Evening journal., 1891-12-28
A TERRIBLE THRUST.


over the plaza. seeking the shade Of the
trees that line the open space or dropping
into the refreshment saloons for some Of
the cooling drinks that tend To make the
sultrg atmosphere more bearable The
glaring stones and the white powdery dust
resting On everything are relieved by the
gay red rebozas and bright costumes Of
both men and women.
Chatting and laughing they pass hither
and thither singly and in groups, some
times exchanging a word or a jest with a
passer by again calling general attention
30 the peculiarly ontlandish costumes Of
some Americans who in trying TO con-
form partly TO the customs Of the country,
but unwilling to hide their nationality
wholly In a Mexican dress, have arrayed
themselves in fashion that Is distinctive
Of neither one nor the other while possess
ing the marked characteristics of both,
and anon laughing among themselves in
sheer ioyousness Of SOUL Your Mexican
Is a gay, careless creature, as a rule, espe-
cially on q bright Sunday morning.
Suddenly there is a break in the rhythmic
movement of the passing and repassng
promenaders, like the SILVER that sweeps
across the placid river when smitten by
a gust of summer wind The colors that
were floating restfuly upand down, back
ward and forward, in accord with the lazy
stunterings of their wearers, are shattered
into Kaleidoscope confusion as If by au
earthquake There Is a rushing Of men
and women TO one spot among the trees.
Cries Of pity, Indignation and horror arise
on the still summer air and echo back
from the mountains on the north ia con.
fused mnttering,
whats the trouhlePn nsks matter of
fact young American, who, in Il light seer.
sucker suit and broad sombrero shading
his handsome features, is full Of wide
awake energy. in marked contrast with the
apathetio curiosity Of the natives
"Ah, senior, he is dend replied a young
girl, whose bright eyes sparkle from be
meath her embroidered reboza as she looks
up into the face Of the young American
who's deadW
"IIe-the stranger, the Americanl And
he-he was 80 good, replies the GIRL sigh
ing.
sYou know him, thenYn said the young
man, as he forced his way through the
crowd surrounding something on the
ground, among the trees.
"Ah, yes, senior, but only for few days.
He was a stranger"
"UmW was the only response Of the
young man.
The next minute he was looking down
at the figure OF a mana mere youth
lying under the shelter of a huge maple,
with his eyes closed and nothing to indi-
cate that be was dead save the indescriba-
Bile look Of surprise, horror and pain that
had distorted his features ia the very iu-
slant Of death,
stabbed in the heart with q sword See
/ the spot Of blood GA his shirt, y said some
one at the young Americans elbow.
The latter did not reply, but bending
low over the corpse, with practiced eye
took in all the details OF the murder He
saw that the thrust had been made with a
keen, two edged sword, and that the
weapon had been forced through to the
very hilt, the latter having left its mark on
the white shirt bosom The blow had
been delivered by some one accustomed "a
the weapon, as we'll as Of great strength in
the sword arm, There were no marks Of a
struggle around the body. and the suppo.
silion was that the victim had been taken
/ by surprise and strickea down ere he had
time TO defend himself The murder had
been done In broad daylight, with thou
sands of people within a few yards OF the
n paw anu wv nh 0AH AAiAN HNNN lllE NNl. Oi
even known that the stranger had beer
hurt, until some one noticed him stretched
on the greensward.
In due time the authorities were notified
the corpse was removed to police head
quarters and the police--after showing d
disposition TO arrest several obviously in
nocent people, after the manner OF police
| men all over the world-gave up the mvs
terry and came to the conclusion that botf
the murderer and his motive for the crime
would never be known. Besides, there wa.
TO be a bullight IN the Plaza de Toro. On
the outskirts Of the city, that afternoon
and such q triaing occurrence as a mys
FERROUS murder could hardly beexpected L
interfere with the pleasurable authorizations
OF an entertainment 50 dear to the Mexican
heart
~ don't know" reflected the youns
American, rs he took his seat ia the am
phitheater, II hardly like 20 see one Of nj
countrymen hutchered ia cold blood with
out trying IN some way to avenge him
even though be is a stranger That cir
said she knew him. BY Jove, there she Il
as sure as my name is Weston Sharplcigh
J on the seat below me. Wonder il She la,
anything to do with Oh no; Of cours
: not She did not act as If guilty; onl
seemed TO be Mortified Guess the poo
fellow had exchanged q few idle compli
ments with her, which, girl-like, she II
membered, and, also girl like She forge
as soon as the body was out Of her sight
Well, I'll keep my eyes open nevertheless,
for somehow / have a strange feeling as
it were TO be my fortune 70 discover Ia
/; slayer Of that man"
; A clash OF music disturbed the revert
into which Weston Sharpleigh had faller
and he cast his eyes around the immens
amphitheater, now packed with humanity
1t was one vast sea Of faces. Almost simu
taneously with the outburst from I'll
band, the picAdors, banderillOs and chulo
in their gay costumes, filed into the saw
busted Enclosure in the center Of the an
phitheater, and after passing around j
, | procession, bowling 70 the audience, pr
! pared TO receive the first bull. Nor ha
they long to wait Weston Sharpleigh ia
. hardly time to note the joy animatin
! every face around him, particularly that
the young girl just below, at the appea
4 ance of their entertainers, when there WI
/. a wild storm Of dust, steam and roars
I one side Of the ring, and a splendid And
!, lusian bull darted through a doorwa
eager for battle and snorting defiance
!. every direction.
= "Toro bravadoi' resounded from a