NORTH PLATTE SEMT-WEEKLY TRIBUNE
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W
bster
-Man's
M
sin
By PETER B. KYNE
Author of "Cappy Ricks," "The Valley of tho Giant," Etc
, Copyright br Tetar II. ICyn.
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10
CHAPTER
XII.
Arrived nt Snn Miguel de Pndua
about midnight, Webster found the
climate tempornte, In fact, decidedly
cool. Hilly was waiting for tbein and
wns properly amazed, but not senn
dallzcd when Don Juan Cafctcro,
abusing the station hnnds In a horrl
bio hodgepodge of English nnd Span
ish, superintended tho landing of the
baggage on the pint form.
"I had to bring him with me." Web
ster explained. "I'm going to wean
hlra, and after that hnby quits cry
ing for his bottle, believe me. Bill,
we'll have the prince of n foreman for
our mine. Quito n charncter, Is Don
Juan, when you dig down Into him."
"Dig far enough Into that ruin and
you'll Hnd fire crackers," Hilly admit
ted. "However, John, I'm afrnld he
won't explode. The powder's damp.
How did yon leave Dolores?"
"Fit as a fiddle, BUI."
"How does she stack up on better
acquaintance, Johnny?"
"She's a skookum lass. She sent
her lovo nnd I promised to send you
back to her l D. Q. So don't bother
run with talk nbout her. You'll see
her uguln In a week or ten days, I
hone."
"No? Is thut so, Johnny? Bully
for you, you old wuinpus cat. Tell
Don Junn to steer you over to the
Olobo de Oro. He knows the plnce.
I've got to go and hire n mule or
some other quadruped for Don Junn
If we're to nvold a Into start In the
morning. Good night, old fellow."
They were up at daybreak, and
with throo heavily laden pnek mules
In change of two seml-nnked mozos,
while tho cook Jogged comfortably
along on his big splay feet In tho rear,
they set out for Hllly's concession.
For CO miles they followed tho high
wnv, nnd then debouched to the south
west tilong a neglected rond Just wide
enough to accommodate tho clumsy
ox enrts of the. peons. The country
was sparsely settled and evidently giv
en over to stock rnlBlng.
Darkness hnd descended on tho vnl-
ley by the time they hnd pitched enmp
nt the clnlm. They were up at
dawn tho following morning, however,
und Immediately after breakfast Jack
Webster went to his dufflo bag nnd
brought forth a dozen little ennvus
sacks nnd a prospectors hnmmer.
"Now then, William, my son," he an
nounced, "light the lantern and we'll
see If you've forgotten all I tnught
you nbout mining."
They clambered up the dump to a
point where two light steel mils pro
jected over tho edge. On top of tho
dump, lying besldo tho mils, were two
munll, rusty, steel oro cars; tho rails
led from the edge of the dump to the
mouth of u tunnel In tho hillside and
disappeared therein.
WobMcr Btood a moment, looking
around him. "How did you hnppen to
locute this ledge?" he demanded.
"Was It grass root stuff, with an out
cropping here at the foot of the hill?
No. of course. It wasn't. You haven't
nnl dlsmnv of dozens or inrgo nnis.
When they reached the vein, Webster
broke off samples of the ore every
three or four feet, crawled after Hilly
up through the stope and bnck to tho
true vein, from the fnCe of which ho
also took numerous snmplcs; then ho
crawled out Into the sunshine again,
hot, dJrty, nnd perspiring.
"Hilly, you'll be a renl miner yet;
tee If you won't," wns all tho praise
"Billy, You'll Be Rel Miner Yet."
ho tendered his youthful pnrtner
standing beside him In untlclputlotr ol
a compliment, ns Webster got out till
portable assay outfit.
For three days Webster worked.
determining the values of each sam
ple, only to And that his assays con
firmed Hllly's. "You were right, son,"
ho finally announced. "This mine Is
a humdinger nnd no mistake; If you
nnd I live ten years we'll bo worth
$10,000,000 between usmaybe more."
