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Show THE PAYSONIAN, PAYSON, UTAH whom he hntf graciously chosen to be ainbows End HE A Tir PPY X3ClLn V Author of The Iron Trill. Heart of the Sunset The Etc. Spoilers ' ' (Copriffht, by Harper and Brothers) SECRET OF THE HIDING PLACE OF THE VARONA TREASURE IS LOST tian's voice gathered strength. Ten thousand men in ten thousand years would never find the place, and nobody knows the secret but Don Esteban aud me. Synopsis. Don Esteban Varona, a Cuban planter, hides his wealth money, Jewels and title deeds in a well on his estate. The hiding place Is known only to Sebastian, a slave. Don Estebans wife dies at the birth of twins, Esteban and Itosa. Don Esteban marries the avaricious Donna Isabel, who tries unsuccessfully to wring the secret of the hidden treasure from Sebastian. Angered at his refusal, she urges Don Esteban to sell Evangelina, Sebastians daughter. Don Esteban refuses, but In the course of a gambling orgie, he risks Evangelina at cards and loses. CHAPTER . . II 2 Continued. Don Pablo, in whom the liquor was dying, cursed impatiently : "Caranilm ! Have I won the treasure of your whole Perestablishment? he inquired. haps you value this wench at more than a thousand pesos; if so, you will say that I cheated you. No! Shes only an ordinary girl. My wife doesnt like her, and so I determined to get rid of her. She is yours, fairly enough, Varona told him. Then send her to my house. Ill breed her to Salvador, my eocbero. Hes the strongest man I have." - Sebastian uttered a strangled cry Master! You and rose to his feet. must not ordered Esteban. Silence! your business. What do you mean by this, anyhow? But Sebastian, dazed of mind and She slek of soul, went on, unheeding. is my girl. You promised me lifer freedom. I warn you Eh? The planter swayed forward and with blazing eyes surveyed his You warn me? Of what? he slave. Cro wied. At tliis moment neither master nor man knew exactly what he said or did. Sebastian raised his hand on high. In reality the gesture was meant to call heaven as a witness to his years of faithful service,, hut, misconstruing Ills intent, Pablo Peza brought his riding-whi- p down across the old mans buck, crying : Ho! None of that. A shudder ran through Sebastians frame. Whirling, he seized Don Pablos wrist and tore the whip from his fingers. Although the Spaniard was a strong man, he uttered a cry of pain. At this indignity to a guest Esteban I'aneho ! he cried. flew into a fury. When the manager Ho! Pancho! came .running,, Esteban explained: This fool is dangerous. He raised his hand to me and to Don Pablo. Sebastians protests were drowned by the angry voices of the others. diTie him to yonder grating, rected Esteban, who was still in the Flog him grip of a senseless rage. well and make haste about It. Sebastian, who had no time in which to recover himself, made but a weak resistance when Pancho Cueto locked his wrists into a pair of clumsy, manacles, first passing the chain around one of the bars of the iron window grating which Esteban had indicated. Cucto swung a heavy lash ; the sound of his blows echoed through the quinta, and they summoned, among others, Donna Isabel, who watched the scene from behind her shutter with much satisfaction. The guests looked on approvingly. Sebastian made no outcry. The whip bit deep; it drew blood and raised welts the thickness of ones thumb ; nevertheless, for the first few moments the victim suffered less in body than in spirit, llis brain was so benumbed, so shocked with other excitations, that insensible to physical he was well-nigpain. That Evangelina, flesh of his flesh, had been sold, that his lifelong faithfulness had brought such reward as this, that Esteban, light of his soul, had turned against him all this was besimply astounding. Gradually he of resent the injustice to shrieking gan it all, and unsuspected- forces gathered inside of him. They grew until his frame was shaken by primitive savage impulses. After a time Don Esteban cried : That will do, Cueto ! Leave him now for the flies to punish. They will remind hint of his insolence." Then the guests departed, and Esteban staggered into the house and went to bed. All that morning Sebastian stood with his hands chained high over his head. The sun grew hotter and ever hotter upon his lacerated hack; the blood dried and clotted there; a cloud of flics gathered, swarming over the raw gashes left by Cueto s whip. Since Don Esteban's nerves, or perdid not haps it was his conscience, about arose he to him sleep, permit noontime and dressed himself, lie a as still drunk, and the mad rage of the early morning still possessed him, therefore, when he mounted his horse he pretended not to see the figure chained to the window grating. Sebastian's affection for his master was doglike and he had taken his punishment ns a dog takes his, more in surprise than in anger, but at this proof of callous indifference a fire kindled in the old fellows breast, hotter by far than He sore-.tin- fever from his h - n . was thirsty, too, but that was the