RED CLOUD, NEBRASKA, CHIEF fc flM,W VVWW VV V l i Vk.W4VVVVWWVVViVVW 5 END i J$QH)el By REX BEACH Author of "The Iron Trail," "The Spoilers," "Heart of the Sunset," Etc 'Copyright, by If irper and Brothers) vkvvvvvvivvvvvv CHAPTER XVIII Continued. 16 "I have l)oon close to death no long thnt It menus llttlo to me," she con fessed. "I hnvc you, and well, with you nt my side I enn face the worst." "Oh, we won't give up until wo linvo to," he nsstired her. "If I lind money It would he n simple proposition to bribe some guard to pnss us through the lines, hut I hnvc spent nil Unit Gen crnl Retnncourt gnvo me." lie smoothed buck Rosa's dark hair nnd smiled reassuringly nt her. "Well, I'll manage somehow ; so don't worry your pretty head. I'll find the price, If I hnve to waylay old Don Mario null rob him. Don't you think I look like n bandit? The very sight of mo would terrify thnt fat rascal." "To me you-nre beautiful," breathed tho girl. Then she lowered her eyes. "Ln, In I How I spoil you I I have quite forgotten how to be lndyllko. Isa bel wns right when she railed me a bold and forward hussy. Now, then, please turn your face aside, for I wish to think, nnd so loop as you look at mo I cannot I make love, to you bra zenly. Seel Now, then, that Is much better. I shall hold your hand, so. When I kiss It you may look at mo ngnln, for n moment." Drawing her self closer to O'Reilly, Rosa began thoughtfully: "Before you enmo I moio than once wuh on tho point of appeal ing to some of my former friends, but they nro all Spaniards anil we nro no longer slmpntlco, you understand?" Itosa pnused for his answer. "Perfectly; I'm In the enmo fix. Of all the people I used to know there Isn't one but would denounco mo If I mnde myself known. Now that I've been fighting with tho Insurrectos, I daren't even go to tho American consul for help If there la an American con sul." Rosa nodded, then continued, hesi tatingly: "I had n vivid dream last night, rcrhnpa It was a portent. Who knows? It was about thnt stepmother of mine. Tou remember how sho met her death? I wroto you" "Yes, and Estebnn nlso told me." "It was ho who recovered her body from the well. Ono day, whllo we were In hiding, away up yonder ln the Yumurl, he showed mo nn old coin " "I know," O'Reilly said quickly, "no told mo the wholo story. Ho thinks that doubloon Is a cluo to your father's fortune, but I enn't put much faith In It. In fact, I didn't bcllcvo until this moment that thero wns a doubloon at all." i "Oh, Indeed thero was I I snw It." Thero was n moment of silence dur ing which tho lovers wero oblivious to nil but each other, then Rosa mur mured: "How strange! Sometimes your eyes nro blue and sometimes gray. Docs that mean that your love, too, can chnngo?" "Certainly not. Rut come, what about Estebnn nnd thnt doubloon?" I With nn effort tho girl brought her self bnck to enrth. "Well, It occurred to me, in the light of thnt dream Inst night, thnt Estebnn mny havo been right. Of courso nobody outside of our family credits tho old story, nnd yet my father was considered a very rich mnn nt ono time. Pnneho Cueto believed In the existence of tho trens itiro, nnd ho wns In a position to know." "True! Perhnps, after all" O'Reilly frowned meditatively. Rosa lifted herself upon her elbow, her eyes sparkling. "Wouldn't It bo wonderful If It wero true? Just think, 1 O'Reilly, cases of Spanish gold, silver coins In ensks, packages of gems. Oh, 'I've heard Isabel talk about It often enough." . "Don't forget those pearl frrn tho Caribbean, as lnrgo as plums," Johnny smiled. "I could never quite swallow thnt A pearl tho size of n currant would buy our freedom right now." After a moment ho went on, more seri ously: "I've n notion to look Into that old well this very afternoon. I I daro eay I'm foolish, but somehow tho story doesn't sound so Improbable as It did. Perhaps It Is worth lnves tlgatlng " He mndo up his mind swiftly. "I I'm off this very lnstnnt." When O'Reilly emerged from tho hut he found Jncket Industriously at work over a fragment of grlndstono which ho had somewhere, unearthed. Tho boy looked up nt his friend's approach and held out for Inspection a long, thin file, which ho wns slowly shaping Into n knife-blade. "What do you think of that?" ho queried proudly. "It may como In handy when we are