Hllly's Jaundiced eyes glowed hun
grily. "We'll put In a hundred
stamps "
"Well, we'll try ten for a starter,"
Webster Interrupted dryly, "and add
more as tho mine pays Its way. It's
the sweetest mining proposition on
earth only, like all high-class goods,
It bus one (law when you examine It
closely."
"You're crazy," Hilly challenged.
"Nnmo tho llnwl"
"Snrrosl" Webster replied smiling
ly. "That scoundrel makes n gamble
out of an otherwlso sure thing. How
ever," ho added, recalling the note re
ceived from ltlcardo Ruey Just before
his departure from Huennventurn and
reflecting that to be forewarned is to
to forearmed, "we'll accept the gam
ble. That rascal can't I've forever.
enough ore on tho dump. What the , no mny 00 eliminated before lio
devil were you driving ut?"
"Only a small portion of that dump
ts mine. Jack, nnd I didn't locate the
ground originally. 1 came Into this
valley from tho south, and as I worked
up tho range, I found a bald spot
close to the top of tho hill, and a gal
lows frame over nn abandoned shaft
Naturally, I went down tho shaft to
boo why It had been abandoned. To
my surprise, I found u 12-foot vein
of free-milling ore. on a contact be
tween undeslte nnd Silurian limestone,
The ledge stood strnlght up nnd down,
which seemed to nrguo grent depth."
"Somebody hnd found an outcrop
ping on top of thnt hill," Webster de
clared with conviction, "nnd sunk a
shaft on tho vein to open It up and de
termine Its width nnd direction.' And
whnt did you do, Hill?"
"I got my trnnslt and ran n line
from the shaft on the hill, following
the direction In which tho ledge wns
running, und mnrked out lho exnet
point townrd tho baso of tho hill where
I would Btnrt my tunnel to cut tho
ledge. To my surprise, I discovered
my predecessor hnd selected that
ldentlcnl spot. So I verified my cal
culations and than sat down to think
It over. I remembered thnt frequent
and violent earthquakes occur In this
country, nnd It seemed to mo n rea
sonable hypothesis to blamo somo an
cient and particularly violent seismic
disturbance, which had faulted the
vein and set It over a considerable
distance. According to my calcula
tion that other man should have cut
the vein at 83 feet yet ho had gone
on 102 before quitting. So I got half
a dozen peons and drovo iinenu iu i
feet on the other fellow's tunnel ; and
toy neck, Johnny. I cut tho vein I"
"Bully boy! And then?"
"I drlftqd ten feet on the vein, and
the oro suddenly gavo out. It Btopped
Just Uko that, proving I'd come to
the' upper end of the vein whero It
had faulted ; so I Just worked up and
round, stopelng and sinking a wlnzo
fcere and there, until Just about tho
tlmo my cash, reservo was getting pret
ty low picked up the true vein and
pened It up for the full width. Come
fei. and I'll show you."
Tliev entered the tunnel, to the slir-
cuuses us any trouble."
"What will It cost us to get this
mine on u paying basis, Johnny?"
"Well, hack home, I'd figure on
spending ut lenst $100,000; but I dare
say, taking Into consideration the low
cost of Inbor In Sobranto nnd the raw,
natural resources of power and tim
ber right on tho ground, wo ought to
put this deal over for $50,000 at tho
outside. Praise be, I have cash
enough to do tho trick without calling
In any help, und such being the case,
we'll not wnsto any time hut hop to
the Job In a hurry and make the fur
fly."
"Hlght, Jack. What's tho program?"
"Well, first off, son. I'm not going
to Btny In this country nnd loso my
self munoglng this mine. That's your
Job, because you're young and unim
portant In your profession nnd hnvo
tho ability to get nwuy with tho Job.
You can afford to spend tho next 15
years here, but I cannot. I can only
afford to como down hero every cou
ple of yenra and relievo you for a va
cation.
"That's tho way I figured It, Jack."
"All right then, Hill, let us stnrt In
by giving you your first vacation. If
you're, going to dig In hero and mako
tho fur tly, you've got to be In tip-top
physical condition and you are thin
and gaunted nnd full of chills and fe
ver. Just before I left Huenaventuru
I cashed a draft for $5,000 on my let
ter of credit at the Hnnco Nnclonnl,
nnd placed It to the credit of your
uccount there.
