Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1890-02-14

III ~ of n small Spanish
~ town on the southern
= slope of the Sierra
Morena; land I've been in it three
weeks, and not had one adventure
yet. A man gets no show at all in
travelling nowadays. Hello! here
comes somebody in a hurryp'
Very much in hurry, certainly.
seemed the sturdy Spanish peasant
who had just appeared on the top OF
the steep ridge above the boys head
Tor he was leaping from crag to crag
as recklessly as a wild cat, and Mt
times even swinging himself over
some deep cleft by the bough of q
tree, as if in such haste that he had
no time to think of such trife as
the chance of q broken neck
But in this case it was "most haste,
worst speed" for all at once q large
stone gave way beneath the Span
ard's feet, and he came tumbling
headlong down into the road amidst
a whirlwind ofdUst.
Harry, whose HJmpathies were al
ready enlisted in favor of a man
capable of such feats OF strength and
daring, flew to the spot feeling as if
he had really met with something
like an adventure" at last. But
when he reached the fallen man he
stopped in sheer amazement.
And well he might. The man
whom he had seen bounding along
the ridge had had long gray hair
and beard; he was quite sure of that,
for he remembered wondering that
an old man should be so active. The
hair of the man before him was short,
thick and black as night, and he had
no beard at ALL
Meanwhile, the stranger had man.
aged to sit up, and was wiping the
blood from n bad cut on his forehead.
In doing so he discovered the loss of
his false hair and beard. and met
Harry's eye fixed wonderingly upon
him.
"Well," asked he, fiercely, answer
ing the boys glance with a defiant
stare, edo you know me?"
mo, and don't want to know
you" said Harry in broken Spanish,
rather nettled ut the mans imperi-
GUS tone. 81 suppose you'rea SNUG
gler by your Disgusting yourself that
way"
eyes, am" replied the other, with
strange smile. "Are you going to
give me up to the police?"
"Not Il" cried Harry. Its not
the style of us Americans to give
away n man who can't stand up for
himself"
"Ah, you're an American them"
said the smuggler, looking curiously
at him. well, if you are willing to
help me, I'll tell you how you can do
it. Give me your arm as far as the
chapel of st. James, about half a
mile down the road-for | find I've
sprained my ankle too badly to walk
alone-and then Pm all right
Come along, them" rejoined Har-
~, Offering his ARM"
And the strangely assorted pair
set forth.
On the way our hero told his new
friend, who seemed in too much pain
to talk himself, that he was travelling
through Spain with his father, that he
had picked up in Mexico what little
Spanish he knew, that his tour had
hitherto been provokingly bare of
adventures, and that the one thing
in the world which he most desired
was to fall in with gang of real
Spanish brigands.
AT last they reached the chapel.
and then, at n peculiar whistle from
the smuggler, five wild looking horse
men, with long guns on their should
ers, started out of the encirclinp
thickets, one of whom led by the
bride a fine black horse, on which
they at once mounted the crippled
Spaniard, not without casting more
than one puzzled and suspicious
look at the wondering boy.
Take this for yonr good deed. :"
said the tall smuggler, taking small
silver cross from his neck and giving
1t to Harry. ct may be of use to
you II we ever meet again. And, rs
you seem anxious to meet with some
spanish brlgands, it may please you
to learn that you have seen half q
dozen OF them today"
SO saying, he spurred his horse and
vanished into the forest with his grim
comrades, while Harry turned slowly
back to the town, hardly knowing
whether he was awake or only dream.
ing.