ffc
t
M
M
-
CHAPTER XII Continued
Jacks hand trembled as he touched
the half bowed and supplicating sen
tinel that In all these decades while
the world was moving on making
wonderful history had remained here
In the dense jungle guarding well the
Kecret of those strange people of Aztec
limes
Jack estimated the value of the
statue at some thousands of pounds in
London even at the present depreciat
ed price of silver
But they were after higher game
and could well afford to scornfully cast
this base bullion aside
It was not long before the descend
ing pick struck metal and presently
Jack shovel in hand had cleared a
fclab that had a dull lustre not unlike
bronze
Barrajo danced what in another
quarter of the world might have been
termed an Irish jig or a Scottish horn
pipe
Por Dios It is just as the docu
ment relates The old Indian did not
deceive me Come lift the trap with
me Senor Jack See stone steps lead
down to the ruins of the old Aztec
temple Oh I tell you my president
we are the luckiest men on the face of
the earth this night since we have
but to stretch out our hands to clutch
fortune
The invitation to descend given by
Barrajo as the two fortune hunters
Hiirveyed the ancient stone steps lead
ing to some mysterious subterranean
depository of the Montezumas was a
most welcome sound to Overton
They had come upon the expedition
fully prepared for all emergencies and
the gloomy depths of the yawning pit
below had no terrors for such brave
hearts so taking pick and spade they
began to descend
At the bottom of the stairway they
came to a long slab forming a lintel
over the top of a door Upon digging
the doorway was uncovered and was
found to be blocked by a huge metate
or native millstone Carved across its
entire surface were inscriptions in the
hieroglyphics of a civilized race
As soon as the doorway had been cut
through the two adventurous treasure
hunters entered the chamber of the
temple tomb Mural paintings repre
senting female figures draped in
shrouds and in attitudes of prayer
were on the walls Niches in the
crypt contained a number of skulls
and other bones comprising parts of
skeletons were scattered about These
were all painted a bright red Red
it ma be remarked was the mourning
color of the Aztecs
There were numbers of idols in the
cave doubtless looked upon as ex
ceedingly chaste in these olden times
but their supreme ugliness gave Jack
a rude shock when his artistic eye
first fell upon them
However their faults while many
from this point of view could be read
ily condoned when the fact was taken
into consideration that each and every
one of the little monsters seemed to
have been fashioned from crude metal
and even Overtons inexperienced eye
was able to tell that it was gold un
alloyed
This was glorious still it was only
a beginning
With trembling fingers they picked
up many of the less weighty images
and vases
By degrees the two men managed to
recover their wits and calm down
-when they set about a rough estimate
of the value of their find
Overton was fain to agree with the
general when the latter exultantly ex
claimed that in all probability never
before in the history of the world
from the days of King Solomon down
to the present time had such a vast
treasure been heaped up in one pile
It was like a dream Overton in his
wildest moods when fancy ran away
-with reason had never imagined so
marvelous a thing
Finally Barrajo said Remember
our sacred compact Senor Jack an
equal division if we both live should
misfortune overtake us while we are
in the act of removing the treasure
the one who survives is entitled to all
after he has settled a few bequests
we have taken the pains to write
jointly Is this so understood
It is in the bond general and may
heaven deal with me as I deal with
you
They solemnly shook hands as if
to again ratify the bargain
Barrajo and Jack had as yet no sus
picion that they were followed from
San Juan and eager to begin opera
tions the two comrades had each
seized upon several images that were
most handy and began to lug the un
resisting captives toward the exit
Barrajo ascended the steps first and
Jack handed up the booty raising the
temple images one by one while the
general piled them outside on the grass
beside the overthrown silver sentry
Jack had handed up the last of their
burden and still gasping for breath
crawled up the steps himself anxious
to again breathe the pure atmosphere
without after having his eyes and nose
and mouth clogged with the fine dust
of ages
Just as he reached the top a hand
clutched his shoulder and Barrajos
hnsky voice whispered into his ear
Hush Do not move caramba I
could swear I saw a figure flit through
yonder stretch of bright moonlight
Ah that means
We iave been followed
T ftcrMiMiWwttif Jhtaaui
I An American Nabob
1 A RemaLrketble Story of Love Gold atrid
t Adventure I
By ST GEORGE RATHBORNE t
THHHImwHHIW 4 Mf -
