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About The Alliance herald. (Alliance, Box Butte County, Neb.) 1902-1922 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 1905)
i B .i: r X f 4 1. r B V WA-rfTll ' uy-'drarii' jvh YW.m. ATALE I'opy right, lb97, by F. TeiimMin Nccly. CHAPTER XI Continued. "Walt; you may change your mind, Senor Jack," says the agent, delib ei atcly. "Supposo Roblado, bent upon such a dangerous mission, should fall Into the hands of the enemy. They would perhaps feed him to the wild beasts, if yqu have any such In the Cuban chaparral, and possibly the dashing Colonel Spencer would share his fate; hut I can see no reason why I should mourn under such conditions." "Unfortunately It is not such clear calling. Tho senor Intends taking his (laugh!--, with him upon the expedi tion." "Monstrous! The old wretch! It must not be allowed!" cries Jack. "You are powerless to prevent It lie has a design behind It all, and hopes by tho presence of tho girls to avoid suspicion. A very shrewd old fellow, this Roblado, and as calculat ing and cold-blooded as you find them. But, Senor Jack, that Is not all." "Tho deuce, you say! Still worso coming! Well, 1 am prfcjared for It. Fire away!" "Remember, this Is In confidence. You must swear that through you not a whisper of It shall ever reach the tars of the authorities." "Oh, I give you my solemn prom ise And what I say I always do; you know that," replies Travels. "I learned that It was the senor's Intention to take a train from Havana that would bring him In tho vicinity of Gomez' main camp "Well, I have it on pretty good au thority that the rebels Intend to dyna mite that train, and the chance1? are that not a soul on board will escape to tell the story." CHAPTER XII. Just Five Minutes Tco Late. Sinlthers' Intelligence causes a grit ting of teeth on tho part of his audit or. Tho possibility of such a fate overtaking Jessie Cameron is quite enough to unnerve him. "A diabolical way of striking a blow for liberty. We could not sanction It In our countries, Smlthers. But that Is not to the point. The question Is how to save the girls. As to the men, I have no Interest In their lives. They can take pot luck." "Your promise. Mr. Travers?" "I had not forgotten. That ties my hands so far as Informing the author ities Js concerned." "Good." "On my part I would say 'bad,' for now you and I must save those girls. I am determined on that, even though I have to start upon the doomed train myself." "We must plan quickly, then, sir." "How so? Is there something more you have not told me?" "You seo the day is declining." "Yes yes." "And this train will leave Havana at about nightfall, I understand." "But such a move Is contrary to the usual rules governing railroad travel In these parts. All trains run by day light, so that tho danger may bo less marked." "Just so, and the rebels knowing this will not be on tho lookout, It Is Hupposed, and tho extra train, or spe cial, can go on unmolested." "Ah, I see. Quite a clever piece of "The rebels Intend to dynamite that train!" engineering, though the secret must have slipped through In some way, slnco as you declare a scheme Is on foot to blow tho train up with Yankee dynamite. Our time may bo short. Wo must think and act quickly." "Our only hope would be to separ ate tho ladles from the rest of tho party, perhaps at the last minute bo foro the train started." "I graBp your meaning. Continue." "Roblado and his companion would be powerless to accomplish anything. They dare not keep tho train waiting, and should they fall to be on It when tho signal Is given to start, tho Iron hand of the Captain-General would olese upon them In a grasp (hat could "only bo cut loose before a corporal's guard at-.tho. dead-line.. What do you th'ink of the idea?" ' "Well. 'you understand I must not t appear In tho matter. My promise to Jessie forbids'." "Excuse me, but If Bho fell over board In mid-ocean, would you feel compelled to wait until she appealed 1 m11K(EN I tf 1 moL wmm Orm CUBAN WAR &&&QP&47Gd)Z' a . uyr.f.ht, 1S39, hy Bttrct mid Smith, directly to you before leaping over to her rescue? I know you bettor than that, Squire John. First her life, then her ropronches If slie pleases to be so contrary. That lifts Is In deadly dan ger now. You expect to fly to her re lief. Already you are hampered by enough promises. Then away with tho notion that you dare not come Into her presence unless she calls for you. How Is she otherwise to kuow ou are In Havana?" Jack throw 8 up his hands. "Smlthers, you havo won. I rccog rtlzo the folly of carrying that thing out to