The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-05-11

AcCsloLs OF tn6 young SlTi. las Juau
nature was superior in frankness and
open heartedness, he refrained from
forcing his suit, and the affair was con.
cluded by a day being set for the mar.
riage of Ysabel and Escamilla.
In honor of the occasion it was deter.
mined to have a grand bull fight, al
which all the neighbors within a radius
Of 100 miles were to be present. The
morning before the ceremony was to be
performed 'El Coxo," with all his sons,
excepting Escamilla, who remained be.
hind to attend upon his afianced ISABEL,
started ont into the great pastures for
the purpose of driving in the immense
black bulls required for the sport, while
other neighboring rancheros busted them.
selves IN building stout corrals in which
to secure them until the time arrived to
lead them into the arena.
Toward evening, while the mesquite
grass lay cold and gray under the shad-
ows Of the mountains, Escamilla and the
happy Ysabel left their hammccks on
the wide gallery of the house, where they
had been resting during the sultry hours.
to take q walk along the main trail lead
ing toward the rocky hills.
When they reached a point half q mile
from the gate Of the hacienda, where a
thicket Of chapparal bounded each side
OF the road, suddenly there arose a cloud
of dust in front of them.
Here come the bull fighters" ex-
claimed Ysabel, as she withdrew her
waist from the encircling arm Of her
lover; set us go back to the house."
"Oh, no." replied Escamilla, perhaps
they are my father and brothers. Yes,
there are eight; look"
But what the poor girl really saw, with
her eyes almost starting from their sock
cts and motionless with fear, as she rec
ognized them now only a few hundred
yards away, vas a band of Comanches,
naked to the waist, painted horribly and
brandishing their lances. In a moment,
needless of the helpless maid at his side,
the coward Escamilla turned and fed
down the trail toward the rancho. shout
ing as he ran: "Los barbaros! Los bar
baros!"
In a few rods a horseman met him. 1t
was his brother Juan Maria. He had
caught a young antelope with his lasso
and was riding ahead Of his party to pre-
sent it to ISABEL. The exclamation of
the frightened Escamilla and one glance
up the road showed him the danger the
poor girl was in. He threw the animal
he was carrying to the ground, and
plunging his spurs into the tanks of his
horse dashed furiously to the rescue.
Alas, the savages were already upon her!
Ysabel, covering her face with her hands
as If to thwart the impending blow and
recognizing Juan, shrieked out to her old
lover, Saliva me, Juan Maria, por Dios,
saliva me-" At that instant the lance OF
the nearest Indian pierced her heart, and
in another her reeking scalp was swung
exultantly aloft by the incarnate fend.
Short was his triumph. Almost bound
ing through the air, with ever ready
lasso swinging above him, Juan Maria
threw the open coil from his expert
hand, and it fell over the Indians head.
As the skillful thrower pulled up his
bride reins, heavily the savage tumbled
to the earth. Then Juan had fearful
odds to contend against. Received with
a fight Of arrows and unarmed except a
short, rusty sword, regardless Of every.
thing but to avenge the murder of the
girl he deeply loved, he attacked the
nearest Indian, and bringing him within
reach Of his arm cleft his skull by a
master stroke.
The others, terrified at the fierce look
of the brave Mexican, keeping at a re-
spectful distance from him, assailed
him with a shower of arrows, and In an
instant he was bleeding from q score of
terrible wounds. Still the gallant Juan
fought bravely hoping against hope, and
was 0 encouraged by the shouts of his
father and six brothers, whose horses
were on the dead run to the rescue. The
old man and his sons rode up in time to
see Juan fall from his horse, pierced by
a feathered shaft just above his breast.
lei Coxo" and his boys fought with
desperate courage to avenge the murder
of Ysabel and Juan. Half a dozen OF
the Comanches were o made to s.bite
the dust" but two of the Mexicans also
lay dead upon the now Redeemed sod.
The rancheros came up in a short time
from the hacienda in force, compelling
the Indians to retreat. but as night was
now upon. them the Mexicans were
obliged to abandon pursuit.
On the ground lay the still ~quivering
body of the unfortunate Ysabel and near
her the two Indians killed by the gallant
Juan Maria. Juan was quite dead, 90
arrows having pierced him. Two of his
brave brothers were seriously wounded.
and six of the sayages were killed, be-
sides those who fell by the avenging arm
of Juan.
Sadly the bodies of Ysabel and Juan
Maria were borne in the darkness to the
hacienda by the r~ancheros, whence both
were buried next day, side by side, at the
very hour when the marriage ceremony
was to have been performed.
Escamilla, ashamed of his cowardice.
disappeared. It was supposed he went
to the City of Mexico, married there and
purposely kept the knowledge of his
whereabouts q secret.-New York Re
corder.