1G
THE OMAHA DAILY BEE: SUNDAY, AUGUST 125, 1001.
m
9
The
By S.
Synopsis at l'recedlnK Chnptrrs.
namon Garcia, known as El Sarrln, hav
Inir been Induced to believe that his wife,
Dolores, la unfnlthful, stabs a village top,
Jlnfaol Floreii, whom ho find presumably
kissing' Dolores through tho window. His
estates aro confiscated and he become a
hunted man. At tho rnroo time a young
Hcotch adventurer, Hollo Ulalr, comes to
Spain, and during an Inn quarrel I n!2fd
by John Mortimer, an Englishman. The
two Htart to visit Don Haltasar, nunot or
the monastery of Montbluncli. Ulalr and
Mortimer aro entertained lavishly by the
abbot, tind meet Etlenne fit. Pierre, n
French gallant who Is studying for holy
orders. These three, with El Harrlu, who
has found protection at the monastery, aro
commissioned by the abbot to capture the
queen recent and her little daughter In the
Interests of the church. Enroute for the
camp of Cabrora, tho Carllst general, they
pass tho home of El Barrla, who learns that
Dolores was not false to him and that his
downfall was plotted by Luis Fernande.
Dolores Is Imprisoned In Luis' home and the
ton to whom sho hasJust given birth Is
about to be burled allvo by t,uls" brother,
Tnmas. when El Barrla falls upon him.
KI Barrla rescues his child and takes It to
tho Convent of the Holy Innocents, where
Conchas Is also staying, Then, nldfd by
Hollo Hlar and his companions, he cap
tures Fernandez' homo and rccuos his wife.
Ulalr and his comrades, captured by Gen
eral Cabrera, cannot prove their sympathy
with the Carllst cause becatiso Hlalr was
forced to leave, his credentials at the con
vent as security for Dolores. They are
sentenced to be shot at duybreuk. Conchas
arrives from tho convent with credentials,
saves their lives and later Joins Dlalr's
party In search of tho queen regent.
CHAPTER XXV. Contlnnert.
Sergeant Cardono called Itollo aside and
told him how .he had mado his way Into a
village, as was his custom, and found nil
quiet tho shops open, but nono to attend
to them, the customs superintendent In his
den by the gate, seated on his easy chair,
hilt dead tho presbytery empty of the
priests, tho river bank dotted wlih Its ar
ray of scrubbing boards, but not a washer
woman to be seen. Only a lamo lad, fur
tively plundering, had leaped backward
upon his. crutch with a swift drawing of his
knife and a wolfish gleam of teeth. Ho
hid first of nil warned tho sorgeant to
keep oft at his peril, but had afterward
changed his tone and confessed to him that
tho plague was abroad In the valley of the
Duoro and that he was the only being left
allvo In the village, save tho vulture and
the prowling dog.
"The plague;" Sergeant Cardono had
gasped, llko every Spaniard, stricken at tho
vory sound of tho word.
"Yes, and I own everything In the vil
lage," asserted the Imp. "I you want any
thing here you must pay me for It."
Tho sergeant found It even as the crlpplo
had said. Thero was not a single living In
habitant Jn the village.
Aa the others mado their preparations for
tho night, watering their beasts and groom
ing them with the utmost care, the little
crook-backed Imp from the village appearod
on the brink of the baranco, his sallow,
wlrcnod face peeping curiously and sus
piciously out of the underbrush and his
crutch performing the most curious evolu
tions In the air.
Concha shrank Instinctively at his ap
proach and the boy, perceiving his power
over her, came scuttling like a weaiet
through the brushwood until little more
than a couple of paces' interposed between
him and the girl. Frosen stiff with loath
ing and terror, it was not for some time
that Concha could cry out and look around
hastily for Itollo who (doubtless in his
capacity of leader of the expedition) was
not slow In hastening to her assistance.
"That boy there!" she gasped, "ho
frightens me oh, make htm go away!" And
sho clutched the young man's arm with such
a quick, nervous grasp that a crimson flush
rose quickly to Hollo's check.
Alt unconsciously, Hollo reached a pro
tecting hand across the llttlo wblto Angers
which gripped his arm so tightly.
"Oo away, boy," he, commanded, "do you
not seo that you terrify the acnorltal"
"I see that is why I stay!" cried tho
amiable youth, gleefully, flourishing his
crutch about his head as If on the point of
launching it at the party.
Hollo laid his, hand on the hilt of Klllle
fcrankle with a threatening gesture.