tho letter. If tho occasion de mands such an exposure on my part, l am ready to submit, even though sho scorns me for breaking my word." "Scorn you my dear sir, evidently you have not studied tho femlnlno mind as much as the methods of min ing, or the necessities of a stock ranch. Besides, unless all signs fall, jou may be In a position to save her from a terriblo fate, and tho very op portunity you desire bo granted." "I am convinced. Now tell mo how you would carry out such a scheme." Smlthers has evidently thought It all out beforehand, as he unravels a plan so well arranged that Jack can hardly add anything to It. Just previous to tho time for the train to go someone employed for that purpose will draw tho senor to the end of the station plutform on particu lar business perhaps a few last ver bal directions from the Captain-General of a non-committal nature. While ho is away from tho carriage In which the ladles have taken up their places, another messenger will como to them, apparently from Don Rafael, bearing the Information that ho has given up tho trip, and that they will accompany the other In the victoria back to tho hotel, where the senor will lejoln them. How simple how effective! If no hitch occurs to mar the little game, Senor Rablado will make a mad dash for his carriage as tho signal to Btart Is given, and plunging In as tho train moves, discover It to bo empty. He may rave, ho may bellow llko a mad bull, but that will not prevent tho special from leaving Havana and plunging In among tho hills back of tho Cuban capital. He dare not leave the train, slnco Spain expects him to do his duty, and any defection on his part may bring Immediate ruin upon his house. Meanwhile, It will not be so diffi cult a feat for the driver of tho veh Iclo to explain matters to the two girls, and endeavor to gain their con sent to his driving them not to tho hotel, but to the house under whoso roof Senor Jack has found such an hospitable welcome. "Tho rest I must leave to you. sir, for I expect you to bo wltl me on the box of the vehicle. If nu havo never kissed the Blarney stone, I imagine you may at least lie able to offer some specious plea as to why they should accept this hospitality." "And Lola will be there to greet them," adds Travers, mentally pictur ing tho scene when those two como together tho ono so fair and winsome a lassie, bred In the bonnle air of the Scottish highlands, the other dark and beautiful, like a tropical flower. "Well or no, I hardly think Lola will be at home. I gave her a note from head from some parties who deslro her presence, and unless 'l am mistaken sho has gone from here be fore now. But that will not matter. The whole house Is at their disposal." "I hope they will accept. What comes after, wo must leave to chance," and Jack smiles at tho pleas ing prospect. "At any rate, with tho don out of the game, there's no reason why you shouldn't advance your cause, my friend." "H'm! Poor don. It Is a terrible fate, and I hate to think of It; but I presume these pcoplo havo been rend ered quite desperate by what they be lieve to bo their wrongs. At any rate, 1 don't pretend to Judge Just how far thoy are Justified In such sovero actions. My whole concern is to save my wife from such a fate Into which as an entirely Innocent party sho seems in danger of being dragged." "The wrongs of Cuba cry aloud to Heaven for redress from every hill side they havo burned llko smoulder ing fires for half a century, breaking out now and again In such heroic struggles as tho Ten Years' War. The end is Inevitable, and none but tho wilfully blind can fall to seo the hand writing on tho wall. Cuba must, and shall bo free." Smlthers has unconsciously be trayed himself. Ho realizes that his enthusiasm has carried him beyond the lino of prudence. His face pales, and he Immediately places his baud on Jack's arm. "Forget what I havo said, I bog of you, sir." "No, I could not If I would, and I would not If I could. My heart is in sympathy with tho movement to free this Island from her yoke. It doe3 not surprise me that yqu are Interested in tho desperate struggle many bravo Englishmen are. Nothing surprises mo In connection with this country. I honor you for the stand you havo taken. Your secret Is safe with me, Smlthers. Now I can give a guess why you hesitated to como back to Havana. But, since wo understand each other, let us talk of our plans for saving tho girls." Jack readily admits that he can think of uo positive Improvement In fonnoofion with tho Idea so clenrly sugRosted by the keau-stghted agent, and which nppoars to quite cover tho