least of his sufferings. Some time during the afternoon the negro heard himself addressed through the window against the bars of which lie leaned. The speaker was Donna Isabel. Do you suffer, Sebastian? she began in a tone of gentleness and pity. mistress. Yes, The speakers tongue was thick and swollen. Cun I help you"? ,The negro raised his head; he shook his body to rid himself of the insects which were devouring him. Give me a drink of water, he said, hoarsely. Surely, a great gourdful, all cool aud dripping from the well. But first 1 want you to tell me something. A drink, for the love of heaven, panted the old man, and Donna Isabel saw how cracked and dry were his thick lips, how near the torture hud come to prostrating him. I'll do more, she promised, and her voice was like honey. Ill tell Ianeho Cueto to unlock you, even if I risk Estebans anger by so doing. Will you he Will you tell me somemy friend? thing?" What can I tell you? Oh, you know very well! Ive asked it often enough, but you have lied, just as my husband has lied to me. He Is a miser; he 1ms no heart; he cares for nobody, as you can see. You must hate him now, even as I hate him. Tell me is there really a treasure, or ? J I believe you. I knew all the time it was here. Well? Where is it?" Sebastian hesitated and said, piteously, I am dying Isabel could scarcely contain herself. Ill give you water, but first tell me where where God in heaven! Cant you see that I, too, am perishing? I must have a drink. Tell me first. Sebastian lifted his head and, meeting the speaker's eyes, laughed Jioarse-ly- . 1 At the sound of his unnatural merriment Isabel recoiled as if stung. She stared at the slave's face in amazement and then in fury. She stammered, inYou coherently, lying !" Oh no! have you The treasure is there, the greatest treasure la all Cuba, but you shall never know where it Is, Ill see to that. It was you who sold my girl; it was you who brought me to this; it was your hand that whipped me. Well, I'll tell Don Esteban how you tried to bribe his seeret from me! What do you think hell do then? Eh? You'll feel the lash on your white back You mrder. fool ! Donna Isabel looked Ill punish you for this; I'll make you speak if I have to rub your wounds with salt. But Sebastian closed his eyes You cant make me suffer wearily. more than ,1 have suffered, he said. And now 1 curse you. May that treasure he the death of you. May you live in torture like mine the rest of your days; may your beauty turn to ugliness such that men will spit at you ; may you never know pence again until you die in poverty and want But Donna Isabel, being superstitious, fled with her fingers in her ears; nor did she undertake to make good her barbarous threat, realizing opior-tunelthat It would only serve to betray her desperate intentions and put her husband further on his guard. As the sun was sinking beyond the farther rim of the Yumuri aud the valley was beginning to fill with shadows Esteban Varona rode up the hill, llis temper was more evil than ever, if that were possible, for he had drunk again In an effort to drown the memory of his earlier actions. With him were Iablo Peza, and Mario de Castano, Col. Mendoza y Linares, old Pedro Miron, the advocate, and others of less consequence, whom Esteban had gathered from the Spanish club. The host dismounted aud lurched across the courtyard to Sebastian. he begnn. So, my fine fellow, Have you had enough of rebellion by this time? Sebastians face was working as lie I turned upon his master to say: would be lying if I told you that I nui sorry for what I did. It is you who have done wrong. Your soul Is black with this crime. Where is my girl? The devil ! To hear you talk one would think you were a free man. The planter's eyes were bleared and he threatenbrandished ills riding-whiingly. I do as I please with my slaves. Your girl? I tolerate no insolence. Well, siies in the house of Salvador, Don Pablos cochero, where she be' longs. Sebastian had hung sick and limp against the grating, but at these words he suddenly roused. He strained at his manacles and the bars groaned under liis weight. His eyes began to roll, ids lips drew hack over his blue gums. Noting ills expression of ferocity, Esteban cut at hit) naked hack with the riding-whip- , crying: Ho! Not subdued yet, eh? You need another flogging. Curse you and all that is yours, roared the maddened slave. May yon know the misery you have put upon me. May you rot for a million years in hell. May your childrens bodies grow filthy witli disease; may they starve; h may they Sebastian was yelling, though Ills voice was hoarse with pain. The lash drew blood with every blow. Meanwhile, he wrenched and tugged at his bonds with the fury of a maniac. Your Pablo! machete, quick! I'll make an panted the slaveowner. end of this black fiend, once for all. Esteban Varonas guests lmd looked on at the scene with the same mild interest they would display at the whipping of a balky horse; and, now that the animal threatened to become dangerous, it was In their view quite tin5 proper thing to put