"Tomorrow morning you will tRko
your horse, one pack mule, and one
mozo and ride for San Miguel de Pad
uu, where you will take tho train for
nuennventurn. In Buenaventura you
may do what you blame please, but
If I were you, boy, I'd try to get mar
rled nnd go bnck to the U, S. A. for
my honeymoon. And when I finally
hit a town that contnlned some reg
ular doctors I'd let them pnw mo over
and rebnbbltt me and overhnul ray
bearings and put me In such nlco run
ning order I'd bo firing on all 12 cyl
inder at once.
"And when I wns feeling tip-top
once mora I'd wire old John Stuart
Webster and tell him. so, nftcr which
I'd stand by for a cable from the said
sourdough Inviting me to return nnd
take up my labors."
Hllly's wnn yellow fnco lighted up
like n sunrise on tho desert. "I guess
that plun's kind of poor," he an
nounced feelingly. "You're right,
Juck. I'm In rotten condition nnd I
ought to be right before I start. , Still,
If I should nrrungo to get murrled bo
fore I leave, I'd like mighty well to
have n good "man and truo see me
safely over the hurdles."
I'hnt's nice, son, but I haven't time
to be your best man. Arranging the
honeymoon lets me out. Bill. I'm In
a hurry to finish hero nnd get back,
so the sooner we both stnrt our pros
pective Jobs the sooner we'll finish.
Huve u quiet little mnrrlngc. Hill,
without any fuss or fenthera or voices
breathing o'er Eden. What nre the
odds, provided you get hitched prop
erly? Besides, I'm In mortal drend of
thnt town of Buenaventura. The sew
er system Is bad ; It's rotten with fe
ver; and you'd better get thnt girl
out of It P. D. Q nnd the quicker the
better. Myself, I prefer to stay up
here In these mountains In a tetn-
nnrnte clltnntn whore there are no
mosquitoes." '
Hilly saw thnt Webster wns serious
nnd would resent ntry Interference In
his plnns. "All right. Jack," he as
sented. "You're the boss."
"Fine. Now, Bill, you listen to fa
ther and be guided accordingly. When
you get to Buenaventura, wlro the
ninclinm EnuliioerliiE company of
Denver, using my name, and tell them
to add to my order given them Inst
month nnd held for shipping direc
tions, 12 dozen picks, 12 dozen shov
els, 12 "dozen mattocks, say six dozen
nxes, brush knives, n big rond plow,
and whntever other things you hnppen
to think of nnd which would cqme In
handy when building our road. Also,
when you get to New Ovlenns buy a
stanch three-ton motor truck. We'll
need It for getting In supplies from
Snn Miguel de Padua. Pny for the
truck also, and If you go broke nnd
ennnot reach me by cnble, wire Ned
dy Jerome nt the Engineers' club In
Denver and kick 'his eyo out In mj
honored nnme.
411 ni.nun Mint'a nhnilt nil Of Willi
lob. Bill. As for me. I'll camp rlghl
here. I'll have a deal of surveying
to do and I plan to owent tho booze
out of thnt Cnffcrty person. I'll
moke Don Juan my clinln man nnd
run ilio tnll off him. Then I'll b
busy with preliminary plans, arrang
lug for Inbor nna so on. nnd wher
Tni Idle I'll go hunting."
in conformity with this plan, there
fore, Hilly said good-by to his friend
nnd packed out for San Miguel de
Padua bright nnd enrly next morn
Ing. During the following ten days
Webster mannged to keep himself
fairly busy nround the enmp nt the
mine; then for a week he hunted ana
fished, and Hnnlly, when that began
to pall on him, his agile mind re
turned to business and the constdera
tlon of the possibility of a flaw In
Billy's title to tho claim; whereupon
he suddenly decided to return to Hue
nnventura and Investigate thut title
fully before proceeding to throw dot
lars right nnd left.