ground. "Ho much time havo wo to mako ready?" ho nsks. Smlthers consuttc his chronometer. "It is now a quarter to , five tho train is appointed to lcavoat Blx-thlr-ty," ho says. "An hour and threo-qunrtors. Amplo tlmo to accomplish wonders, my dear fellow. I've seen occasions when tho world was apparently turned topsy turvy In far less." "I don't doubt it. You fellows In tho Wild West live fast. I know something about It myself, sir." "You've scon our country, then?" "That is a fact, sir." "Been In tho Colorado mines looked on a Toxns ranch, perhnps?' "Never shall forget It." "And possibly visited somo of our Spanish-American cities down near tho border of Mexico Santa Fe, for Instance?" "Again I admit tho soft Impeach ment," returns Smlthers, a little un easily, as If ho realizes what Jack is driving at. "Ah!" That Is all Travers says, but there Is a world of significance In his man ner of uttering the one word. Ho un dcrstands now that It must havo been While In the Now Mexican capital this. English agent met Lola. Tho rola Something of, a piratical look. tlons between them are beyond his present ken, but by degrees It appears as though the curtain will rise. Smlthers prepares to bolt. "I shnll bo back hero with a veh Iclo by six o'clock. Meanwhile, niter your looks a little so as to seem more of a native. You will find certain things In your apartment that will aid you. As to Ah Sin, shall wo take him with us?" 'Ho may prove valuable. I havo found him so on many occasions." "Very well. Ho goes' aldng. I'm off, sir." Jack watches tho ether's vanishing form until It Is swallowed up amid tho luxuriant flower bushes. Then ho seeks solace In a cigar, and passes through the court to tho suite of rooms assigned him. Remembering Smlthers' Injunction, he tries his band at darkening his skin a little and In vnrlous ways alter ing his appearance, so that when suc cess follows his efforts he Is con strained to bollove he presents some thing of a piratical look, and expcrl ences a feeling of dismal dismay at tho prospect of her eyes being turned upon him. (To be continued.) Gen. Sherman as a Benefactor. Helen Sherman Griffith, nteco ol Gen. Sherman, says her undo wnt very fond of attending tho theater He also objected strongly, along with tho rest of us lesser mortals who dare not express our real thoughts, to hav Ing bibulous, selfish men stumble and push over our knees to get out bo tween the acts. Ono evening a young man with the clothes and voice of c gentleman began to crowd his waj to tho aisle from Uio end of n row In which Gen. Sherman was sitting. "I beg a thousand pardons, Gen oral," lie said, ns ho reached mj uncle, "but may I get by you?" "Yes," said my uncle, coolly, ns he traightcned his knees behind the young man, "if you don't como back.' Tho General enjoyed tho rest of the play In peace and received tho heart felt If unspoken thanks of every on? In tho row. Omaha World-Herald. Followers of Count Tolstoi. Not long ago tho Vienna nowspa pers were speaklngof a Hungarian doctor of philosophy" who had become penetrated with Tolstoi's Ideas and had apprenticed himself to a Buda pest shoemaker, says the New York World, Now a Bulgarian doctor of philosophy, Lubekoff, who has passed his examinations at tho University of Sofia "cum laude," and was engaged ns professor of Latin, has bocomo a bootblack at a street corner In Sofia His customers como because they wish to have their boots polished by a doclor. ( Lubekoff does not forget that ho Is a Tolstolbt and impresses on his cus tomers tho virtue of lowly labor and the happiness which It brings. He has actually succeeded in founding several little colonies of Tolstolsts in Sofia. Horrible to Think Of. Church "In some of the Hindoo temples an elephant takes up tho col lection, ft goes round with a basket extended from Its trunk." Gotham "What do you supJse would happen If somo thoughtless man dropped a peanut in tho basket some Sunday morning?" n wtyV toWWtwrfyVxjJW' Go to Inspect Region of 09"twM vi" nvi'Vbw,'rrtw,MwiAwflw,''Vifi'Vu The departuro of tho yacht Virginia with tho E. C. Boncdlct party of Indus trial magnates for tho upper Amazon recently has served to attach new In terest to tho development und vast possibilities of that region. It Is tho Intention to snll up tho Amazon as far as Iqultos, 1,200 miles from the mouth Indeed, considerably moro than that from where tho river actually mingles with tho Atlantic and thcro to mako 9lda expeditions In nntlvo boats or with tho nuxlltary launches of tho yacht, that will cnablo tho party to form n moro clear and definite cstl mato of the resources