"If you come an Inch nearer I will give
you the plague!" cried the boy, showing
his teeth wickedly, "and your wench also.l
iuu win grow DiacK yes ana sweui Tueni
you will die, both of you!"
And he laughed and danced till a fit of
coughing came upon him so that he actu
ally crowed' In a kind of fiendish exulta
tion. Out Rollo was not the man to bo
jested with, either by devil or devil's imp.
He drew a pistol from hia belt, looked care
fully at the priming and with the greatest
coolnoss In the world pointed It at the mis
shapen brat.
"Now, listen," he said. "You are old
enough to know the meaning of words. 1
give you one mtnuto to betake yqurselt to
your own plsco and leave us alone! Thera
Is no contagion In a pistol bullet, ray fine
lad, but it Is quite as deadly as any plague.
So be off before a charge of powder catches
you up!"
The soind of the angry voices had at
tracted La Olralda, who, looking up hastily
from her task of building the fire beneath
the gypsy tripod at which she and tho sor
geaut were cooking, advancod hastily with
a long wand In her hand.
Tho Imp turned hastily and' positively
appeared to shrink Into his clothing at the
eight of her. As sho approached be
emitted a cry of purely anlmul terror and
hastily whipping his crutch under his arm,
' betook himself li a series of long hops to
a spot twenty yards higher up tho- bank.
Hut Lu Olralda stopped him 'by a word or
two, spoken In an unknown tongue, harsh
sounding as Catalan, but curt and brief
as a military order.
Tho dialogue lasted for some tlmo, till
at last by a gesturo La Olralda released
him, pointing- to the upper edgo of tho
barranco as the place by which ho was to
disappear.
During this Interview Rollo had stood
absent-mindedly with his hand pressed on
Concha's as lie listened to the speech of La
Olralda. Tho girl's color bad slowly re
turned, but the fear of the plague still ran
like Ico In her vclne. She, who faired
nothing else on earth, was shaken as with
a paUy. by, the error of tho .black death.
-Well?" said Rollo, turning to La
Glfalda, who stood considering with her
eyes upon tho ground after her Interview
with tho ciooked-backed dwarf.
"You must1 give me time to think," sho
said. "This boy is one of our people a
GlUno of Data. Ho is not of this placo
and ho tells me strange things. Ho swears
that the queen and the coilrt are plague
stayed at La Oranja by the fear of the
cholera. They dare not return to Madrid.
They cannot supply themselves with vic
tuals where they are. The very guards
forsske thera. And the Oltsnos but I
have no right to tell that to the foreigner
the Oordlo. For am I not, also, a Oltsno?"
The village where Hollo's command first
stumbled upon this dreadful fact was
called Frlss, In the district of. La Psrla.
and lay upon the eastern spurs of the
Ouadarrama. It was, therefore,! likely
Firebrand.
R. CROCKETT.
enough then that tho boy spoke truth and
that within a few miles of them the court
of Spain was enduring privations in Its
aerial palace of La Oranja.
Dut even when Interrogated by El Barrla
the old woman was obstinately silent as
to tho news concerning her kinsfolk which
sho had heard from the ragged dwarf.
"It has nothing to do with you," she re
peated, "It Is a matter of the Oltanoi"
Out there camo up from tho bottom of
tho ravine tho lantern-Jawed sergeant, long,
silent, lean, parched as a Manchegan cow
whose pasture has been burnt up by a sum
mer sun. With beckoning finger he sum
moned La Olralda apart and she obeyed him
as readily as the boy had obeyed her. They
communed a long time together, the old
gypsy speaking, the coffee-colored segeant
listening with his head a little to the side.
At the end of tho colloquy Sergeant Car
dono went directly to Hollo and saluted.
"Is It permitted for me to speak a word
to your excellency concerning the objects
of tho expedition T" he said, with bis usual
deference.
"Certainly," answered Rollo, "for me, my
mission is a secret one, but I have no in
structions against listening."
The sergeant bowed his head.
"Whatever be our mission you will find
me do my duty," he said, "and flnce this
cursed plague may Interfere with all your
plans, it Is well that you should know what
has befallen and what Is designed. You
will pardon me for saying that It takes no
great prophet to discover that our purposes
have to do with tho movements of tho
court."
Rollo glanced at him keenly.
"Did dencral Cabrera reveal anything to
you before your departure?" he asked.
"Nay," said Sergeant jCardono, "but when
I am required to guide a party secretly to
San Ildefenso, where the court of the queen
regent la sojourning. It does not require
great penetration to see the general' nature
of the service upon which I am engaged!"