Copjrleht by Stuebt Smith New York
In spite of our great caution
Barrajo muttered a few pet phrases
as though in this opening of the safe
ty valve he could allow the surplus
steam to escape
There are some very sly dogs in
this world senor and we have our
share of them in San Jose Yes de
spite the care exercised by one whose
long experience made him capable of
doing everything possible to throw
pursuers off the track we have been
followed
There can be no doubt of their in
tentions said Overton between his
teeth as he allowed a hand to steal
toward his weapons for the Anglo
Saxon spirit was aroused within
him
None at all They want this treas
ure and if we hope to win we must
fight for it came the stern reply
BOOK TWO
Tho Modern Argonauts
CIIAITEK Xlir
Dearly Won
Evidences that the general had
spoken the truth multiplied quickly
for presently they heard signals and
even caught a glimpse of dark figures
flitting from tree to tree
Perhaps it was the first time on
record where white men made a rude
breastworks of gold but lying behind
the heap of gold images and vases
tnat Barrajo had deposited upon the
ground they awaited an opportunity to
cut loose among the persistent
shadows that had followed from San
Juan
It was Barrajo who found the first
chance and right well the old soldier
improved it
At least one thing was settled the
imprecations in Spanish that followed
the report of his gun announced be
yond any possibility of mistake that
these dusky flitting shadows were not
the spirits of ancient Aztec priests
but genuine bonafide adventurers of
to day
If more evidence were needed they
had it when spiteful flashes of fire
punctured the dark spaces under the
trees and the rattle of firearms fol
lowed
Some of the bullets whistled over
their heads while others flattened
against the novel defense behind which
they crouched
Five muttered the old soldier
when the scattering volley had come
to an end without doing any damage
They had quite a little circus for
some time firing back and forth guid
ed more by the flash of each others
guns than anything else
When the enemy began to flank their
position Jack knew the case was grow
ing desperate and would require he
roic treatment if they hoped to come
out at the large end of the horn
We must move on their works
general he declared when a leaden
messenger had sung past his ear com
ing from the rear
They crawled away keeping almost
flat upon the ground and without in
terruption reached the spot for which
they aimed where at the proper time
they could pour a hot and deadly fire
into the ranks of the San Jose ad
venturers as they rushed forward in
closing upon their silenced enemies
All this happened just as Barrajo
who knew the habits and tempera
ments of his fellows full well expect
ed and the fusilade which they opened
on the advancing figures sent at least
a couple of them to grass before they
realized the clever nature of the strat
agem played upon them
The fight being again open raged
along the whole line
It was evidently destined to be a
little war of extermination one side
or the other must be wiped out
After further desultory firing Jack
heard the awful thud which a bullet
makes when it strikes a human being
and caught the husky maledictions
that burned his comrades tongue
You are hit he exclaimed in dis
may
Yes and badly too I fear Try to
stanch the blood hombre as best you
can Your hand trembles come bear
up it is but the luck of a soldier after
all Many years I have mocked the
Grim Reaper and laughed in his face
perhaps he has me now At least
hombre I shall be avenged See our
three remaining enemies have come to
gether yonder by the gnarled oak
you can count the flashes when they
fire It is a glorious opportunity to
try the virtues of these experimental
bombs one that may never come
again The secret must die with
them
Jack had just turned his head mood
ily aside ostensibly to look for ene
mies in their rear but in reality to
hide his emotion when a sudden shout
electrified him
As he faced about he was horrified
to see his sorely wounded companion
upon his feet and hurrying with uncer
tain steps toward the spot from
whence the last volley had come
It was too late to stay him for al
ready the mad general was a quarter
of the way over the intervening
ground
His cry had drawn out shots from
those in ambush Jack could see the
fire run the gamut of three guns and
at that distance he trembled for his tO
voted comrade
As he turned to look for Barrajo he
discovered that his worst fears were
Difin H f ii - Srfii -
realized the old hero had gone down
struck again by a merciless ball
Then a sudden fury seemed to pos
sess Overton such a feeling as may
make a giant of a stripling it was the
desire for revenge burning in his soul
and tingling to the very tips of his
fingers under the Impulse of which
a man may do the most astounding
feats such as might be worthy of old
