ON one of the long wooden docks that projected over the river in front of the Suarez hacienda, Don Fernando and Doña Isabella, as well as a score of their Indian servants, stood gazing intently downstream. Today Ramona was expected home from her first year of school in the United States. A servant had just come dashing up to the house to announce that the boats were coming.
After gazing for a brief interval, Don Fernando removed his slim cigar from between his lips and said to his wife:
“The mozo was wrong. Those are not our canoes.”
“But they must be,” insisted Doña Isabella. “Who else would be coming this way with so many boats?”
The don shrugged.
“Explorers, perhaps, or a party of hunters. We’ll soon see.”
There were six canoes in all, most of them smaller than the six sent out by Don Fernando in charge of Felipe Fuez, his foreman, with orders to meet and bring Ramona and her governess.
As the first canoe drew near to the dock, the don carefully scanned the faces of its occupants. Besides the four Indian paddlers it contained two white men—one a swarthy Venezuelan with a small, pointed mustache, the other a lean, bearded man wearing a pith helmet and khaki, who might be an American or an Englishman. In the second boat rode two more people with pith helmets and khaki clothing. One was a broad-shouldered, clean-shaven, athletic-looking fellow who appeared to be in his middle thirties; the other was a woman, somewhat younger and quite comely, whose curls glinted auburn in the reflected sunbeams that danced up from the river. The other four boats contained Indian paddlers and luggage.
The first canoe came up beside the dock. Its gunwale was seized by willing hands, steadied.
The don and doña were smiling and gracious now, masking their disappointment at not seeing Ramona, that they might welcome the strangers with fitting cordiality.
When the first two stood on the dock the bearded man took the initiative.
“I am Dr. Bracken, Don Fernando,” he said in Spanish.
“I am honored, señor,” replied the don. “Doña Isabella, may I present Dr. Bracken?”
“An honor and a pleasure,” murmured the doctor, when the doña had acknowledged the introduction. “May I present Captain Santos?
“My other companions speak very little Spanish,” he added then. “Permit me to translate for you.”
“Hardly necessary,” smiled the don. “I’m a Harvard man, and the doña attended Lake Forest University. We first met in the States at a football game.”
“Splendid!” replied the doctor. “Then the introductions will be in English.”
And so they were. Doña Isabella and Mrs. Trevor soon found much in common, due to the former’s residence in the Stales.
Suddenly there came a cry from an Indian at the end of the dock.
“More canoes coming!”
Don Fernando looked down the river. Two had rounded the bend. A third was just nosing into sight.
“Viva!” he cried. “Our boats!”
“It’s our daughter, Ramona,” explained Dana Isabella.
The first canoe came on swiftly, outdistancing the others. It glided toward the pier, propelled by the don’s best paddlers, and steered by Ruiz himself, a big fellow with a snow-white mustache and goatee. He deftly guided it to the dock amid shouts of welcome:
As many willing hands steadied the boat, Ramona stood up, leaped lightly out, ran into the arms of Doña Isabella, kissed and hugged Don Fernando. There were tears of joy in the eyes of all three. The don held her away from him, admiring her proudly.
“How you have grown, my little one! And how stunning you look in those ‘flapper’ clothes!”
Many other pairs of eyes also admired the trim little figure, the lustrous dark eyes and hair, and the skin of milk and roses. The usually half-closed orbs of Captain Santos opened wide and he gasped involuntarily. As his eyes drank in Ramona’s youthful loveliness, passion flamed suddenly in his breast, was reflected in the flush that mounted to his throbbing temples: Suddenly self-conscious and fearful lest he had been noticed, he tore his eyes away and fumbled for a cigarette. Not until he had lighted it did he cast a furtive glance around him. No one, it seemed, had observed him. With a sigh of relief, he exhaled a cloud of blue smoke.
But there was one who had seen, and understood fully. Dr. Bracken, outwardly unmoved, was inwardly gloating. For many days he had been looking for a rope with which to bind Santos to his cause. Now it was revealed to him as plainly as if the captain had spoken his thoughts aloud.
Fussing like a brooding hen, the short and rotund duenna, Señora Soledade, was on the dock now.
Doña Isabella was introducing Ramona and Georgia Trevor. The girl started perceptibly as she clasped the hand of the auburn-haired woman and for the first time had a good look at her features.
