Show ahe IL ecale vr le of aragni by FI fred fied ed he althor Syu thor 5 9 dae blade blada 0 f W MA A I 1 I 1 by ay dik norrill co THE STORY in the city of new orleans in 1821 loren garde aarde recently an of fleer under general jackson Is surprised by the appearance in ancient spanish costume of two men and a woman whose beauty enchants him Ites enting the arrogance of the elder of the two men garde fights with him and wounds him ile he learns hla his opponent to la adolfo do de fuentes colonel in the lie spanish army in venezuela garde overhears il a plot to overthrow spanish rule in venezuela discovered he fights but Is overpowered and made prisoner on the santa luerecia Luc ship bearing arms arma for the venezuelans Venezuela ns on board are ara the conspirators the lady of his love her ber brother bouto and do de I 1 puentes fuentes prom from the girl garde learns her name la is dulce lamar tina lie ile loves her but does not reveal his love tho the vessel la Is wrecked and garde reaches the venezuelan shore alone lie ha encounters a stranger and sees oes dulee dulce the stranger who IR IB captain monahan of the british legion under noll bolivar var urges gardo garde to join the venezuelans Venezuela ns but his mind Is set met on again seeing dulce monahan directs him to friends in caracas there supplied by monahan with the secret sign of the patriots he to Is welcomed at the revolutionary head headquarters uart oro garde garda attends the wool wedding linc d ot of dulce and do de fuentes dulce recognizes him and leaves do fuentes at the altar she la Is torn from gardes arms ile he escapes finding garde dulce tok tells hink him her wedding wadding to do de fuentes was to have hava been the price of gardes life they reveal their mutual love garde Is made prisoner oner from do de fuentes garde learns that dulce has disappeared ile he Is rescued from prison by a revolutionist manuel CHAPTER VI continued 10 I 1 laughed softly for I 1 saw another change at life and another chance to win the he glorious lamartina if bolivar has many men alko like you manuel P we turned toward the south and ran for liala a nille mile stopping at last in hi the gloom afforded d by a tall adobe building here we awe found two horses ono one saddled for travel and the other already bearing a man Pol polito itol I 1 I 1 cried for ehg the riders head end and throat were almost concealed boncea led by the folds of a bandage ills his shoulders shook in silent laughter I 1 supposed and lie he whispered something unintelligible and gestured toward the other horse but polito my friend I 1 objected you cannot do this thing it will wreck your career and and you owe ow me no sacrifice I 1 cannot let you rather would I 1 seek the firing squad the gauntleted hand that polito put upon my shoulder shook a little ile he tried to spent speak gasped caught at ills his throat and went off into a convulsion of coughing manuel spoke deep earnestness in his voice 1 you must do as we suggest senor for many things of importance depend upon it we plan a swift stroke senor and your assistance Is necessary in our planning besides you yoo owe your life to tho those se who follow bolivar have not a score of men inen this night jeopardized their lives for thee have not 11 I 1 now kow I 1 was was ashamed tor for the crafty manuel spoke only truth yes my friend 11 said 1 I 1 I threw a le leg over the horse and the swarthy sailor proffered a pistol which I 1 pocketed pocket pd I 1 put a hand band on his shoulder if bolivar needs another arm senor lie he will find mine strong enough and very willing indeed for I 1 owe him much viva I 1 said the sailor point your horses toward the southern cross and ride throughout the night ride swiftly for the mounts you have are the best this city affords sunrise should and nd you rou beyond ocumare Ocum are where the dines lines of 13 bolivar olivar begin and where you will find fand safety now adelos A pleasant trip to both of youl with the naming flaming southern cross to point the way with the glory of the rull full moon above the open country ahead a fine hoese between my knees and a companion well perhaps my companion did lack necessary companionable qualities yet I 1 could at tribute some of ills his silence to tits cold and the rest of it to the black thoughts that must possess him for no man turns his back upon ills his country with a light heart with a sidelong glance I 1 studied the lithe ligure figure that even the black and gray cloak could not entirely hide A perfect night polito eliho nodded you are arc silent my friend lie he turned has head to give mo me one swift look then regarded vie the road again 1 I must thank you polito for the part you took in my escape this night adolfo planned to have me shot tomorrow morning holmy life Is yours 11 this brought a gasp no more and I 1 tried again do you know ray my friend I 1 ventured where yo your ur sla I 1 ter la 4 ile he was silent and I 1 continued 1 I have told the senorita polito of my love and failed miserably as ag I 1 deserve ile ijo offered no comment she told me today la in the home of the good tomas that tomorrow she would wed do de fuentes cs no he whispered no not 1 A sort of sacrifice my friend for what she Imn imagines gInes I 1 have leave done for her a thing that makes me love her very much but she would not he said not now there Is no need besides now I 1 laughed adolfo will marry no one tomorrow polito nor the day af after ter nor for many days because the proud colonel will never go into tho the cathedral and stand up before the people of caracas with the face that he be will be wearing tomorrow polito put out a gauntleted gauntlet cd hand what lie he questioned you have 1 I have done everything but kill him my friend and manuel and hla his courageous stayed me just in time something in my blood calls for his life we are proud polito and he has called me ladrone in new orleans did he not try to kill me polito nodded and many weary miles were put behind us before another word was spoken the moon was waa yet an hour above the crest of the sarabob carabobo Car abobo 0 hills when we passed through the sleeping Ble hamlet of cua and turning our horses toward the southeast took the broad road that led to ocumare Ocum are from ocumare we went south