Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1858-11-06
THE BEAUTIFUL DECoY.
From the Unpublished Chronicle Of Harele

thence through the interior of the country to
the northward. met with several thrilling
adventures which have recorded for the
benefit of whOm-soever may take an interest
therein, emitting only the dates they being
nonessential to the interest of the variations
themselves.
The first of the series occurred on the route
between Vera Cruz and the City of Mexico.
In the regular diligencia, running between the
places Just mentioned, | had taken passage.
At Perote all who had been my companions
| from Vera Cruz took leave of me, this being
| the end of their Journey i'll that direction, but
there was one new passenger here to go for
ward, whom omy agreeable surprise, l found
to be a beautiful young lady, some twenty
years of age.
Senorita Paula, as l subsequently ascer-
tanned her name to be, was indeed one OF those
rare beauties seldom met with except in works
Of tiction-tall, graceful, with prOfuson OF
long black hair-sOft, clear, melting dark eye
features as perfect as ever came from the
hands of the sculptor, and with all animation
the most fascinating, varying in expression
with every changing mood of the Intelligent
poSsessor. \ glance at her bewitching dark
ewes showed me that she was one who was
naturally of social disposition; and as we rat
/ ucu away iTOH tp"Ai, soNA> >
liberty of opening conversation.
"They tell me- said |, ''that the route be-
tween here and Mexico is very dangerous
one to travel" .,
There is little to fear," she replied, with a
| sweet smile and in a melOdiouS tone, eX-
cept from the professional robbers, and they
| seldom harm any one who makes no resist
ance."
1T seems strange to me, | rejoined, THAT
| Won Mexicans should take such things as
matter of course, and deem resistance very
impolite way of treating the knights of the road,
| instead of boldly asserting your rights, and
! abating the evil by manly spirit OfresiStance.
For myself must consider it the most cow
ardlv proceeding for any respectable party to
set out prepared to quietly crafty the cupid
| ity of the lddrOnes, and unprepared to treat
them to their just deserts"
Every traveller, Senor," she replied,
- should before setting out, count the cost of
| his journey; and as of course it is natural he
should pay certain sum for positive safety,
than put that life in jeopardy. For instance,
| n..traveng from Vera Cruz to Mexico, if he
will first reckon that so much is the fare by
| the diligencia, and that so much will be re-
ouired for entertainment on the way, and so
| much for the contingency you speak OF,
| he will then have the exact cost between the
| two points and if he will look at the whole
| as the sum total of his journey, he will not
seem to be robbed by any one party more
| than another"
THAT" replied, "may be, l believe is,
| the Mexican mode of doing business, but does
| not tally with the preconceived idea of US for
eigners."
- But every one" replied the fair speaker,
Al 81
try he visits"
" And do you then 60 prepared for this
highway robbery? and have you no fear in
| thus journeying by YOURSELF"
"Well, Senior, what can / do? / am, as
you perceive, an unprotected lady, who, for
certain reasons, am required to make the Jour
ney between Perote and the capital some twice
| and thrice year, and you certainly could not
| expect me to 90 prepared to resist an armed
band AS to fear, will not deny have
my share of that; but, SO far, | have met
with no rough treatment, and of course |
trust to the saints that my fortune will ever
be as propitiOus."
| "And have you really been robbed on your
journey back and forth ~ 1 inquired.
" | think l have paid my share to the Ia
drones for my transit through the country ~
she laughed.
" And you expect to continue a repetition
Of the same for the rest of your life?''
"Who knows ~ she replied "At least
hope to be always prepared"
| "And your fellow Travellers" said !, 'have
you never seen any disposed to resist these
unlawful cats ~
"Once, Senior, an American and an Eng
lishman, who were in the same digencia with
me, fired upon the robbers, killing one and
wounding two"
"And did the robbers fire back ?"
! Yes, but fled Immediately and fortunate
| ly injured none of our party.
AS l should have expected" returned |.
"You were not stopped on that occasion, l
suppose ?"
1--WE were not, Senior; but the two foreign
ers subsequently paid dearly for their ress-
lance; for in journeying back and forth were
killed, separately and at different times, near
the same spot. You see those crosses by the
side of the road Senior ~
"Ihave observed them frequently, but
here they seem to be much more numerous, "
l replied, looking forth from the vehicle.
Each stands on the spot where some one
has met violent death, "She rejoined; "and
as we 90 along | will call your attention to
those which mark the places where the foreign
ers met theirs"
"Do you know" said l. that am resolved
to emulate their example, let the consequence
be what it my ~
Holy saints defends " she exclaimed
"you are not in earnest, Senior ?"
Seriously so, assure YOU"
You would only bring certain death up
on us both"
Say rather, | should tighten the expens-
cs of the journey-for your knights of the
road understand retreat as well as advance
and you yourself have acknowledged that
firm resistance put them all to flight for
once"
"But there were numbers opposed to them,
Senior, and you are only one.
But fortunately | have couple of revolv-
ers, which, in two good hands, amount to
some ten or dozen shots, and my friends
have repeatedly told me am not bad marks
man."
"Ah Santa Maria you will think better
of this Senor-the very idea of resistance ter
rifles me ~
!, But not the idea of robbery ~
Because | have never met with vio-
lencc'
We continued to converse in a similar strain
for some time longer-my fair companion
gradually changing the subject, and seeming
much interested in myself. 1 learned that
her family name was Valorde, that she was
unmarried that her father and brother were
officers in the army, and so forth, and so on;
and in return gave her my own name, stat
ed something of my history, business and
prospects, and altogether became more COM
muncative than would advise any friend to
be with any stranger Of either sex ina strange
country.
AS we continued our journey, the CONVEX
sation gradually changing from one thing to
another, Senorita Paula suddenly brought it
back to the point where it first opened
We are coming upon dangerous part of
the road" she said; are you still resolved to
defend yourself if assailed?"
With your permission, Senorita?'
81 Il don't think it advisable" she replied,
Out sti If such is your intention think it