The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-08-12

widow, and the other 2 very beautiful girl
younger than myself. II CHANGED that was
riding past their house upon n certain SUNDAY
evening when most Of the inhabitants OF the
valley were away at a fiesta, and heard screams
Disniountins from my horse I ran in at the
door, which was open, and saw one OF the sisters
two bandits MssSiosns, were n,ttacEing the other.
Drawing my machetel cutdown the FIRST ~ them
before he had time, TO turn, then iglI upon
against the wall. Seeing that his life was IN
danger, he called upon me not 70 Kill him for the
dened me so that / slew him upon the spot, and
caused his bOdy, with that OF his companion, 10
Now after this the girl whose life ] had saved
came TO dwell in my village, where ! saw much
Of her; So lovely was she and so clever that
soon che won my heart, and the end Of II was
that, being headstrong aud in love. | married
her, against the advice Of Antonio I,d others OF
better for the Indian. people, and perhaps for
me also, II l had died before | stood at the altar
with this woman, though for a while she was 9
good wife, and, because OF her cloverness. OF
great service to me.
Now, II must be stated that during all this
while had not been idle. The more | thought
on them, the more the wrongs OF my country.
men, the real owners Of the land. took hold OF
my. mind. till at length they possessed It utterly,
aud | became an enthusiast and n visionary,
making II the object Of my life to form n great
conspiracy, and bring about q rising OF the In
when the Spaniards and their bastards. the
spanish. MeSicans, had been stamped out, to
TeesIhDllsH the empire OF Jne ALteCS.
1t was q madness perhaps, but the madness
was In my blood my forefathers had suffered
from and for It, and | think that it must have
come down to us from our ancestor. Guatemoc,
the greatest and most unfortunate Indian who
ever lived. Where they failed | determined TO
succeed, and, strange to say, in the end went
For years I iabored, travelling to and fro about
5ns R lamS I'M as sh tse H TSs ep 6 9rq tEs fte %aer and T ths
chief by blood Of the Indian tribes. Everywhere
strove to rouse the people from their sloth and
20 NetW NhnN IL M NJ n man IN Ia ANS
and / did not strive in vain. l used my great
wealth TO buy arms, to win over the l~ukewerm
with brides, and in many other ways, and when
II grew low gathered more, for without gold
nothing could be done.
Treasures that were buried In the old days
were given up TO me as Lord. Of the Heart by
those who had their secret: also many brought
me money. each what. he could spare, and |
For a year or more | was the greatest power in
Mexico. and yet, though hundreds were, privy to
il came to the ears OF the Government. At
length oil was ready, and so carefully were my
plans laid that success seemed certain; yet the
That woman whose life 1 had saved, my own
wife whom | loved and trusted, who was bound
every tie human and divine, betrayed me and it.
agreed that che should be placed, as one OF
house OF a man who ruled Mexico in those days,
that she might spy upon him:
Instead Of that, she, my wife. fell In love with
but a week before the appointed time, | and
some Ave or six others. the leaders OF our party,
were seized. The others were made away with
secretly, but | was brought before the great
man. who received me alone. holding a pistol in
Know all your plans. friend, - he said, land
congratulate you on them, for they were clev-
great treasure in gold hidden away and he
named the sum. THAT wife of yours. whom
YOU were fool enough to trust, has told me every,
is hidden. for this you withheld from her, which
shows that you are not altogether mad.
treasure to me. and you shall go free-of course
when the day OF vengeance is past and your
herdpnor shall you be molested afterward.
Refuse to do so, and you will be brought to trial
and die as you deserve"
you are not the only white mar who would
have fallen"
their master, aud, secondly, because nobody
but myself knows anything Of this matter.
since, II tOid ho them; I , must also sh" msS yoT 16
keep. Give 1t up to me and you may go and
plot against my successors and the Government
Your wife with You FOR aughtt [ care; for,
friend, having earned so comfortable a compc-
tenfe, propose to Leave a and where, as as tins al,
TO get their throats cut. Now choose, and be so
good as to stand quite still while you, are think
Ing or I may be forced TO shoot YOU"
"How about my associates z" I asked.
~ believe that three or four Of them have
or two. the prisoners here are SO dreadfuily un.
healthy; but l am sure that 4 the gold is forth
coming, no more viii sicken."
Then / chose, for i thought to myself that l
other lilfe, and IL died many must suffer with
dian race would come to naught. Also ! knew
this villain TO be a man Of his word, and that
what he promised he would fulfil.
Within ten days he had the money, and I was
free to begin my life again, nor DID any Of those
who were doomed 70 perish in Il learn the tale
was free; but what u freedom was this, when
I had lost everything save the breath that God
fSe great house that / had bSSiided was fallen to
the ground, the moneys had amassed were
my credit among the people was gone. and my
cause had become hopeless. All these things
had come upon me because OF woman, u trail
At first | was dazed, but when | came to under
stand swore a great oath before heaven that,
for her sake, I would hate and rcnounce her
sex; that, whatever might be the temptation,
never again would look kindly upon one OF
them, or have to do with them In word, or
thought, or deed; and that oath, so far as lay In
my power. ! have kept 10 this day, and hope to
keep through all eternity;
do not know. Ilifted no hand against her who
was flesh Of my flesh, but she persisted: The
story SleS was m xHGTn' Afte T@i e l%reea 70 FROM 1en me us
prison lay III for many weeks, and when re-
covered she was gone. Others had been be;
What 1t was / never asked.
For many years-twenty, perhaps-l became q
wanderer. Now, as before, the Indians loved
me, and as Lord OF the Heart, and their cacique
In q sense l still was great, though IL was but
the shadow of power that dwelt with me: the
substance had departed, as IL departs ever from
those who fail. From time to time / stroye to
rebuild the plot; but now that ! was friendless
and without fortune few would follow me.
SO IL came about that | abandoned the en-
desver and lived as best | could. | fought in
thr e wars, and gained honors there, and took
my share in many adventures, all OF which left
me as poor as | had entered them. Al times |
remembered my desire to become a priest, hut
now IL was over late TO study; also, my hands
were too much soiled with the affairs OF the
world.
wearying Of the struggle. ] went back to my
village in the mountains and dwelt there
awhile, but this also wearied me, having nothing
To do, and | turned my. attention 10 the study
and management OF mines. IL was while was
thus employed. as a middle-aged man. that
made the acquaintance Of James Strickland,
who was destined TO accompany me To the city,
Heart OF the World.
ITO be COntinued.l