ready to clear out of this pesthole." "Where did you get It?" "Oh, I stole It. I steal everything I can lay my hands on nowadays. Ono can never tell when ho may have a throat to cut, and n file has good steel ln It." "Since you are such nn accom plished thief, do you think you could steal something for me?" O'Reilly In quired. "A pleco of rope?" "Rope?" Jacket was puzzled. "Ropo Is only good for bunging .Spaniards. My friend In the ilt.li market bus n volandrn, nnd perhaps I can rob him of u hnlyard." Lnylng nsldo his task, Jncket aroso nnd mado off In tho direc tion of tho water front. Ho was back within nn hour, and under his shirt ho carried n coll of woin but service able rope. Without waiting to explain his need for this unusual article, O'Reilly linked arms with tho boy and set out to climb La Cumbre. When at last they stood in the unused quarry and Johnnie made known his Intention to explore tho old well, Jacket re garded him with undisguised amaze ment. "What do you expect to find down there?" the latter Inquired. To tell you the truth, I don't really expect to find anything," the man con fessed. "Now that I'm here, I'm be ginning to feel silly; nevertheless, I'm going to have a look for the bidden treasure of tho Varonas." "Hidden treasurer' From Jacket's expression It was plain that he feared his friend was mildly mad. Even after O'Reilly bad told him something about old Don Eslclmn's missing riches, he scouted the story. He peeped Inquisi tively Into the dark opening of the well, then he shook his head. "Ca rainba I What an Idea I Was this old man crazy, to throw his money uway?" "IIl he had more than he knew what to do with, and he wished to save It from tho Spaniards," O'Reilly explained lamely. "Humph ! monody ever bad more money than he wanted." The boy's dls Riist at such credulity was plain. "This well looks just like any other, only deeper; .you'd better look out thnt you don't break your neck like that f.tol Ish old woman, that Donna What's-Iler-Nnme." O'Kellly did Indeed feel thnt be wns mailing himself ridiculous; neverthe less, he made the rope fast and swung himself down out of the sunlight, leav ing Jacket to stand guard over him. Perhaps fifteen minutes later ho reap peared, panting from his exertions. He was wet, slimy; his clothes were strenked nnd stained with mud. Jacket began to laugh shrilly at bis appenrnnce. "Hal What a big lizard Is this I Your beautiful gnrments nre spoiled. And the treasure? Where Is It?" Tho lad was delighted. He bent doublo with tnlrUi; he slapped his bnre legs nnd stamped his feet ln glee. O'Reilly grinned good-naturedly, nnd replaced the planks which bad covered tho orifice, then hid tho rope In some nenrby bushes. On their way bnck ho endured his young friend's banter absent-mindedly, but as they n eared Asenslo's bouse ho startled Jacket by saying, "Can you manago to find n pickax or n crowbar?" Jacket's eyes opened ; he stopped In tho middle of tho dusty road. "What did you see down there, compadre? Toll me." "Nothing much. Just enough to make mo want to seo more. Do you think you can steal some sort of n tool for me?" "I can try." "Please do. nothing before And remember, say Asenslo or his wife." Rosa met O'Reilly Just Inside tho door, and at sight of her he uttered an exclamation of surprise, for during his absence sho bad removed the stain !guV M iiswss itJiBiiSKii mMMnmoM wnw "I'm Going to Havo a Look for the Hidden Treasure." from her faco and discarded that dis figurement which Evangollnn had fit tcd to her back prior to their depart ure from tho Pan do Matanzas, Sho stood before lilm now, straight and slim and graceful tho Rosa of his dreams only very thin, Aery fragile. Her poor tatters only enhanced her prcttlness, ho he thought. "Itosa, dear! Do j.m think this Is quite safe?" ho ventured, doubtfully. Evangellna, who was bonding over her husband, straightened herself nnd came forward with u enillo upon her black face. . "Sho Is beautiful, eh? Too beautiful to look at? What did I tell you?" Rosa was in delightful coufuslon at O'Reilly's evident surprise and admi ration. "Then I'm not so altogether changed?" sho asked. "Why, you haven't changed nt nil, except to grow more beautiful. Evan gellna Is right; you nro too beautiful to look at. Rut wait 1" Ho drew her aside and whispered, "I've