it out of t he way. Don Pablo Ieza stepped toward his mare to draw the machete from Its scabbard. But he did not hand it to his friend. He heard a shout, and turned in time to see a wonderful and a terrible thing. Sebastian had braced his naked feet against the wall ; he had bowed his back and bent his massive shoulders a hack and a pair of shoulders that looked as bony and muscular as those of an ox and he was heaving with every ounce of strength In his enormous body. As Pablo stared lie saw the heavy grating come away from its anchorage in the solid masonry, as a shrub is uprooted from soft ground. The rods bent and twisted; there was y p Tell Me Is There ure, or Really a Treas? The woman gasped ; she choked ; she could scarcely force the question for fear of disappointment. Tell me there is, Sebastian. Ive heard so many lies that I begin to doubt. The old man nodded. Oh, yes, there is a treasure, said he. Isabel Oh! You have seen It? was trembling as if with an ague. What is it like? How much is there? Good Sebastian, Ill give . you water; I'll have you set free if you tell me. But How much? I don't know. there is much pieces of Spanish gold, silver coins in casks and in little boxes the boxes are hound with iron and have hasps and staples; bars of precious metal and little paper nckages of gems, all tied up and hidden In leather lings. Yes! Go on." t There are ornaments, too. God knows they must have come from and heaven, they are so beautiful pearls from the Caribbean as large as plums. Are you speaking the truth? all Did I not make the hiding-plac- e alone? Sonora, everything Is there just as I tel! you and more. The grants of title from the crown for this quinta and the sugar plantations, they are there, too. Don Esteban used to fear the government officials, so he hid his papers securely. Without them the lands belong to no one. You understand? "Of course! Yes, yes! But the Jewels Where are they .hidden? Sebas- "You vould never guess! been a clank and rattle und clash of metal upon the flags; and then Sebustiuu turned upon his tormentor, a free man, save only for the wide Iron bracelets and their connecting chain. He was quite insane. His face was frightful to behold ; It was apelike In Its animal rage, and he towered above his master like some fabled creature out of the African Jungle of his forefathers. Sebastians fists alone would have been formidable weapons, but they were armored und weighted with the irons which Pancho Cueto had locked upon them. Wrapping the chain In his fingers, the slave leaped at Esteban and struck, once. The sound of the blow was sickening, for the whole bony structure of Esteban Varonas head gave way. There was a horrified cry from the other white men. Don Pablo Peza ran forward, shouting. He swung his machete, but Sebastian met him before the blow could descend, and they went down together upon the hard stones. Again Sebastian smote, with His massive hands wrapped in the chain and his wrists encased In steel, and this time it was as if Don Pablos head had been caught between u hammer and an anvil. The negros strength, exceptional at all times, was multiplied tenfold; lie had run amuck. When he arose the machete was in his grasp and Don Pablo's bruins were on his knuckles. It all happened in far less time than It takes to tell. The onlookers had not yet recovered from their first consternation; in fact they were stilt fumbling and tugging at whatever weapons they carried, when Sebastian came toward them, brandishing the blade on high. Pedro Miron, the advocate, was the third to fall. He tried to scramble out of the negros path, hut, being an old man, his limbs were too stiff to serve him and he went down shrieking. By now the horses had caught the scent of hot blood and were plunging furiously, the clatter of their hoofs mingling with the blasphemies of the riders, while Sebastians bestial muring made the' commotion even more hideous. Estebans guests fought ns much for their lives as for vengeance upon the slayer, for Sebastian was like a gorillu ; he seemed intent upon killing them nil. He vented his fury upon whatever came within his reach ; he struck at men and animals alike, and t lie shrieks of wounded horses added to the dim It was a frightful combat. It seemed incredible that one man could work such dreadful havoc in so short a time. Varona and two of his friends were dead ; two more wore bndly wounded, and a Peruvian stallion lay kicking on the flagging when Col. Mendoza y Linares finally managed to get a bullet home in the black mans brain. Those who came running to learn the cause of the hubbub turned away sick and pallid, for the paved yard was a shambles. I'aneho Cueto called upon the slaves to help him, But they slunk hack to their quarters, dumb with terror and dismay. Ail that night people from the town below came and went and the quinta resounded to sobs and lamentations, hut of ail tiie relatives of the dead and wounded, Donna Isabel took her bereavement iiardest. Strange to say, she could not lie comforted. Now, when it was too late, she realized that she