Rollo recovered himself.
"You have not yet told me what you
have discovered," he said expectantly.
"No," replied the sergeant with great
composture, "that can wait."
For little Concha was approaching and,
though he had the most limitless expecta
tions of the good Influence of that young
lady upon the military career of his
officer, ho did not judge it prudent to com
municate Intelligence of moment In her
presence. Wherein for once he was wrong,
since that pretty head ' of the Andaluslan
beauty, for all its clustering curls, was
full of tho wisest and most far-seeing
counsel Indeed more to be trusted In a
pinch than the Junctas of half a dozen
provinces.
Out tho sergeant considered that when a
girl was pretty and aware of it she had
fulfilled her destiny save as it might be
In tho making of military geniuses. So he
remained silent as tho grave so long as
Concha stayed. Observing this, the girl
asked a simple question and then moved
oft a little scornfully, only remarking to
herself: "As It I could not make him
tell me whenever I get him to myself!"
She referred (It ts needless to state)
not to Sergeant Cardono,. but to his com
mandlng officer, Senor Don Rollo Blair
of Blair castle In the shire of Fife.
I
CHAPTER XXVI.
Deep Itoaaar,
The news which Sergeant Cardono had
to communicate was Indeed fitted to shake
the strongest nerves. If true, It took
away from Rollo at once any hope of the
success of his mission. He saw himself
returning disgraced and Impotent to the
camp of Cabrera, either to be shot out
of hand, or, worse still, to be sent over
tho frontier as something too useless and
feeble to be further employed. '
Briefly, tho boy's news, as repeated by
La Olralda to the sorgeant, Informed
Rollo that though the court was presently
at La. Oranja and many courtiers In the
village of San Ildefenso, the royal guards,
through fear and hunger, had mutinied and
marched back to Madrid and that the
gypsies were gathered among the moun
tains In order to make a night attack upon
the stranded and forsaken court of Soaln.
In Hollo's opinion, not a moment was to
be lost. The object Of the Oltanos was nil fm
plunder, but they would think nothing of
oiooasnea, ana would doubtless give the
whole palace and town over to renins and
pillage. Themselves desperate with hunger
ana isolation, they bad resolved to strike
a blow which would ring from one end of
opsin 10 me oiner.
It was their intention, so the Imp said,
to kill the queen regent and her daughter,
to slaughter the ministers and courtiers In
attendance, to plunder the palace from top
to pottom ana to give all within the nelah
boring town of San Ildefenso to the sword.
The program as tbua baldly announced
was Indeed one to strike all men with
horror, even those who bad been hardened
by years of fratricidal warfare In which
quarter was neither given nor expected.
Besides the plunder of the palace and its
occupants, the leaders of the gypsies ex
pected that they would obtain great re
wards from Don Carlos for thus remov
ing the only obstacles to his undisputed
possession of the throne cf Spain.
The heart of Rollo beat violently. His
Scottish birth and training gave blm a
natural reverence for the sanclly of sick
ness and death, and the Idea of these men
plotting ghoullshly to utilise "the onlaylna-
iot the hand of Provldenca" (aa his father
would have phrased It) for the purpose of
Plunder and rapine, unspeakably revolted
htm.
Ho Immediately called a council of war,
at which, despite the frowns of Sergeant
Cardono, little Concha Cabesos had her
place.
La Olralda was summoned also, but ex
cused herself, saying: "It Is better that I
should not know what you Intend to do. I
am, after all, a Oltana, and might be
tempted to reveal your secrets If I knsw
them. It Is better, therefore, that I should
not. Let me therefore keep my own place
B a servitor In your company, to cut the
brushwood of your fire and to brtug the
water from the spring. In those things ycu
will find me faithful. Trust the gypsy no
further."
Rollo, remembering her loyalty In the
matter of Dolores1 at the village of HI
Barrla, was about to make an objection, but
a significant gesture from the sergeant re
strained him in time.
Whereupon Rollo addressed himself to the
others, setting clearly before them the
gravity or the situation.
John Mortimer shook his head gravely.
He could not approve. "How often has
my father told mo that the first loss is the
least. This all comes of trying to make
up my low of the abbot's prtoratot"
Etlenne shrugged his shoulders and
philosophically quoted a Oascon proverb to
the effect that who buys the flock rauit
take the black sheep also.
KI Ssrria simply recollected that his gun
and pistol were In good order and waited
for' orders.
