Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-04-09
AVENGED AT LAST;
Or, a Worldwide Chase.
A STORY OF RETRlBUTIoN.
Bx "WABASH."
COPYRIGHT. 1901

COPYRIGHT, 16U
CHAPTER xvuI.-CoNTNuED
s.To Judge from their looks and ac-
lions should imagine they would as
soon stick one of their long, cleaning
knives into me as they would into bull
lock-" said Percy.
''Oh, no; not one Of them dare lay
hand on you unless you attempt to es-
cape, without my orders, was the reply.
Then you propose to force me to
spend the rest of my natural life on this
farm among these blood-curdling sur
roundings?"
''Unless you will comply with condi-
tions that I will name. 1 do most
certainly" answered the Spaniard.
s.And what are your conditioner"
asked Percy.
Few and simple" was the reply.
sGet your friends to pay me a ransom
of ten thousand American dollars and
you are free the day they pay it, But
should they make the least attempt to
effect your rescue I will kill you with
my own hands, if need be, to prevent
it,
''If my friends were asked to pay the
money they would refuse, knowing that
by determined effort they could re-
lease me without doing so. AS such an
effort would only cost me my life, /
shall not ask them to take other means
to effect my delivery"
'.In few weeks you m ay change your
mind, SO will give you little time to
think it over. In the meantime you
will remain here and do whatever Mr..
Van Nepp deems necessary and proper.
If you refuse him it will be so much
the worse for YOU" These were the
last words the Spaniard uttered as he
rode away.
Shortly afterwards Percy was we'll
and strong again. He did not devote his
time to uSclessly bewailing his fate,
but went to work at whatever the
Dutchman told him to do and en-
deavored to do his utmost to please. He
had an object in carrying out this course
of action and after learning few words
Of the Mongrel-Spanish spoken by the
hands around the place he grew init
mate with them as far as his knowledge
of the language would permit. He was
thus better capable of entering into
their work and sport with a vim and
earnestness which made him lots of
friends among them. While 1t might
have taken him years to have learned
to ride horse with any thing approach
ing the ease that GauchO did it, he
soon became very expert and in brief
moments, when his thoughts Ofanxious
friends left him, he would really some
what enjoy himself.
1t was getting to be about time for
the tall Spaniard to put in an appear
ance again when Van Nepp also seemed
to be growing friendly to him. In one
brief week this friendship had improved
and grown to such degree that he
would take Percy with him very often
when he drove to tho head station,
about ten miles further north. 1t was
on one of those occasions that Percy
found welcome opportunity to effect
an escape. They were driving homo at
dusk when, without a warning sign OF
any kind, one of the wheels came off
their vehicle and threw the riders to
the ground. Percy turned a summer
sault and fell on his shoulders, sustain
ing no further injury than a rough shak-
ing, but his companion was not SO
fortunate, for he fell on his side and, in
falling, broke his arm.
Here was what would have under or
binary circumstances seemed like ar
unfortunate occurrence, but Percy
hailed it with delight. He was mo-
pleased to see the praying old Dutch
man in trouble, but he at once saw
means of escape. He vas dressed in
the garb of a native, but that made ne
difference, and once on a river steamer
he would be safe. He set the broke I
arm of the Dutchman as best he could
with his limited knowledge of surgery
and then presumably turned his atten
ton to the repair Of the wagon. Find
ing that tho wheel could not be fastened
on without tho assistance of black
smith, as the little pin from the axle
was lost, Percy proposed that he should
ride back to the head station and bring
tho smith from there. To this, the
Dutchman, anxious to get home, con
scented, and in few minutes Percy wa
riding as fast as his horse could carry
him to freedom.
How the Dutchman spent the nigh
Lowell never knew; for himself, he spen
most of it in the saddle.
In the morning he reached small
town on the banks of the river, wher'
he sold the horse for an insignificant
sum, and with it he boarded rive
steamer and took the cheapest passag!
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