time heroes
In that second of time he had
sworn an oath to slay those three
desperate adventurers or die himself
in the attempt
He had even scrambled to his feet
with this stern resolution on his mind
and was in the act of rushing forward
to hurl himself upon the ambushed
foe when he discovered that Barrajo
was once more rising
Jack had a pretty good idea as to
what was upon Barrajos mind so that
he was not at all surprised to see him
draw back his arm and make ready
to cast a projectile
Overton unconsciously came to a
halt and held his breath when he dis
covered that the general had actually
made the cast
He had no time to speculate upon
the result
There was a blinding flash just in
the spot where the trio of adventurers
had concealed themselves a most ter
rific concussion that actually threw
Jack from his feet and then a deathly
silence
Overton only a trifle bruised man
aged to gain his feet and rush for
ward
Where the San Jose treasure seekers
had lain hidden the utmost havoc had
been done and Jack knew no human
being could have been within twenty
feet of that exploding bomb and es
caped with his life
It was a most terrible and over
whelming catastrophe
He remembered poor brave Barrajo
hero of a score of battles such as they
are in Central American republics
It was no trouble finding him
The general had half raised himself
to a sitting position and was eagerly
looking toward the scene of desolation
his terrible little hand grenade had
wrought
It is victory he gasped as Jack
bent over him and there was a tremor
to the old soldiers weak voice that
told of the ruling passion strong in
death
I have no reason to believe a single
man of their number has been left
alive Jack returned
The old warrior feebly waved his
arm above his head Jack would never
as long as he lived forget the tragic
scene under the whispering gnarled
oak
Then I am satisfied It is sweet for
a soldier to die when the field has
been won
But is it so bad as that my poor
friend May I not be able to save
you I have some rude knowledge of
surgery and Heaven knows I could
spare no effort in your behalf
There was real agony in Jacks voice
and the dying man was deeply affected
by it
Useless Senor Jack quite useless
My sands of life are almost run my
race at its end I have been wounded
many times but never like this In
less than ten minutes I shall be dead
believe me
Good heavens you give me pain
Barrajo If it were my brother I could
not feel more unconsolable
Ah I believe you senor We have
been good comrades we two is it not
so And we made a sacred compact
you remember it Senor Jack weakly
Yes
To be continued
SULTAN LOVES MUSIC
Grand PIano3 Purchased for the Ladies
of the Harem
It will be news to most Deople that
the Sultan of Turkey is an enthusiastic
musical amateur The statement how
ever is nevertheless true
A well known Anglo German firm
has just sent his majesty two more
grand pianos This firm has already
supplied him with many such instru
ments but the Sultan is still unsatis
fied
He does not play himself but some
of the ladies of his harem do and of
course many brilliant pianists perform
before him But if he does not play
himself he is at any rate fond of sing
ing to music
The Shah is another lover of musical
instruments The same firm has alsc
supplied him with grand pianos His
majesty takes the greatest interest too
in his band and he is a keen collector
of musical instruments and is said tc
be a connoisseur in fiddles Strangely
enough too those huge mechanical
structures which are so commonly
found in Germany and Russia and
which purport to be organ orchestra
and brass band in one are very popu
lar both with the Sultan and the Shah
Another curious fact is that a grand
piano has just been bought by an Arab
sheik at Khartoum It is to be played
by his chief wife
--
Tault in the Home
It is one of the manifestations of the
careless superficial way in which many
people consider an important matter
that the minute a word is said about
overstudy and sitting up until 2 oclock
with a cup of black coffee and a history
lesson the tendency is at once to shove
all the blame upon the public school
system Part of this is thoughtlessness
and part is cowardice the exhibition
of an indisposition to face the diffi
culty exactly where it is In every case
like that which Mr Griggs cites or any
case that is approximate the trouble is
so much in the home that all other
contributory elements are of no ac
count whatever
Three hundred and thirty five places
of worship provide 1GG391 sittings for
members of the Presbyterian church of
England
IN SERIOUS DANGER
ADVOCATES OF PROTECTION SEE
CAUSE FOR ALARM
The Proposed Tariff Concessions to Cuba
Involve Needles Meddling with Hates
and n Grave Menace to Our Own
Agricultural Interests
The situation in the United States
in regard to the practice of protection
as a means of national development is
