Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1888-08-09

He dare not venture within The lines OF
Juarez except under the cover OF deep night
The little chapel, which you NAV easily see
, from the wing which YOU occupy, is the place
where the marriage rite, ar, to beperformed.
In writing this, good, brave Seniors Ameri.
cauoS | appeal to your goodness Of heart, to
save me from this living death, and in so do
ing YOU will ever receive the sincere PRAYERS
OF poor unhappy lula NELAsQUEZ.
, ?. S-MY trusty mad Ieln, will have
horses ready in the grove bcyoud the garden,
and We beg 10 hv under your protection to
that of my noble Eznaldh TULA V.
Leo read the letter through several
times, then he said to hmsell:
''Tula Nelasquoz! And this girl who
appeals to us for assistance is the very
same of whom | hayD heard my friend
Eznaldo speak so often in such lofty
praise Verify, it is all so strange!
But | am willing to take any risk to
protect lad from such an unwel l.
come fate as forced marriage. This
is promise of adventure" and he
reused his sleeping comrades aud
read Tula's letter to them.
The party was composed of young
men of adventurous sp rits, and most
of them knew the handsome Eznaldo
in Juarez' $ army and were read to
engage in any combat or undertaking,
however daring, if in so doing they
could serve that young officer or the
| girl he loved.
Accordingly. they made ALI thin gs
ready and WA ted for the hour of ten
| to roll round.
Leo was on his watch at the window,
and when at last. he bcheld the bridal
partv moving swiftly aud rs silently rs
| tnNyurlG ia, al,nnpI., bn
the signal to his compan 'ons to follow
him. Thay filed orderly out of the
! wing, and very soon the wedding
party was jo ned by six uninvtcd
guests.
The ranchero, what was leading the
lovely but unwilling lula. halted near
the door Of the chaple and looked over
his shoulder. Perhaps he had detected
the tread of the Americans, though
they had arrived almost noisleSSly.
At the sam, time, II tai. middle aged
grizzly bearded Mexican officer, Henri
que Fernandez the would be bride.
groom, who was Il little in advance of
the bride, became aware of the Ameri-
cans presence. The officer. Fernan.
dez, was attended by two younger OF.
ficers, and all were dressed in the most
gorgeous uniforms. The party stopped.
Fernandez. in an imperious voice de-
manded:
Don Vclasquez | particularly re-
quested that til ceremony should be
free from all intrusion. Who are the
strangers?"
The moon. ere this. had lowered
herself behind bold range of noun
tains in the west. hence the dim out
lines only of the intrudcrs could be
made out, but nothing of faces nor
dress could be distinctly seen.
at is the Seniors Amcricanos." re-
piled the savage zee OF Velasqucz,
"Why are lou hero, senorsp" he de-
manded.
don Velasquez" replied Leo. step
ping bodily before The ranchero. YOU
are cruelty forcing orr child to marry.
this night, one whom her soul detests,
while her heart is in the keeping OF
the brave Eznado of Juarez's army.
1t is to save lula Nelasquez from the
evil fate you have selected for her, tina,
: we are here"
With a glad cry, lula Velasque2
} tore herself away from her father s
side, and rushed up to Leo, just as he
/ struck the revolver, VIII ch the Mexican
officer had loveled at him. from his
/ hand.
Quickly leveling his own revolver in
. the face of Hcnrique Fernandez. he
said: You are my prisoner. Col. Fer.
nandeZ. Stir from your tracks at your
> peril"
= The Mexican officer knew that he
was no match for tho Young American,
+ and one glance was sufficient to show
: him that the least resistance would in.
vite his death. But he had not been
l forbidden to use his voice, so he called
to Velasquez, who, at first. was toe
dazsd at the very unexpected attack tC
, move.
l Don Nelasquez, call upon your ser,
wants for help; inform my men with
1 QUIT"
4 The young officers who had accom-.
panied Fernandez. had all they could
do in a hand-tO hand struggle VIII
= two robust Americans However. the
S struggle was of short duration. and the
I Meyicans soon surrendered.
Q The ranchero gave weak call fol
t help. which some of the men servant.
l quickly answered.
L
was scene of confusion by the little
chapel door. Pistol shots rang out on
the still night air The women in at
$ tendance shrked and fed through the
1 garden. The priest who stood uu.
g moved in the chapel door. shouted in
4 vain to be heard above the din. "
t In the height of it all, Leo. with q
= severe wound in his left arm. received
he scarcely knew how. cut his way out.
a dragging Col. Fernandez. a prisoner
i still, with him. lula Velasquez and
i Leila. her maid. were near him, and the
: other Americans soon came after, bring
ing the two officers that had been cap
a tured.
Here. through the garden to yor
A grove! whispered lula to Leo. ave
shall find horses there for our escape.
Q Go not bv the front euterance, a.
9 soldiers left on the plaza by Col Fer
nandez. will again oppose u.s."
! II required little time 10 reach thu
| grove pointed out b; Tua Vclasquez
a As she had promised. they found theil
: horses ready for them. Zea, with tn,
> assistance OF her lover, one of the
ranchero's servants. had attended 10
, that part. They soon mounted and
0 started br.skly away through the grove.
/ the shouts of the Mexican soldiers. who
! were trying to find their route of es
) cape ringing in their ears.
7 When at last their trail was discov
cred. the Mexicans gave them hot
J chase for a short distance. But they
had the prudence to relinquish the pur.
suit, rs they were being drawn W thin
a short way from Juarez' camp
Leo and his companions dashed into
camp where the lovely lula was
placed under the charge of Eznaldo,
aud the prisoners surrendered to Jrarez
himself, who founi in Col. Fernandez
n foe whom he had long desired to cap
ture. ....
Leo Gordon's wound was so obsli.
nate in healing that he was compelled
to leave the service Before he had
quit Mexico. however. he saw lula
Veiasquez and Eznaldo happily made
one. Three years after. when Leo re-
turned to visit his friends ia Mexico,
he met Eznaldo's handsome and ac-
complished sister. Vailctta. A love
sprang up between them, and they
were soon married. Leo bringing b $