again between fields of cane and maize and of melons barely visible in the graying dawn swiftly we took the gentle ascent approaching the broad range that la Is the barrier beewen the waters of the orinoco and the caribbean sea we thundered through a canon and a pass opened out ahead of us a wide pass on the southern rim of a vast amphitheater nere here we stopped our and surveyed tho the scene abe ahead adof of us beyond the pass would lay manifestly the valley of the orinoco and the valley of the orinoco would be we knew under control of those who served bolivar polito Poll to I 1 said 1 I do not know wh why y you approach the lines of the revolutionists you ore are therefore in danger for a spanish officer in the hands of venezuelans Venezuela ns who have heard ere this of bucayan would have little chance for his life ocumare Ocum are with V it h safety for you lies iles not so far behind us ile he sat with head averted 1 I do not care he whispered could we not you throw your life away senor besides bes liles the senorita dulce will surely need you but senor he whispered will I 1 think it had bad been his desire to ask what chance 1 I in spanish uniform might inight have with the followers of bolivar but an interruption came an interruption in the guise of a body of armed horsemen who approaching from the southward appeared in the pass weapons gleaming in the morning light 1 I am ter terrified rifled Sen senor orill I 1 I 1 turned upon my companion in amazement for polito would never have said that Il mother lother of G d senorita what madness Is this I 1 had ridden beside her through the night had of many things what lind had I 1 said what stupid blunders had find I 1 made I 1 had professed a deathless love for her and had failed to see through a simple disguise but for that look of terror in her eyes I 1 should have laughed 1 I I 1 would leave caracas senor slie ho had given herself into my kee looping pink lad had permitted me to teu tell her ormy of my love ah that was a joy Joyl P now the horsemen let out wild yells and bore down upon us there Is no safety here for you yon senorita anyone who to la spanish yes senor benor yes I 1 must muot go you toil will be safe in ocumare Ocum are rs r ts mounting I 1 caught the bridle of ner her horse and whirled him around toward the north when th this is nightmare of murder Is over senorita shall I 1 find you she sha nodded god preserve yoo senor she said softly adelos then I 1 she waved an arm and bendin bendley low in the saddle disappeared in in the mouth of the canyon the sounds of her going had died away before the revolutionists came to where I 1 stood wilting walting they circled around me guns to the fore andi and I 1 raised empty hands hove above my head take me to your officer I 1 said a great happl happiness filling ailing my soul so losely guarded by at least a score of horsemen I 1 rode slowly across the amphitheater er and through the wide pass coming at last to a level space where A body of men encamped beside the road none so far as I 1 could see was in uniform except one tall man one of my captors spat out a stream of unintelligible jargon and the officers face grew grimmer us as the story proceeded now he faced me his black eyes holding a hostile glint you maya may tell me who you are arc my capt captain alfi 1 I am loren garde an american come to offer service to bolivar in a spanish uniform I 1 A likely tale senor why do you offer service to our general Be because causo I 1 do not like the spanish I 1 I 1 said gala ile he showed white teeth in a pleased grin if you yon do not like the spanish senor why the uniform one must get through the lines of spain this uniform has been borrowed for the occasion and the former owner of it doubtless nurses a broken head I 1 smiled reassuringly but met no response in his eyes your story is interesting senor now tell me if your desire to serve us u is sincere why you aided the spanish officer to escape what could I 1 say could I 1 tell him that the spanish officer was the senorita lamartina Lamart lna fiancee of colonel do de fuentes and that 1 I coming to offer service to bolivar had sent her back to the safety of the spanish lines could I 1 have hoped to make him believe such a preposterous tale perhaps said the officer after what he must have considered a boffl clent wait perhaps this coni com of yours was the dauphin in disguise ehrl h we might just as well call him the dauphin I 1 said hopelessly ile he offered another mirthless smile Tu Tue cayan ayan senor has left an evil flavor in the mouth and the blood of many spaniards will be required to wash it out ile he transfixed me with an accusing eye who sent you here manuel 11 said L I 1 he gasped you say manuel sent you aye the swarthy manuel the tha clever ugly sailor who happens to be ba that portion of the brain of bolivar which operates in caracas humph he growled he considered my horse and I 1 saw savi an acquisitive gleam in his black eyes A fine horse senor aye a gift from manuel he would look well under a colonel dont you think very well senor though unfortunately tuna tely I 1 do not expect to become a colonel now lie ho laughed but his eyes wera cold and his laughter was waa not a pleasant thing to hear the wings you will soon possess senor will render the use of a poor earthly horse unnecessary how I 1 wanted to thrust my fist into that smiling face of his to disco discompose in the even order of his teeth to get my fingers he must have sensed my murde murderous pas passion slon for he uttered a short command and two of the llaneros llan Ilan cros grasped me by the arms this officer wilk the bandaged head whose safety seemed so prec precious lorm a thing to you senor you do not tell me who he Is the dauphin will do as well as anyone said 1 I very well onellie onell one life fe Is little enough to io spend to save the dauphin I 1 congratulate you the sun senor la Is just coming over the rocky crest of yonder mountain an excellent time indeed you may view it ahyou as you die it Is more than many a poor vena huelan has been permitted to do the soldiers must have anticipated tho the wishes of their colonel for a squad of eight swung in into to line be tween us and tha sun turned to face me grounded their guns and waited TO BB CONTINUED |