remarkable We have just emerged
from a period of Hard Times in a way
which has justified the strongest con
victions of the Protectionists Many
a man has in past times hesitated
over the Protection according to iron
and steel If such duties were needed
for those products at any time when
could we hope to successfully produce
iron and steel in competition with the
world at large Yet Iron and steel
strongly protected here have sallied
forth and opened for us the markets
of the world The very things on
which we had the greatest doubts are
the things which have placed our prin
ciples beyond dispute by practical il
lustration known and read of all men
Nevertheless this is the very mo
ment when protection is running its
greatest risk It is a curious fact in
the nature of mankind that there is no
time when there is such great dan
ger as the time of victory Aften ten
sion of muscles comes the natural
reaction and men after victory like
to concede something to their enemies
This is all well enough when it re
lates to the courtesies of individual
intercourse but it has no application
to business Protection rests upon
principle or it does not If it does
not then it is a mere bestowal of
bounty and is no part of the business
of government If it rests upon princi
ple then that principle must be that
the American markets belong to the
Americans You cannot maintain your
system and sacrifice anything to
which it is applicable
Recent events ought to show con
gress that the people are coming to
understand these things After such a
victory as our system has had it can
easily be understood that all attacks
on the system if made at all must be
insidious and disguised They cannot
be open for they would be resisted at
sight Hence there should be full dis
cussion of these new attempts which
are now being made ir our period of
victory to turn the victory into de
feat
The first attack came in the disguise
of reciprocity That sounded well
All things sound well which are mere
ly on paper Mr Cleveland could talk
most convincingly of the tariff which
should protect all manufacturers and
yet be so nicely poised that it would
suit all importers here and all manu
facturers abroad So long as the sen
ate was against him and he could do
nothing there was no false note in the
Bong But when he got a senate of
his own party and they all went to
work on a real tariff he found the
product so bad that he could only cov
er his face as it passed by
So with reciprocity treaties Fram
ed in the mind they exchange only
commodities that one of the countries
produces and the other does not This
seems plain But no real reciprocity
bill or treaty ever could do any such
thing or ever really tried to
Recognizing this fact when they
were face to face with it the manufac
turers and producers of this country
quite recently in their meeting in
Washington earned the thanks of
their country by their courageous ac
tion This they did thougn many of
their friends stayed away as another
method of protest
Another insidious attack upon pro
tection as a system has recently been
made in the bill repealing more or less
of the tariff for the benefit of Cuba
It does not in any way appeal to our
judgments It is not addressed to our
intellects It is only addressed to our
sympathies We are told that Cuba
has been maltreated by being set free
Can that be so Not at all Some en
terprising Americans have gone there
purchased land and built a railroad
Are we going to reward expatriation
We have a right to wish them suc
cess and we give them our good will
Why should they be benefited at the
expense of those who stay at home and
develop our own country Why should
a desire to be kind to the absent lead
us to withdraw protection for our own
tobacco growers and our own beet
sugar raisers Why should we for
the sake of good men even who have
gone abroad to seek fortune allow
such an attack upon our system of
protection as will be a good beginning
for a final destruction
If you need any proof as to the char
acter of the attack look at those who
are flocking to the aid of the Cuban
bounty or rebate whatever it may be
Every journal that has ever advocated
free trade is after us in a fashion
which may be called brutal all of
them are attacking those who sustain
protection as if it were a crime to up
hold laws which have made this coun
try prosperous beyond our utmost
hopes
If even our system should be over
turned it will be by such attempts
as this and not by a battle along the
whole line Therefore it behooves us
as citizens who desire to continue the
prosperity of our country to take ac
tive measures to see that the true
meaning of this proposed action should
be fully understood
If we propose to abandon any in
dustries we had better not let it be
the agricultural industries Between
the Atlantic and Pacific stretch vast
regions still untilled The next victory