The conference therefore resolved Itrelf
Into a trio of consultant Rollo, because
he was the leader, Sergeant Cardono because
he knew tho country and Concha because t
sho was Concha. t
xney were within an hour or two's rapid
march of La Orsnja over a pass In the
Ouadarrama. The sergesnt volunteered to (
ivaa lotm qown into me garuens in tnni '
tlme. He knew a path often traveled by
smugglers on their way to Segovia.
"It is clear that It we aro to carry nway
the queen regent and her daughter wo
must forestall the gypsies," eald Rollo.
Concha clasped her hand pitifully.
"Ah, the poor young queen!" sho cried.
"Praise to the saints that I was not born
a princess! It goes to my heart to raaka
her a prisoner!"
Finally it was Judged that they shou;d
make a night march over tho mountains,
find some suitable place to llo up In during
the day, and In the morning send In La
Olralda and tho sergeant to 8au HJefcn o
In the gutso of fagot sellers to find out it
tho gypsy boy of Baza had spoken the
truth.
San Ildefenso nnd La Oranja are two of
the most strangely situated places In Sp In.
A high and generally snow-clad sierra
divides them from Madrid and. the to-ith.
The palace Is ono of the most hlgh-lytng
places upon earth, having originally been
ono of the mountain ranges of the monks
of Sagovla, to which a king of Spain took,
i A
THE COUNCILS
a fancy, and, what la more remarkable, for
which he was willing to pay good money.
Upon the site a palace has been erected, a
miniature Versailles, Infinitely more charm
ing than the original, with walks, fountains,
waterfalls, all fed by the cold snow water
of the Ouadarrama, and fanned by the pure
air of the mountains. This grange has been
for centuries a favorite resort of the court
of Spain, and specially during these last
years of the Regent .Crlstlna, who, when
tired of the precision and etiquette of tho
court of Madrid, retired hither that shs
might do as she pleased for two or three
months of the year.
Generally the great park gates stood hos
pitably open and the llttlo town of can
Ildefenso, with Its lodgings and hotels, was
at this season crowded with courtiers and
hangers-on of the court. Guards circu
lated here and there or clattered after tho
queen regent as jhe drove out on tho mag
nificent king's highway, which stretched
upward over the Ouadarrama toward Madrid
or whirled down toward Segovia and the
plains of Old Castile. Dugles wero never
long silent In plaza or barrack yard. Drums
beat, fifes shrilled and there was a con
tinuous tramping of horses ns this am
bassador or that was escorted to tho
presence of the Queen Crlstlna, widow of
Ferdinand , IV, mother of Isabella II and
regent of Spain.
A word of historical Introduction Is here
necessary and it shal be but a word. For
nearly .a quarter of a century. Ferdinand,
since be had been restored to the forfeited
throne by British bayonets, had ncted on
f the ancient Bourbon principle of learning
nothing and forgetting nothing. His tyran
nies became ever more tyrannical, his ex
actions more shameless, his Indolent arro
gance more oppressive. Twlco ho had In
yoked the aid of foreign troops and onco,
indeed, a French army marched from ono
end of Spain to the other.
But with the coming of his third wife,
young Maria Crlstlna of Naples, all this
was changed. Under her Influence Ferdi
nand promptly became meek and uxorious.
He revoked the ordlnanco which ordained
that no woman should reign In Spain. Then
he recalled his revocation and again pro
mulgated It according ns his hope of off
spring waxed or waned.
Finally, a daughter was born to the Ill
mated pair and Don Carlos, the king's
brother, and the former heir-apparent, left
tho country. Immediately upon tho king's
death civil war dlvldod the stato. The
stricter legitimists who stood for Don Car
los Included the church generally nnd tho
religious orders. To these were Joined
the northern parts of Navarre and the
Basque countries, whose privileges had
been threatened, together with large dis
tricts of the ever-turbulent provinces of
Aragon and Catalonia,
Round the queen regent and her llttlo
daughter collected all the liberal opinion
of the peninsula, Most of tho foreign sym
pathy, the Influence of the great towns
and seaports, of the capital and the govern
ment officials, the regular army and pollco
with tbelr officersIndeed all the or
ganized and stated machinery of the gov
ernment. '
But up to the time of our history these
advantages had been to .some extent neu
tralised by the lll-succes of tho government
generalship and by the brilliant successes
of two great Carllst leaders Tonus Zumu
lacarregui and Ramon Cabrera.
These men perfectly understood the con
ditions of warfare among their native
mountains and bad inflicted defeat upon
defeat on every Cristlno general sent
against them.
