of the veranda door panes itself shivered and disintegrated in the melee。 No one was quite sure where it was any more； nor what it was doing； and no one stopped to find out。
Kiki； screaming berserkly； couldn't extricate herself for a minute from the position she had fallen into。 She was flat on her back； but the chair seat； upended against her； held her legs helplessly in air。 She had a horrifying glimpse of an infuriated black head looming upon her； ears flat； jaws balefully open in spite of the inadequate muzzle that still clung to them； to reveal a set of needlepointed fangs。
There was no time to do anything。 A thick； blue…glass； mesh…protected siphon of seltzer had rolled unbroken toward her from somebody's table。 She snatched it up； hugged it to her chest； closed her eyes expiringly； and played it madly around her in all directions。 Whether that saved her or the fear…maddened beast had had no intention of attacking her anyway and was only seeking its own escape； is one of those moot points that are never satisfactorily decided afterwards。
Moments later； eyes still tightly shuttered to avoid seeing what she could not escape from and the contents of the siphon beginning to ebb dangerously； she felt herself being hoisted upright again by helping hands that had e back belatedly to rescue her now that the acutest point of danger was past。
〃Where did it go？〃 she shuddered； opening her eyes and looking blankly around at the carnage on all sides of her。
Brakes were screaming hectically out in the middle of the road。 Somebody pointed。 It had managed； almost miraculously； to breast the heavy evening traffic unharmed and get to the other side。 She was just in time to see its loping black form； all the way across the Alameda； turn up into a threadlike little alley； a veritable crack between the buildings； that opened on that side； and disappear in the gloom。
〃How are you going to get it back； seсorita？〃 somebody asked fatuously； fanning her with his hat while a restorative was held to her lips。
Kiki flipped her hands violently downward； her face a mask of wreathed weeping。 〃I don't want it back！〃 she screamed hysterically。 〃I don't care if I never see it again！ Look at the way I look！〃 She pawed helplessly at her disarrayed hair tumbling loosely down her shoulder。 〃Help me back to my car；〃 she sniffled after a moment or two。 〃I want to go home…〃
Two of the men assisted her falteringly out to the edge of the curb between them； and the Packard was brought up。 Manning； fortunately for himself； was no longer in it； he had jumped out to give chase； along with a few of the bolder spirits in the crowd。
Kiki flopped limply into the back seat； still weeping gently； or at least simmering in a resemblance to weeping； into a handkerchief held just under her mouth。 For once she was not putting on any act； her nervous system had just received a bad shock； and she felt the way she was acting。
To plete the catastrophic misadventure； the main body of the crowd； as it ebbed back amidst the littered debris of the cafй terrace； had turned definitely unfriendly toward her； seeming to hold her personally responsible for ruining its aperitif hour。 Hisses and boos could plainly be heard。 And when a Latin crowd hisses you； it's like bricks and rotten eggs up North。
A very disheveled； discredited； and thoroughly unnerved lady was driven away from the scene of the fiasco。
It had been plainly seen to enter that alley at the Alameda end； by dozens of people。 There could be no doubt on that point。 It was a chasm of a lane； winding its way back through derelict buildings。 This was an old section in here； one of those leftovers that dot all large cities； in spite of its proximity to the fashionable and ultramodern Alameda。
It should； then； have been simply a matter of following it through to the other side； overtaking it； and holding it at bay…if not physically recapturing it…until the police had a chance to arrive。 At least in keeping it in sight； if nothing else。
It wasn't。
It was dusk； but the visibility was still fairish； even if dark…blue…tinted。 The distance to be traversed wasn't long。 Not only that； but the more venturesome spirits in the crowd that had been around Kiki at the Globo； Manning at their head； were only moments behind it in pursuit。
Yet it had dropped from sight； been swallowed up； disappeared pletely somewhere along that short byway； in one of the most built…up； hemmedin parts of the city！ For when the advance posse； Manning still foremost； came surging out into the Plaza de los Mбrtires； a small； busy； palmbordered square that the alley gave onto at its other end； a case of mass astigmatism seemed to have resulted。 And it was not one brought on by fright and excitement； as sometimes happens； either。 The plaza was bustling with people； yet not one person could be found who had seen or heard anything amiss； much less anything so striking as a jet…black jaguar rushing headlong out of an alley mouth into their midst。 A shoeshine boy less than a yard past the turn of the alley corner was kneeling industriously to his task over a customer's raised foot。 Both were close enough for the wind of its passing to have bowled them over。 If it had passed。 Nothing had； they both said in surprise。 And then； not sure they had heard aright； repeated blankly； 〃A what？〃； thinking Manning and the rest crazy。
Farther on； but not much farther on； the usual little knot of hopeful loiterers were scanning the lottery lists。 People were getting on and off the noisy trolleys that seemed to fill this plaza at all hours of the day and night； emitting turquoise flashes from their overhead conduit wires as they backed and filled。
It was…the way it always was。
While the rearguard of the pursuit was still streaming in from the Alameda side； clogging up the lane； Manning and the advance guard tried to beat their way back through them； passing the word along as they went that it hadn't e out at the other end。
Three gesticulating； whistle…blowing…and very belated…gendarmes now arrived to take charge； and the chase…or rather problem； for a chase requires something in front of it…now became an official one。 Their explanation for their tardiness； and not an unlikely one； was that the report had been utterly disbelieved when it was first made known to them。 A holdup； yes。 A knifing。 But a live jaguar running amuck through the streets？ This was Ciudad Real。 You better go someplace and sleep it off； or I'll run you in。
Manning； momentarily leaving them to their own devices； buffeted his way straight through to the Alameda side again； to try to find the fellow from whom he had 〃borrowed〃 the thing earlier in the day； a ranch foreman named Cardozo； and who was supposed to meet him at a certain inconspicuous corner with one of the ranch produce trucks and take the thing off his hands again as soon as Kiki was through with it。
It took him only a few minutes to get down there； but the news was already there ahead of him； he found when he arrived。
〃It's gone；〃 he announced breathlessly。 〃It broke away from her； and nearly killed her in the bargain！ That crowd you see up there right now is where they're looking for it。〃
〃I know； somebody told me；〃 Cardozo said disgruntledly。 〃Somebody must have done something to it to get it started off like that。 I told you not to let it get mauled around too much。 I thought you said you were going to be right with it； the whole time she had it out with her。〃 He actually seemed peeved at losing the thing； as though he had grown attached to it。
〃I wasn't more than two car lengths away；〃 Manning answered heatedly； 〃and even then I couldn't get over to her in time to stop it！ I saw what it did。 It took a flying leap over her body； the only thing that saved her was she had a bottle of charged water in her hands and squirted some at it。 I thought you said it was so tame and harmless； there was nothing to worry about！ It would have been a fine thing if it had clawed her up； wouldn't it？〃
〃It was perfectly docile the whole time we had it out at the estancia。 The cook's kid used to go right in the pen and play with it by the hour。〃