The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-10-02


fully, "if in your present condition, you
ought to travel. You have just taken n pow
crful medicine" and the doctor looked hypo-
critically concerned
"Ah,-tho deyill' laughed Consho, what is
the quicksilver that is in to that which is 0utf
Uoopa, la Mula!" and, with clatter of hoofs.
and jingle Of spurs, he was presently lost in
the darkness.
you were none 60 soon gentlemen" said the
American alraldc, as he drow up before the
doctors door "Anothcr company has just
been incorporated for the same location,
reckon"
"Who are they2
Three McxicanS-Pedro, Manuel and Nix.
uel-headcd by that id cock-cyed Sydney
duck, Wilcs."
"Are they here"
manuel and Miguel, only. The others
are over at Tres Pinos lally-gaging Roscom-
mon and trying to rope him in to pay OF their
whisky bills at his grocery"
"If that's SO we nee,n't start before sunrise,
for they're sure to get roaring DRUM"
And this legitimate successor of the grave
Mexican alcaldes having thus delivered his
impartial opinion, rode away.
MEANWHILE Concho the rcdoubtablc, Concho
the fortunate, spared neither RATA nor spur.
The way was dark, the trail obscure and Mt
times even dangerous, and Concho familiar
as he was with these mountain Businesses,
often regretted his surc-footed Francisquta.
Care not, o Concho,' be would say to him
self, otis hut little while, only Il little while,
and thou shalt have another Flancisluta to
bless thee Eli, shipjack, there was fine music
to thy dancing. A dollar for an ounce-'tis
rs good as silver, ana merricr' Yet for all
his good spirits he kept a sharp lookout at
certain bends Of the mountain trail; not for
assassins Cr hrigands for CoHoho was lhysi-
cally courageous, tat for the Evil one, WHO, in
various forms, was said to lurl; in tie Slntc
Cruz range, to the great discomfort Of all true
Catholics. lie recalled the incident Of I@aa-
clio, a muictoor of thc Franciscan f,i5rs, who,
stopping at The An.'olua to repeat tn crrlo,
saw Lu2bcl plainly in the likeness of a mon
strous grizzly bear, morkiny him 10y sitting
on his Launches and lifting his paws, clasp.>l
together, rs if in prayer. Nevertheless, with
one hand graspinS the rcins and his rosary
and the other clutching his whisky flask and
revolver, he Jared on SO rapidly that he
reached the summit as the earlier streaks Of
dawn We're outlining the far-Of Sierran
peaks, lettering his horse on a strip of
table land, he descended cautiously afoot I'M
til he reached tie bench, the wall of red rock
and the crumblci and dismantcd furnace. Ii
was aS he hal left it that morning; there was
no trace OF resent human visitation. Revolver
in hand, Concho examined every cave, gully
and recess, pcered behind trees, penetrated
copies Of buckeye and manZanita, and listened.
There was no sound but the faint soughing
OF the wind over the pines below him. For n
while he paced backward and forward with n
vague sense of being "a sentinel, but his mer
curial nature soon reboled against this mo-
notony, and soon the fatigucs Of the day began
to tell upon him Recourse to his whisky
flask only made him the brewster, until at
last he was fan to lie down and roll himself
up tightly in his blanket. The next moment
he was sound asleep.
His horss neighed twice from the summit,
but Concho heard him not Then tho brush
cracked on the ledge above him, small frag
ment of rock rolled near his feet, but he stirred
not And then two black figures were out
lined on the crags beyond.
"St-t-t," whispered a voice. There is one
lying beside the furnace" Tho speech was
Spanish, but the voice was Wiles'.
The other figure crcpt cautiously to the
edge Of She crag and looked over, 1T is
Concho, the imbecile, said Pedro, contemptu-
ously.
But il he should not be alone, or if he
should wakenf
al will watch and wait. Go you and affix
the notification"
Wiles disappeared. Pedro began to creep
down the faae Of the rocky ledge, supporting
himself by chemisal and brushwood
The next moment Pedro stool beside the
unconscious man. Then he looked cautiously
around The figure OF his companion was
lost in the shadow Of the rocks above; only
slight crackle of brush betrayed his where
abouts Suddenly Pedro flung his serape
over the sleeper's head and then threw his
pOWer1ul frame anu lTtAIltINiuuS "cISuI lull
upon Conchos upturned face, while his strong
arms clasped the blanket pinioned limbs of
his victim There was d momentary up
heaval, a spasm and a struggle but the
tightly rolled blanket chung to the unfortu-
nate man like cerements.
There was no noise, no cutlery, no sound of
| struggle There was nothing TO be seen but
the peaceful, PROSTATE figures of the two men
darklv outlined on the ledge. They might
have been sleeping in each others arms. In
the black silence the Stealthy tread Of Wiles
in the bush above was distinctly audible.
Gradually the struggles grew fainter. Then
whisper from the crags:
81 can't see you. What are you doing"
| Watching"
"Sleeps he.'
Ale sleeps
| "Soundly!'
"Soundly.'
after the manner of the deadf
After the fashion OF the dead!'
The last tremor had easel. Pedro rose as
Wies Descended.