Saint Errant (The Saint Series) by Charteris Leslie

Author:Charteris, Leslie [Charteris, Leslie]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, mobi
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Published: 2014-03-17T16:00:00+00:00

He went through the night toward Skeleton Hill with a blithe softness. The country before him and on either side was an earthly sleeping wilderness, ragged and obscure in the shrouded darkness of a night without a moon. The cry of a hunting coyote somewhere in the distance wailed faintly through the veiled space, and the Saint smiled again. Presently, ahead of him, he heard the monotonous scrunch of plodding boots going down the dirt road. He came up swiftly with the sound, till he could see the ghostly bulk of the walker blotting out the stars.

He himself made no sound. He came up until his hand could stretch out and grip the man’s shoulder, and he spoke in a sudden gentle whisper of Italian.

“One moment, Salvatore. You know as well as I do that there is no hurry to reach Skeleton Hill.”

The man halted with a jerk, and turned. His black-bearded face bent forward till he could recognize the Saint in the vague starlight. Then the shaggy black head bowed.

“Lai fatto molto bene,” said the old man gruffly. “I thought we should meet here.”

For a moment even Simon was startled. “You guessed, did you?”

“I knew that Amadeo could never have been so stupid as to try anything like that immediately after you had shown him up. And the hunting trip that left him alone for nearly four hours was your idea. Also you knew that I had no money, so I knew that I had nothing to fear from you. Where is Lucia?”

“She went and hid in the woodshed as I told her to,” answered the Saint shamelessly. “I told her to slip out as soon as it was dark and come along here. You’ll probably find her a little way along the road. But if you knew, why did you help me?”

“I did not see why that Amadeo should have so much money,” said Intuccio calmly. “You will be content with half?”

Simon laughed softly.

“From the very beginning,” he said, “I always meant you to have three quarters.”

Intuccio took out the money and divided it.

“Do we go back?” he asked.

“I think we shall have to make some ingenious explanations,” said the Saint. “If Lucia says it was Amadeo, he will probably be lynched. As far as I’m concerned, the probability leaves me unmoved, but since he’s still your cousin you may feel differently. If she says it was me, I’m not likely to have such a good time either. Perhaps she had better invent somebody.”

“Let us decide about that on the way,” agreed Salvatore Intuccio, and they walked on, arm in arm.

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