been down in tho well." Some tremor ln his voice, some glint In his eyes, caused the girl to seize him eagerly, fiercely. "I may be wrong," ho said hurriedly; "thero mny bo nothing In It and yet I saw something." "What?" "Wooden beams, timbers of some sort, behind the stone curbing." It was plain Rosa did not comprehend, mi be hurried on. "At first I noticed nothing unusual, except thnt the hot-1 torn of the well Is rienrly dry filled up, you know, with debris nnd stuff that has fallen In from the curbing above, then I saw that although the well Is dug through rock, nevertheless It Is entirely curbed up with stones laid In mortar. That struck me as queer." "Yes?" "I noticed, too, In ono plnce that there was wood behind as If timbers had been placed there to cover tho entrance to a cave. You know this Cuban rook Is full of caverns." Rosa clasped her hands, she begnn (l tniMiliti. "V.ni linvn fnimil If- I O'Reilly. You have!" hhe whispered. "No, no, I've found nothing yet. But , I've sent Jacket for a pick or n bar and tonight I'm going to pull down those stones and soo what Is behind them." "To night? You must let me go, too. I want to help." "Very well. Rut meanwhile you mustn't let your hopes rise too high, for there Is every chance that you will be dlsnppolnted. And don't mention It to Evangellna. Now, then, I've a few pennies loft and I'm going to buy some cnndles." Rosn embraced her lover Impulsive ly. "Something tells mo It Is true! Something tells mo you nre going to snvo us all." Evnngellnn ln the far corner of the hut muttered to her husbnnd: "Such love-birds! They are like pnrrakeets. forever kissing nnd cooing l" Jacket returned at dusk, and with him ho brought a rusty three-foot Iron bnr, evidently part of a window grnt- Ing. Tho boy wns tired, disgusted, and In a vllo temper. "A pickax I A crow bar!" he cursed eloquently. "One might as well try to steal a cannon out of San Severlno. I'm rendy to do any thing within reason, but" "Why, this will do nicely ; It Is Jn-t what I want," O'Reilly told him. "Humph I I'm glad to henr It, for that rod was nearly the denth of me. I broke my back wrenching ut It nnd the villain who owned the house may a bad lightning split him! ho ran after mo until I nearly expired. If my new knife hnd been sharp would havo turned and sent him home with It between his ribs. Tomorrow shall put an edge on It. Relieve me, I ran until my lungs burst." Llttlo food remnlncd In the hut. barely enough for Asenslo and the women, nnd Inasmuch ns O'Reilly had spent Ids last centavo for candles he and Jncket wero forced to go hungry again. Lato that evening, after tho wretched prison quarters had grown quiet, tho three trcasuro hunters stole out of their hovel and wound up the hill. In spite of their excitement they went slowly, for none of them had the strength to hurry. Fortunately there wero few prowlers within the lines, hunger having robbed tho reconcentrn dos of the spirit to venture forth, and In consequence Spanlshvvlgllnnce had relaxed; It wns now confined to the far-llung girdle of Intronchments whMi encircled the city. Tho trio encoun tered no- one. Leaving Jacket on gunrd at the crest of the hill, O'Reilly stationed Rosa at tho mouth of the well, then lowered himself once moro Into It. Light'ng his candle, he made a careful exami nation of tho place, with the result that Esteban's theory of the mlsiing riches seemed even less ImprohnMo than it had earlier In tho day. The masonry work, ho discovered, had hi u done with a painstaking thoroughness which spoko of tho abundance of slao labor, and tlmo had barely begun to affect It. Hero and thero a piece of tho mortar had loosened and come away, but for the most part It stood as solid as the stones between wh ii it was laid. Shoulder-high to O'lU-.'ly thero appeared to bo a section of ilio curbing less smoothly fitted thnti Hie rest, and through an Interstice In this ho detected what seemed to bo a dm ip wooden beam. At this point ho brought his Iron bar Into play. It was not long boforo ho dlscnv ed that his work wns cut out for l -n. Tho cement was llko Hint and his l.l .nt makeshift Implement was utmost i.e- Iess against It. Ankle-deep In the muddy water, ho patiently pecked qd pounded and chipped, endeavoring to cnlargo tho crovlco so as to use his bar as a