Show 4 tie e vale T T of by ic rea ift author of the blade oj of by bobba werrill oo 00 service Ser viea CHAPTER VIII 13 the bugle of maracay karacay emerging again into the sunlight I 1 found the irish captain still offering sturdy support to the adobe wall Every Everyl time our colonel wins a battlo battle said he he thinks hes alexander you ton speak in parables monahan pint falls falla a deal short of alexander lie he grinned and bent his red head to indicate a massive rock house a stones throw to the north of us his headquarters or will be until the spaniards run us out again he has lately entered it with a lady a reluctant lady its true but ib the manner of pint was gently but firmly coercive so 11 1 I shall apprise him of our danger at once we must reform re form and we must keep keell in touch with the main body of bolivard Bo livars army else we are lost for our ammunition sure he said lie he caught hold of my arm as I 1 turned away Is your pistol loaded garde there was a strange light in his blue eyes and under his air of seeming indifference I 1 read a definite tenseness do I 1 require a pistol to approach our colonel he shrugged go ahead you went in caracas without a gun and out again this lions den should be vastly simpler A providence watches S v ver you the heavy wooden door with its exquisite carvings stood open and as I 1 would have entered a sentry put a sun gun across the doorway the colonel has issued orders that he is not to be disturbed will the major wait the major wont will you tell the colonel he showed white teeth in a wide grin seln 1 I cannot it would be as much as Is worth to disturb him while I 1 waited wondering what should be done the colonels tenor carrying the burden of a caress came down the hallway would not the wines of caress thy palate bonita I 1 failed to catch Bo boultas bonitas reply but it was not acquiescence for the colonel spoke again when the spaniards tale take a city senorita they take nil all that Is in it may we then do less he laughed at her rejoinder and continued had I 1 known Alar maracas maracay acay held beld so gorgeous a beauty I 1 should have taken it long ago so fair a vision of loveliness may not be kept for or a more mere spaniard he cannot properly appreciate be not so cold he be pleaded a little wine a little il no no she cried all ah not nol name of G d the one voice in all the world I 1 it had called to me in my dreams it had ridden the wings of the wind and now with no thought of f co consequences I 1 thrust the sentry aside with a sweep of my arm sped along the hallway and threw my body against the door which crashed inward under the impact of my fall by the time I 1 had regained my feet pistol held ready was standing across the table from me and the senorita lamartina leaned against the wall fear in her pale face and slim hands pressed against her bosom senor Sen orill she gasped dulce in 1 colonel pint misunderstanding me laughed aye dulce indeed major garde for she la Is the sweetest by far of all those that the stupid spaniard has yet brought over but why do you enter my quarters by such forceful means think 1 I 1 must think I 1 must control myself blind luck so far had been my portion but now gracious G d give me the tha use of my brain I 1 pint did not recognize her did not realize the value of the prize that ha be had won then manifestly he should remain in ignorance A vision in tru truth thill 1 said eadd I 1 laughing but do you riot know my colonel that the taking of karacay maracay has cost us over a hundred men we would hasten she looked at me in amazement resentment sent ment in the deep blue eyes and aad I 1 thought an expression of pleading also aye pint agreed a hundred men indeed but its worth it the senorita alone Is worth two hundred I 1 think the garrulous colonel had partaken partaker par taken too freely of the wines of Blont alban j yet tot there Is much to do did not bolivar say to take the city and have I 1 not done so yes but general bolivar also said to hold it do you not know my colonel that half our indian badian soldiers having fired away their remaining ammunition in celebration of our victory have discarded their guns ahsu assuming ming them empty to be of no further use ue he laughed A misfortune but nothing tragic it has haa ever been the habit of the stupid savages A thing to be discounted as inevitable and I 1 continued that the forces 0 of o paez and riaza blaza have fallen back before the spaniards freeing the two wings that way may now close in upon us ca that it if we do noe not move swiftly our anoa of communication with Bo livars army will be broken so that halt half ac couteret cout ered ond and without ammunition we will bo be lost how gloomy a tale do you bring me in this the hour of my happiness his acquisitive eyes took la in the slim beauty of the senorita and I 1 could have throttled him for the evil in his look does your american cowardice come to the fore at such a time as this do you not realize that of the entire line of attack only wo we have