CHAPTER XXII.
THE QUEEN IS FOUND.
Mazaro changed color, and then he regained his composure.
"Senor," he said, smoothly, "I know-a not what made you t'ink dat."
"I do not think; I know."
"Wondareful--ver' wondareful," purred the Spaniard, in mock admiration."You give-a me great s'prise."
Frank was angry, but he held himself in restraint, appearing cool.
"Your face betrayed it."
"Ah! Dat show yo' have-a ver' gre't eye, senor."
"You do not deny it?"
"Why should I do dat when you know-a so much?"
"You dare not deny it."
"Dare, senor? I dare ver' many thing you do not know."
Mazaro was exasperatingly cool.
"Look here, man," said Frank, leaning toward the Spaniard; "are youaware that you may get yourself into serious trouble? Are you aware thatkidnaping is an offense that makes you a criminal of the worst sort, andfor which you might be sent up for twenty years, at least?"
The Spaniard smiled.
"It is eeze to talk, but dat is not proof," he said.
"You scoundrel!" exclaimed the boy, his anger getting the better of himfor the moment. "I have a mind to convey my suspicions to the police,and then----"
"An' den what, senor? Ah! you talk ver' bol' fo' boy like you. Do youknow-a what? Well, see; if I snappa my fingare, quick like a flash youget a knife 'tween your shouldares. Den you not tell-a the police."
Frank could not repress a shiver. He looked swiftly around, and saw theblack eyes of the other two men were fastened upon him, and he knewthey were ready to obey Mazaro's signal.
"W'at yo' t'ink-a, senor?" smiled Manuel, insolently.
"That is very well," came calmly from Frank's lips. "If I were to givethe signal my friends would rush in here to my aid. If you stab me, makesure the knife goes through my heart with the first stroke, so therewill be little chance that I'll cry out."
"Den you have-a friends near, ha? I t'ink so mebbe. Call-a dem in."
"No, thank you. They will remain outside till they are needed."
"Ver' well. Now we undarestan' each odder. Yo' have-a some more to say?"
"Yes."
"Say him."
"I have told you that you might find it profitable to serve me."
"I hear dat."
"I meant it."
"W'at yo' want done?"
"No dirty work--no throat-cutting. I want information."
"Ha! W'at yo' want-a know?"
"I want to know who the Queen of Flowers is."
"Any more?"
"Yes; I want to know where she is, and you can tell me."
"Yo' say dat, but yo' can't prove it. I don't say anyt'ing, senor. 'Bo'thow much yo' pay fo' that info'mation, ha?"
"Good money, and a fair price."
"Fair price notting; I want good-a price. Undarestand-a?"
"I understand."
"W'at yo' gif?"
"To know where she is? A hundred dollars."
Mazaro smiled scornfully.
"Dat notting. Yo' don' talk de biz. Yo' don' have-a de mon' enough."
"Wait," urged Frank. "I am a Yankee, from the North, and I will make atrade with you."
"All-a right, but I don't admit I know anyt'ing."
Manuel leaned back in his chair, lazily and deftly rolling a cigarette,which he lighted. Frank watched this piece of business, thinking of thebest manner of approaching the fellow.
And then something happened that electrified every one within the cafe.
Somewhere above there came the sound of blows, and a crashing,splintering sound, as of breaking wood. Then a shriek ran through thebuilding.
"Help! Help! Save me!"
It was the voice of a female in great terror and distress.
Mazaro ground a curse through his white teeth, and leaped to his feet,but Frank was on his feet quite as quickly.
Smack! Frank's arm had shot out, and his hard fist struck the Spaniardunder the ear, sending the fellow flying through the air and up againstthe wall with terrible force. From the wall Mazaro dropped, limp andgroaning, to the floor.
Like a flash, the nervy youth flung the table against the downcastwretch's companions, making them reel.
Then Frank leaped toward the stairs, up which he bounded like a deer.
"Where are you?" he cried. "I am here to help you! Call again!"