But a cloud had of late overspread tho
prospects of the party, Their (Treat gen
eral, Thomas Zumulacarregul, had been
killed by a cannon ball at the slego of
Bllboa, and Cabrera, though unsurpassed
as a guerrilla leader, bad not the swift
Napoleonic Judgment and breadth of view
of nls predecessor. Add to this that a new
premier, Mcndlrabhal, and a new general,
Espartero, wero directing operations from
Madrid. The former, already half Enallsh.
had begun to carry out his great scheme of
filling tho pockets of the civil and military
authorities by conveying to tho government
nil the properly belonging to tho religious I
orders throughout Spain, who, like our
friend, tho abbot of Montblanch, had reso
lutely nnd universally espoused the cause
of Don Carlos.
It was on early rumor of this Intention
which had so stirred the resentment of Don
Balthazar Varela and caused him to look
about for somo Instrument of Vengeance to
prevent the accomplishment of tho designs
of "that burro of the English Stock Ex
change," as his enemies freely named
Mondlzabhat,
Dut Crlstlna of Naples was a typical
woman of tho Latin races, and, however
strongly she might bo determined to estab
lish her daughter on the throno of Spain,
she was a good Catholic, and any oppres
sion of tho holy church was abhorrent to
her mind.
Upon this probability, which amounted to
certainty In his mind, tho abbot of Mont
blanch rcstlvcd to proceed.
Moreover, It was an open secret that a
few months after tho death of her husband,
Ferdinand, Crlstlna had married Munoz,
ono of fho handsomest officers of her bod)-
OF THE ROM AR E AS AN OPEN BOOK TO ME.
guard. For this and other Bourbon de
linquencies, conceived In tho good, old
Neapolitan manner, the Spaniards generally
had the greatest respect, not oven being
scandalized when the queen created her new
partner duke of Rtanzares, or when, In her
role as colonel of dragoons sho 'appeared
In a uniform of blue and white, because
these were tho colors of tho "Immaculate
Conception."
But enough has been said to tndlcato the
naturo of tho adventure which our hero
had beforo htm, when after a toilsome
march tho party halted In the gray of the
dawn In a tiny dell among tho wild moun
tains of Ouadarrama.
Tho air was bleak and cold, though
luckily there was ,no wind. Concha, tho
child of the south, shivered a little as
Rollo aided her to dismount, and this must
be the young man's excuse for taking his
bluo military cloak from Us coll across his
saddlo bow and wrapping It carefully and
tenderly about her.
Concha raised her eyes onco to his as he
fastened Us chain catch beneath her chin
and Rollo, though the starlight dimmed tho
brilliance of tho glanco, folt more than
repaid. In the background Etlenne smiled
bitterly. Tho damsel of the green lattice
being now left far behind at Barrla, he
would have no scruples about returning
to his allegiance to Concha. But tho chill
Indlfferonco with which his advances were
received, Joined to something softer and
more appealing In her eyes when she looked
at Rollo, warned the experienced youth
that ho had better tor the future confine
his gallantries to tho most common and
ordlnar- offices of courtesy.
Sergeant Cardono had long ago aban
doned all distinctive marks of his Carllst
partisanship and military rank. Moreover,
he bad acquired In some unexplained way
a leathern Montera cap, a short, many
buttoned Jacket, a flapped waistcoat of red
plush and leathern small clothes of the
same sort as those worn' by La Olralda.
Also, there was something Indescribably
daring about the man, his air and carriage.
There was the swagger of a famous matador
nbout the way he carried himself. Ho gave
a cock to his plain countryman's cap which
betokened one of a race at onco quicker
and more gay moro passionate and more
dangerous than tho gravo, dignified Inhabl
tants of Old Castile, through whoso country
they were presently Journeying.
As these two departed out of tho camp,
tho sergeant driving before him a donkey
which ho had picked up the night hofore
wandering by tho wayside, El Sarrla looked
after him with a sardonic smile which
slowly melted Irom his face, leaving only
the giant's usual placid good nature ap
parent on tho surface , Tho mere knowledgo
that Dolores was alive and true to him
seemed to have changed tho hunted and
desperate outlaw almost beyond recogni
tion. "Why do you smile, El Sarrla?" raid
Concha, who stood near by, as the' outlaw
slowly rolled and lighted a clgarlllo. ''You
do not love this sergeant. You do not
think ho Is a man to be trusted?"
El Sarrla shrugged his shoulders and
Blowly exhaled tho first long breathing of
smoke through his nostrils.