of tho country, fiom tho standpoint of opportunities for American investment, than hns been posslblo up to tide tlmo. Whllo at Mnnaos tho pnrly will Join In cole uniting the opening of tho Mannos and Para wireless telegraph system, to bo present at which forms ono of tho first objects of tho trip. Tho Introduction of wireless teleg raphy In South America Is the most logical use, noxt to its employment at sea, to which tho now system has been put. Across hundreds of miles of the Junglo entanglements, mountain ranges, nnd river courses of South America thcro has existed hitherto no means of communication other than by footpath and "bnlBas," a typo of native boat, nnd canoes. Wireless telegraphy, as soon as stations aro erected and put into successful opera tion, will overcome this. Not less needed will be tho great sysloms of transportation that aro now and havo been from tlmo to tlmo projected for South America by vari ous combinations of American and English capitalists. Industrial schemes, too, Involving tho bringing about of vast changes, havo qulto re cently been launched, some of Uiem apparently, it la true as In tho case of tho exploitation of tho Aero dis trict, in which J. P. Morgan of New York and Sir Martin Conway of Lon don, among others, were Interested only to bo abandoned. Tho Morgan Conway syndtcato had a concession from Bolivia covering a tract of coun try on tho head waters of tho Amazon several hundred miles square, In which it was 'proposed to establish colonics nnd operate various planta tions, timbering and rubber-gathering enterprises. About tho tlmo that tho work was to commenco, however, Bra zil gave notlco that Bolivia had no FUTURE COFFEE HELDS title to tho territory embraced In tho concession, and Peru, whoso boun daries in that locality aro likewise de finable simply as being somewhero in indefinite and illimitable space, also got ready to tako a band. At this Juncture, to cap tho situation, an in surrection broko out in the very heart bt tho disputed region. Thereupon, while Bolivia was getting a detach ment of somo 200 soldiers ready for ' a four or five hundred mile tramp through tho forest from La Paz in or der to back up her claims, Messrs. Morgan and Conway sold out; or rath- i er, made terms with Brazil whereby f z?&MrJ2z, S0 mSaaSr mam PHii$!8i wuJBfoi ,..KmJia Mtfo4iwjWwfy wWjWwrftyW wjJWafroWft;'f thoy Riirrendercd tho concession, nnd that country undertook to settle with Doltvln. So ended one n'ally com momlnblo nnd brilliant exploitation scliome. Tho Amazon river, with its tribu taries, has been estimated to havo 30,000 miles of navigable water. Pos sibly with slight Improvements, or It thcro was such demand for it ns has resulted in tho pushing of boats ovor somo of tho most difficult of North American rivers, tho totnl longth of actual scrvlccablo water might bo Increased to CO.OOO miles. Thero nro, of course, many Ameri can trading concerns now operating In tho interior regions reached by tho Amnzon. Most Important among thorn, perhaps, owing to tho leading natural product of tho country, Is tho United States Rubber company. Eng lish nnd German concerns nro repre sented at Pnrn, Mnnaos, and Iqultos heavily. Tho two principal steamship lines are oporated from Europe. A company composed chiefly. If not on tlrely, of English capitalists owns nnd operates the principal lino of river steamers. In fact, European concerns havo hot only a larger Interest In South Amorlcan transportation and In- T? ! I NATIVE BOATS AND RTVER. STEAMER. HANAQS, dustrlnl affairs than tho United States, but larger interests than tho peoplo of somo of tho South American republics thomsclvcB. Tho United Stntes.gets from Brazil largo quantities of coffee, cocoa, and other articles of that class, and wo havo somo largo companies engaged In importing, but a Very small quanti ty of siich goods, excepting rubber, comes from further up tho Amazon than Mannos. In return wo aro ship ping machinery occasionally getting a good milling, mining or electric lighting plant order hardware, lum ber, somo railroad, tram, and street railway supplies, canned goods, and qulto a list of textile stuffs, such as prints, ginghams, plaids, sheetings, jeans and flannels and leather and rubber goods. Iccmaklng machines, awnings nnd parasols, drugs, patont medicines, and tho llko aro sold. Equipment for a shoo factory hns re cently been sent. But tho same ship may havo contained machinery for a dairy plant and rlco plantation which is to be operated by a German syndi cate, for whero wo send ono article tho Germans or tho English send a dozen. Wherever wo