had overreached herself, having caused t lie death of the only two who knew t lie secret of the treasure. Slip remembered, also, Sebastians statement that even the deeds of patent for the land were hidden. with the rest, where ten thousand men In ten thousand years could never find them. hnnd-wroug- CHAPTER III. The OReilly." Age and easy living had caused Don Mario de Castano, the sugar merchant, to take ort weight. lie had. in truth, become so fat that he waddled like a penguin when he walked; and when lie rode, the springs of his French victoria gave up in despair. In disposition Don Mario was practical and unromantic; he boasted that lie had never had an Illusion, never an interest outside of his business. And yet, on the day this story opens, this prosaic personage, In spite of his bulging waistband and his taut neckband, in spite of his short breath and his prickly heat, sins in a very whirl of pleasurable excitement. Don Mario, in fact, suffered the greatest of all Illusions: he was in love, and lie believed himself beloved. The object of Ids adoration was little Itosa Varona, the friend Estedaughter of his ban. To lie sure, he had met Kosa only twice since her return from her Yankee school, hut twice had been enough; with prompt decision lie had resolved to do her the honor of making her Ids wife. Notwithstanding the rivulets of perspiration that were coursing down every fold of his flesh, and regardless of the fact that the body of his victoria was tipped at a drunken angle, ns if struggling to escape the burdens of his great weight, Doll Mario felt a Jauntiness of body and of spirit almost like that of youth. lie saw himself as a splendid prince riding toward the hamhlc home of some obseure maiden one-tim- e his mate. llis arrival threw Donna Isabel into a flutter; the woman could scarcely contain her curiosity when she came to meet 1dm. for he was not the sort of nmn to inconvenience himself by mere social visits. Thetr first formal greetings over, Don Mario surveyed the hare living room und remarked, lugubriously : I see many changes here." No doubt," the widow agreed. Times have been hard since poor Estebans death. What a terrible calamity that was! I shudder when I think of It," said he. A shocking affair, truly ! and one I shall never get out of my mind." Shocking, yes. But what do you think of a rich man, like Estehun, who would leave his family destitute? Who would die vylthout revealing the place where he had stored his treasure?" Donna Isabel, it was plain, felt her wrongs keenly ; she spoke with as much spirit ns if her husband had permitted himself to be killed purely eut of spite toward her. As if it were not enough to lose that treasure, the widow continued, stormily, the government must free at Esteban, and Struck, Once. all our slaves. Tse! Tse! Aud now that there is no longer a jirofit In sugar, my plantation No profit in sugar? What are you If your saying? queried the caller. crops do not pay, then Ianeho Cueto is cheating you. Get rid of him. But I didnt come here to talk about Estebans hidden treasure, nor his plantations, nor Ianeho Cucto. I came here The Slave Leaped to talk Rosa. .So? about Donna your Isabel r, looked up quickly. Site interests me. She Is more beautiful than the stars. Don Mario rolled Ids eyes toward the high ceiling, which, like the sky, was tinted a vivid cerulean blue. She is now eighteen, the fat suitor went on, ecstatically, and so altoBut why waste charming gether time in pretty speeches? I have decided to marry her. Itosa 1ms a will of her own, guardedly ventured the stepmother. Don Mario broke out, testily: Naturally; so have we all. Now let us speak plainly. You know me. I am a person yf Importance. I am rich enough to nfford what I want, aud I pay well. You understand? Well, then, you nre Itosas guardian and you can bond her to your desires. If that were only so! exclaimed She and Estehun svliut the woman. Wluit tempers Just like children! their fathers! They were to lie their fathers heirs, you know, and they blame me for his death, for our poverty, und for all the oilier misfortunes that have overtaken us. We live like cals and dogs. Don Mario lmd been drumming his fat fingers Impatiently upon the arm of liis clmlr. Now lie exclaimed; Your pardon, senora, hut I am Just now very little interested in your domestic relations. What you say about Itosa only makes me more eager, for I loathe u sleepy woman. Now tell me, Has she any affairs of the is she heart? unless pernaps a flirtation with that young American, Juan O'Ueilly. Donna Isabel gave the name its Spanish pronunciation of Oltull-ye- . N-n- LID ID YOUR MONEY HELP IVIN WAR Projferty Equip Your Own Son and Other Soldier Boys Over There. Hefp DUTY OF All TO BUY BONDS Liberty Loans to Uncls Sam Is Best Guarantee of Our Fighters Safe Return Home Do Not Hesitate. (By ROLAND G. USHER of the Vlg. Mantes.) Put it to yourself straight now. You perfectly well that you would feel ashamed to keep your boy out of the ranks tf he wanted to go. You know perfectly well that you would probably feel ashamed before