The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-03-23
A ROMANCE OF HISTORY.
An Incident OF Mexican Cruelty on
tho Texas Border.


A little RESTAURANT overlooking The
San Antonio river Two men with
chairs tilted back and feet against the
projecting rail ~ Tie balcony. were
smoking their evening cigarettes
The dusk lay above them like bats
wing, ready 10 fan swiftly and sudden
", as 1t does ia southern attitudes
Both were young and Of goodly pres
ence. Western suns and winds had
tanned their cheeks and burned In the
red of youth 10 a rich tropie hue.
Across the brow Of one "a brow
whose boyish contour moved women
with mother instincts u sudden long
ing 10 caress- lag loose waves OF soft
yellow hair. Beneath looked out eyes
Of dark gray. heavy with the long
thoughts Of those early, desperate
days days when republic worked
ont In blood her long probation. The
other had a faircr eountenance, more
lightsome and full Of happy promise,
No dark prophecy brooded IN the
sunny shadows Of the bright blue eyes,
and laughter hprang as lightly 70 the
lip as the blush TO the check Of a maid
Superadded tonight 70 his native
exuberancc was some foreign clement
of joyousness, which seemed to master
spirit and muscles alike. He was fnli
Of movement Tossing away a half
finished cigarette, he clasped his hands
back Of his curly head and broke the
silence with sudden speech.
Ned, am too happy to smoke; am
the happiest man ia all this border
land. Nellie llerndon has promised
to be my wife. Its secret yet, hut
couldn't keep it from you any more.
than ] could keep my love from her
There is not another woman like her,
north, east, south or west Did Won
ever notice the gold of her hair? Ii IS
like sunshine spun into threads When.
ever look at her think 81 some
quaint old words my mother used to
read out Of book long years ago
when was a boy back in my old
Georgia home. They went This way:
Whose shoes latchet am not worthy
to un4oose. ] suppose the preachers
would call THAT irrevercni, Int Col
will bear me witness there's no irrey-
etcnec in my heart when think Of
her"
At Harvey Armstrong; first words
the color was washed out Of Ned Eos
ter's face as with a sponge, his very
eyes seemed TO pale.
bringing the chair to the ground.
eoneealing his face with his hands, he
leaned over the railing and looked
down into the sluggish waters Of the
river flowing few feet below.
How old andwis they looked. those
waters, in their calm, unfretted fiow.
Good for you, old fellow, he said,
as he extended his hand .sAiay Won
have centuries 81 happiness If any
man deserves her it is you, Harvey
This was in the summer Of 1891.
In thet autumn Of 1872, when Prcsi-
dent Houston ordered ont Gen. Somer-
veil to the Rio Grande ID organize
troops and avenge the insulting raids
OF Vsquez and Vol, Ned Foster was
among the first to respond TO the call
1ur volunteers
About one hundred and eighty miles
south Of Saltillo, on the road to the
City OF Mexico, is an old fort, known
IN history as the Hacienda Salado.
To this place, on the Goth OF March,
1888. were brought the reeaptared rem.
nant Of the unfortunate Mier cxpcdi,
ton, that gallant band of three hun.
dred and sixty men, the flower Of
western militia, who went forth to do
battle for the honor Of the yagng re-
public and wore 50 treacherouslg
dealt with by the followers Of Santa
Ana 70 whom they surrendered as
prisoners Of war, Allireaders Of Texas
history knew how the terms of the
treaty Were broken and the BETRAYED
men shown no mercy but marched into
the interior, subjected to Incredible
hardships, and finally imprisoned miles
away from home and friends.
Feeling keeniy tile indirnity ~ their
treatment, and fearing worse ii the
hands q snch pcrfidious foes. they
oyerpowered The guard and escaned.
70 be retaken zen dAys LATER and4r
turned 70 the same incioslire whence
they had fed.
All this IS history; But VIZ have IL
written record Of that Interval between
the escape and the recapturc, when the
little company wandered, lost and
helpless, among the flstness Of IN
familiar mountains; no record Of those
ten days and nights when the sun rose
and ,set but 70 mark another and dark
er experience in the calendar OF human
pain
Ned Foster and Harvey Armstrong
were among the number. Stronger
Than the multiplied threads Of the ca
PIE had grown the bond Of friendship
between these two men 10 the awful
realism Of danger and su Altering.
for Tour days the weary and footsore
ana Travelled down deep canyon
WhosA steep sides narrowed and mar
rowed until they closed and barred