send ono dol- OP BBAZIL1AW XIPLJANPS- lar's worth in ten of tho total foreign purchases of tho country, the Ger mans or the English send three, four or five. Thoy even do not hesitate to send eight or nine, and, with tho aid of France, aro constantly striving to send tho entiro ten. In other words, the United States gets but about 10 per cent, of all the trade of South. America. Wo buy from them, on tho other hand, threo times as much as they buy from us, tho differ ence being annually about $80,000,000 in their favor. Tho discrepancy be tween what we buy and what we sell applies about equally, though perhaps the Amazon heavier against us nt the head sources of tho Amazon, to all scctons of South America. This is now new tho beginning of the rainy season, that long period commencing about tho mlddlo of De cember and lasting until June, on tho upper Amnzon. The grent, luxuriant mattas that stretch In rounded undula tions from tho banks of tho Water of Waters Itself nnd from tho hlddon courses of Its Innumerable tributaries to lmpcnotrablo nnd illlmltnblo dis tances, will bo blurred and dripping with rnliu while further hack tho open plots of tho campos break out In fresh, greon grass, nnd thither tho Jagunr nnd pumn, nnd droves ot pc carry and herds of nntlvo door aro be taking themselves to avoid tLo soggy footing of tho forests, and to feed up on tho animal nnd the plant life. Tho New York party -will And, If thoy choose, an amplo Hold for ex ploration. If by their 'bturvatlon, oven In going no furthe: than Iqultos, thoy aro ablo to hri'jg back to tho United States any practical sugges tion for tho furtherance of our com mercial Interests, or If tbelr trip is followed by other trips to those re gions by compotcnt business men and skilled observers, It may mark tho be ginning of a more general nnd earnest effort than has been made in years to got acquainted with South America and to tako our right place In tho de velopment of tho great Amazon em pire Now York Titnos. COSTLY ROBES FOR WOMEN. Tho Middle Agea a Period of Un bounded Extravagance Say what you pleaso nbout tho ex travaganco in these days of womon'a dress, It cannot comparo with tho gowns of olden times, embroidered in genulno jewels and fashioned of cost liest velvet. Of course, such gown& were not passing fancies or fashions but onco made, were worn throughout the owner's llfo on such occasions as wore appropriate. Tho women of tho Mlddlo Ages often had their own arms and those of their husbands' em broidered In gold and jewels on theli robes. Isabella do Valols had a roba nnd a mantlo to match of red velvet worked with gold birds sitting on branches formed of emeralds and pearls. Tho trailing robes wero termed cottes-hardies or surcottes, and were heavy silk in red pr bluo tanno, and theso wero sometimes veined. Their nrms were embroid ered on them in silver and gold thread. Tho wearer's own arms were done on tho left or sinister side, impaled by her husband's, tho latter being on tho dexter or right si'de. Sometimes the arms of the wife only appeared on her robe, and her hus band's wero embroidered on her mantle. Tho most costly material then known was used for theso man tles, most of them being fashioned ot samlto or baudeskln, silk woven with an admlxturo ot gold thread. Women of other than taintless character were forbidden to wear theso mantles on tho street In tho thirteenth century women of noblo birth woro robes em-, broldored in birds, fish, flowers and all sorts ot emblems, all in the most costly workmanship. He Made a Short Address. Tho task of addressing a Sunday school was now to him, but when ho was asked by tho superintendent to mako a short address to the young hopefuls ho consented before ho know what ho was doing. Tho teachers noticed that ho was ill at caso as ho advanced to the front of tho rostrum and began with a fow platitudes about the weather and the "shining young faces," Then he con ceived the idea that he should drlvo homo a moral lesson, and ho began the tale of a woman whoso life was wrecked by the use, of drugs. "Just think of it, children," he said in his most dramatic manner. "That poor woman became the slave of nar cotlcs." Tho necessary look of horror wn? not forthcoming and he realized that he had gono too deep for the brjef, wis dora of bis auditors and must explain "I supposo you do not know what narcotics aro," he remarked in a pat ronizing way. "You are too young Well, children, narcotics aro opiates." Even after this explanation the audi enco was not enlightened, and ho re tired with a pained look of surprise JU M'i.Ciit r.iMjis..il.j.t-ti'