lever. Tho sweat streamed from him and ho became dismayed at Ids own weakness. Ho was forced to rest frequently. Rosa hung over tho orifice above, en couraging him, inquiring euger!y as to bis progress. During bis frequent breathing spells he could discern her white face dimly illumined by tho cauille light from below. After ha had worked for an hour or two, In made a report: "It begins to look a- If there really was a bulkhead or a door In there." The girl clapped her hands und laughed with delight. "Do hurry, dear; I'm dying of suspense." O'Kellly groaned: "That fellow, Se bastian knew his business. This ce- lliill I K3 stw a?WMr.i a , s si IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL ' SIMM!, Lesson (By Rev. I. 13. FIT55WATi:it, D. D Tonclicr of English Ulblo iti tlio Moody niblo Inatituto of Chicago.) (Copyright, 1018. by WcMcrn Ncwpiippr Union.) 3 LESSON' FOR AUGUST 25. "It Begins to Look as If There Really Was a Bulkhead." ment Is like steel, und I'm afraid of breaking my crowbar." Kosn found a leaf, folded a kiss Into it. nnd dropped It to him. "That will give you strength," Bho declared. O'Reilly lost nil count of time after a whllo and he was incredulous when Jacket came to wurn him thnt daylight was less than nn hour nwny. "Why, I haven't started 1" lie protested. lie discovered, much to his surprise, that he was read to drop from fatigue and that his hands wero torn and blis tered; when ho had climbed tho ropo to the upper air he fell exhausted In tho deep grass. "I I'm not myself nt all," ho apologized; "nothing -to eat, you know. But the work will go faster now, for I've made a beginning." "Do you still think "Rosa hesitated to voice tho question which trembled on her lips. "I'll know for sure tonight." no directed Jacket to replace tho planks over the well; then tho threo of them 6toIo away. O'Reilly spent most of that dny ln a profound stupor of exhaustion, while Rosa watched unxlously over him. Jacket, It seemed, hud peacefully slumbered on picket duty, so he occu pied himself by grinding awny at his knife. Tho last scraps of food dis appeared that evening. When night fell and It came time to return to tho top of La Cumbre, O'Reilly asked himself If his strength would prove sufficient for the task In hand. He was spiritless, sore, weak; he ached In every bone and muscle, nnd It required all his determination to propel himself up the hill. Ho won dered If he were wlso thus to sucrlfioo his waning energies on a hope so for lorn as tills, but by now he had begun to moro than half bellevo in the exist ence of the Varona trcasuro and ho felt an almost Irresistible curiosity to learn what secret, if any, was concealed be hind Those water-soaked timbers at tho bottom of tho well. Ho realized, of course, that every hour he rentalifcd here, now that food and money wero gone, lessened the chances of escape; but, on the other hand, ho reasoned, with equal force, that if ho had Indeed stumbled upon the missing hoard sal vation for all of them was assured. The slake, It seemed to him, wns worth tin; hazard, fliven tempered tools to work with, It would havo boon no great undertak ing to tear down that cemented wall of stones, but armed with nothing except his bare hands nnd that soft iron bar, O'Reilly spent nearly the whole night at his task. Long before tho last rook had yielded, however, ho be held that which caused him to turn a Ntralneil face upward to Itosa. "There's a little door, as suro as you ltve," lie told her. The girl was besldo hersolf with ex was a fantastic Idea, nevertheless cltement. "Yes? What else? What more do you see?" "Nothing., It appears to ho mado of solid timbers, nnd has two huso hand wrought locks." "Looks I Then wo havo found It." Rosa closed her eyes; sho swayed mo mentarily, "Estcbau wns right. Locks, Indeed ! That means something fO bide. Oh, If I could only help youl" "Heavens! If I only had some thing anything, to work with!" mut tered the American as he fell to with redoubled energy. Ho no longer tried to conserve Ids strength, for tho treasure seeker's lust besot lilm. Rosa looked on, wringing her hands und urg ing hlni to greater haste. Rut tho low, thick door was built of some hard, native wood: It wns wot and tough and slippery. O'Reilly's blows mado no Impression upon It, nor upon the heavy hasps