of protection should be there
Our system of protection is not for
manufacturers alone It is for farm
ers also Whoever deprives our farm-
era of all the American market they
can occupy Is false to his principles
and must meet with defeat or the sys
tem must be surrendered which pro
claims that American markets are first
of all for American citizens who are
engaged in developing the country
we already have
4
South Wants Protection
The South has now entered the field
of manufacturing It Is not at all Im
probable that it may want all it can
get out of the business Protection fur
nishes much of the profit of the busi
ness and the South may want that
There is a tendency in the East to go
back into the shipbuilding business
That carries with It the Free Trade in
clination More than this the East
does not produce the raw material on
which its manufactories work It does
not want a tariff on raw material and
that is an entering wedge to the de
struction of Protection Already In the
South there is something of a Protec
tive spirit This is shown by the fact
that at the Democratic convention in
Chicago which nominated Mr Bryan
Messrs Tillman and Bailey both on
the committee on resolutions and plat
form insisted on striking out the word
only in the platform of four years
before where it qualified the powers of
the government in imposing a tariff on
the country In other words the Dem
ocratic annunciation for a tariff for
revenue only was changed to a dec
laration for a tariff for revenue leav
ing the inference that under the new
Democracy a tariff might be imposed
for purposes other than for revenue to
carry on the government Galveston
News
SO NEAR AND YET SO FAR
fMWffflhJf
Who Pays It
There is an old saying to the effect
that a liar needs to have a good mem
ory The man who argues on the
wrong side of a question has a similar
need Otherwise he will get tangled up
in his own contradictions At the re
cent reciprocity convention one of the
speakers Mr A B Farquhar a well
know Free Trader said Our manu
facturers are now practically barred
from France by a maximum tariff
which we alone of all important na
tions are forced to pay In other
words according to Mr Farquhar
what Protectionists have always main
tained is true and it is the producer
and not the consumer who pays the
tariff in France at least and we do
not imagine that Mr Farquhar will
hold that economic laws veer with the
winds of the Atlantic It is gratifying
to have so eminent a Free Trader ad
mit the truth of the Protectionist con
tention even though he did so in an
offguard moment The memory of his
hearers may prove better than his own
and his words may come back to them
when they nextlisten to Free Trade de
nunciations of the robber Tariff
which lays a tax on the consumer
Want It All
Havemeyer advocates the same self
ish plan urged by other manufacturers
who want it all The woolen manufac
turers want free wool in order that
they may use the cheai Australian and
Argentine products but they want
protection for their manufactures
against the cheap products of England
and Germany The New England shoe
makers want free hides while demand
ing protection for their manufactures
In all these cases the result would be
the same the enrichment of the man
ufacturers at the expense of the farm
ers who raise sugar beets and cane the
stockmen who grow wool and hides
The plan is too unjust and one sided
to receive consideration at the hands
of a Republican congress Helena
Mont Record
a
Pair Treatment By All Means
Senator Mason urges fair treatment
for Cuba So does everybody else The
question is what is fair treatment for
Cuba First let us find that out It
may easily happen that a reduction of
duties on sugar and tobacco would not
put an extra dollar in the pockets of
Cuban growers of sugar and tobacco
but that the money thus taken from
the treasury of the United States
would all find its way to trust treasu
ries Also it is proper to ask what is
fair treatment for the growers of sugar
and tobacco in the United States and
whether it is wise that they should be
mulcted for the benefit of trusts Let
us have fair treatment for all con
cerned
Contrasts
During the Free Trade periods of
Martin Van Buren James Buchanan
and Grover Cleveland all industrial
enterprises were paralyzed and mil
lions of idle wage earners were obliged
to get their supplies from soup houses
to avoid starvation
During tariff periods all labor has
been profitably employed and the soup
house is an institution gone but not
forgotten
o
New York city is to have a child
rens theater patterned after one in
Boston which pays good dividends
THE LIVE STOCK MARKET
Latest Quotations from South Omaha
and Kansas City
SOIHMI OMAHA
CATTLE There was a fulr supply f
cattle and tliu market took on countd
cranio activity In view of the liberal de
mand All tho buyers were out early
and It was not long before they had
