The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-08-24

capped a bite from a ella monster. and
that the man we had seen was in all
probability my poor servant. thouFh |
would never have known that ghastly,
battened shape for him.
| could scarcely prevail on the man
to go back with me into the shaft. but
a Ia t he consented to walk behind
me and To hold the torch that | might
kill the deadly creature and bring out
the body of the poor boy for burial.
We found the monster that the Mexi-
can had fired at writhing about, evi-
IDENTIFY wounded by the shot. and.
quickly dispatching him, we stopped
to lift the dead boy when my nostrils
were smittcn by a fresh Whit of inde
scribably offensive odor resembling
that of decaying raw meat which filled
the place. The Mexican and | spran9
about to see crawling out of the gloom
at the far end of the shaft a second
monster. Aiming carefully | fired at
the moving form. but must have
missed the reptile. for with incredible
swiftness of movement it reached me
and seized my left foot. Fortunately
| had on thick hunting boots reach
ing to my knee, SO that as far aS
l was concerned the creature was
harmless. but the Mexican with me
was bare footed. and cried ont to me To
kill the monster before il could turn
on him, leaning down | placed my
weapon almost to the things head and
blew its brains out
During the same year of this occur
renee q young mining engineer from
the east ran away with the daughter
of a wealthy Mexican ranchman, who
objected To the marriage on the score
of the young mans poverty. The
couple. pursued by 'he angry father. Il
man who had the reputation OF being
swift To kill. made for Fort Grant. but
were obliged to cross the mountains. \
storm was coming up, and their driver
sou cht shelter in deserted adobe hut
where they were kept all night TO
this place they were tracel by tn,
father. but he found only three dca
and swollen bodies III the hut with two
ella monsters. These showed fight.
but were killed. and the heart-brollen
father returned home.
On the river from which these rep
tiles take their name are the remains
of an extensive dwelling house which
in its day was marvel of architecture
and elegance to the MeXicans Its
owner was a sig. McSilla. who had
been educated in the east. and who
had brought home a bride from some
nOrthcrH state when his college daVs
were over. But for ali his adoption of
American manners and customs the re
vengeful nature of his race lived in
him. \ short time after his marriage
hc grew Jealous of friend who had
been a classmate of his and who had
accompanied him home to see some
thing of the country. To the SuS-
piciOus Mexican it seemed that his
young wife looked with too smiling a
countenance on her countryman. and
in his dark mind he p.anncd u revenge
unique in its way. He procured Il palr
of ella monsters and promised his
ranchmen a rare treat. something
letter and more novel than a bull
fight. Monarch of the country for
miles about, there was no one to in
terfere with his grim pleasure, SO one
day without warning he caused his
guest to be stripped of his
clothing except one light garment
and shut in the court of tn place
formed bv the blank walls of the Iour
connected buildings that forne tine
ranchhouse. The victim was provided
with a knife and then the monsters
were let into this improviscd arena.
roofs and watched the combat with
shouts of laughter and cheers as the
reptiles and the man fought. The
American was unaware of the deadly
character of the creatures he vas ar
raycd against. and, while bitten again
and again. thought he was lighting for
his life. and succeeded i'll finally kill
ing one of the reptiles, though the
and sick. At last he fell dead on the
body of the monster he had slain.
while the other, though wounded,
fastened itself upon the corpse.
Messilla had forced his wife to wit
ness this horrible scene until she had
tainted. and now that the man was
dead the cruel husband had her low
cred into the yard AS she reached the
stone paving of the place, she recov-
cred consciousness and. seeing the
dreadful form of the monster crawling
toward her. hastily snatchcd from the
dead mans hand the knife with which
he had fought and plunged it in her
breast. falling lifeleSS beside her coun-
tryman. Mesilla wishing. however. to
satisfy himself that both of them were
really dead, now descended into the
courtyard himself, and was STOPPING
to examine his victims when the
wounded and dying reptile. which he
had forgotten, raised its evil head and
fixed its fangs in his foot. MeSilla
died before il could be detached from
it, and il was necessary to cut it away
before Mesilla could be placed in his
coffin.-Philadclph Times
Bullets Carried for Years.