The Monticellonian., 1894-12-14
JUANITA'S RIDE.
How She Saved the Lives of Hor
 Father and Lover.

to your departure.
 "Nonsense, daughter; you are grow ing nervous insteaI of courageous. Have we not travelled the Sierras these many years without mishap?"
 True But the mountains and the valleys were at peace. Now there is bitter warfare between the Yaquis of the highlands and the Dapos of the plains. The soldiers are hardly able to control them. l learned only yes terday. from a traveller, that the Yaquis had defied the government
 "But l must go. You know why l must go.n
 The daughter of the ranchero blushed. She was beautiful this flower of the wilds Lower California held no fairer woman. Yes, she knew why he must go. Sane Zalvaredcs who loved her. and whom she loved, was lying i'll at the United States fort at Yuma. just across the line. He was brave fellow, this Zalvaredes, tall, strong, honorable, and the love of the fairest woman in the land was credit able to him. And the rancheru was going to bring him home, that among those who loved him well ha might be coaXcd back into health and Yiror: for the illness, while severe, was not such as would undermine the strong constitution of the sturdy young cat tleman.
 It was the conflict between her love for her father ani anxiety for his fatt b.et. I,1 ,I.... and anxiety for his welfare, that made Jnahita Castere turn pale and red in turn. She was brave, like all the daughters of the ranches, and she set her face to the danger and bade her father godspeed and safe return with her lover.
 It was not a long journey, as the bird flies from the ranch of CaStcro to Fort Yuma, but it was wearisomc. dangerous journey over mountain passes with T wagon-and 1t was in a wagon that Gastero set out to bring to his house the young man he already loved like q son.
 Juanita stood i'll the shade of the orange trees and saw him go. She waved her hand to him and waited q kiss into the balmY atmosphere when he halted his team on q high hill and looked back at her. There was anxiety in Senor Castcro's heart IS well, leav- ing his motherless girl on the ranch. But there were faithful servants there, and the cattleinen all loved her When her father was out of sight beyond the hill Juanita turned and went into the house
 Tt will be a fourdays' absence, at least, she said to herself "Two to go and two to come, and who knows if they will be able to return at once. Perhaps five days will be needed and my heart will be torn with fears.
 But she went resoluteiy to work, for this daughter of the ranchman was no idle lily.
 Three days passed slowly and wear fly along.
 The rumble of the wheels of the lum- bering coach that twice a week passed by and stopped to allow the passeu- gers to buy food was heard coming over the iiill
 C "Ihe stage sounds heavy today" said Juanita to servant. "There must be many passengers. See that plenty is provided for them" 1.-Two packages, senorita,s shouted the burly stagc-driver, coming to iwhere Juanita stood on the porch s''Iiow is Senor Gastero, that l do not see him greet the stage as usual?" u He is absent You have many pas Irengers to-day. Nazzo?s V "les. The people through the Sierra de Baeatel are getting away. There is danger there, There will be blood shed :"
 "In the Sierra Bacatel? Danger! My father must pass through there to- day
 That is bad. The Yaquis are in open revolt. They have sworn to kill every Mexican
 "God have mercyr' said Juanita, pressing her hand over her beating heart. God bring my loved ones safe ly home
 "rhe Yaquis are bIoodthirsty. s"The Dapos are as bad and will fight the troops "The soldiers are so few;
 
 army?a
 These and kindred remarks among the passengers served to augment the anxiety the Juanita already felt.
 The stage gone, with its crew of flee ing people, Juauita made quick re- solve. If men were fleeing from the danger there was woman who would brave it. All that she loved were there, and would perhaps in half a day more be at the pass that was so dan gerous. Perhaps she could reach them in time to warn them. There was no horse in the ranches or on the plains as fleet as Flying Satan. her powerful favorite. To think was to act, There was danger to herself, but she was a woman who loved.
 Saddle Flying Satan at once." she ordered
 You will not go far, senorita?" said a cattleman, anNiously shall not go with you?"
 No. l thank you for your kindness But must fly like the winds of the tempest, and no other horse could keep the pace.
 Robing herself for the ride, with a siiver-mounted fife slung over her shoulder, Juauita mounted.
 Away, Satan, for life and love!" she said. And the drumming of the steed's hoefs on the ground told of the great speed of which he alone was ca pable.
 She needed not the fact that all the riders she saw were going the other way. ''ro the Baeatel.' was her cry. And Satan knew her spirit and reflect ad if i1 hls a.ru