picked out the more desirable grades
There were finite a few beef stoors but
name has been the case for some time
pant the quality of the offerings wan
Qt particularly c holer Packers how
ever took hold freely and hid steady to
strong prices There was also a very
active demand for cow stun and partic
ularly for the better grades such as 11
from iV up Huyers took about every
thing they came to tint was at all
desirable and sellers were quoting th
market stronger In the majority of cases
with some sales 5c or even 10c higher
The demand for canners however audi
for the medium grades continued mod
erate and the market on such klndi
coul not he quoted much more than
steady Hulls of good quality that wer
fat commanded strong prices hut com
mon kinds were neglected Veal calves
and stags also sold at good strong
prices Only a few stackers and feeder
arrived and the market was aetlve and
Ptronger on the better grudes Th r
have not been too many stock cattln
offered this week to meet the demand
so that prices have been held up In good
shape
HOGS The hog market was in bettor
shape than it has been for some timw
past There did not seem to he any more
hogs on sale than packers wanted am
buyers were out early and as they
started In bidding strong to He more thanJ
they did yesterday the hogs began mov
ing toward the scales In good season
As the morning advanced the market
seemed to take on more llfo and
close was active and just about 5c higher
Vhan yesterday The better weight hog
sold mostly from 3595 to 3615 medium
weights went from J5S0 to 3595 and tho
lightweights went from 3575 down
SHEEP Thre was another moderate
run of sheep and packers took hiM in
good shape and bought up the better
grades at Just about steady prices Jt
was noticeable though that while they
were anxious for both sheep ami lamb
tnfc snowt l quality and were fat the
wtue slow about buying common stun
and particularly those that were n I fat
Sellers who had that class of stuff found
it a little hard to sell out at what th v
considered steady prices Anything at
all desirable however sold freely at
good steady prices
KANSAS CITV
CATTIK AI1 killing cattle hV higher
stockers and feeders steady choice ex
port and dressed beef steers JiWOl
fair to good 3300fjGn0 mockers and
feeders 3350ft49O western fed steers
525ff600 Texas and Indian steers 315
500 Texas cows 3225fi40O native cows
S30OtfM7o heifer 3175f550 canners 32
O0fjCO bulls SJ25fj40 calves 34S0fr70O
HOGS Market active llrrn top VllV
bulk of sales 570fiC20 heavy S62O7M20
mixed packers 35S5fx60 light frSZTt 500
pigs 34fi5fi50
SHEEP AND LAMBS Market steady
native lambs 3640fi665 western lambs
je44fi660 native wethers 3300fi575
western wethers 3300ft 360 yearlings
35S35I645 ewes 3463fi330 culls and feed
ers 3250450
LIVES LOST IN HOTEL
The Park Avenue House in New York
Burns
NEW YORK Feb 22 Fire that
broke out early this morning In the
armory of the Seventy first regiment
National Guard New York at Park
avenue Thirty third and Thirty fourth
streets spread to the Parle Avenue
hotel and at least four lives were lost
while the damage is roughly estimated
at over 1000000
Admiral Miller U S N retired was
fatally shocked and a woman guest
name unknown jumped from the fifth
story and will die The loss is esti
mated at 2000000
Chief Croker makes an estimate of
twenty dead in the ruins of the hotel
Four bodies have been taken out and
one of these was identified as that of
Colonel Alexander Piper U S A of
Louisville Ky
SOUVENIR FOR PRINCE HENRY
An Elaborate Casket of Hand Carved
Silver and Gold
ST LOUIS Feb 22 The solid sil
ver and gold casket which will be pre
sented as a souvenir to Prince Henry
of Prussia by Mayor Wells will b
finished within a day or two It will
be 18 inches long 4t inches high and
H2 inches from front to back All the
material is of solid sliver and gold
with decorations in full relief richly
cut by hand in solid metal and en
ameled The most ornate embellish
ment will be the device on the cover
This consists of the common seal of
St Louis on either side of which are
the American and German eagles the
key to the city protruding at the top
and bottom about the lower part be
ing a spray of Inside
the souvenir will be lined with navy
bluo watered silk
Postal Ruling
CLEVELAND O Feb 22 Judge
Wing today decided that a postal mon
ey order signed by a deputy postmas
ter with the addition of his single
letter to indicate is not a lawful one
Corn Products Company a Go
NEW YORK Feb 22 A circular
that has just issued informs the stock
holders of the Glucose Sugar Refining
company and National Starch com
pany that a large majority of the hold
ers of the preferred and common
stocks of both companies having ac
cepted the offer contained in the no
tice dated February S 1902 and hav
ing for that purpose deposited their
stocks the consolidation plan is de
clared operative
ii
