Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-03-13

) you. VIII not love any one WI
, to be always with you"
, Clarence Kane sprang to his feet al
, rapidly crossed the floor, and retur
ing, said quickly:
"Juanita, would to heaven | coul
keep you ever with me; but first, ere
know my doom, let me tell you of you
self; let ME tell you of your past life
Listen. You have believed you
self left in my keeping by your parent
who | told you died in foreign land
but to your life hangs story whic
now you must know, for no longer ar
you child.
You know my life has been one @
adventure, of wandering, and thus
will begin by telling you that sixteel
years agone [ was roaming in Spain
and one night put up at an inn by tn
roadside, where were stationed a mum
Der of Spanish officers.
w hile enjoying my supper in quiet
a conversation occurred at table nea
me, between several Spanish officers
that was most insulting to my owl
land, and every vile epithet was heap
ed upon America and Americans, un
til, unable to stand it longer, | arose t.
my feet, and crossing over to the table
threw glass of wine into the face Of
young man, attired in a captain :
uniform, and who had been particular
ly insulting in all he had said.
Instantly there was commotion
and making known my nationality, the
young captain demanded that | should
meet him in a duel, and nothing 10th,
| accepted the challenge, and promised
to meet him the next day but one, in a
spot designated in the mountains, and
some twelve miles distant, the captain
promising to have a friend present who
would act as my second, for | was a
stranger in strange land, and knew
not whom to call upon; but do not be
impatient, Juanita, for all this bears
upon your life.
TO be in time, | procured guide
the next afternoon, and thoroughly
armed and we'll mounted, we started
for the rendezvous; but terrific storm
set in, We lost our way, darkness came
on, and after wandering for hours, a
friendly light caught our eyes, and
eagerly we sought it, and found small
mountain farm house, from the in
mates of which we received a warm
welcome.
Il liked not the appearance of the
place, and neither did my guide, for we
felt assured that there had been some
half dozen men in the house when we
called at the gate, for distinctly had we
heard loud voices, and yet, only an old
manand woman bad greeted US.
" But good supper was given Us.
My guide looked after the horses, and
was assigned place in the barn to
sleep, while | was shown up stairs to
a small room possessing but single
door and window, besides the trap
through which | had entered the
chamber.
Dressed as 1 was, threw myself
upon the low bed, but not to sleep for
strange thoughts came over me, and
soon 1 heard the hum of voices, and
through a crack in the floor discovered
in the room below a half-dozen fierce
looking men in earnest conversation.
AT once l knew ALL was in the
house of a band Of robbers, and well |
knew my fate.
While | looked, the men started
forth, and | distinctly heard the words:
We'll first finish the guide in the sta
ble.'
Rising to my feet, | softly felt
around the room until | found the
door | had observed, and after few
efforts it opened, and | discovered that
it led down a narrow passage-way,
which, following some distance, Icame
upon window opening out upon a
shed, which slanted off towards the
ground at the back of the house.
Here was chance to escape, but
unwilling to leave my guide in danger
without some effort to save him, | lit a
match and glanced around me, and to
the right discovered door, which |
judged led into room commanding a
view of the sta ble-yard.
THE latch raised easily and | en-
tered, and lighting another match, what
was my horror to discover the forms of
three men lying upon the floor; but
believing them asleep was about to
withdraw when voice said quickly:
Great heavens you hereY
Instantly turned the blaze upon
the speaker, and with amazement dis
covered one of the yonng officers |
had met in the inn, bound hand and
foot, while by his side lay two others,
the one | was to meet the next morn
ing in deadly combat, and he that was
to have been my second.
But no need had | to dread that
morrow's meeting, for both my enemy
and the one that was to have acted as
my friend was dead"
"Dead?"
"Yes, Juanita, they had been cruel
ly put to death by the very band that
was soon to seek my life; for, like my
guide and myself, the other party be-
come lost in the storm and had hap
pened upon the same house.
This was quickly told me by the
young officer, whose life the bandits
had spared, to torture from him upon
the morrow a confession as to when
richly laden commissary train was to
cross the mountains.
Instantly l severed the bonds of
the young officer, and rising to his feet
he took the pistol | offered him, and
together we were consulting as to our
future movement to save the poor
guide, when, from the stable-yard,
came a loud cry for mercy, few shots
and a groan Of agony, and poor Pepe,
We knew, had been cruelty murdered.
"' Let US away from here, or our
fate will be such as his see, there are
dozen of them, cried the Spaniard.
And leading the way, | dashed
through the window opening upon the
shed, just as cry arose among the
bandits to seek me.
Out upon the roof, off upon the
ground, we hastily scrambled, and at
full speed rushed in the darkness, mile
after mile, until my poor companion
was broken down and could go no fur
ther; but then daylight broke, and |
discovered a small cot near by, and
arousing the inmates, we asked for
sLelter, which was cheerfully given,
although death there met our gaze for
upon snow-whits bed lay young and
beautiful woman, who had been thrown
from her horse the evening before and
killed.
"Oue glance, and my companion re-
cognized her. She vas the wife of the
Young officer with whom | was to en-
gage in a duel.
"Her story had been told to the in
mates of the cottage ere she died, which
was that her husband had gone to fight
= duel, and she was fastening after him
royant II oecompanied only by a