Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-01-20

the fine ho!el, or the doubtful chance of my ever
visiting Malaga, could moi say.
" Now senior patron" said |, rising, and taking
up my rllie, q | should like to reach the town be.
tunes Tomorrow SO show me to my chamber,
and should my friend arrive, fail not 10 call me-"
"Will you not leave your gun here 7" suggested
| The host ...
Thank you-no," said T. while my underlined
suspicious grew stronger within me- "Do gou
lead the way senor, shall follow good night, Sc
nora patrona" @
"Bueno Nochs, senor," said she, stirring up the
embers, and we separated
| To follow MarIin was perhaps the most unpeas-
ant part that | had yet acted Tor had TO gfope
my way after him through long dark passage,
about forty fee, long. at The end OF which he ush-
cred me into room where there was no light but
{ that given by the moon, which shown through
small window glazed with little paHes Of coarse
glass. Here he bade me "Busno Nochs," aud al.
ter many apologies for my poor accommodation,
LETT me-. ...
The apartment was small In one corner stood
French bed, having gh, colored curtains this
with basinstand two chars and mirror, made
up The furniture. Like true soldier turned to
secure The door. Destitute of lock or bolt il had
only a small thumb latch
Esmoupdng he ever and basin, | placed tho
stand endwise between The doer and The bed firm.
| y fixing it, and thus forming a harticade, which
| none could force without awaking me- To make
all sure again dropped the ramrod into each bar
rel o ny rille passed inger over The caps, un.
buckled tho belt By which my dnk dangled and
without undressing, for every moment expected
| 10 hear Jack Hall halooing outside The house III
short, TO be prepared for anything-I threw myself
down on the coverle,, and weary and worn ty
long days ranbe among lhe mountains, prepared
10 sleep.
| For long time species OF painful wakefuluess
possessed me; the moans Of he passing wind, tho
Tapping OF loose board IN the external gallery,
the waving shadows thrown by The moonlight on
The damp and discooFed was-even the ticking
OF my watch disturbed me, and kept me thinking
OF poor Halls uEacconnIable absence, with many
Tears that he might have fallen into hands OF Juan
OF Anequera, and not few reproaches for my
having perhaps, too easily relinquishej my search
! or him
These thoughts completely obliera'ed any sense
| OF my own immediate danger and | was about
10 drop asleep when something moist, that oozed
about my face and neck, aroused me. started
uliy awake in moment, and passing hand
across my cheek, looked at it in the moonlight.
"Bloodl" said !, I,springing of the bed while
| thrill ran through me. had not been woundea
| or cut by my fall then from whence came THE
terrible moisuret | examined The pillow and
found it quite wet; turned it, and loi was sat
uraleI with blood.
| This was The reason that Martin Seco had de-
clined 10 give me a candle. My hear, beat thick
and fast apprehension of something horrible came
over me, and remembered The stories of Pednlio
| also recolleced that had some excellent cigar
| fuses, and tearing three or four blank leaves from
my nole book, twisted them logelher-lh them.
and surveyed The dingy chamber. The boards ia
| I'ont of The bed were marked by recent spots of
| blood l raised the Iiule fringe OF curtain, and
guided by some terrible instinct, looked below,
| and saw-what1
| Poor Jack Hall lying here in the naya Uniform,
with his epaulete torn of, and his throat t4raliy
cut from ear 10 earl
Almost para!ysed, continued for half a mi us
to gaze al The terrible spectacle. the paper burn.
ed down 10 my fingers and expired. heard my
heart beating, and my head spun round as lig,.
ened my belt and grasped my loaded rife. Be-
fore could adopt any plan OF operations, heard
ruslling and whispering in the passage near my
loor and looking through crack in the panels,
saw within yard Of me, Martin Seco, bearing ia
one hand The rife OF my poor friend, aad in lhs
other i Lighted candle, although he had made 10 me
so many apologies abont two hours before for not
having another in the house. AZ he approached
he handed i: 10 a boy, in whom discovered Pc
dtilio and thea The light flashed on Two Other per-
sons, in one OF whom | recognized The osIler, aud
in the other, our acquaintance OF the noon with
ihe patch en- his face, and wearing green velvet
| Jacket and sombrero. This woThy had pistol
in one hand and kn!e in the oher. The patrona
was also he'e, with her woifish eyes and enor-
nous Basque queue.
Outrage and assassination wefe impressed upon
The hard lines OF all their cruel and savage visages
and perceived al once that, without a vigorous
effort, | was los that my life was forfeited and
all The aniicipalions OF newspaper paragraphs, u
mysterious disappearance, in The Times and Mill
tary Gazette flashed upon my mind had no.
bic profession, many kind friends, my regiment
and home, with The best expectations" as old
dowagers say, on one hand horrible aud Sudden
dealh-a lonely scene OF unknown butchery on The
! Other.
cooked The locks of my rife, and resoluiey
removed Inc barricade from The door
" Take time, Juan Ross y" said The pafona.
Hold your tongue, old perra, know we'll
what am doing" growled The parsonage ~ green,
whom nor knew 10 be that terrible outlaw, who,
since the Carist war, had laughed al the carbine-
ros and alguazllS, and kept all Malaga, the Sierra
de Mia, and the Vega Of Granada asllr and il ter