Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-07-02

1
text for your departure s."
never thought of her mother. She
is right. Even if she were wrong l
must obey her.
14fh September. letters from
England have arrived. One of them
presents me with the necessary excuse
for my departure, ready made. My pro-
posal for the purchase of the yacht is
accepted. The sailing-mastera and crew
have refused all offers of engagement,
and are waiting at Cowes for my orders.
Here is an absolute necessity for my re-
turn to England.
The newspaper arrived with. the let.
tors. My anticipations have been real.
lied. Yesterdays paragraph has pro.
duced another volunteer contributor.
An Englishman, just returned from
Central America, after travelling in
Arizona, writes to the Times. He pub
fishes his name and address. and he
declares that he has himself seen the
two captive priests.
The name of the Times correspondent
carries its own guarantee with it. He
is no less a person than Mr.. Murthwaite,
the well-known traveller in India, who
discovered the lost diamond called
"The Moonstone," set in the forehead
of Hindoo idol. He writes to the
editor as follows:
"SIR-I can tell you something of the
two Jesuit priests, who were the sole
survivors of the massacre in the Santa
Cruz valley four months since.
81 was travelling at the time in Ari-
zona, under the protection of an Apache
chief, bribed to show me his country
and his nation Gnstead of cutting my
throat and tearing off my scalp) by a
present tribute of whisky and gunpow-
der, and by the promise of more when
our association came to an end.
"About twelve miles northward OF
the little silver mining town of Tubac
we came upon an Apache encampment.
I at once discovered two white men
among the Indians. These were the
captive priests.
"One of them was Frenchman
named L'Herbier. Tho other was an
Englishman named Penrose. They
owed their lives to the influence of two
powerful considerations among the
Indians. Unhappy L'Herbier lost his
senses under the horror of the night
massacre. Insanity, as you may have
heard, is sacred thing in the estima-
tion of the American savages-they re-
gard this poor mailman as mysteriously
inspired person. The other priest, Pen
rose, had been in charge of the mission
medicine-chest, and had successfully
treated cases of illness among; the
Apaches. AS a great medicine-man,
lie, too, is privileged person under
the strong protection of their interest in
their own health. The lives of the
prisoners are in no danger, provided
they can endure the hardship of their
wandering existence among the Indians
Penrose spoke to me with the resigna-
tion of true hero. / am in the hands
of God he said, and if | die, l die in
Gods service
g / was entirely unprovided with the
means of ransoming the missionaries,
and nothing that | could say or that l
could promise had tho smallest effect
on the savages. But for severe and
tedious illness l should long since have
been on my way back to Arizona with
the necessary rausom. AS it is, l am
barely strong enough to write this let
ter But / can head subscription to
pay expenses, and / can give instruc
tioas to any person who is willing to
attempt the dcliyerance of the priests" !"
SO the letter ended
DSloIo hhll Iedt IL WAS III " lOSS w
know where to go or what to do when
| leave st. Germain. / am now at no
loss. have found an object in life and
a means of making atonenent to Stella
for my own ungracious and una orthy
words. Already | have communicated
by telegraph with Mr.. Murthwaite, and
with my sailing-master. The first is
informed that hope to be with him in
Lgndon tomorrow morning. The sec
ond is instructed to have the yacht fit
ted out Immediately for long voyage.
If | can save these men-especially
Penrose-I shall not have lived in vain.
London, 10th SeDtsmber.-- No. / have
resolution enough to go to Arizona, but
have no courage to record the parting
scene when it was time to say goodbye.
/ had intended to Keep the coming
enterprise secret, and only to make
the disclosure in writing when the yes
sci was ready to sail. But, after read
ing the letter to the Times, Stella saw
something in my face Jas | supposed
that betrayed me. Well, it's over now.
As long as I don't think of it my mind
is calm.
Mr.. Murthwaite has not only given
me valuable instructions, he has pro-
vided me with letters of introduction to