your neighbors if they know that the boy was sticking at home. But have you ever asked yourself whether you felt ashamed that you were keeping your dollars tight In your Jeans Instead of lending your dollars to tiie war as well as your hoy? If you have not got a boy you probably would feel that he ought to go If you had one. You have got some dollars, why dont yon send them? Think again ; If yon have sent a boy over there, dont you know for certain whether that boy will come back, God grant that he may. But he went, just the same, knowing fully Just ns you did thut he might not come back. You gave the dearest thing you lmd In the world to the government freely, for the cause of democracy. You were glad to do It; you felt fine about it. You still feel that If you had It to do over again you would not do anything else. But I will wager anything v,l)U like that you have a lot of money that you can lend to the government without hurting yourself at all, and which you are hanging on to until It screams. Think of it. Those dollars will he perfectly sure to come back If you lend them to thq government. The government guarantees that. Why should you therefore be so afraid to loose your clutch on them. The great risk you have already taken and did it because It was a worthy and a noble thing to do. The tffing which Is no risk at all and yet which Is Just as necessary to the war as the other, you hesitate about. Dollars Will Come Back. Let me suppose for a moment that you have not yet sent your boy. I will wager you have a sneaking feeling that he ought to go. He has too. In this case, I wont have to make a wager about it you have not sent your dollars. If you hesitate to send the boy because you are afraid he may not come back, you have a perfectly explainable reason, but you have not got a good reason why you should not send your dollars. They will come back, you may be sure of It. Not only will the come back, the government will pay you interest on them in the meantime. You will lend the government your capital and will get a return on it. Fur from losing anything, you will make something. Why hesitate? Look nt it from another point of view. If your boy has not gone, or if you have no son, your neighbors who have sons have sent them. Those boys are going into danger. They are going to need guns, food, artillery, ships, und airplanes, not only to enable them to do what they w'ent over there to do beat the Germans out of sight hut to ktep them safe. If they dont have those things they certainly wont come back at all. You know perfectly well, however tight-fisteyou may be, or however mean you may think yourself and you nre not half ns mean as that you would not hurt your neighbors son Just because a few dollars stood In the way. You would feel so ashamed of yourself for the rest of your life you would not he able to shave in the morning. Your neighbors sons and your friends sons thut you have known all your life need the things your money can buy for them, and it is going to go mighty hard with them If they dont get them. know d Make Your Money Help. it to yourself straight. If the thing was a little nearer to you. so that you really saw your neighNow put bor's son actually without food because you had declined to give It to him, you would not hesitate for a moThe difficulty Is ment what to do. Juan O'Ueilly? O'Ueilly? Oh, yes! here, thut the thing is on so large a But what 1ms he to offer a woman? He scale that you do not realize that your is little more than a clerk. failure to lend your money to the govThat is wlmt I tell her. Oh, it ernment is going to result very probhasnt gone far as yet. ably in depriving that particular bey of tilings he needs. You ran say, if you like, there are so many millions The fat but rich sugar merof them that it will be some other fellow's son that will go without, I hope chant, or the dashing but penniless young American Rosa you wont get much comfort out of must make her choice between that, because It is the same old tiling. You would not hurt him either if you the two. The next installment saw him and knew he was in .'sut; tells which she chose. hut because you dont see him, becao'o he is somewhere in France, yon for(TO BE CONTINUED! get about him and dont stop to think that lie wants a thing you would not Fish Sausage." Japanese to give him if you knew him. hesitate The katnohoko" or fish sausage dolWhy hesitate, then, to lend your of tiie Japanese is described tiy a conrestho the to They government? lars sular report as made by chopping the only thing that can really do this busiwhite meat of any fish, passing through ness. They are the only ting that a colander, arid making Into a paste, the hoys hands over with a flavoring of sugar, salt, and ran put tools into with. Don't Germans the kill to there rice brewed alcoholic beverage called now; get It longer any hesitate Is made iii'o Tiie paste "Mirin. and down buy a and go loaves, steamed on hoards on limir and straight, feel better about it for tha bond and a half to three hours, und at once vest of your life. packed in cans. |