The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-06-25
THE SMUGGLER.

&MEz
On, the frontier opposite Spain, like a
dog couchant between two pillars, lies
Querterac, guarding the entrancetoa val
ley. On the right and left the noun
tains, broken for a space, sun their
monotonous, intending chain. Querterac
is a small old fashioned town that was
once fortified. It is difficult OF access
and has about 6, 900 inhabitants.
On the neighboring mountains, re-
garded as neutral, has gathered q popu-
lation as doubtful in morality as In ma
tionality-a confused mixture of Gas
cons, Basques and Catalonians, whose
chief occupations are highway robbery
and smuggling.
About the middle Of the present CEN
tury cholera was devastating Spain. It.
ally and France.
In the country and in the towns there
was a cessation from the activities of
life. The inhabitants barricaded them
selves i'm vain against the invisible ene-
my, which glided treacherously through
half opened doors, locks and unsnspect-
ed openings in roofs and wallis In
Querterae, a victim from the first day,
nothing could be seen but deserted
streets and houses closed from top to
bottom. Those who fell i'm the public
dead through fear. The civil authori-
ties were disobeyed and despised as use
less and powerless, no regard being paid
TO the official notices that were placard-
ed ON the doors and walls.
If fear was great and s~elfishness hard
In the city, the country was even more
distracted and cruel IL q beggar show
ed himself at the door of some lonely
farmhouse, he was received with stones
and bullets. The dogs were set on him,
and he was maltreated Perfeetly abb
surd stories were circulated among the
country people. They said that cholera
was not SO bad as 10 was reported TO be.
Many people who had seemingly died
of cholera had really been poisoned by
some enemy, who had drugged the
water or kneaded arsenic into the bread
In short, the people in the valley were
eternally in dread of some hostile &C
ton on the part of those rascals up
above, = as they called the mixed race
that dwelt in the v and recesses OF
the mountains.
The opportunity was o good q Tor
these m~ountaineers to plumber the focks
and property Of those below, but those
rascals up above never stirred from
their holes. Why?
Well, they also were dying. They
seemed to die in more astonishing pro
portions than elsewhere, and mi never
could have believed that there were 80
many people in those mountains.
At Querterac there was considerable
establishment, for after q few days the
epidemic began to decrease, but the
m-ountaineers insisted ON dying. The
| ~townspeople did not understand Ii, but
they could not help admiring the piety
Of those people above. Every evening
three on four jolting vehicles loaded
with collins and followed by men and
women In mourning descended slowly
through the ravine, entered the village
and passed silently toward the cemetery.
The shadows of the mournful cortegs
in the light OF the glowing fires casl
: dark, fantastic pictures ON the walls.
!. The passersby fed at the sight, seized
. with fresh alarm. 1t was over q lonely
route that the procession passed to reach
: the cemetery, and those poor wretches,
s those heather, followed their dead 4
e their last resting place, when it would
have been SO easy to throw the bodies
: into the ravines and rivers or to leave
them to the wolves and eagles; but no
!. those wanderers, those aliens, scrupu
! lousy regarded the rites of burial.
y The charge Of the custom house a
Querterac is one of great Importance
+ and generally falls TO q competent offi
a Ger. From this poinb inspectors, goinl
, to and fro, carefully watch the marrow
valley which ID the only easy entrance
from Spain. During the epidemic dealt
i, interrupted the routine OF duty, for o.
+ some days 90 men fell victims to tn
4 disease, and the survivors, distracted b.
r the panic, neglected their work.
a One man only kept his post, the Oh
man yalgenod. Healways sounded th
final d. He was q born custom hons
officer. He belonged to that race Ell
l. could smell o smuggler three hours be
he fore he saw him, and six miles of
Gale III NUUUGGO W0N&N An0AS AAAA 0AAS@A<
Night and day he kept on his rounds
declaring that II would be an absurdit
To for an old custom man TO die OF the co
lg &c. as be called the cholera. The guard
were increased, and Valgenod went Ii
rounds Of those who did not answer
their names at roll call He was alway
watching the mountain. the lair Of Il
Al monsters. He knew them every one
III those smugglers ON whom be had fire
i 20 often when he had found them PROV
l I ing around the town on some dark nigh
ssAhs nsaid Valgenod, mot one OF the
shaves. Yes, d perhaps Those fellow
IN 20 against my stomach
ch There was one old man, Father Lien
al taa, d gray bearded gypsy. with who
valgenod had frequently come into 90
tact, and each had o high opinion Of q
~cleyerness Of the other.
"valgenodR' said Meritas ~
E& EEE