The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1890-12-18
A BANDITS GRATITUDE.
How Traveller in Spain Was Saved by silva,
Cross.

Harry White always longed for an
adventure in his Spanish travels, and
it had come at last. It had been his
fortune to save the life Of captain OF
the brigands, who presented him in
parting with a curious silver cross.
This worthy had fallen from the rocks
and Harry had assisted him to escape.
Five years later he was in Spain
again, and, wandering among the
mountains, he found he had lost his
way. A storm was coming up, and
what he feared came only too soon. Al
hoarse shout startled him, and he
found himself surrounded by band Of
cutthroats.
A smart stroke from the butt of
Harry Whites heavy whip felled the
foremost man, but the rest at once
dragged him from his horse, and, in
spite of his furious struggles, bound
him hand and foot.
'Let me kill the dog!" roared the
injured robber, whose head was bleed
ing freely. "He shall never strike
Spaniard again!'
"Not so fast, Brother Juan" said
another. ale looks like an English
man and the English are all rich.
Well make him pay fat ransom"
'And if he don't pay it quickly"
put in third, with significant whisk
OF his knife close to the prisoners ear,
'his friends won't find him so hand
some the next time they see him.
Harry's blood ran cold at the
horrible threat and the roar of brutal
laughter that followed it. He was now
completely disenchanted, for the
brilliant and chivalrous bandits of his
boyish dreams were utterly different
from these ragged, hang-dog ruffians,
who almost choked him with the
sitting odor of garlic and tobacco.
Then his horror turned to rage at
the thought of being plundered and
insulted by these brutal rascals, and
he inwardly vowed that when he did
get free he would spend all the money
he had in hunting them down.
The robbers laid their prisoner on
horse and led him up steep, zigzag
path to a kind of rocky platform,
walled in on three sides by unscalable
cliffs, while on the fourth lay
precipice of several hundred feet
Here about twenty more brigands
were encamped; and Harry White,
suddenly remembering his silver cross,
looked eagerly to see if the man who
had given it to him was one OF the
band but he could see no one in the
least like him.
just then has5y step was heard be-
low, and a tall, dark figure springing
up the rocks as nimble as a mountain
goat came bounding up the platform.
''Up with you, comrades!' shouted
the newcomer, who was no other than
the formidable Pedro Gonsalvez him
self 1--WE have been betrayed, and
all the soldiers from La Redonda are
on our trail. We must retreat at once.
All! Who is this-a prisoner"
owe took him in the valley yonder,
piled one of the bandits.
There is no time to think of ransom
now, when our very lives are at stake!''
said the robber chief, sternly. Take
what money he has on him and thon
fling him over the precipice. i
Instantly dozen eager hands were
rifing Harry's pockets; and the brave
lad giving himself up for lost, pre-
pared to die like a man. But, as his
watch was drawn forth by the robbers,
the silver cross that hung to it's chain
caught the eye of Gonsalvez, who
spraug forward and asked, where
did you get that CROSSE"
lit was given to me five years ago
by a smuggler of these parts, whom I
helped to escape when he was crippled
by a FALL" replied Harry, looking
fxedly at him.
land | am the man who gave it,"
said Gonsalvez, grasping his hand
warmly; land for that good deed you
shall depart free and unframed.
Comrades, give him back all that you
have taken. Follow that path, which
will lead you to the village of San
Tomas; and when you tell this story
to your friends, tell them also that
kindness is never thrown away, even
upon Il brigand. Boston Globe.