He was not a
superstitious man and he put no faith in the supernatural,
nevertheless he was convinced that his sergeant was not lying, and
reference to Pancho Cueto had set his mind to working along
strange channels. He had known Cueto well, and the latter's
stubborn belief in the existence of that Varona treasure had more
than once impressed him. He wondered now if others shared that
faith, or if by chance they had discovered a clue to the
whereabouts of the money and were conducting a secret search. It
was a fantastic idea, nevertheless Cobo told himself that if
people were prying about those deserted premises it was with some
object, and their actions would warrant observation. The presence
of the woman--a woman--with the glow of phosphorus upon her face
was puzzling, but the whole affair was puzzling. He determined to
investigate. After a time he murmured, "I should like to see this
spirit."
The sergeant shrugged. It was plain from his expression that he
could not account for such a desire. "Another night is coming,"
said he.
"Good! I shall visit the place, and if I see anything unusual I--
well, I shall believe what you have told me. Meanwhile, go see
your priest by all means. It will do you no harm."
XXVI
HOW COBO STOOD ON HIS HEAD
All that day, or during most of it, at least, Rosa and O'Reilly
sat hand in hand, oblivious of hunger and fatigue, impatient for
the coming of night, keyed to the highest tension.
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