The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-24
LEANDsR SLABS THE HALr-BREED.

on MS love OF sport until the boy would
fall again.
LEANDER SLABS THE HALF-BREED.
From inquiries made, | learned that
Francesca made a practice of regularly
cheating him out of his wages. but
Leander could not be brought TO see this,
but played on, hoping to regain some of
his losses. But one night he saw an I'M
mistakable false play on the part of his
enemy, and with the quick fury of his
race had leaped across the table and had
driven his knife into the breast of Fran
cesco. The big half-breed dropped like
log, and thinking him dead, the boy broke
out of the shanty aud ran for the mount
aims. Next morning was told of the oc-
currence, and while deprecated what he
had done, | could not but think the boy
had some excuse for his anger, and after
ascertaining from the surgeon Fran
cesco's wound would not prove serious, 1
resolved to protect Leander from the law.
This was easily done in those early days,
and fearing lest the boy would perish in
the mountains of hunger and exposure, /
engaged small party to go with me in
search of him.
After some trouble we learned from a
herdsman that Leander prevailed on him
to promise that he would bring him food
every day to the mouth of shaft which
had been the entrance of an old silver
mine. Here Leander proposed to hide
himself until the consequences of his deed
had blown over. The herdsman had
kept his promise, and the day after meet
ing the boy on his way to this place of
concealment had carried some provisions
to the shaft and had called to the fugi-
tive. But he had heard nothing in reply.
and so had gone away thinking that after
all Leander had abandoned his plan. l
proceeded at once to the spot pointed out
by the Mexican and with one of my men
entered the shaft which had
been sunk at a sharp angle into
the mountain. Our torches burned
badly in the foul air of the place, and not
! seeing it ] stumbled presently over an
OBJECT that lay across the path. | leaned
| forward TO see what IL was, and had
| just recognized with a thrill of horror
that it was the body of a man most sick
enlngly swollen and discOlored. when the
man with me suddenly ierked me TO one
side and discharged his pistol at a dark
glittering shape which was making at
me. Back, back, senor!" he cried,
dragging at me. 1t is the Black Death. p"
| lmpelled by him, though not understand
ing the danger, I backed out of the
place and was then told that / had
! narrowly escaped bite from gila mon
ster, and that the man we had seen was
IN all probability my poor servant,
! though | would have never have known
that CHASTITY, battened shape for him.
could scarcely prevail or the man to
90 with me back into the shaft, but at
last he consented TO walk behind me and
to hold the torch that I might kill the
deadly creature ana bring out the body of
the poor boy for burial. We found the
monster that the Mexican had fred at
writing about, evidently wounded by the
shot, and quickly dispatching him, we
stopped 10 lift the dead boy when my nos
tris were smitten by fresh
Whit Of the indescribably offensive
odor embling that Of decayiDg
raw meat which filled the place
The Mexican and | sprang about to
see crawling out of the gloom at the far
end of the shaft, a second monster. Aim
ing carefully, fired at the moving form,
but mist have missed the reptile for, with
incredible swiftness of movement, IL
reached me and seized my left foot. For
tunately, / had on thick hunting boots
reaching 10 my knees so that as far as ]
was concerned the creature was harm
less, out the Mexican with me was bare
footed. and cried out TO me to kill the
monster before IL could turn on him. So.
leaning down, | placed my weapon almost
10 the things head and blew its brains
out.
During the same year of this occur
renee a young mining engineer from the
east ran away with the daughter of a
wealthy Mexican ranchman, v no objected
u the marriage on the score Of the young
mans poverty The couple, pursued BY
the angry father, a man who had the rep
utation OF being swift to kill, made for
.