"Nay," he said, deliberately, "I havo been
both judged and misjudged myself, and It
would ill becomo mo In like manner to Judi;e
others But If that man is not of your
country and my trade, Ramon Oarcla has
lived In vain. That is all."
Concha nodded a little uncertainly;
"Yes," she said slowly, "yes of my
country, I believe you. He has tho An
daluslan manner of wearing his clothes.
If ho -wero a girl he would know bow to tie
ribbon Irregularly and how to place a bow
knot a little to the side of the right place
things which only Andaluslans know.
But what In the world do you mean by
" 'of your profession?' " '
El Sarrla smoked a whllo In silence, In
haling the blue cigarette smoke luxuriously
and causing It to Issuo from his nostrils
wlilto and hiolklurc-la'den with his' breath;
Tbtn ho snake.
"1 mean hv mv Into nrofesslon " ha ex
plained, smiling on Concha, "It will not' do
for a man on the high road to a commls-
slon to commit himself to tho statement
mat no has practiced as a bandit, or
stopped a coach on the highway In the
name of King Carlos Qulnto that he might
examine more at his case tho governmental
mall bags. But our sergeant welt I am
man sworn and without honor If lie hath
not many a time taken blackmail without
any such excuse."
Concha seemed to 'bo considering deeply.
Her pretty mouth was pursed up llko a
ripe strawberry nnd her brows were knitted
so fiercely that A deep lino divided the deli
cately arched eyebrows,
"And to this I can add somewhat," she
began presently, "they say (I know not
with what truth) that I havo somo left
handed gypsy blood In me and if that
man bo not n Oltana why then I havo
never seen ono. Besides, ho speaks with
La Olralda In a tongue which neither I nor
Don Ramon understand."
"But I thought," said El Sarrla,
astonished for the first tlmo, "that both
you and Don Rollo understood the crabbed
gypsy tonguol Havo I not heard you speak
It together?"
"As It is commonly spoken yes," she
replied; "we have talked It many a time
for sport. But this which Is spoken by
the sergeant and La Olralda Is deep Ro
many, the llko of which not halt a dozen
In Spain understand. It is the old world
speech of the Rom before It became con
taminated by the Jargon of fairs and the
slang of the traveling horsecllpper."
"Then," said El Sarrla slowly, "It comes
to this 'tis you and not I who mistrust
these two?"
"No, that I do not," cried Concha em
phatically. "I have tried La Glralda for
many yearn, and at all times found her
faithful so that her bread be well buttered
and a draught of good wine placed along
side. But the sergeant Is a strong man and
a secret man "
"Well worth the watching them," said El
Sarrla, looking her full In the face.
Concha nodded.
"Carllst or no, be works for bis own
hand," she said simply. "Shall ye mention
the matter to Don Rollo?" asked El Sar
rla. "Nay what good?" said Concha, quickly.
"Don Rollo Is brave as a bull of Jaen, but
as raeh. You and I will keep our eyes
open and say nothing. Perhaps perhaps
we may have doubted the man somewhat
overhastlly. But as for me, I will answer
for La Glrnlda."
"For me," said El Sarrla, sententlpusly.
"I will answer for no woman save only
Dolores Oarcla!"
Concha looked up quickly.
"I also am a woman," she said, smiling,
"And quite able to answer for yourself,
scnorlta!" returned El Sarrla, grimly.
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For the answers of Ramon Garcia wero
not at all after the pattern of Rollo the
Scot.
CMAI'TNIl XXVII. 11
Thr Srrgfsnt nnil l.n fllrnliln.
The dust hc.U of tho desolate plains of
Old Castllo was red on tho horizon whon
the sergeant and his companion started to
gether on their strango and perilous mis
sion. Would they over return, nnd when?
What might thoy not find? A court dc-
sorted and forlorn, courtiers fleeing, or
eager to flee, if only they knew whither,
from the dread and terrible plague? A
queen nnd n princess without guards, a
palace open to the plunder of any chance
band of robbers? For romethlng like this
the Imp of tho deserted village had pre
pared them.
At alt events, tho sergeant and ta Olralda
went off In the direction of tho town of San
Ildefenso, driving their donkey befcro them,
I' or a minute, as they gained tho crest,
their figures stood black and clear ngalnst
the coppery sunrise. Tho next thsy had dis
appeared down tho slope, tho flapping peak
of Cardono's Montera cap being tho last
thing to be lost sight of.
