The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-11-16
A LITTLE HEROINE.

EAd11 k1AN4 as Ill oAA LAV 4 thAhA NAAot
snugly nestled in the fertile valley be-
low. 1t was u pretty sight-this little
village with its small whitewashed
houses shining in the morning sun, sur
rounded on every side by the blue noun
tains and thick, green forest. The coun-
try is very picturesque and wild in this
mountainous part of Andalusia, and it is
very thinly populated, but the little viii
lage of Saldana nestled there contented-
ly, as If wishing to be shielded from the
hot winds of Africa in August or the
cold ones coming from the Pyrenees in
January.
Saldana people were in general very
cheerful, polite and sociable to any
stranger who by chance strayed among
their wilds, but now the village wears a
mournful aspect. The streets. are de-
serted, the houses, clean and neat as
little silver cups" have their ever hos
pitable doors closed. Once in awhile a
woman is seen ON the street going quick
ly ON some errand, and returning imme-
diately with all possible speed to her
home.
The eason for this depression was
that the Carlist wal was waging holly
in Spain. and the day before news had
reached Saldana that a Carlist detach-
ment composed of the fierce northern
Basques, followers of Don Carlos. was
approaching the little town.
All the able men of Saldana had Joined
a small company of the royal army and
were concealed about in the mountains.
from whence they expected to surprise
the Carlists, to whom this part of the
country was unknown.
About noon of the day after the news
was received, Petrona, wife Of Juan
Alvarez. the carpenter Of the village,
called Gloria, her eldest daughter, a
pretty l5-year-old girl with dark curly
hair and big, black eyes, and putting in
her hands q large basket, said:
Go, child, to La Quebrada and carry
something to eat to your poor father aud
brother and take care that 10 reprobate
Carlist sees you"
Gloria took the basket and briskly
went on her way without misgivings.
for no Carlist had as yet been seen near
Saldana. She had walked about a mile
from her home by a path cat into the
rock when the song that came so merrily
from her lips stopped suddenly, for on
reaching q big rock which marked the
half way between Saldana and La Que
h1ada an unseen person cried to her:
HALT"
Mechanically Gloria paused on her
way and looked around her. AS if by
magic she saw herself surrounded by
many soldiers on horseback, and this
was not the worst-she recognized by
the uniforms and colors that they were
followers Of Don Carlos the Pretender.
One Of the men, who seemed to be their
leader, approached her and asked:
where are you going:"
The poor child was so frightened that
she burst into tears.
The officer ~dlsmounted. Let me see
what you have in that basket" he said.
"Ah, food! That is good. We have not
had anything so good for a long time
eggs, bread, meat. fruit. Now, my dear,
you We're taking these provisions to
some royalists concealed about these
mountains, We're you not? Now. tell me
where they are"
Poor Gloria knew that if she told him
the place of their concealment all the
soldiers would be slain, including her ia
ther and brother. for the number of Carl
lists was SO much larger than the royal
lists La her fright she thought their
number reached many thousands. On
the other hand, if she refused to tell
where the royalist soldiers were, she was
sure these monsters would kill her.
Recommending officer took the has
ket from her arm and gave it to one OF
the soldiers, then said in his strong,
harsh northern accent:
Look here, girl, You were taking food
TO some soldiers around here. | know
that. Ii you lead us to where they are,
i viii give you these two shining gold
Ii you refuse, | will shoot you
with this musket. Do you understand.
Now go aheady'
A desperate resolve was forming itself
in Gloria's brain, the ~undaunted cour
age of her ancestors began to rise in hel
soul. She turned to the captain ant
said:
Eyes, | know where they are, but they
are very far away. If you wish, ] viii
rake you to them"
THAT is right"
The captain ordered a soldier to Civ,
her n of the. extra horses captured il
the morning. sAld, tying a rope, which h
kept in his hand, to the neck of the ami
mal, he told her to lead on.
Everybody followed her. Across clea
streams and roaring torrents she too
ahem- They walked by dangerous path
beside deep p~recipices. Here and ther
xhey crossed a picturesque valley. Afte
nearly four hours OF incessant marchin.
ind when the sun was in his descer
toward the horizon, Gloria stopped. an
turning to the captain said:
81 am too tired and can 90 no IA
ther."
The Basque eyed her suspiciously an
nsked:
Are we near their camp"
81 do not know. / have lost my way
-.You lie, girlIr shouted the man flu,