The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1889-02-16
IN the irai. She heard a loui cracking

" nat C"2.d IL II caIf bewiideTci, sIe
lookci dowa tn, mou attain sidc. All.
God. She kGew thol. Tbs mountain
was on fire. Tongues o. flame
darted from shrub to shrGb, and lickei
up the grass. dried TO finder by the
semi-tropic sun through the rainicss
months OF summer. With roar ike
tempest it swept up tho noun
tain. The dried branches Of dead
trees, killed by former fires, cau;ht
the blaze, and stood ike sentinels of
fire in its wake.
Although she knew that certain and
awful death was coming, terror held Gar
cia helpless and she was again becoming
unconscious, when she was aroused by
the voice Of Jose shrieking wildly:
Fly, senorita, fly. For the love of
the Virgin, fyr She could not .movs
with fear as 'Iead upon the feet of her
most an xious will"
Tho hot breath of death was scorch-
ing her cheek, whom sho felt herself
clu;ched by the arm, and dragged I'M
tremendously over rock and bushes to
the other side of the bend. There was
10 timo for choosing paths. Jose was
certainly not to blame that his delicat,
physique rendered him incapable OF
giving her better assistance, but when
her senses returned, unreasonable in
diGnation came also. Stephen would
never have drag :cd and tunbled her
down a mountain with an utter di5re-
gard of her feelings AMI her wardrobe.
Sill they slipped and stumbled and the
fire pursued them with dangerous
haste. Another fve minutes and they
would reach the canyoa, with its cx-
panse of gravel and water and safety.
At this I'm ortunate moment GIrcia's
skirts caught the projecting limb of
fallen tree and brought rescuer and res
cued to sudden stands;ilL G.rcia
tuggtd at her skirts and Jose pulled at
GIrcia with all his strength, which did
not tend to help matters. Tho fire
came nearer and snatched the end OF
the tree whose bran Oh held Garcia pris-
oner With wild shrek SO let go
his hold, and, plungiug down ward, left
the unfortunate girl to her fate. Re-
lieved of the strain the loosened gar
ments were easily diseatangled and
Garcia followed her cowardly guile,
disgusted even in her peril, aud thor
ough.y cured Of her infatuation. As
she reached the saving gravel she saw a
strangely familiar figure dash madly up
the canyon. Il was only q feeting
glance, for she was too terrified for rea-
son, and flung herself headlong into the
little stream The water Sursled and
splashed and wet her to the skin. Her
hat was lost and her dress was in tat =
ters.
'Tshall die Of consumption" she
thought, latter oil this exposure. Oh,
how sick feeli believe I am dying
now"
She opened her eyes, however, and
sat up very straight for dying woman,
as she heard her name called in an
agonizlnS tone.
Garcia, Garcia, my darling GarciaT
"Why, Stephen" she cried, ''is it
really you' Where did you come
froml' she asked. as he fished her.
dripping, out of the stream. al cannot
believe it is you
ut is surely l." he assured her, as he
lifted her with tender strength and
held her closely in his arms. at
wouldn't be healthy for another fellow
to be in my place. Where did como
FRONT Chicago, Of course, on the 0 80
train. ! wandered about that wretchcd
little village till l VS. al most stag
mated, and came up the canyon on an
exploria. expedition to find my fiance
apparently eldeavoriny to commit sui
eide. That little Mexican you seemed
pursuing hasn't stopped running yeti
Cooking after tho retreating figure and
not noting Garcias blu 'hes). "Whcw
how smoky. That would have grand
effect ct night" he said. looking al
the burning mountain. Thank God
my darling is safe from that fery
DEATH
"Oh, stephsul Garcia cried, throwing