OCR Text |
Show 1 1 IT A. If anything wcro lacking to provo (lint love is tho strongest pnsslon In M the human breast, unci that under ItH Influence men anil women will do and H venturo where no other iower or nio- the could move them, tho thrilling story that u vnllunt young Tcxnn lino to tell would relievo ordinary mortals rt further doubt. Juck llondorn recently returned to H pits old homo on the Colorado, In west- H Icrn Texas, accompanied by n pretty H Spanish bride, whoso heart ho gained M and whoso hand ho possessed down in Up old Mexico nftcr u series of adventures I and narrow escapes that would make the fortune of a skilled writer of romance. ro-mance. Old neighbor extended a warm welcomo to Mr. lion-lorn and his hand-BOtno hand-BOtno young wife. I About two yearn ago young llondorn llon-dorn left his old homo In Toxus to soolc J his fortuno In Mexico. Aftor knocking about over tho sister republic for somo tlmo, earning a llttlo Spanish, admiring admir-ing ntw scenes, and occasionally fulling full-ing In lovo with a dark-eyed beauty of tho sunlands, ho nnnlly found employment employ-ment cn a big cattlo ranch belonging to old Don St. Louis Hlvera, one of tho richest men in all Mexico. Love nt First Sight. Moro than 100 peoplo wero employed on this ono ranch. There wns u pnlu-tlal pnlu-tlal residence on n picturesque summit overlooking hundreds of acres of tho old don's vast possesions. Hero tho great rancher's family Invariably spent tho summer months of tho year. Cupid must hava taken a hand In Jack's nfTuIrs from tho moment ho set his feet Insldo or tho gates of tho Huneho (irnndo do Hlvera. On that same day arrived tho sonora and her daughter Madeline, irom tho City of Mexico. They had only recently returned re-turned rrom Spain, anil they wero glad to reach their old homo, whero thoy well knew that comfort and luxurious rcposo awaited thoin. Tho smiling blue eyes or tho young adventurer of tho laud or tho Lono Star and tho dark oyos or the daughter or tho south looked Into each other's depths nt tho gate or tho hoclonda, and tho fnto of theso two was forever sealed. I Feared Father's Anger. "I lovo you, Jack. Yes, tho good God knows 1 lovo jou, aud I am ready at any moment to go with you to tho end or tho world," said tho warmhearted warm-hearted girl; "but, oh, my lovo, papa is terrible Why, .lack, ho would kill you ir ho know you oven dared to speak to mo." "Nover fear, llttlo sweetheart," Jack would say, "ono of theso lino nights wo will gallop away trom tho Hancho Grande, and beyond tho Hlo Grnndo wo will bo boyond tho reach of tho old (ion's anger anil his bullets." "1 am ready, Jack. Hut think It is only poor llttlo mo you uro getting not an extra rlbbon,u doubloon o a centuvo. And the danger, Jack ror I warn you papa Is a man or blood ho hns fought duels. Ho would sot tho peons to tearing you to pieces." "With your prutty cheek against mine, sweetheart, dangers aro not to bo counted," said Jnck. "To-morrow night wo will ride." Tho lovers planned woll, but an In-i In-i i dlan woman botrajel Uiem. It was a lino night lor an nlfnlr whoro hearta piny an important part. A glorious full moon was rising nbovo tho summit sum-mit of an eastern inngo or mountains. Tho warm ecu breoe.o was indon with tho porfinno of tho llowors of tho plain, and tho sllonco was only broken 'by tho songs of tho nlghtlngalo nnd tho bnroly percoptlblo swish or tho swaying strands of moss. Overpowered and Captured. Slowly nnd cautiously tho venturesome venture-some lovors oproached tho edgo or n grovo or trees not lur from tho gates of Uio huclonda. Ho wns mounted on a magnificent Coninncho racer, nnd by his Bide walked uuother horse of lino form nnd grcnt fame for speed nnd en-durnnce. en-durnnce. As the Texan slid from his saddle, caressing his pony, ho whispered: whis-pered: "Glvo us a llttlo start and thcro Is not n horse In all Mexico ablo to catch us." "Sweetheart mine, not all tho treasures treas-ures or the world, htcel, or any power less than God shall over separnto us." "Soft, mlo cabalku'o. Dlos mlo! quo contento estoy." "And tho Joy of all tho world Is crowded Into my bosom," whispered Juck. Ho wns Just In tho act of lifting lift-ing her Into tho saddle, when It looked as If a dozen big hands roso from tho earth and his arms wore seized. Marvelous Escape from Death. Don St. Louis appeared, foaming with rage. Tearing his daughter from tho sldo of the struggling youth, ho passed her to an attendant, saying: "Lock her up." Then turning to ono who appeared to bo in command, ho said: "It Is tho Americano ingrato, cursed gringo. I do not care to soil my hands. Juan, tlo n rock to his neck nnd throw him Into tho river." Jack know that tho peons wero only too glad to oboy orders, and strongly suspecting that ho mtu a rival In tho bunch, ho realized that nil hopo for mercy was lost. They drugged him to tho bank or a stream not far away, and while sonio wero busy hunting n big rock others were preparing strings. It required tho united strength of the bunch to overpower tho lighting Texan, ami when they worn ready to push li 1 in over tho bank Jnck dexterously threw out ono hand nnd dragged tho lender of tho gang Into tho water with him. The peon hud a knife, and when ho struck to cut Jack's throat ho