Show alie e vale V 41 awl e 0 of f arago ayaba n by Frea McLaughlin author of the blade of oj 7 service by br dobbs merrill co CHAPTER VIII 13 the bugle of maracay karacay emerging again into the I 1 found the irish captain still offering sturdy support to the adobe wall every time our colonel wins a battlo 11 said cald he he be thinks hes alexander you spen speak k in parables Blo ilon nhan nahan pint falls a deal short of alexander he Ilo grinned and bent his red head to indicate a massive rock house a atanes throw to the north of us tits his headquarters or r will be until the spaniards run us out again lie ile has lately entered it with a lady la dy a reluctant lady indy its ita true but tho the manner of pint was gently but firmly coercive so BO 1 I shall apprise him of our danger at onca once wo we must reform re form and we must keep in touch with the main body of bolivard Bo livars army else we are lost for our ammunition sure he said ile he caught hold of my arm as I 1 turned away Is your pistol loaded garde there was a strange light in hla his blue eye byca and under tits his air of seeming indifference I 1 read a definite tenseness do I 1 require a pistol to approach our colonel 11 lie ile shrugged go ahead you went in caracas without a gun and out again this lions den should bevash be vastly simpler A providence watches over you the heavy wooden door with its exquisite carvings carving stood open and na as I 1 would have entered a sentry put a gun across the doorway tho the colonel has issued orders that he Is not to be disturbed alir the major wait the major wont will you tell the colonel 1 ile he showed white teeth in a wide grin 1 I cannot it would be as much as an my life Is worth orth 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 ronata I 1 failed to catch boultas reply but it was not acquiescence for the colonel spoke again I 1 when the spaniards take a city se norata they take all that Is in it may we then do less ile ho laughed at her rejoinder and continued had fillad I 1 known claracay Alar acay held sa gorgeous a beatie beauty I 1 should have taken it long ago so fair a vision of loveliness may not be kept for a a more spaniard he cannot pr properly appreciate be not so cold ho he pleaded I 1 a little wine a little no no 11 sho cried ah not nol name of G d the one voice in all tho the world I 1 it had called to me ilmy in my dreams it lind ridden the wings of the wind antl and now with no thought of consequences I 1 thrust the sentry aside with a sweep of my arm sped along the ilie hallway and threw my body against the door 0 which crashed inward under the impact of bf my fall by the time I 1 haa regained reg alved my feet pistol held ready was standing across the table from me and the senorita lama artina leaned against the wall fear in her pale face and slim hands pressed against her lier bosom fenorl So Se norl she gasped culcol Dul cel col colonel pint misunderstanding me laughed aye duice indeed major garde for she osithe Is the sweetest by far of all those that the stupid spaniard has ye yet t baroug lit over dut but why do you enter my quarters by such forceful means think I 1 I 1 must musi think I 1 must con arol myself blind juck bick so fur far had been my port portion iob but bow now gracious gd G d give me the use of ray my brain I 1 pint did not recognize her did not realize the value of the prize that he had won then manifestly he should remain in ignorance A vision in truth P I 1 said 1 I laughing but do you not know my colonel that the taking of karacay maracay Afar acay 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 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 hund 11 I 1 think the garrulous colonel had partaken partaker par taken too freely of the wines of Mont niban yet there Is much to oo do did not bolivar say to take the city and have I 1 not done so yes but general bouvar also t tild said ild to hold it do you not know my colonel that half our indian soldiers having fired away their remaining ammunition in celebration of our victory have discarded their guns assuming them empty to be of no further use ue lie ile laughed A misfortune but nothing tragic it lias has ever been the habit of tho the stupid savages A thing to be discounted as inevitable and I 1 continued that the forces of paez and blaza have fallen back beford the spaniards Spun lards freeing the two wings that may now close in upon us that it if we do not move swiftly our lines of communication with Bo bolivard Boll livars vara army will be broken so that halt half pc ac couteret cout ered and without ammunition we will bo be lost now illow gloomy a tile tale do you bring mo me in this the hour of my happiness ills acquisitive eyes took in the slim beauty of the senorita and I 1 could have throttled him for the evil in his look does docs your american cowardice como come to the foro fore at such a time as this do you yon 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 co cowardice Vardice of mine senor does not presume to celebrate a half victory with drunkenness and other unseemly conduct pint brought brott the pistol to bear upon me do you speak thus thua to me your colonel your commanding officer cerl under similar conditions my colonel I 1 would speak so to bolivar himself had he fallen so low a thing I 1 cannot imagine for of all oar officers I 1 think colonel pint la Is the on only lyman man who might have planned an act so vile vil e blad madness ness aye a veritable mal madness yet his eyes had offered insult to the senorita and I 1 worship edher ali ah loren she cried fear in her voice r and love J I 1 think as well how vast a blunder can you not see mal laughed loren well felir I 1 nia his voice was ley icy menacing ali ah dulce maa mla I 1 gasped 1 I cannot think I 1 love thee I 1 very pretty said mal ne lie offered a sour smile 1 I have waited garde for such a time as this lie ile thought a moment it Is the senorita lamar t it so I 1 4 did not bolivar say to take the city aad have I 1 not dono done so tina no then she shall see how we deal with insubordination a grievous crime at such a time I 1 may be judge find and jury and executioner for it Is my right the pistol Is not made my c colonel ol 01 I 1 said that may kill me instantly st and afi if 1 I am given so much as half a minute manuto no said dulce no I 1 she came forward arms outstretched toward the man who waited weapon pointing at my heart anything colonel pint but I 1 thrust her aside no nol I 1 I 1 cried leaping toward him as the gun roared filling the room with thunder flume flame traversed my arm and sent the red hot pain coursing through my body my right arpa arm tell 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 courland cour tand 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 nay 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 I 1 no it Is murder 1 if you loye love me dear heart you will not do it I 1 but he offered insult to thee shall I 1 not kill him for that does lie he 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 tor 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 his swaying body with tits his hands bands you will pay for this senor genor he rasped through a tortured throat wild yells yella 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 4 I expect to pay colonel and you will doubtless pay when bolivar hears how you have thrown away the fruits of a dearly bought victory after this skirmish he said moving unsteadily toward the wreckage of the doorway there will be a court 1 I shall be ready my colonel 0 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 iny my lips against a slim hand for my love for her has been the sort of worship that mortals offer up to saints am I 1 not forgiven senorita that I 1 was so blind as no not to ito see through your masquerade she put her hand upon ray my head it Is light again your hair I 1 am glad loren the tumult of conflict approached and I 1 knew ikney the force of colonel pint drunk with a false victory and too much wine and insufficiently outfitted with guns guna 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 do you love me dulce mla ala now she came to her knees beside me ali ah loren there Is nothing in in my life but love for then you forgive aye dear heart 1 kiss me kiss me and hold me hold me close then loren you are wounded there Is blood ali ah god preserve thee I 1 my aly 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 lips 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 Doll var my fate was waa sealed polito Poll to I 1 said lies wounded but not seriously inan 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 tie be lighting fighting for the spanish A soldier may not turn jurn his back upon his country my sweet polito owes his service to his king I 1 bless thee my own adelos I 1 TO nn BE CONTINUED |