Tho long Idlo day was beforo tho party In
tho dry ravine. Etlcnno went to his sad-
dlobogs and drawing his breviary from tho
leathern flap began to peruse tho lessens
for tho day with an attentive ploty which
was not lessened by tho tact that he had
forgotton most of tho Latin he had learned
at school. John Mortimer, on tho other
hand, took out his pockotbook nnd was
soon absorbed in calculations In which wine
and onions Bharcd tho page with schemes
for importing Into Spain Manchester goods
woven and dyed to suit tho tftsto of the
country housewives.
El Sarrla sat down with a long sigh to
his never-falling resort of cleaning and
ordorlng Ills rifle and pistols. Ho had a
vial of oil, n feather and a fine linen rag
which ho carried about with him for tho
purpose. Afterward ho undertook the sune
office for tho weapons of Rollo. Those of
tho other members of the expedition might
take care of themselves. Ramon Oarcla ha I
small belief In their ability to mako much
uso of thera at any rate, the sergeant bolng
alono excepted.
These thrco accounted for, there remained
only Rollo and Concha. Now, thore wee a
double shelf a little way from the horses
from which the chief of the expedition
could keep an cyo on tho whole encamp
ment. Tho pair slowly nnd, as It were, un
consciously gravitated thither, and In a
moment Rollo found himself telling "tin
story of his llfo" to a sympathetic listener,
whose bright eyes stimulated all bis ca
pacities as narrator, and whoso bright
smile welcomed every hairbreadth tscaj.o
with a Joy which Rollo could not but feel
must somehow be heartfelt and personal,
Besides, adventures sound so well when
told In Spanish and to a Spanish girl.
Yet, strango as It may teem, tho young
man missed soveral opportunities of arous
ing tho compassion of his companion.
He said not a word about Peggy Ramsay,
nor did ho mention tho broken heart wlildti
he had come eo far afield to cure. And
as for Concha, nothing could havo been
moro nun-like and conventual than tho ex
pression with which she listened. It was
as if ono of the lady superior's holiest In
nocents had flown over the nunnery wall
and settled down to listen to rolltalo In
that wild gorgo among the mountains of
Ouadaljarra.
Meantime the sergeant and h's gypsy
companion pursued tbelr way with llttlo
regard to the occupations or sentiments
of those they had left behind tbom. Car
dono's keen black eyes, twinkling hither
and thither, a myriad crowsfoot reticulat
ing out from their corners like ' spiders'
webs,, took in the landscape and every ob
ject in it.
The morning was well advanced when
right across their, path a well-to-do farm
houso lay before them, white on the hill
side, Us walls long drawn, like fortifica
tions, and the small sltt-llke windows coun
terfeiting loopholes for musketry. But in
stead of the hum of work and friendly
gossip, the crying of ox drivers yoking their
teams or adjusting the long blue wool over
the patient eyes of their beasts, there
reigned about the place, both dwelling and
office houses, a complote and solemn silence.
Only In the front of the door soveral ehe
gpats with overflowing udders waited to be
milked with plaintive whimperings and
tokens of unrest.
La Olralda looked at her companion. The
sergeant looked at La Olralda. The sama
thought was In the thought of each.
La Olralda went up quickly to the door
and knocked loudly. At farmhouses In Old
Castile It Is necessary to knock loudly, for
the family live on the second floor, and the
first Is given up to bundles of fuol, trusses
of bay, household provendor of tho more
Indestructible sort, and ono largo dog,
which Invariably answers tbe door first and
expresses in an unmistakable manner his
Intention of making his breakfast off the
stranger's calvce.
Out not even the dog responded to the
clang of La Otralda's oaken cudgel on the
stout door panels. Accordingly, tho
steppod within and without ceremony
ascended the stairs. In the house-place
extended on a bed lay a woman of her own
age, dead, her face wearing an expression
of the utmost agony.
In a low trundle bed by the side of the
other was a little girl of 4. Her hinds
clasped a doll of wood tightly. But b:r
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eyes, though open, were sightless. She alst
was dead. 1
La GlraldA turned and camo down tha
stairs, shaking her head mournfully.
"These at least aro ours," sho said, when
ehe came out into tho but summer air,
pointing to tho little flock of goats. "Thera
Is none to hinder us."
"Havo the owners fled?" asked the ser
geant quickly.
"Thero arc somo of them upstairs now,"
sho replied, "but alas, nouo who will ever
reclaim them from us! Tho excuse Is tha
best than can bo devised to Introduce ut
Into San Ildefenso, and perhaps, if wo have
luck, Into Ln Oranja, also."