missed his aim and suvered tho cord that hold tho big rock. The athletic Toxnn was now master or the situation. Ho wrenched the kniro from tho liaiid of his enemy, and tho next mouunt tho water was red with tho blood nliout a llouudcrlng peon, and Jack Hondorn was swimming swim-ming toward tho opposite shore. Back to the Rnnclt. Ono would Iniagln'j that tills narrow escape would have cooled tho passion of tho most ardent lover. Not so with tho lucoiTlglblo Toxan. Ton days had hardly elapsed betoro ho appeared at tho Hancho Hlvera disguised us an Indian, In-dian, seeking employment. Ho was given a Job hording sheep. When tho ludomlinblo Texan found nu opportunity to shed his dlsgulsounil open his nrnis, Mndollno ran nnd throw herself upon his bosom with Joy nnd conlldenco. This tlmo rurtuuo ngnln played tho lovors false. They encountered u locked nnd barred pasture gate, with a l'euco of nlno barbod wires on either sldo. Mndollno had been so closoly u niched that her ubsonco hnd been noted almost Instantly. Tho alarm wns no soonor raised th.in tho wholo force of the Hancho (Iraiido was sot to scouring scour-ing tho country In every direction. The iiufortunuto lovers wero encountered whllo riding hard to reach it distant gate. A despornto n.ittlo ensued, nnd Jack caught a couple of hot balls that stunned him far tho moment, though neither mndo mora than slight wounds. Again numbers triumphed, and tho lovers wore torn apart for tho second tlmo. "Nevor fear, swoothenrtl Hotter luck next tlmo!" shouted Juck. "Thorn will bo no next time," roared ono of tho peons. "Hrlng tho Colorado dlablo cabiillo." Tied to Back of Wild Horse. Tho wounded Toxan was dragged over tho ground and (Irmly lashed to tho back of tho red devil or n horso. And then whllo tho inhuman devils howled and roared with laughter, tho I mud red horso plunged over tho pining with Madeline's faithful lover lashed to his back. Poor girl! Sho closed her eyes, and her cries of terror wcro drowned by tho yollj of her cruel tormentors. tor-mentors. On sped tho wild red horse over hill nnd dnlo. Impelled by fright and terrorized by tho struggling burden on his bnck, tho foaming animal soon passed boyond tho tench of his pursuers. pur-suers. Ho hnd been stolen from tho Qunymnl Indlnns by Don HIvern's peons, nnd whn he found himself freo ho nt onco set out to rejoin his old herd. Tho bold lover dcclnrcs that ho was never surer of winning his brldo than when the foam rrom the red I chops or tho wolves wero hurled Into his face. It was nt that moment that he registered nn oath to possess Mndo-llno Mndo-llno In splto of Don Hlvera aud his army of peons. Don Hlvera hnd mnde bitter enemies of the Quaymals. Ho had taken their Holds away from them nnd forced tho poor Indians to move their vlllngo to a mountain valley. They gnvo tho wounded man shelter, aid nud comfort, unit when they heard his story they believed him. Soon they all loved the hamlaomo young Tcxun. I Lovers Flnnlly United. They said: "Wo unto old Don Hlvera. Hl-vera. He has stolen our lands, our horses nnd cattle. Ho hns coined tho tears of our women and children. Wo will help you to drlvo a pain Into his heart. Only tell us how." Jack told them hew, and they did help him. Ho hud hardly recovered from his wounds when uu Indian maiden bounded Into his apartment ono evening with 3trcams of words of Joy (lowing from Iwe red lips. "Sho Is hero wo hnvo brought her to you," sho exclaimed, clapping her hands. "Who? What do you mean?" said .lac It. "Madeline, or course" It wns true. In a low moments tho astounded lovor wns rejoiced to Hnd that his dovoted friends had succeeded In stealing his sweetheart nnd bringing her to their vlllngo. Joyous to tho verso or Insanity over bolus united, nud fearing capture, tho lovors wero eager to lly towards Texas, but the Qiiuyumal chief protested. Ho wanted to "drlvo many pains homo to tho old don's hard ncart," ho said. Ho Insisted that tho lovers should bo married mar-ried by tho padro in tho Quaymal tomple, nnd that tho alTitlr should ho colobrnted by a great feast. "Tho superstitious su-perstitious old don will not daro to como here," ho said. Offered to Buy Daughter. It was true. Don Hlvora hnd ninny superstitions. Ho wns afraid of tho shadow or a Quaymal. Foaming with rago when ho heard that Mndollno was with tho Toxan In tho Indian village, ho said to his wife: "It is nil witchcraft. witch-craft. Thnt man Jnck Is a ghost. Alter tho peons throw him In tho river, with a rock nbout his neck, nnd ho wns drowned, 1 saw him again. Why, I saw him walking niuongst the sheep sowing rot saw him plainly. It Is useless to try to get our daughter bnck. Tho devil h.ts got her. Wo might tempt him with gold." They did tempt him with gold. The old don sent his favorlto padro to tho Qtinynmnl vlllngo nlth a burro loaded with gold. "Tell tho dovll or n gringo," grin-go," ho said, "that 1 know my daughter's daugh-ter's weight, and that 1 will glvo him hor weight in coined gold If ho will return re-turn her to mo." "Toll Don Hlvora that Toxans do not sell their sweethearts or wives," said Jnck Hondorn. "Ills gold Is coined tours, nnd the sweat nnd blood of tho poor and the hrnve. If ho wero to pllo It to tho skies it would count nothing against my lovo for Madeline." |