At the bend of his little cavalcade,
therefore, ho rode out one morning
for tho rnllrond, wherent providence,
In Its Inscrutable wisdom, ordnineu
thnt en routo he should fnll In with
no less n personage than Don Rlcnrdo
Lulz Ituev. no Andrew Bowers. Ill
eluded, you know, and Sarros hasn't
any ftieuds or any telegraph lines or
any garrisons up this way. I heard in
Han Mlguol de Padua that you were
camped yonder, und I was on my way
over to confer with you on matters
of state. Met your friend, Qenry, at
EI Uuen A in I go a couple of weeks
ago, Just beforo he sailed for the Unit
ed Stutes. Ho was telling me you
hnd to huve a lot of tools for rond
building, so I cabled In n secret- ci
pher to the Sobrnntenn revolutlonnry
Junta In New Orleans to ship theso
tools to you Immediately. They ar
rived on the Inst trip of the Atlanta
and now repose In Leber's wnrehouse
waiting for you to call nnd remove
1 1, nr.. '
What have you
-
, I
Mounted, Armed and Alone.
cardo was mounted, armed, and alone,
and at sight of Wobster he shouted
with delight nud spurred townrd hi in.
"Whnt the devil! You, Rick, the
government cut-up. What are you do
lug in theso parts?" Webiter rodo up
and shook hands.
"Oh, I'm Robin Hooding It around
this part of the country. It is so
them.'
'You scoundrel 1
sent me?"
"A couplo of hundred rifles and
three machlno guns, branded nxes,
picks, shovels, plows, and so on. I
also ran In three cases of ammunition,
labeled grindstones, two more enses
disguised ns bolts, nnd quite several
thousand labeled nnlls In kegs. I
should feel rather sorry for you If my
friend, Snrros, should get suspicious
nnd luvestlgntc, but I haven't nny fenr
thnt he will. You see, he knows you ro
here on legitimate business. He has
Investigated and lenrned thnt you ure
n bonn fide mining engineer of con
siderable reputntlon nnd then, you
know, your friend, Genry, dickered
with him for the concession. The min
ing property you are about to devel
op belongs to the people, not to Snr
ros; yet he has bartered It nwny and
will divert the roynlty to his own
pocket Inntend of tho public, trensury."
"Hum-in ml Whnt do you want me
to do with all those munitions con
signed to me?"
"Arrange with Leber to keep them
there until you get ready to build
your rond Into the mine. I want them
there when my Amerlcnn mercenaries
urrlve In Buenaventura. By the way,
you are going to Import these mer
cennrles for mo. They are American
miners nnd rond builders In -the em
ploy of the Hondo Mining & Develop
ment company, which is to be the
name of your enterprise. I hope you'll
like the nnme, Webster. I picked It
out myself."
"You cool scoundrel 1 You're mak
ing cat's pnw out of me."
"Thnt Is because you hnppen to be
so hnndy for my purpose, lou see
my plnn, do you not? I'm going to
attnek Buennventura from within nnd
without. I'm going to como down on
Snrros like, a wolf on the fold, nnd.
the Job Is scheduled for next Sntur-
dny night n week."
"Look here, Rick, my boy, I have
no desire to mix In the politics of this
country."
"You have some desire, however, to
mix Iri Its wealth," Rlcardo reminded
him.
"Well?"
"I'm the only man that can help
you. By the way, do not order your
machinery shipped until, after I nm
sented firmly on the throne of my fa
thers." "Why?"
"It's been framed with Snrros to
let you spend your money on that con
cession nnd get tho mine In running
', order; then a fee suit, alleging as
error In the government survey, will
be filed. It will be claimed that the
concession given your friend, Geary,
Is, .by virtue of erroneous government
surveys, the property of a citizen of
Sobrunte. The courts here do ns Snr
ros tells them. You nre to be kicked
out, busted, and despnlrlng, nnd your
nicely equipped little mine 'will be
taken over ns n government monopoly
nnd run for the benefit of tho govern
ment, to-wlr, Sarros and his satellites.
.We had to cook up a dirty deal like
that to save your life. Of course, now
that I have warned you in time, you
are safe. We schemed a proposition,
however, thut worked both wuys. It
enabled us to save you and to save
us. by permitting the shipment, free
of suspicion, of arms for the rebels
that are to attack the city from with
In. Naturally I had to cache their
arms within the city and that was a
bard problem until you happened
along. Thank you, fairy godfather."
