Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1892-02-05
THE SMUGGLERS.

On the French frontier, opposit
Spain, stands the town of Qucrterac
like watchdog guarding the en-
trance to tho valley, and on eiihe
side, the mountains which seem {,
have been gashed just here, continu
their monotonous way as far as ey,
can reach.
Querterac is very old town con
tanning 5000 Inhabitants in former
days it was fortified, isolated and diff
fieult to approach.
Up in the neighboring mountains
live a people whose reputation is al
doubtful as their nationalily-a mucI
mixed race, ten times crossed with
Gascons, Basques, Galatians and Bohe.
mians-and their favorite occupation
Is highway robbery, or smuggling, to
say the least. For this reason. as well
us because of the situation of the
town, the custom-house of Querterac
is one of special Importance. Frontier
guards keep continual watch over the
narrow valley which forms the only
passage between the two countries.
there being nothing but lofty peaks
and dangerous ravines for many
leagues on either side.
Towards tho middle of this century,
a wind from Africa brought terror
France. Cholera!
The people were filled with con-
sternation. In Querterac, which was
ono of the first to be attacked, nothing
was to lie seen bnt empty, deserted
streets, and houses closed from Top TO
bottom, as if in state Of siege Those
persons who succumbed to the plague
received no help nor care, for Pity
vas the first to die.
If a bcggar approached farm
house, he was greeted with a shower
Of stones or gun-shots, and the dogs
were let loose upon him. Among the
peasantry, fear was complicated with
folly, aud the people circulated absurd
;ales.
"The cholera is not as bad as it
Jeems, SAID they, "many persons be-
iieved to have died of it have in
reality been poisoned by enemes-a
mouthful of drugged water, a slice of
bread sprinkled with arsenic-it does
not take much to kill one." Then the
people of the valley began to suspect
the mountaineers of being response le
for the evil.
~ hose ,agaboad>.,aS, ..ss,se.<s,sszs
to kill US all" they cried.
Among the custom-house officials
the pestilence found twenty victims in
a few days time. and those surviving,
stricken with fear, neglected their
duty of watching the frontier. One
of them only stood to his post, an old
sergeant named Valgcnod. lie was
a born hunter, a customs-oflicer by
nature, for he could scent smuggler
three hours in advance, and bundle
of conirab md tobacco three leagues
away would set him sncczing.
1T would be absurd for an old
officer like me to die of the colic!" he
declared, and night and dav lie
made his rounds as usual, doubled the
guards, took the place of those who
were struck down by the
general foe, and kept one eye un-
ceasingly turned towards the noun
taius where the miscreants perched.
hidden by their rocky homes. lie knew
them very well, and hundred times lie
had fired on them, when they had been
skulking about on dark nights. They
could not get the best of him, a..
though, perhaps, there was one he had
to watch continually, a gray beard
named Meritas. lie and Valgenod had
had many contest Of wits together,
for Meritas was smuggler by tenn
perament and instinct just as Valge-
nod was q customs-officers; it was his
vocation. 1t was impossible TO sur
prise him, and he had invented SO
many tricks and strategcms that lie
was the acknowledged leader of the
whole band. Away up in the clefts
of the mountains he stored lis mer-
chandise, tobacco, silks, skins, span
ish laces and spirits; and by little these
goods were brought into France.
"Confound that Valgenod-but for
him-ah, but for him." the smugglcr
used to say, longingly.
"That villain, Meritasl The dav
after my death, lie lie will bring the
whole of Madrid into France!" was
the officers indignant exclamation.
And the two men pectcd while they
| hated one another. The Bohe-