and staples with which It was secured In place. Tho latter were deeply rusted, to be suro, but thoj withstood his efforts, and ho was finally forced to rest, baffled, en raged, half hysterical from weakness nnd fntlgue. Daylight was at hand once more, but he refused to give up, and worked on stubbornly, furiously, until Rosn, In an agony, besought him to desist. Johnnie again collapsed on tho grnss nnd lay panting while the other two replaced the planks. "Another hour und I'd have been Into It," he declared, huskily. "You will skill yourself," Jacket told him. Rosn bent over him with shining eyes and parted lips. "Yes," snld she. "Re patient. We will come bnck, O'Reilly, nnd tonight wo shall bo rich." Colonel Cobo lit a black cigarette, leaned back in Ids chair, and exhaled two fierce Jets of smoke through his nostrils. For a full moment he scowled forbiddingly nt the sergeant who had asked to see him. "What's this you nre telling me?" ho Inquired finnlly. Tho sergeant, a menn-fneed, low browed man, stirred uneasily. "It Is God's truth. There nre spirits on La Cumbre, and I wish to seo the priest about It." , '"Spirits? What kind of spirits?" The fellow shrugged. "Evil spirits spirits from hell. The men are buying charms." "Rah! I took you to be a sensible person." "You don't believe me? Well, I didn't bellevo thenv when they told me about It. But I saw with my own eyes." Cobo leaned forward, mildly aston ished. Of all his villainous troop, this mnn wns the Inst one he hnd credited with Imagination of this sort. "What did you see?" "A ghost, my colonel, nothing else. La Cunibro Is no place for an honest Christian." Tho colonel burst Into a mocking laugh. "An honest Christian I Youl Of all my vile ruillnns, you nre tho vilest. Why, you're a thief, a llnr, und an assassin I You nre lying to mo now. Come the truth for once, before I give you the componto." "As God Is my Judge, I'm tolling you the truth," protested the soldIcr."Flog mo If you will rather tho componto than another night ln thoso trenches. You know that old qulntn?" "Where Pnneho Cueto made a goat of himself? Perfectly. Do you mean to say that you saw old Estcban Va rona walking with his head In his hands?" "No, but I saw that she-devil who fell ln tho well nnd broke her neck." "Eh? When did you behold this this mnrvel?" "Two nights ago. She was thero be side the well nnd her face shono througlutho night like a lantern. Thero was fire upon It. Sho enmo and went, ltko a moth In the lnmpllght. I tell you I repented of my sins. Some of the men luughcd at mo when I told them, as they had laughed nt tho oth ers. Rut Inst night two of the doubt ers went up there." (TO HE CONTINUED.) Cement From Beet Sugar. A result of experiments In French fnctorles Is tho production of nn excel lent cement as a by-product of bcet Biignr refining. Tho first step In tho production of sugar from beets is boil ing them. It has heretofore been cus tomary to throw uway as valueless tho scum formed on the caldrons. Rut It has now been discovered that this scum contains largo quantities of car bonate of lime. It Is estimated that 4,000 tons of the carbonates can bo recovered from 70,000 tons of beets. To this quantity of tho carbonnto 1,100 tons of clay Is added, the resultant product being a good cement. The best scum Is pumped Into largo reser voirs and allowed to evaporate for, a certain length of tlmo boforo being mixed with the clay. It Is then stirred or beaten for nn hour beforo being fed into rotary ovens sucli as aro used In making Portland cement. Tho Argonaut. CONFESSING CHRIST. (Mny bo used with missionary applica tions.) LESSON TEXTS-Luko 12:8-12; Acts 1:1 11. UOLDEN TEXT Whosovcr shall con fess mo boforo mon, him slmll the Hon nf man also confess beforo tho angclu of Qod. I.uko 12:8. DEVOTIONAL READING-Jnmea 3:1. 18. ADDITIONAL MATERIA L-Psalms 145: 1-21; Mark 5:19-20; John 1:M6; Acta 4:18 2J; I Poter 3:15. I. Importance of Confessing Christ (Ltiko 12:8-12). To confess Christ la not ensy; It baa never been ensy. To do so means ex posure to ridicule, contempt nnd per secution. Regnrdless of Its Issue, tho true disciple will confess his Lord. 1. Christ will confess beforo the nn gcls of God those who confess lilm before men (v. 8). Tho true dlsclplo will not lie ashamed to let all mon know thnt ho knows, loves, nnd serves Christ. 