The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-02-03


auburn hair.
The stranger seized it, as If it had bee
prize of gold, and, pressing it to bi
lips, exclaimed, as a tear stole into hi
eye:
/ Poor Adelel my child! You died
then, without hearing fromp
And you, then, are Jules Montral!
said Travers, dashing away tear from
his rough cheek. Explain what this al
means
'On one conditionr exclaimed the
stranger, with sudden energy.
Name it,
THAT you and your men will join me
at once, to follow on the trail Of party
Of CaDanches.'
1t is agreed-ha! comradesl'
We signiied our assent, and the stran.
ger, in a calm but rapid tone, proceeded
as follows:
MY name, as you surmise, is Jules
Neutral, born of French parentage, in
the snow clad mountains of Canada East
In early life l was welded to a beautiful
girl who possessed every Accomplishment
and virtue of woman, and whom [ loved
with all the mad nte eDsity Of my nature
Years Of happiness followed, bat l soon
discovered that my wifes health, which
was always delicate, began to rapidly de-
cline 1t became APPARENT that the afini-
ties of our natures we're antagonistic. |
was strong. robust, and hardy, and her
own a sensitive organization, and gradu-
ally wearing away.
'Perceiving this. and having heard
rare descriptions of the genial climate
and Rowcry landscapes of Texas, | re-
solved TO transfer her from our Northern
home 10 one which would probably tend
TO ycjuvenate her failing nealth. The
Great Master had best us with an only
child-a young girl, who inherited her
mothers constitutional frailty. We three
bade adieu to home and kindred, and
took up our quiet quarters 10 the humble
rancho oo the Bravo.
Two years passed away, and with the
last prairie bloom of Nosember, my wife
Joined hands with the flowers. aud passed
away With them. | said that loved her,
comrades, and | did, as men seldom
loves woman. Iburried her upon little
knoll by the side of the stream, and
through the long summer. myself and
d ghtcr-then twelve years old-scat-
tered flowers over her resting place. To
ny lonely rancho dwelt With ny child 3,
caring nothing for the Eorld, nursing ny
desolate solitude.
But no, | was not desolate; and I am
wrong to say so. My child-my little
Adele became all in all to me. taught
Der lessons of life, each day, and watched
her mind develop, with all the interest of
the alchemist over his gold. But | must
be brief. The war came on, and then,
once more, awobc from the lethargy in
to which l had fallen. l symfathized
With the Texan cause, but on account of
my child, | could not join the army for
regular duty, aud leave her alone in her
defeDceless home. But on every occasion
in my power, struck blow for inde-
pendeUce on ny own hook.
at last, when in the fall, matters be-
came so desperate with the cause, | re-
solved TO leave home for a short period
and become a Ranger. Adele was now
fourteen. On the night of the 18th of
October, We we're betrayed into the Gold
en- Pass of the Sierra, by false guide,
and our little band was massacred. 1t
was then that gave you this locket,
comrade Travcrs. In the struggle ofthe
conflict, surrounded By Mexicans and H.
diaus, | became separated from the rest,
and was taken prisoner By the former
For thirty-six days | was held in chains
in the prison of San Angelo, Matamoras,
from whence | escaped four days ago
Last night, at midnight, | returned to
my rancho; but, comrades-pardon my
emotion-the rancho was heap of
smoulderiug embers, the red FIRE still
Pickering on the chsrred logs; and on the
door,steps lay-the dead body Of my foasd
AdeLe-the gore from the hatchet.acO
still sott upon her achate foreheadp
Death and furiesl' cried Travers,
sprnging to his feet. as the stranger con-
cealed his face in bis bony hands.
who did it!' cried Molina, savagely.
The Camsncbes!' tbundered the stran-
ger. rising suddenly. L tracked them
through the blackness of the night. and
the scorcbing sun Of day; there are elev-
en- Of them, on foot, and travelling toward
the north section of the Neuces. have
sworn that they should never reach their
destination to tell their tale of crime; and /,
by the Great Master, will keep my
oath! Adele shall be avenged! Who
joins me!'
'All!' was shouted by every lip.
'Tben up and on the track!
A moment after our knapscks were
swung over our shoulders, and each man,
pausiDg for a moment to examine the
conditions of bis weapons, started after
the stranger with celerity. The direc-
ton 10 which Jules MoDtral led US was
precisely that which We should have ta-
ken on the following morning; as it was
at once apparent that the indians belong
ed to southern section of the tribe, and