“What as wrong?” asked the older woman.
“It’s—it’s nothing at, all. You look wonderful. You remind me strangely of someone else.”
Don Fernando gave some crisp orders about the luggage. The Indians scrambled to obey, and the party moved toward the house.
According to Don Fernando’s code, it would have been very bad taste to ask the purpose of his guests’ expedition.
The subject did not come up until all had gathered for dinner.
“I’m curious to know,” said Georgia Trevor to Ramona, “about this person who so greatly resembles me.”
“His name is Jan,” replied Ramona, “and he is only a little older than I. He once rescued me from a puma.”
The effect of this statement on the four guests was electric. The eyes of Santos narrowed slightly. Dr. Bracken retained perfect control of his features, but he could not prevent the sudden pallor that spread over them at the mention of Jan’s name. Harry Trevor’s face showed his intense interest: that of his wife, sudden hope.
“Slightly older than you—resembling me!” she cried. “Harry, it must be our boy! He would be nineteen now. Tell me more about him, my dear—tell me all about him!”
With flashing eyes, Ramona related the story of her rescue. Her description of Jan was so favorable that her hero worship was obvious to all. She said nothing about her frequent meetings with him, although she hoped to resume them. Don Fernando had given his opinion of Jan quite plainly.
“Por Dios!” exclaimed the captain. “That ees him, all right! Ees wan dangerous hombre, too, I tal’ you. Me, I rather meet the hongry puma, any time.”
“He’s dangerous only to those who would harm him,” flashed Ramona. “I am not afraid to meet him.”
“I feel,” interposed Harry Trevor, “that we owe our host and hostess an explanation. If you don’t mind, my dear,” with a look at his wife “I’ll begin at the beginning and tell them why we have come into the South American jungles.”
She nodded assent, and while all listened in rapt attention, and with varying emotions, he related the entire tale. The don and doña were sympathetic, eager to help. Ramona hoped that these people, whom she had begun to like very much, would really prove to be Jan’s parents.
After dinner coffee, liqueurs and cigars were served on the terrace that overlooked the patio, and quite early everyone retired.
The rooms of Dr. Bracken and the captain were opposite each other. As they walked down the hall together, the doctor invited Santos in for a chat. Santos sat down and lit a cigarette while the doctor softly closed the door. After listening for a moment, he returned and flung himself into a chair.
“It’s about time, captain,” the doctor said evenly, “that you and I came to a complete understanding. I’m not going to beat around the bush. You want to make money, don’t you?”
“Si.”
“And today you saw something which you want even more than money.”
“I don’t gat you.”
“Yes you do. I wasn’t blind today, Santos, when we stood on the pier as a certain party arrived. Now, suppose I am willing to help you realize your desire. Would you be willing to help me realize a certain wish of my own? To work with me and keep your mouth shut?”
“Si, señor. I work to beat hal’ and keep the mouth shut tight.”
“Fine! Now what do you suppose would happen if you were to go to Don Fernando and propose marriage with his young daughter?”
“Planty!”
“Yes. He’d kick you out of the house. Now suppose you were to approach the daughter and suggest that she elope with you?”
The captain shrugged.
“Who knows what a woman will do, señor?”
“You know and I know that she is not likely to consider the plea of a stranger twice her age when she is in love with a handsome youth.
“So I theenk you right. She’s craz’ about that keed, for sure.”
“Now where do you come in? What are your plans? You probably intend to steal that child, run away with her at the first opportunity. You will try to force marriage upon her—break down her will. If you succeed you will be the husband of the heiress to the Suarez millions. Sooner or later her people would take her back, and you with her. Suppose, on the other hand, that she would not marry you under any consideration. You could demand, and probably get a princely ransom. Failing in this, you would still have the girl—and to you, she herself would be worth the ransom of a grandee. Am I right?”
“If so, what then?”
“Simply this: I want to find Jan at once and keep him away from this house until it fits certain plans that I have to bring him here. I don’t want his parents or their friends to hear of his capture. If you are willing to help me and say nothing, I’ll be glad to do the same for you. Well, what do you say?”
“I say, O.K. amigo. I’m weeth you till the cow goes home.”