| Show ake the vale of f aragon Aj raia by Frea ed author of the blade of oj copyright by merrill ca 0 W servias eer Ser vic CHAPTER VIII 13 the bugle of maracay karacay emerging again into the sunlight I 1 found the irish captain still offering turdy sturdy support to the adobe wall every time our colonel wins a battle it said eald he he thinks hes alexander you yoa speak in parables Alo monahan nahan pint falls a deal short of alexander ile he grinned and bent his red head h ad to indicate a massive rock house a stones throw to the north of us his headquarters or will be until the spaniards run us out again ile he has lately entered it with a lady a reluctant lady its true but ill the limn manner nor of pint was gently but firmly coercive so 1 I shall apprise him of our danger at once we must reform re form and wo we must keep beep 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 na as I 1 turned away Is your pistol loaded garde there was a strange light in his blue eyes and under tinder his air of scanning indifference 1 I read a definite tenseness do I 1 require a pistol to approach our colonel ue ile shrugged go ahead you went in caracas without a gun and out again this lions don den should bo be vastly simpler A providence watches over you yon the heavy wooden door with its exquisite carvings stood open and as I 1 would have entered a sentry put a gun across the doorway the colonel has issued orders that he be Is not to be disturbed will the major wait the major wont will vill you tell the colonel lie ile showed white ahl to teeth in a wide grin erin 1 I cannot it would bo be its as much ns as my life to Is worth to disturb him while I 1 waited wondering what should be done the colonels tenor carrying carryl the burden of n caress came down the hallway halfway would not the wines of Mont Blont olban alban caress thy palate bonita Donl tar I 1 failed to catch Bo bokitas bonitas reply but it was not acquiescence for the col onal I 1 spoke again when the pan ar in lards tateo take a city senorita they take till nil that Is in it may we then do less ile iio laughed at tier her rejoinder and continued had I 1 known Arar maracas maracay acay held so gorgeous a beauty I 1 should have taken it long ngo ago so fair a vision of loveliness may inay not be kept for or a more mero spaniard he cannot properly pr opery appreciate be not so cold lie he pleaded a little wine a little no no she ehe cried ah no ill I 1 name of G d the ono one voice in all the world 1 it had called to me in my dreams it had ridden ilia wings of the tha wind and now with no thought of consequences I 1 thrasi thrust the sentry aside with a sw sweep ac P of my arm sped along the hallway and threw my body against the dor which crashed inward under the im pact of my tall fall by the time I 1 had regained my feet pint pistol held ready was standing across the table from me and the senorita lamartina leaned against the wall tear fear in her palo pale face and slim hands pressed against her bosom Seti fenorl Se norl orl she ehe gasped dulce culcol Dul col 11 colonel pint misunderstanding me laughed aye axe dulco dulce indeed major garde for sho she Is the sweetest by far of 0 all those that the stupid spaniard has y yot ot brought over but why do y you ou enter my quarters by such forceful forcey meariam me means arial 1 th I 1 I 1 I 1 must think I 1 must control myself blind luck so BO far had been my portion but now gracious 0 d give mo me the use of my brain I 1 pint did not recognize tier her did not realize tho the value of the prize that he be had won then manifestly he should remain in ignorance A vision in truth I 1 said 1 I laughing but do you not know my colonel that the taking of karacay maracay has cost us ua over ever a hundred men we would hasten she looked at me to in amazement resentment sent ment in tho the deep blue eyes eyell and I 1 thought an expression of pleading also aye ate 11 plot agreed a hundred men indeed but its worth it the senorita alone Is worth two hundred I 1 think the garrulous colonel had partaken partaker par taken too freely of tho the wines of yet there Is bilich to do did not bolivar gay to take the city and have I 1 not done dona sor so yes but general bolivar also said to hold it do you not know my colonel that thai halt half our indian soldiers soldier having fired away their remaining ammunition in celebration of our victory have discarded their guns assuming them empty to be of no further oel iia he laughed A misfortune but nothing tragic it has ever been the habit of the stupid savages A thins thing tobe to be discounted as inevitable and I 1 continued that the forces of incz and riaza he hare fallen back before the spaniards freeing treeing the two wings that may now close in upon as that it if we do riot not