| Show ahe vale of aragon by F fred i oed mr lag cathor Syu thor 0 oka wade 5 W at 1 colv Co VV by 0 ji nr mar mfr ri C s r xa ers ace cc THE STORY in the city ot of new orleans in 1821 loren garde recently an officer under general jackson la is surprised by the appearance in ancient spanish costume of two men and ft a woman whose beauty enchants enchant him resenting the arrogance or of the elder of 0 the two men garde lights fights with him and wounds wound him lie ile learns hla his opponent Is in adolfo do da fuentes fuen tei colonel in the tha spanish army in venezuela garde cardo overhears a plot to overthrow spanish rule in venezuela discovered he fights b but t in IB overpowered and made mada pul prisoner 0 on n the santa lucrecia I ship bearing be artner arms arm for the venezuelans Venezuela ns on board are ar tho the conspirators the lady ot of hla his love her brother polito and de da ru fuentes enten from the girl garde learns her name naine to is dulca lamar tina lie loves her but does not reveal hi his 8 love the vessel Is in wreck wrecked d and oat garde do rea reaches cheo the venezuelan shore chore alone lie ile encounters a a stronger and seen eer dulce the a tranger who in capan captain mon monahan allan of the legion under Do bolivar livar urges gardo garde to join the venezuelans Venezuela ns but his mind to la set on again baulne dulce monahan directs him atna to friends in caracas there aup plied by monahan with the so secret sign ot of the Vat patriots riots he la Is welcomed at the t revolutionary evolutionary headquarters garde attends the wedding ot of dulce and do fuentes entes D dulce lace him nna and leav leaves de e ru buenten e antes at the altar she Is to torn rn f from rom gardes arms ile he escapes capos finding garde dulce tel tells escapes es him he her r wedding to DO de fuentes was to have been the price pric 0 ot of gardes llo life they reveal their mutual love garde la in made prisoner from do de fuentes Fu entea garde learns learna that dufoo hm has die disappeared lie ile to la rescued from prison by a revolutionist revolution lat manuel I 1 CHAPTER VI continued I 1 V 10 I 1 laughed softly for I 1 saw at iother chance at life and another chance to win the glorious lamartina it if bolivar has bas many men like you thanuel anuel 11 wo we turned toward the south a and wd ran for halt half a mile stopping at last in tho the gloom afforded by a tall adobe building nora hero wo we found two horses one saddled for travel and the other already bearing a man mail Po Poll litot tol I 1 cried for tho the riders derfl rl head and throat were almost concealed by the folds of a bandage ills shoulders shook in silent laughter I 1 supposed and he whispered something unintelligible and gei gestured toward the other horse but polito my friend I 1 objected you cannot do this thing it wili will wreck your and and you yon owe me no sacrifice I 1 cannot let yo you u ll 11 rather would I 1 seek tho the firing aqua squa squad d tho the gauntleted hand that polito put up upon 0 n my shoulder shook a little ile he tried to speak gasped caught nt at hla big throat find went off into a convulsion of coughing manuel manucl spoke deep earnestness in his voice you must do cs as we sug sue gest best senor for ninny many things of importance depend upon it we plan a swift stroke strohe senor and your assistance la Is necessary in our planning besides yoo owe your life to those who follow bolivar have not a score of men this ahta night led their lives for theet chec have not 17 I 1 now I 1 was asha ashamed nied for the crafty manuel spoke only truth yes my friend said 1 I 1 I throw threw a leg over the horse and the swarthy sailor bailor proffered a pistol which I 1 pocketed I 1 put a hand band on tits his shoulder it bolivar needs another arm senor genor he will find mine strong enough and very willing indeed for I 1 owe him much 11 viva I 1 said bald the sailor point your horses toward the southern cross aud and ald ride e throughout tho the night ride swiftly for the mounts you have are tho the best this city alT alfords sunrise should find you beyond ocumare Ocum are where tho the lines of bolivar begin and where you will find safety now bodlos A pleasant trip to both of youl with the flaming southern cross to point tho the way with the glory of the rull full moon above the open country a a fine horse between my knees and a companion well perhaps my companion did lack necessary corn com qualities yet I 1 could attribute some doroe of his silence to his mid cold and the rest of it to the black thoughts that must possess him for no man turns his back upon tits his country wit with h a light heart with a sidelong glance I 1 studied the lithe figure that oven even the black and gray cloak cloah could not entirely hide A perfect night polito ch cat lie ile nodded you are silent my friend ile ie turned tits ills head to give me ma ono one swift took then regarded the tha road again 1 11 I must thank you polito for the part you mok in my escape this night adolfo planned to have me shot tomorrow morning so my life to Is yours this brought a gasp no more and I 1 tr tried led again do you know isnow my friend I 1 ventured chwe TOW lour sia ter lr lar lie ile was silent client and I 1 continued 1 I have told the senorita Benor tta polito of roy my love and failed miserably as I 1 deserve 11 lie ile offered no comment sho she told me today in the home of the good tomas that tomorrow she would wed do de fuentes liu entes no he whispered not nol A sort of sacrifice my friend for what she imagines I 1 have done tor for her a thing that me love her very much but she would not he not now there Is no need besides now I 1 laughed adolfo will marry no one tomorrow polito nor the day after nor for ninny many days be cause the proud colonel will never go into the cathedral and stand up before tho the people of caracas with the face that lint lie he will be wearing tom tomorrow r polito put out a gauntleted gauntlet cd hand what he questioned you vou have t 1 I have done everything but kill him my friend and manuel and hta big courageous stayed me just in time something in my blood calls for tits his life we are proud polito and lie he HOB has called me In drone