So without further parley tho sergeant
proceeded In tho most mntter-of-fact way
possible to load tho ass with hugo fagots
of kindling wood till the animal showed
only four feet paddling along under Its
burden nnd a pnlr of patient orbs black and
bendy, llko those of the errgcaut hlmielf,
peering out of a hay-colored matting ot
hair.
This done, tho sergeant turned his sharp
eyes every way about tho dim, smoky
horizon. Ho could note ns easily as on a
map tho prcclso notch in tho many purplo
tlntcd gorges whore they had left their
party. It was llko nil tho others which silt
and dimpled the slopes of tho Ouadaljarra,
but In this mnttcr It was as Imposslblo for
tho sergeant to make a mistake as for a
town dweller to err as to the street In
which ho has lived for years.
Dut no ono was watching thorn. No
clump of Juniper hold a spy, and tho ser
geant was at liberty to dovelop his plans.
He turned quickly upon tho old gypsy
woman,
"U Olralda," he said, "thero Is small
ueo In discovering the disposition of tho
courtiers In San Ildefenso ayo. or even
tho defenses of the palace, If wo know
nothing of tho Romany who arc to march
tonight upon tho place."
La Olralda, who had been drawing n llt
tlo milk from tho udders of each sho-goat
to caso them for their travel, suddonly
sprang erect.
"I do not Intcrforo In tho councils of tha
Gltano," sho cried, "I am old, but not old,
enough to" deslro death!"
Dut, more grim and lack-luster than
ever, the faco of Sergeant Cardono waa
turned upon her, and moro starrlly
twinkled the sloc-llko eyes (diamonds sot
In Cordovan leathor) as ho replied: "Tho
councils of tho Rom nro as nn .open book
to me. If thoy are life, thoy aro llfo be
causo I will It It death, thon I will tho
death!"
The old gypsy stared Incredulously.
"Long have I llvod," she said, staring
hard at tho stfrgcnnt, "much have I seen
both of gypsy and gorglo, but never havo
I seen or heard of the man who could mako
that boast and make It good."
Bhe appeared to consider a moment.
"Savo one" she added, "and he la
dead!"
"How did he die?" asked tho sergeant, bis
tahned visage llko a mask, hut never re
moving his eyes from her face.
"Dy the garroto," she answered, In m
hushed whisper. "I saw him die!"
"Whcro?"
"In the great plaza of Salmanaca." sho
said, hor eyes fixed In a stare of regretful
remembrance It was filled from sldo
to side and the balconies wero peopled
as for a bull fight. Ah, he was a man"
"His name?"
"Joso Maria, the Oltnno. the prince of
brigands!" murmured La Olralda.
"Ah!" said tho sergeant coolly, "I hava
hear.d of hlra!"
Not a word moro was uttered between
tho two gypsies. La Olralda, for no rea
son that she would acknowledge even to
herself, had conceived nn Infinite respect
for Sergeant Cardono, and was ready to
obey him Implicitly a fact which shows
that our sweet Concha was over-hasty In
supposing tha one woman ln any circum
stances can ever answer for another when
there Is a roan In tho case.
But on this occasion La Olralda's sub
mission was productive ot no more than a
command to go down Into the town of San
Ildefenso, the white houses of which could
clearly be seen a mile or two below, whlla
the sergeant should betake Tilmself to cer
tain haunts of the gypsy and the brigand,
known to him, in the fastnesses ot tho
Ouardarrama.
Like a dog La Glralda complied. Sho
shnrpened a stick with a knife which sho
took from a llttlo concealed sheath ln her
leathor leggings, and with It proceeded to
quicken tho donkey's extremely deliberate
pace.
(To be Continued.)
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Fortrot Her Lines.
A well-known countess was announced
to speak at a costers' gathering ln tho
East End, so the little daughter of one
of the costers a flower aollor was deputed
to present the countess on her arrival with a
boautlful bouquet.
The evening arrived, with an enthusiastic
audience in tho hall, and presently the
countess was announced.
Tbo little girl, who had been coached
nh to what to say, walked along tho plat
form to where her ladyship stood and in
her confusion convulsed every one with
laughter by shouting out:
" 'Ere yer aro, mum. Only a penny a
bunch market bunch for a penny!"
The countess smiled, accepted the flowers)
and tbe child got the penny.
Consultation Free, Treatat.at fcr snail.
Call or aMr.is lie a. nth at.
DIM. f CARLES SEAIlLKg, OMAHA
s