move swiftly our lines of communication with boudara BoU vara army will be broken so BO that half ac couteret cout ered and without ammunition we wa will bo be lost how gloomy a tale do you bring roe me in this the hour of my happiness ills acquisitive eyes took in the slim beauty of the senorita ant awl I 1 could have throttled film for the evil in his look does your american cowardice coward lea come to the fore at such a time as this do you not realize that of the entire line of 0 attack only we have broken through aye and I 1 realize also that the spaniard will close in behind us and this american cowardice of mine senor does not presume to celebrate a half victory with drunkenness and other unseemly conduct pint brought the pistol to bear upon me do you speak thus thug to me your colonel your commanding command ln officer under similar conditions my colonel one I 1 would speak so to bolivar himself had he follen fallen so low a thing I 1 cannot imagine for of all our officers I 1 think colonel Is tho ilia only man who might have planned an act so vile ile madness aye ae a veritable madness yet ills his eyes ees had offered insult to the senorita and I 1 worshiped her ali ah loren sho she cried fear in tier her voice and love loc I 1 think as well low how vast a blunder can you not see V pint laughed loren well I 1 ills voice was icy menacing ali ah dulce rula rain I 1 gasped 1 I cannot think I 1 love very pretty said pint ile he ofte offered red a sour smile 1 I have waited garde for such a time as this lie ile thought a moment it Is the senorita lamar ion a oil did not bolivar say to take the tha city and have I 1 not 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 and jury and executioner for it Is my right the pistol la Is not made my colonel I 1 said that may kill me instantly st and it if I 1 am given ghen so much as half a minute 11 no said dulce no not 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 not I 1 cried leaping toward him as the gun roared filling the room with thunder flame traversed byarm my arm ant and sent the re red d hot pain coursing through my body my right arm fell useless and tha file lingers fingers of my loft left hand found ills his throat threat and held no matter what befell I 1 knew that only death awaited me for this attack upon a superior of officer fleer regardless of the circumstances or the provocation could mean but one thing a court and a decree of death deatle so with the weight of my body and the strength e of f my legs I 1 held him against the wall while my fingers did their work I 1 even laughed a shrill maniacal out burst and I 1 talked do you see dulce my own how a craven dies no loren no it Is murder I 1 it if you love me dear heart you will not do it 11 but he offered insult to thee shall 1 I not kill him for that does he not deserve listen loren do you not hear it now there came to us the clear high notes of a bugle a penetrating electrio electric summons I 1 guess I 1 am and have always been first a soldier 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 his hands you will pay for tills this senor he rasped through a tortured throat wild yells 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 I expect to pay colonel and you will doubtless pay when bolivar hears how you havo have thrown away the fruits of a n dearly bought victory after this skirmish lie said moving unsteadily toward the wreckage of the doorway there will be a court 1 I shall be ready my colonel ali ah loren that you should have found me thuel 1 I nm am thankful that I 1 was able to fl find nd you at all I 1 went to my knees and pressed 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 not to see through your masquerade she put her hand upon my head it Is light again your hair I 1 am glad loren the tumult of conflict approached and I 1 knew the force of colonel pint drunk with a false victory and too much wine ond ana insufficiently outfitted with guns and ammunition were beaten and moving back pa 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 camo came to tier her knees beside me ali ah loren there Is nothing 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 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 dad I 1 held tier her close to my heart again for I 1 know knew vint that this would be the end defeat or victory for the forces of bolivar noll var my fate was scaled poll to I 1 said lies wounded but not seriously in an adobe house less than two hundred meters south from here now new she citing to me face upraised in pleading Is there blame in thy heart loren that polito should be fighting for the spanish A soldier may not turn his back upon his country my sweet polito owes his service to his king inless adlesa thee my own adelos ill TO nia BM CONTINUED |
