he stooped down and examined thestairs carefully. Then he straightened up and rubbed his chin asa sudden gleam of intelligence passed through his brain.

  "So," he muttered, "this is why Santiago dwells in a house thatis directly back of the banker's. That was his box and he is thestrange man who made the million-dollar deposit in Don Esteban'sbank."

  Then he stopped and pondered.

  "But who stole the box? Not Santiago, for he has not left hisroom for days. If it was Strong, he must have entered the bankfrom some direction other than this. I don't understand, but I'mgoing to make some further investigation."

  He reentered his room, buckled on his automatic and took from hissuit case--which, by the way, he had located at the railwaystation along with that of his companions after the occupation ofthe city by the marines--his electric torch. Then he went out anddescended the stairs, which he discovered were twenty-four innumber.

  Reaching the bottom he found himself upon a landing some six oreight feet square, from the opposite side of which another flightof stairs ascended.

  "I reckon I better see where they lead to," was his comment as heslowly began their ascent.

  After going up eighteen stairs his head touched the floor above.He
counted the remaining steps by the light of his torch andfound that there were six more. This would make the floor overhis head on an exact level with the floor of Santiago's house.

  "It's just as I expected," he muttered. "If I can getthrough this floor, I shall find myself in Don Esteban'sresidence--somewhere. But just where? That's the question."

  He pushed upon the stone above his head, but it refused to move.Then he held up his torch and examined the ceiling carefully.Whatever the method by which the stones could be moved, it wascarefully concealed.

  Much chagrined, Billie at length decided to retrace his steps andawait the coming of his companions. He reached the landing andcrossed over to the steps by which he had descended.

  Glancing up, he uttered an exclamation of surprise, for there atthe opening and peering down the stairs was Ambrosio, the ape.

  With a cry of recognition the simian started to descend thestairs, but at a noise from above he hesitated and then sprangback and out of sight.

  An instant later the opening was closed and Billie was left inthe darkness, except for the light of his torch.