The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-02-19
AVENGED AT LAST:
Or, a Worldwide Chase.
A STORY OF RETRIBUTlON.
EH ""ABASH."
lco?YElouT, 1901

ltiaI4Lh ANl1l.-lOSIISlED.
ITO judge from their looks and ac-
tions should imagine they would as
soon stick one Of their long, cleaning
knives into me rs they would into bull
lock-" said Percy.
''Oh. no; not one of them dare lay q
hand on rou unless you attempt to cs.
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
rounlings?
UNLESS you will comply with condi-
tons that / will name. / do most
certainly" answered tho Spaniard
And what are your conditions?'
asked Percy.
Few and simple" was tho reply.
Get your friends to pay me ransom
OF ten thousand American dollars and
you are free the day they pay it But
should they make tho least attempt to
effect your rescue will kill you with
my own hands. II 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 liiN !
shall not ask them to take other means
to effect my delivery"
in few weeks you m av change your
mind, SO will give you little timo to
think it over In the meantime you
will remain here and do whatever Mr..
Van Nepp deems necessary and proper.
II you refuse him 1t will be so much
tho 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 uselessly bewailing his fate,
but went to work at whatever the
Dutchman told him to do and en-
deayored to do his utmost to please. lie
had an object in carrying out this course
OF action and after learning few words
OF tho Mongrel-.Spanish spoken by the
hands around the place he grew init
mate with them as far IS his knowledge
of the language would permit. lie was
thus better capable OF entering into
their work and sport with vim and
earnestness which made him lots of
friends arlong them. While It might
have taken him years to have learned
to ride horse with any thing approach
ing the ease that a Gaucho did 1t, he
soon became very expert and in brief
moments, when his thoughts oianxious
friends left him, he would really some
what enjoy himself.
1t was getting to DO about time for
the tall Spaaiard 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 a degree that he
would take Percy with him very often
when he drove to the 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 home at
dusk when, without warning sign of
any kind, one Of the wheels came of
their vehicle and threw the riders to
the ground. Percy turned summer
sault and fell on his shoulders, sustain
ing no further injury than 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 an
unfortunate occurrence, but Percy
hailed it with delight lie was not
pleased to see the praying old Dutch
man in trouble, but he at once saw a
means Of escape. lie was dressed in
tho garb Of a native, but that made no
difference, and once on a river steamer
no would be safe He set the broken