The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1886-05-29
THE RoBBER CHIEF

IdE RUBbEH CAlEF.
In one of the fertile wales at the
base Of the Sierra Madre mountains
the famous Alcade de Mendana con-
trolled the affairs of the region.
Among the inhabitants of the hills,
the bandits and their lawless friends
this same man was known as "Don
Carlos, the Robber Chief" but so
well was his secret kept by those
acquainted with it that no whisper
of his unholy connection ever pol
luted the air of the valley over
which he held sway.
AS Don Carlos he conducted his
outrages with all the courtesy of a
robber of romance, being liberal to
the poor with what he gained from
the rich, and, while often cruel, he
would sometime exhibit such SEEM
ing generosity toward his victims,
or those in his power, that his vir-
tues were loudly sung by the easy
going multitude, while his wrong
doing was only whispered, and
most charitably CLOSED over.
From Sonora, on q chilly evening
in January, 1S-, the coach which
travelled the old road to chihuahua
was well filled with passengers,
all of whom, by display of arms as
well as by personal appearance,
seemed to be possessed of property
worth defending and weapons were
necessary, for the road to be travcr-
sed was notoriously infested by rob-
bers.
In the party were gentle, timid
old lady and her black-eyed, viva
cious niece, Marie de Navarro, sole
child and orphan of the noble Count
dc Navarro, who, dying, left his
motherless child to the care of her
dead mothers sister: and with this
amt the charming girl had passed
her life in Sonora.
Good as beautiful, and with all
the frankness of innocence, Marie
entered into unrestrained conversa-
ton with her fellow travellers. Nat
urally, the talk settled into exper-
fences of each, or their friends, in
connection with robbers and rob-
berries, and this continued long,
dread-including wakefulness. But
at last fatigue and slumber conquer
ed, and all were sound asleep, de-
spite the terrible jolting ofthe clum-
sy vehicle.
A very sudden pull-up of the
horses and halt of the coach betok-
ened that something had happen
ed,' and in an instant everyone was
wide awake-awake to see, sur
and peering in on every
side, fierce, dark, wild, and wicked
faces, made more hideous by the
dim flicker of the rude torches the
men carried.
The passengers were made to dis
mount and stand in a row, while
the brigands hastily pillaged them
of their valuables.
Somewhat apart from the others
were Marie and her aunt. They
were the last to be searched, and
the cool-headed girl occupied the
time in keen observations. Through
the darkness she could discern the
figure of a man on horseback, evil
IDENTIFY in command, though he took
no part in the active plundering.
When rude desperate approach
ed Marie and her aunt, and the
light of the torch fell full upon her
beautiful, pale and determined face,
she placed herself before her aged
relative: 81 have no wealth worth
your taking ; we do not carry our
treasures with us. My aunt, neith-
er has anything of value, and the
first Of you that lays a hand upon
her or me, the rounded arm flew
out fiercely, and in the little hand
was firmly grasped a keen, long
stilletto.
Staggered for a moment by this
unexpected opposition, the ruffian
started back, with a half oath and
half laugh, and was about to grasp
the girl when, from the gloom, was
heard a voice:
"The senoras are not to be mo.
Tested, We harm no children ol
women"
With the laugh turned to angry