Daily Kennebec journal., 1880-12-18
NO. 29S.
Gales ano Skettbes.
NANuELlfA.
A ROMANCE OF CENTRAL AMERICA.
Continued from Yesterday. }

Continued from yesterday.l
For two hours the storm rages with un-
checked fury upon the mountain. As sud-
denly as il began the rain ceases. The
clouds. rent and scattered. drive rapidly
to the eastward. and the now setting sun
resumes its sway. Muttering and grum-
the distance. its last tones reverberating
still among the delicate echoes Ear up the
moontain-Side,
Over the blue waters of the Gulf the
sun is setting in sea of glory. Castella-
ted cities and fairy land pictures are
formed by the surrounding clouds sun
and purple, blending and fading the fiery
ball sinks and is quenched in the dark.
restless waves.
Antonio. driven from the canyon by the
torrent which replaces the rippling stream
OF the morning, lies stretched at full
length upon his poncho, on the bank,
drawing in long breaths of the damp,
sweet air, heavy laden with the pcrtumed
breath Of the storm-stricken flowers. His
thoughts are of Manuelta. TOR whom his
love is the one soft, gentle emotion in his
whole organization.
He is a man of steel. firm as the eternal
hills in his purposes. and the one on which
he is now bent is to carry away his love
TO another land, less sunny perhaps but
more peaceful.
The sunshine in her hair will be mine
at all events, and with that one can dis
pense with the 'God-smle' on the hill
side,'' he murmurs. with that smile of in
eflable sweetness which is always evoked
when he thinks of her.
But blood will run in the streets of the
town below him before Manuelita is his
to carry away and it may well be his blood
that crimsons the stones. and with that
thought his mouth sets into firm lines
again and the cold glitter shines in his
eyes. Ever and again he glances at the
dark outline of the mountain, but scarcely
dares to hope that the signal lights will
end his suspense soon.
All is dark Suddenly the marmosct
gives shrek in a tree across the CANYON.
The water is too deep to wade across. so
he goes up and down till he finds tree
trunk. which the gale has telled across it.
ard steps carefully along its length to its
aid
"Ah 81 little friend; another broken
branch, ~ he says. cheeriy but seeingtwo
balls of fire near him, he diyines the cause
of the alarmed chattering of the marmoset.
and throws a stoi.c in their direction. And
with the crash of the stone he hears the
soft bounds of tiger-cat skurrying away
in the darkness. As he turns to look for
his little friend his changed position ena-
bles him TO see what he could never have
seen from the other bank.
Far up the mountain side a cleaning
light. His breath chokes him as he waits
and watches. till farther above it a second
light CLEANS out bright and strong, and
the first goes out in a shower of sparks.
Miguel Gonzales" he exclaims, zone
man more than you dream of sees and un,
derstands the summons for your followers
to arm and assembled
Two hours later, when the moonlight
streams across the Gulf. strewipg slvery
pathway along its shifting waters. and its
warm, voluptuous, yellow rays kiss the
mountain peaks. a dark form glides quiet
ly, stealthily down the mountain side,
Avoiding the beaten track, slowly and
painfully pushing his way among the tan
gled creepers. hewing down with his
machete insurmountable obstacles--torn
by the thorns till the blood streams into
his eyes. Antonio. with the firm look about
his compressed lips, makes the best of his
way to warn the garrison OF the sleeping
town by the waters.