No answer.
Near the head of the stairs a light shone out through a broken panel ina door, and on this door Frank knew the blows he had heard must havefallen.
Within this room the boy fancied he could hear sounds of a desperatestruggle.
Behind him the desperadoes were rallying, cursing hoarsely, and cryingto each other. They were coming, and the lad on the stairs knew theywould come armed to the teeth.
All the chivalry in his nature was aroused. His blood was leaping andtingling in his veins, and he felt able to cope with a hundred foes.
Straight toward the broken door he leaped, and his hand found the knob,but it refused to yield at his touch.
"Fast!" he panted. "Well, I'll try this!"
He hurled himself against the door, but it remained firm.
There were feet on the stairs; the desperadoes were coming.
At that moment he looked into the room through the break in the panel,and he saw a girl struggling with all her strength in the hands of aman. The man was trying to hold a hand over her mouth to keep her fromcrying out again, while a torrent of angry Spanish words poured in ahissing sound from his bearded lips.
As Frank looked the girl tore the fellow's hand from her lips, and hercry for help again rang out.
The wretch lifted his fist to strike her senseless, but the blow did notfall.
Frank was a remarkably good shot, and his revolver was in his hand. Thathand was flung upward to the opening in the panel, and he fired into theroom.
The burst of smoke kept him from seeing the result of the shot, but heheard a hoarse roar of pain from the man, and he knew he had not missed.
He had fired at the fellow's wrist, and the bullet had shattered it.
But now the ruffians who were coming furiously up the stairs demandedhis attention.
"Halt!" he shouted. "Stop where you are, or I shall open fire on you!"
He could see them, and he saw the foremost lift his hand. Then there wasa burst of flame before Frank's eyes, and he staggered backward, feelinga bullet near his cheek.
Not till that moment did he realize what a trap he was in, and howdesperate was his situation.
"It is a fight for life!" he muttered, as he lifted his revolver.
The smell of burned powder was in his nostrils, the fire of battlegleamed from his eyes.
The weapon in Frank's hand spoke again, and once more he found his game,for the leading ruffian, having almost reached the head of the stairs,flung up his arms, with a gurgling sound, and toppled backward uponthose who were following.
Down the stairs they all tumbled, falling in a heap at the bottom, wherethey struggled, squirmed, and shouted.
"So far everything is very serene!" half laughed the daring boy. "Thishas turned out to be a real lively night."
Frank was a lad who never deliberately sought danger for danger's sake,but when his blood was aroused, he entirely forgot to be afraid, and hefelt a wild thrill of joy when in the greatest peril.
For the time, he had entirely forgotten the existence of Barney Mulloy,but now he remembered that the Irish lad had waited outside the cottagecafe.
"He has heard the rumpus," said Frank, aloud. "I wonder where Barney canbe?"
"Whist, be aisy, me lad!" retorted the familiar voice of the Irishyouth. "Oi'm wid yez to th' ind!"
Barney was close behind Frank!
"How in the world did you get here?" cried our hero, in greatastonishment.
"Oi climbed the tray, me b'y."
"The tree? What tree?"
"Th' willey tray a
s shtands forninst th' corner av th' house, Frankie."
"But that does not explain how you came here at my side."
"There was a windy open, an' Oi shlipped in by th' windy."
"Well, you're a dandy, Barney!"
"An' ye're a birrud, Frankie. What koind av a muss hiv ye dhropped intonow, Oi'd loike ter know?"
"A regular ruction. I heard a girl shout for help, and I knocked overtwo or three chaps, Mazaro included, on my way to her aid."
"Where is she now, b'y?"
"In here," said Frank, pointing through the broken panel. "She is themissing Queen of Flowers! There she is, Barney! See here!"
Then Frank obtained a fair look at the girl's face, staggered, clutchedBarney, and shouted:
"Look! By heavens! It is not strange she knew me, for we both know her!She is Inza Burrage!"