The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1882-01-14

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landlord of the hotel--he called it an hotel, and
he was, believe, Colonel-at Caroline Town.
You may possibly know Mr.. Tate?"
"He is my grandfather" replied the girl. There
was moments hesitation before she replied,
which the stranger did not notice, while deep
ening of the color in her brown cheek was hid
den by the gloom of the ravine in which she
stood. II am Annie Tate"
"Indeed!" exclaimed the other "Then am
really fortunate. Pray, do not wait any longer
with me- as I should not like you to travel
through such roads in the dark. shall not feel
the least uneasiness during your absence.
| The girl smiled assent; but without further
speech turned away, and in another instant had
disappeared.
Il will never despair again." muttered the
young man. "Things looked as badly for me,
fancied as it was possible; and am sure saw
a bear cross yonder ridge. I had made up my
mind to a single combat with him; perhaps it
would not have been single combat, by the
| way, for Mrs Bruin and the young ladies and
gentlemen of the family might have made free
fight of it, What an Amazon!-I mean Miss
Tate, of course She carried rifle, and 1 do be-
leve a revolver also. 1t was good Job for me-
no doubt that she was such resolute, adventur-
GUS young party. But if her grandpapa at all
corresponds, I shall have struck nice little
family.
The stranger had plenty of time to mediate;
for the absence of Miss Tate was prolonged so
greatly that the last golden tinge had disappear
ed from the highest hill-peak, the yellow glim-
mer of the moon had shown above the eastern
range, and then the bright shield itself shone,
nearly at it's full, in the sky making every crag,
every tree, brilliantly visible but the low-lying
hollow where the traveller had fallen was in pro-
found shade; and despite of his resolution, he be-
gan to grow nervously alive to real or imagined
sounds, as of soft and stealthy footballs, which
seemed ever and anon to reach his ear. These
might be the tread of bears, of mountain lions
another name for the puma-or of Indians, still
more dangerous, abroad that night. He looked
more than once at the lock of his rifle; and far
oftener than once, strained his ear to listen for
the roll of wagon.
At last it came-the wagon, not the roll for
on that soft natural road, the wheels produced
scarcely any sound and coming in a somewhat
different direction from that in which he had ex-
peced to see it, the vehicle turned the side of the
huge block under which he was lying and rolled
out before him with a suddenness which startled
him. Two persons were in the wagon, One was
Miss Tate; the second was man whose swarthy
features and afterwards his speech, declared him
to be Mexican. This latter bore lantern, and
being a stout, powerful fellow, was able to assist
the injured man until he stood upright; then,
almost taTryln. H.H m the Ge, while his
fair COM bin tr. other, the
stranger .o tie of the wag-
on, upon uz a--a lie Mexican
easily ens hlla - .se LIS
"You v sjt me at-ac E." said the
girl, "and steady him ore~ ID. aaa ices. will
drive"
With this they started off; and the young man
soon found that the precaution in reference to
bad places " was by no means an idle one.
During his rambles in the West, he had seen
and ridden over many bad roads; but this track
had no right to call itself road at all; and how
any horse could face such dips, could climb such
ascents, or how any vehicle made by mortal work
men failed to be knocked to pieces our stranger
was at loss to conceive. His injured foot, how
ever, claimed too much of his attention, to allow
him to be very particular about the road. Having
lain so long in one position, the first pain of his
injury had been succeeded by dull numbness, |
unpleasant to bear, but the exertion of moving
to and getting into the wagon had partially |
restored the circulation, and now pain set in |
which was almost sickening in its agony He |
bore 1T as well as he could but the Mexican |
who was watching him closely, spoke, as they
crossed an opening where the moonlight fell |
strongly upon his face: Say boss! haven't you
got no whisky in your flask? You've got flask
reckon?"
II had a little when l fell" returned the
stranger; but drank it"
Guess you'd better have some of mine,n con-
tinued Jose, drawing bottle from his pocket, |
and extracting the cork-cup OF glass he had |
none. You're looking pretty bad, tell you"
The stranger hesitated; but Annie, who had
turned half round on the seat, and had listened
to the dialogue, resumed her authority: Drink
it, stranger If Jose tells you to do So it is right
He is the 'cutest Mexican in these parts; and you
look like swooning-you do. Drink some."
Thus commanded, the young man drank at sew
eral gulps-for the spirit was raw and fiery-such
a quantity as Jose deemed requisite and although
the pain was not abated by this, he felt himself
better able to endure it.
After tedious ride over what might have been
ten miles, rather than two, so toilsome was it. if
not actually dangerous they arrived at a broad
level space, green and pleasant enough, skirted