"My thnnks are due .you, Rlcardo.
I'm for you. first, last, and all the
time, and ngainst this Snrros outfit
By tho way, how do you purpo?o mov-
Inn your machine guns?"
"We'll hnvo to carry them, I guess."
"Well, I'll have a smnll nuto-truck
delivered In Buenaventura by that
time. You might nrrnngo to nrmor
It with sheet steel; nnd with a cou
ple of mnchlne guns mounted In It,
nnd a crew of resolute Americans be
hind the machine guns, you could cn-
per from one end of the city to the
other nnd clenr a pnth for your In
fantry." "Thnnk you, my friend. Til bor
row the motdr truck and nrrunge to
nrmor It. Thnt's u bully Idea. Are
you bound for nuennventurn now?"
Webster nodded. "Then." Rlcnrdo
suggested, "I'll meet you In my room
nt El Huen Amlgo next Wednesday
night at 11 and explnln the details of
my plans to you If you care to hear
them. I think they're nlr-tlght my
self, hut somehow I think I'd feel more
certain of them If you approve them."
"I'll bo theVo, Rick, and the day
you run that outlaw Sarros off the
grass you'll know why I am for you."
"Good-by. old man. You will nev
er know how grateful you have mado
me,
Ruey shook hands with Webster
rocker Dolores Ruey sat, rocking gent
ly nnd busily stitching on a ploco of
fancy work!
Billy Geary gone back to the Unit
ed States, and Dolores wno still In
Huennventurn! Amazing! Why,
whnt the devil did Hilly menn by
letting her have her own way like
that? Of course, they hadn't been
married, or she would not now be out
thero on the veranda, and, of course,
they hndn't quarreled, because that
Wns nn Impossibility, nnd, of course,
Billy hnd departed alone for the U.
S. A., else ho would have returned to
their enmp In tho hills bnck of San
Miguel de Padua.
"Well, I know whnt I'm going to
do," Webster decided. "I'm not going
to be led Into temptation while Bil
ly's not on the Job so I'll not put up
at the Hotel Muteo after all. I'll
Just sneak around to El nucn Ami-
go nnd fix It with that old Mother
Jenks not to tip oft my presence In
town to Dolores Ruey until I enn get
the lny of the land nnd see whnt the
devil hns huppened to all my well
laid plans."
He retreated out tho front door and
called a carriage, Into which he was
about to step, bng nnd bnggnge, when
Don Junn Cnfetero enme rushing up
in grent excitement. "Sure, where nre
ye goln' now, sor. Is there no room
for yo In the Hotel Mateo?"
''Their beds have Jiggers In them,
and I Just remembered thnt," Web
ster fibbed. "Hop In, John, nnd we'.ll
drive nround to Mr. Geary's lodgings
in El Huen Amlgo."
"Hut I come t'rough the patio Just
now," Don Junn" explained, "nn' who
should I meet but the young leddy."
"You Infernnl scoundrel! Did you
tell her I was In town?"
"Sure I did, sor. An' why not?"
"None of your Infernal huslncss.
You've spoiled everything. You're a
muddle-headed monkey and I've a
grent notion to let you get drunk
ngnln. Tnke the bnggngo back Into
the hotel."
Don Junn Cnfotero, greatly hum
ble! and. rebuffed, stepped aside nnd
wrtched Webster stride bnck Into the
hotel. "God love ye, sor," he mum
bled, "knowln' whnt I know, Is It like
ly I'd let ye mnke a monkey out nv
her or yerself? Ye made yer plnns
wit' Mlsther Geary wlt'out consuftln'
her. Now go, ye grrand big dlvll, an'
find out why she kicked yer schnme
to smithereens." And with a solemn
and knowing wink at the duffle bng,
Don Junn picked thnt article up und
followed after his muster.
CHAPTER XIII.
John Stuart Webster's agile brain
was the repository of many conflict
ing emotions ns he bathed, shaved,
and changed from his soiled khaki
field clothes to a suit of ducks before
presenting himself before Dolores.
