Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-06-28

messed in the grove. Great was theil
 excitement when it was found that neithel Mir. Roberts nor his colored manservant Jim, who had also accompanied Lucia tC
 Rio Grande City that morning, had re-
 turned. The negro was presently found in the grove. dead, with a deep wound in the side of his head.
 "Mr. Roberts has been abducted by
 bandits. and if he is not rescued will be
 held for ransom" said Arthur. "I must
 go to tho camp and rouse the men at
 oDce."
 An hour later Arthur Forbes, accom-.
 panied by twenty stalwart cowboys, was
 riding across the prairie on the trail ol
 tho abductors.
 Dragged from his horse, beaten, bound
 hand and foot, blindfolded and tied on n
 horse, Mir. Roberts was driven all night and nearly all the next day across tho prairie, without food or drink. At tho end of that time he was taken from the horse and the bandage removed from his eyes. Two of his captors then taining no furniture whatever, and lighted only by smoky lamp that hung suspended from a beam overhead Then, withou. word, they left him, and he heard them fasten the door on tho out side.
 Exhausted by his terrible journey, Mir. Roberts was about to throw himself on tho hard floor when the door was opened again and a man entered the hut.
 "Senor Moreno!" the ranchman cried, hope reviving in his heart. You have followed-you have come to save me! P
 Not so fast, MT. Roberts," Msreno replied, sinister expression on his hand some face. "Why should succor the man who so recently gave mo q blow?"
 "Ah" Roberts fell back a pace, re. garding the other fixedly. "Then may ask your business here?"
 "Well?"
 "Consent to my marriage with her and yon are free man."
 "Then it is by your instigation that I have been brought to this robbers den?"
 Have a care, Roberts! You arc in my power noww cried Moreno, an angry flush darkening his face.
 Pooh! did you ever know me to play the part of a coward? So the girl was right, after all, though I laughed when sine called you bandit"
 "Ha! did she so? No matter-by and by she will spend tho gold I bring her without asking uncomfortable questions as to how 1 obtained 1t. Come, wha. do you say? Do you consent to take mo for q son-in-law?"
 The ranchmans eyes blaZed with indig- nation.
 see my daughter dead, and dio a thou sand deaths myself than give her to you, m outlaw-a bandit
 "Weu try what confinement and hunger will do," said Moreno, with 0 sheer II think you will change your mind before you have been here many hours longer" And, with mocking bow, he left the room:
 The sun was just disappearing below the western horizon as Arthur Forbes and his men entered the hilly, wooded country that borders the Rio Grande. A thick column of smoke rising from pine thicket about thres-quarters of a mile ahead of them, showed where the out aw's' camp was situated.
 Arthur bade his men conceal them selves in the dense wood, while he went on to reconnoitre. lie found that tho own force, so, as they evidently had no suspicion of the presence of an enemy, 10 determined to wait until they were asleep and then surprise them.
 After midnight, when the outlaws had | sunk into profound slumber, he ordered l he attack. Tho cowboys advanced l and were almost within the | ,amp before they were discovered by the 1 who gave the alarm.
 But 1t came too late. Arthur's men | 'ushed forward with cheers, and were | lmong the robbers before they were | airly awake. The latter hurriedly seized | heir weapons and made what resistance | hey could; but 1t was intellectual The | struggle was sharp and brief. Many of | ,he outlaws were killed, and the rest fled orecipitately. Among the latter was Moreno.
 Arthur, as soon as the battle was over, jailed few of his men and went in search of MT. Roberts. They soon ound him. and he was at once released rom his unpleasant quarters.
 The cowboys determined to remain In he outlaws camp during the remainder of he night, and start for home the next One of them told Mir. Roberts what had taken place at his ranch the previous night. He listened until tho story was finished, then rose and went to vhere Arthur was standing with his back against the trunk of a tree, gazing into he fire.
 Arthur" said he, grasping the young mans hand. 'I have learned all that 'ou have done for me. You have proved brave fellow and friend that 'ne can rely upon. Now what shall tive you as reward?"
 Al eAA0A WtIo oUoub to OepTeCdGo dIy re- l urn for what was simply his duty when le caught the whimsical expression of is employers face.
 "Oh. sir, he faltered, sudden hope 'pringing into life, eff I dared-n you would not think mo presumptuous-"
 ''Go on, boy, "said Robert, kindly.
 "Sir, IT love your daughterw
 ''Yes, so have heard" dryly.
 Forgive mo for deceiving you, Mir. Roberts. did not intend to violate your rust in me. What man could be near hat adorable girl-that angel-and not ove herr"
 "All very fine, sir; very fine indeed. But considering the fact that the angel in question costs her old father something ike S5,OOO year, how do you hope to [eep her in feathers on q salary of $5OO?"
 'I'm afraid I did not think of that, ir," said Arthur. with downcast face.
 "Of course you didn't! When did love- orn fools ever think of anything sensi- ,le. But there, boy, I won't tsase. ike you-you are a noble, brave fellew- md you shall have my Lucia and enough honey to keen her in dresses all the days # her life. I'd rather have you for a on-in-law than any man know"