I've
had some dealings with her."
He looked at Kennedy shrewdly, as though he would have liked to
ask whether she had said anything about him, but did not because
he knew Kennedy would not tell. He was trying to figure out some
other way of finding out.
"Sometimes I think she is trying to double-cross me," he said, at
length. "I know that when she talks to others about me she says
many things that aren't so. Yet when she is with me everything is
fine, and she is ready soon to join us, use her influence with
influential Peruvians; in fact, there isn't anything she won't do-
-manana, to-morrow."
All that Whitney said we now knew to be true.
"She has one interesting dilemma, however, which I do not mind
telling you," remarked Kennedy at length. "She cannot expect me to
keep secret what she said before all of us. Inez Mendoza would
mention it, anyhow."
"What was that?" queried Whitney, dissembling his interest.
"Why," replied Kennedy slowly, "it was that, with the plans for
digging for the treasure which you say you have, suppose you and
Lockwood and your associates have not the dagger--how are you
better off than previous hunters? And supposing you have it--what
does that imply?"
Whitney thought a moment over the last proposition of the dilemma.
Pages:
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163