... Alexis appeared
to be listlessly unconcerned and sat upon one corner of the large
flat-topped desk, swinging his feet indifferently; but when I started
for the door he sprang to attention like a well-trained soldier and
awaited the results.... Going to the door fronting in the main street,
I called the sentry and ordered him to CALL OUT THE GUARD....
Shortly _my selected_ guard appeared....
"I conducted them through the dining room and told them to help
themselves.... Then we roamed through the living rooms, the boudoirs,
straight through to the washing room and bath; then back through the
oblong archway into the little square room beyond the study, where I
halted them and said: 'Men, these women will die before they'll
tell us where the treasure is at present. The OLD MAN and WOMAN seem
utterly indifferent to their fate; we can get _nothing_ out of them.
Now, what do you say to giving them a night to think the matter over
before we _line them up_? We may get more by waiting than by closing
their mouths FOREVER....'
"'_Not another day_!' said one of the men whom I had all along
suspected of being _suspicious_ of MY conduct.... 'What say the rest
of you?' I asked.... 'Well,' droned the most courageous of them,
with a hangdog expression, 'we might give them until midnight.'...
'Very well,' I snapped viciously, I'LL PUT OFF THE EXECUTION till
that hour; then if they don't disgorge I'll kill every one of them
_myself_!'.
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