Had Billy's courage forsnken him
nt the Inst minute, with the result
thnt he hnd gone bnck to the United
Stntes without hnvlng settled the
question of Dolores' future? Hnd he
proposed nnd been rejected, or hnd
he proposed, been nccepted, nnd hau
his plans for an Immediate marriage
vetoed by Dolores?
In either event, why had Billy
failed to leave a note for him at the
Hotel Mateo, or mailed him a letter
to the Globo de Oro at San Miguel de
Padua, advising him of the change in
the plan of action outlined for htm by
Webster?
In the simplicity of his single-hearted
devotion Webster was puzzled to
understand bow any woman In her
right mind could fall to fall In love
with Billy Genry. A man he was, from
heels to bnlr, and a man with pros
pects far above the average. To Web
ster's way of thinking, the girl who
married Billy might well count her
self fortunate.
Dolores greeted him with unaffected
pleasure. "Well, Caliph l" she said.
Just that. It made Webster sensible
of a feeling of having returned to her
after an absence of several years,
"I'm so glad to see you, Miss Ruey,"
he replied, and added boldly, "par
ticularly since I didn't expect to."
She knew whnt her reply would lead
to; nevertheless, with that dlsslmula
tlon which can only be practiced In
perfection by a clever and beautiful
womun, she nnswered with equal bold
ness: "Indeed I Pray why?"
"Well, for a pretty good reason, 1
think. A few weeks ngo, after exam
ining Bill's concession very thorough
ly, I told him he was a potential mil
lionaire. Now, while I disclaim any
appearance of braggadocio, when John
Stuurt Wobster, E. M., makes any
mine owner a report like that, he Is
apt to bo taken very seriously. And
hnvlng made Hill a potential million
aire and arranged to give him three
or four months' vacation back home,
I had a notion he'd present to you a
very valid reason why you should ac
company him."
"You are very frank, Caliph."
'That's because I'm curious. He had
a certain dream, and told me about It,
and I did my little best to mnke It
come true."
"I think I understand. Caliph. It
would be very difficult, I think, for
anybody to meet Billy without being
attracted toward him. He's one of
the dearest, most lovable boys In the
world and he did do mo the signal
honor of asklng-me to marry him. So
there I"
"Well, and why didn't your'
She smiled at his blunt Insistence
when a girl marries she must mnk
some preparation for the event, and
If sho has any close relatives, such a
a brother, for Instance, sho like? to
have that relative present nt tho cere
mony. You will recall, Caliph, that
I have a brother and thnt you hava
promised to Introduce mo to him very
shortly."
"By Judns, I nover thought of that.
Miss Ruey," the repentnnt Webster
nnswered. "In fact, I wnsn't think
ing of nnybody's Interest In this mnt
ter but mil's."
"Not even of mine, Cnllph?" ro
pronchfully. "Thnt goes without saying. Could I
hnve done anything nicer for you than
fix It for Bill so ho would be In posi
tion to marry you? Here you nre,
prnctlcnlly "nlono In the world nt
least you were when BUI met you
and fell in love with you nnd I know
thnt boy so well I wns convinced, aft
er meeting you, Umt his future happi
ness and yours would best be con
served If you married him. I realize
this Is a most unusual conversa
tion "
"Quite to be expected of an unusual
mnn. Caliph. And I do not think you
were one bit presumptuous. It was
wonderfully dear of you, nnd I am
profoundly grateful that Hilly and I
have such n true, unselfish friend,
whose first thought Is for our happi
ness. Of. course, you realize how bnd
I felt to think I couldn't nccedc to
Billy's plan. Billy's such n denr, it
quite broke my henrt to disappoint
him, but a little temporary unhnppl-"
ness will not ruin Billy, will It? It
mnkes me feel blue to tnlk nbout It,
Cnllph."
"Not nt all, not at nil, Miss Ruey.