in new orleans did lie he not try to kill me polito nodded and many weary miles were put behind us before another word was spoken the moon was yet an hour above the crest of the carabobo Car abobo hills when we passed through the sleeping hamlet of cua can and turning our horses toward the southeast sout took the broad road that th n t led to ocumare Ocum are from ocumare we went south again between fields of cone cane and maize and of melons barely visible in the graying dawn swiftly we took the gentle ascent approaching tho the broad range that 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 ot of a vast amphitheater hero we vo stopped our panting horses and surveyed the scene ahead of us beyond the pass would lay manifestly the valley oi of the orinoco and the valley of the orinoco would be we knew under control of those who served bolivar Boll vor polito Poll to I 1 said 1 I do not know why you approach the lines of the revolutionists you are therefore in danger for a spanish officer in theli the hands ands of venezuelans Venezuela ns who have heard ere this of bucayan would have little chance tor for his life ocumare Ocum are with safety tor for you lies not so far behind ua lie ile sat oat with head averted 1 I do not care he whispered could we not lot you throw your life away senor besides the senorita dulce will surely need you but senor he be whispered will v 1 I 1 ask what chance I 1 in spanish uni form might have with the followers of bolivar but an interruption came nn an interruption in the guise of a body ot of armed horsemen who approaching from the southward appeared in the pass weapons gleaming in the morning light iam terrified henora benarl I 1 turned upon my companion in amazement for polito would never havo have said that mother of gd G d senorita what madness mail nesa Is this I 1 had ridden beside her through the night had talked of many things aliat at had I 1 said what stupid blunders liaa had I 1 ande I 1 had professed a deathless love for her and had failed to see through a simple disguise nut but for that look of terror la in her eyes I 1 should have laughed 11 II 1 would leave caracas senor she had given herself into my keeping had permitted mo me to tell her of my love ali ah that was a joy I 1 now the horsemen lot let out wild yells and bore down upon us there la is no safety here tor for you senorita anyone who Is spanish yes senor yes I 1 must go you tou will be safe in ocumare Ocum are dismounting moun t ing I 1 caught the bridle of her horse horko and whirled him around toward the north when this nightmare of murder Is IB over senorita shall I 1 find you y V she nodded god preserve you senor she said softly IlA adelos A dlos then ill she waved on an arm and bending tow low in tho the sa saddle ile disappeared in the m mouth auth of the canyon the sounds of her going had died away before the revolutionists came to where I 1 stood waiting they circled around me runs guns to the fore and I 1 raised empty hands shove hove my head take me to your ot licer I 1 said a great happiness filling my soul so closely guarded by at least a score of horsemen I 1 rode slowly across naros the amphitheater and the wide pass coming at last to a level space bance where a body of men en camped beside the road none so far as I 1 could see was in uniform except one tall man one of my captors captora spat out it stream of unintelligible jargon and the face grew grimmer as the story proceeded now ho he faced rne me his black eyes hol holding dingo a hostile glint you may tell roe me who you are ray my captain 1 I ana am loren garde an american come to offer service to bolivar in a spanish uniform I 1 A likely tale senor why do you yoo olter offer service to our general because I 1 do not like the spanish I 1 said lie ile showed white teeth in a pleased grin it if you do not like the spanish senor why the uniform one must get through the lines of 0 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 big eyes your story Is 13 interesting senor now tell me if your desire to serve us 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 puentes fuentes and that 1 I coming to offer service to bolivar had bad sent cent 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 w what hat he must have considered a sufficient wait perhaps this com companero hompanera of yours was the dauphin in disguise eh we might just na as well can call him aim the dauphin I 1 said hopelessly lie ile offered another mirthless smile bucayan Tu Tuc cayan aynn senor has left an evil flavor in the mouth month and ana the blood of many spaniards will be required to wash it out lie ile transfixed roe me with a an n accusing eye aye who sent you here manuel said eald 1 I ile he gasped you ton say manuel sent you aye the swarthy manuel tha th clever ugly sailor who happens to b be that portion of 0 the brain of bolivar which operates in caracas he be grow growled leL ne ile considered my horse and I 1 saw an acquisitive gleam in his black eyes A flue fine hor horse se senor aye a gift from manuel lie ile 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 he laughed but his eyes were wera cold and tits his laugh laughter tex was not a pleasant thing to hear tho the wings you will soon possess senor will render the use of a poor earthly horse unnecessary ilow how I 1 wanted to thrust my fist into that smiling face of his to discompose the e even eien ien order of his teeth to get my fingers lie he must have sensed my murderous passion for lie he uttered a short command and two Ila llaneros neros grasped me by the arms this officer with the bandaged head whose safety seemed so prec precious loue n thing to you senor benor you do not tell me who he Is the dauphin will do as well as an anyone said 1 I very well one life la Is little enough to spend to save the dauphin I 1 congratulate you the sun senor ti Is just coming over the rocky crest ot of yonder mountain an excellent time indeed you may view it as you die it Is more than many a poor ioor venezuelan has been permitted to do the soldiers must have anticipated the wishes of their colonel for a squad of elget swung into line between us and the sun turned to face ra me e grounded their guas and waited TO an CONTINUED |
