Mexico weekly ledger., 1882-04-27

man OF wild and evil aspect, in the
wel-known costume---half-mil military,
half-huntsmanlike-ofK Kuralfi's band,
made his appearance up in the rocky.
path, and came bounding down to-
ward her. She uttered a scream. and
was about to fly, when a well-known
voice reassured her. She perceived
it was Ludwig, disguised as brig
and.
"All has gone well, Zelda" said
he, after mutual greetings had been
exchanged. 81 penetrated into Ku-
ralfi's fastness, as an escaped felon,
and won his confidence. He thinks
he has made me one of his band, and
has furnished me with costume and
weapons, as you see Kuralfi, at the
head of fifteen chosen followers, will
attack and enter Montemarto to-mor-
row at daybreak.
"Sixteen in alliss said Zefda.
"Why, that is just the number of old
monks in the monastery, all told"
''However that may be, Kura1fi
swears that no personal harm shall
come to the old priests, if they reveal
the hiding-place Or their treasure"
''Thank heaven for that!'' s.
Zelda did not now scruple to re-
ward her brave lover with more kisses
than one; and Ludwig, happy and
elated beyond measure, fastened on
to the village to acquaint the military
commandant with what discoveries he
had made.
The sequel may be tersely stated.
AT daybreak of the following day,
Kuralfi and his followers easily made
themselves masters of the monastery,
and were seeking for the monks treas
ure at their leisure, when the company
of Austrian soldiers to which Ludwig
belonged suddenly made their appear
ance at the gates, and demanded ad-
mittance.
The robbers replied by discharge
of musketry. This they kept up for
more than an hour, when suddenly
the firing, which had done very little
damage, ceased altogether.
In a few minutes afterward, the
soldiers succeeded in breaking in the
great door by sheer force.
Upon entering the sacred building
they found, to their astonishment, the
sixteen monks lying ON the altar steps,
bound hand and foot, but no trace of
the robbers.
The monks, on being promptly re-
leased from their bonds, drew their
cowls shudderingly over their faces,
and informed their liberators that the
brigands had probably effected their
escape by means of a subterranean
passage, leading from one of the con-
vent cellars to the neighboring forest.
"Forward!'' cried the captain,
sorely disappointed, but waving his
sword, and heading rush for the
entrance to the cellars. sits a dis
grace if they shall have escaped us so
easily!" ...
Ludwig, with a small detachment,
remained ON guard in the body of the
church, while the released monks be-
gan to file out through the main en-
trance, ON the pretext of desiring to
offer up thanks for their providential
deliverance, in small chapel attach
ed to the monastery.
While they were passing out, Zelda
suddenly dashed into the building.
She had lurked in the vicinity while
the firing was going on, and now hur-
ried upon the scene, nothing doubt:
ling that the soldiers were by this time
twreaking a summary vengeance on
the betrayer of her father and his
crew. -.
A single glance at the out-filine
cowled heads and befrocked forms
was sufficient for her penetrating
gaze.
Ludwig, you are befooled, out
planned!' she screamed to her lover
"See! these are not the monks-they
are the robbers themselves ~
The hindmost of the pretended
monks uttered an oath, and, throw
ing back the folds of his borrowed
robe, fired a shot at her from hi
/ concealed musket, which luckily
failed of its aim; and then they al
rushed out of the gates, pellmell, witt
a savage shout, throwing off thei
disguises and producing their weap
ons as they fed. ~
t But the warning Of the brave gir
had been as timely as her discovery
But half of the soldiers had as We
|entered the cellars, and the younI
sergeant and his detachment wer
already on the heels of the escapinl
robbers, whose stratagem had S
nearly proved successful.
Kuralfii and his miscreants wer
almost Immediately so hard presse
by the entire company of soldier
that they did not even attempt to re
Il gain the forest, which would hav
been an impossibility, but retreate
, into the adjoining chapel, barrieade
the doors, and essaying desperat
resistance. .a-
1t availed them nothing. The so
diers ultimately broke down the door!
| dashed into the building at the poil
E Of the bayonet, and when resistane
r finally ceased, but two of the robbers
Kuraifi himself and one other-wel