2. Christ will deny before tho nn gel.4 of God those who deny him be fore men (v. 0). To dony Christ beforo men mny get one a llttlo of human np "plause, hut will surely bring ono to loss of heaven und to the sufferings of hell forever. 3. A pernicious testimony In unpar donable (v. 10). This testimony la the expression of n heart utterly per vetse, attributing the mighty works of the Holy Spirit ns wrought by Christ to the devil (Matt. 12-32; Mark 3:29). The unpardonnblo sin will only be com mitted by one whoso heart Is Incurably bad, one whose moral nature Is so vllo that he falls to discern between God and tho devil a reprobate. 4. Divine aid given in testimony (vv. 11, 12). In the most trying hour tho noly Spirit will tench tho disciples what to say, and how to say It. II. Qualifications for Confessing Christ (Acts 1:1-11). Christ remnlncd with the disciples forty days after his resurrection to prepare them for the Important busi ness of witnessing for him. He had a five-fold object: 1. To convince the disciples of the .absolute certainty of his resurrection (w. 2. 8). Before tho disciples could undertako tho great work for which they had been preparing, the question of Christ's resurrection must bo set tled beyond a doubt. No ono can preach the gospel who docs not havo certnlnty of conviction touching the resurrec tion. 2. To Instruct tho disciples In things pertaining to tho kingdom of God (vv. 3, 0, 7). Their unwillingness to henr Christ's Instruction (John 10: 1", 13) beforo his pnsslon shut out much valunblo Information, so the Lord tanies to supply thin need. They hnd a wrong iden ns to the kingdom being restored, not ns to fact, but us to time. Chi 1st had ngaln nnd again predicted a coming kingdom in harmony with the united testimony of the prophets of Israel. They understood lilm nrlght as to the fact of the kingdom, hut tho time of its manifestation they failed to grasp. The disciples should be de fended ngalnst the reproach for having n mnterlallstlc conception. The king dom Is still to come; the time of its coming is known only to God. 3. To show the disciples thnt their business was to witness for Christ to tho uttermost parts of tho earth (vv. 4, 5, 8.) Tills witnessing wns to bo dono In the power of the spirit, tlic result of which would bo tho formation of a new body, the church, called out from the world In'the time of the postpone ment of the kingdom. 4. To show the disciples tho scopo of their missionary activity (v. 8). This Is shown to bo ns wide ns tho world It self. They were to begin nt homo and carry tho good news concerning Christ to tho uttermost parts of tho enrth. Mission work begins at homo nnd ends with tho hounds of tho earth. 5. To show the disciples thnt Christ will bene forth opcrnto from heaven. They wero to work on tho earth, tint1 tho source of their power wns in heav en. Though ho Is separated from tho disciples it will not bo forever, for ho. will come ngaln. He will como ngaln ns the God-mnn, our modlntor. Tho words of tho men In whlto apparel' liavo a doublo significance. (1) To show that Jesus will como again. (2) To show thnt In tho menntlmo thoy should set to work In tho dis charge of their commission, nnd not bo gazing up Into heaven. Tho Lord's In struction to tho disciples was, "Occupy till I come" (Luke 10:13). Those who hnve nn Intelligent hope touching tho coming of Christ nro not 8ky.gnr.ers, but aro deadly In earnest witnessing for Christ. Encore. Hotel Proprietor Did you enjoy tho comet playing In tho next room to yours last night? Guest (saagely) Enjoy It 1 1 should say not. I scent hnlf tho night pound ing on tho wall to mako tho Idiot stop. Proprietor Why, Jones told mo this morning you applauded every ono of his pieces and ho wns going to Bend for soino moro music right nway that ho cvuld play for you again. Divine Descent. Tho Incongruity of the Bible with tho nge of Its birth; Its freedom from earthly mixtures; Us original, unbor rowed, solitary greatness; tho sudden noss with which it broke forth amidst tho general gloom; thoso to mo aro strong Indications nf its divine do I'cent; I cannot reconcile them with a. human origin. dimming. When It Is Hard to Pray. It is ban? tor n man to pray accord ing to God's will If ho Is not living nc virdtm: to It. Kg? J