Hill Is one of the Impulsive, whirl
wind kind. 'up In the clouds today
nnd down In the slough df Ipond
tomorrow. He'll survive the shock,
nowever. I'm glnd to know everything
will come out all right. Seeing you
hero gave me a momentary chill;
thought n cog hnd slipped somewhere,
so I helped myself to Cupid's license
nnd nsked. A mnn ennnot lenrn very
much from a woman unless he nsks
questions, can he? I menn on the sub
ject of love."
She smiled a little, wistful, knowing
smile. "No, Cnllph," she nnswered se
riously, "somehow the Mnster of
Things ordnlned that 'on the subject
of love man must do all the talking."
"Yes, but on the other hnnd, wom
an hns the Inst word ns usual. How
ever, the only thing In your case and
Billy's that worries me is the thought
that slnco Bill "left his mngnet behind
he will ho drawn back here before ho
Is In the kind of shape, physically,
that I want him to be In before he
relieves me on the Job so I can go
away."
"Do not worry on that point, Ca
liph. I nm your nlly thero; between
us both I think we can manage him."
"Fine business 1 And with thoso
few kind words we'll dismiss Wllllnm
until you enre to talk about him again,
although If you're as deep In love aa
Bill you'll not stay off, the subject
very long. Hope you haven't been
Into mischief."
"I haven't been Idle. I've mado ser-
eral dresses for Mother Jenks and
done n lot of fancy' work nnd begun
the study of my mother tongue. If
my brother should become president
of this country. It would III become his
sister not to be nble to spenk Spanish.
By the wuy. Hilly told me you were
going to remain up In thehllls quite
a while yet. What brought you back
to town so soon?"
"Expected I'd hnve some freight ar
riving shortly."
"How long will' you remain In Bue
naventura?" Considering the fact thnt he wns
no longer subject to temptntlon, since
the object of his temptntlon wns now
definitely promised to his friend, Bil
ly, Wobster suddenly decided to re
mnln until tho political atmosphere .
should be clenred, although prior to
his conversation with Dolores he had
cherished a definite plnn to go back
to the hills within 48 hours.
"I'm going back," he replied sober
ly, "after I have kept my promlso
nnd Introduced you to your brother
In the government pnlnce. If I can
not Introduce him to you there, the ti
tle to our mining concession will ho
clouded, In which event It will not he
necessnry for Billy or myself to fuss
with It further."
He related to her tho Informntlon
glenned from her brother two dnya
previously.
"It's no use for an Individual to
fight a government despot In courts
controlled by the latter," ho conclud
ed. "Your brother must win nnd de
pose the Snrros; then with the title
to the property certified by the gov
ernment ns without n flaw, I mny dnro
to spend $T0,000 developing It."
"And If my brother doesn't win?"
"I mny never have nn opportunity
to present you to him. We mustn't
bo squeamish about this matter, Miss
Ruey. If Rlcardo doesn't turn the
trick, he may go tho wny of his fa
ther, unless ho can manage to got out
of the country."
(To be continued)
and rode oft through the timber, leav- j on forclntr Hie Issue. "For a number
lng John Stuart Webster to pursue of excellent reasons, Cnllph. In the
the even tenor of his wny, until at first pluce, he wanted mo to marry
length he arrived once more In Bue- , him Immediately and I wasn't ready
naventurn and sought accommodations to leave Sobranto, while ' Billy wns.
at the Hotel Mateo. And there, ns he , indeed, It was highly necessary that
entered the lobby and gazed through a : he should leave Immediately, for the
glass door across the patio and Into ' sake of his health, and I had BUly'B
Electric Fishes.
Several varieties of fish ure really
living electric batteries. The electric
ray has tho power of generating elec
tricity to such nn extent Hint In a
healthy specimen the shock mny bo
strong enough to temporarily disable
a man. The electric stnr-gnzer, the
electric cntflsh nnd tho electric eel nlso
have this power to a remarkable ex
tent, A better-known electric fish is
tho skate, although In this case th
electric current generated Is very
might iniieca. l'isii
possessing this
power uso It for the purpose of self-
the veranda, he saw that which dls- Interest at heart sufficiently to Insist protection nnd nlso to kill the victims
turbed him greatly. In a big wicker upon it. You seem to forget tiiat on which they feed,