broken through aye and I 1 realize also that the spaniard will close in behind us and this american cowardice of mine senor does docs not presume to celebrate a hali half victory with drunkenness and other unseemly conduct pint brought the pistol to bear upon me do you speak thus to me your colonel your eom commanding manding of officer fleer under similar conditions my colonel nei I 1 would speak so to bolivar himself had he be fallen so low a thing I 1 cannot imagine tor for of allour officers I 1 think colonel pint Is the only roan man who might have planned an act so vile madness aye a veritable madness yet his eyes had offered insult to the senorita and I 1 worshiped her ali ah loren she cried fear in her voice and love I 1 think as well how vast a blunder can you not see pint laughed ilorene loren ills his voice was ley icy menacing ali ah dulce mia I 1 gasped 1 I cannot think I 1 love theol thee very pretty said pint he offered a sour smile 1 I have waited garde for such a time as this he thought a moment it Is the senorita lamar 4 did not bolivar say to take the city and have I 1 not done so tina no then she shall see how bow we deal with insubordination a grievous crime at such a time I 1 may be judge and jury and executioner for it Is my right the pistol is not made my colonel I 1 said that may kill me instantly st and it if I 1 am given so much as half a minute vl no said dulce duice not no she came forward arms outstretched toward the man who waited weapon pointing at my heart anything colonel pint but P I 1 thrust her aside no I 1 I 1 cried leaping toward him as the gun roared filling the room with thunder flame traversed trave ased my arm and sent the red hot pain coursing through my body my aly right arm fell useless and the fingers of my left hand found his throat and held no matter what befell I 1 knew that only death awaited me for this attack upon a superior officer regardless of the circumstances or the provocation could mean but one thing a court and a decree of death so with the weight of my body and the strength of my legs I 1 held him against the wall while my fingers did their work I 1 even laughed a shrill maniacal outburst and I 1 talked do you see dulce my own how a craven dies no loren no it Is murder I 1 it if you love me dear heart you will not do it in 1 but he offered insult to thee shall I 1 not kill him for that does he ha not deserve listen loren do you not hear it now there came to us the clear high notes of a bugle a penetrating electric summons I 1 guess I 1 am and have always been first a soldier for that call to arms cleansed my mind of hatred and found a soldiers ready acquiescence in my heart colonel pint freed at last staggered to the table and braced ills his swaying body with his hands you will pay for this senor lie he rasped through a tortured throat wild yells followed the call of the bugle and intermittent thudding of guns then an orderly fusillade I 1 knew that the spaniards having reformed behind us to cut us off were investing the city 1 I expect to pay colonel and you will doubtless pay when bolivar hears how bow you have thrown away the fruits of a dearly bought victory after this skirmish lie he sald said moving unsteadily toward the wreck wreckage ago of the doorway there will be ba a court 1 I shall be ready my colonel ali ah loren that you should have found me thuel 1 I am thankful that I 1 was able to find you at all I 1 went to my knees and pressed my lips against a slim hand for my love for her has haa been the sort of worship that mortals offer up to saints am I 1 not forgiven senorita that I 1 was so blind its as not to see through your masquerade she put her hand upon my head it Is light again your hair T am glad loren the tumult of conflict approached and I 1 knew ihnen the force of colonel pint drunk with a false victory and too much wine and insufficiently outfitted with guns and ammunition were beaten and moving back do they lose your men I 1 nodded 1 I am sorry spain does not belong in venezuela I 1 have seen you must go you must save yourself your life o do you love me dulce mla ala now she came to her knees beside me ali ah loren there Is nothing in my life but love for then you forgive aye dear heart I 1 kiss me kiss me and hold me hold me close then loren you are wounded there Is s i lood ali ah god preserve thee I 1 my arm only but I 1 can hold thee well with one I 1 laughed in an excess of happiness so I 1 kissed the shining hair the tear dimmed eyes and the tender ups and I 1 held her close to my heart again for I 1 knew that this would be the end defeat or victory for the forces of bolivar my fate was sealed kaled poll to I 1 said lies wounded but not seriously in an adobe house less than two hundred meters south from here now she clung to me face upraised in pleading Is there blame in thy heart loren that polito should be fighting for the spanish A soldier may not turn his back upon his bis country my sweet polito owes his service to his king bless thee my own adelos I 1 TO BE CONTINUED |