Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-09-08

bronzed chew.
THAT stain is blood. 1t came from
here-some of IL. l got worse cut on
the head. Now I'll tell you the story.
II.
Some years ago I had an interest in
a sSegOvian gold mine. Segovia, l
should say, is in Nicaragua, between
the great lake and Honduras. firing
of the wild life, 1 resolved to visit Gran
ada One night l passed in the lsOtel,
and that was too long, for 1 was eaten
alive. Next day l sought out a vacant
house, found the owner and struck
bargain.
THE house l rented was an immense
building. erected on three sides OF
courtyard paved with marble. There
was not a pane of glass in it, but plenty
of iron bars. The courtyard had a bro
ken fountain in the center, waterless, OF
course, and half hidden by rubbish and
shrubs, run wild long since.
The time hung pretty heavily upon
my hands, so one morning l set TO work
to clear away the rubbish that choked
the basin of the fountain. At the very
bottom OF the heap found the Liberia
tor.
II cleaned the statue myself. Pope
dared not touch it at first He said 1t
was a Carib god. 1t wasn't in its pres
ent battered condition then, and l con-
sidered il a great find. We set it up on
a shelf beside my bed, and in forty
eight hours I had forgotten all about it.
AT gambling house I met Don Man
uel Arguello. By way Of return for the
money he had won Of me he took me
home and introduced me TO his mother
and cousin. After that called every
day, for l had fallen in love with the
Sonora Isabel
THE passion Of my life was returned.
But l was unaware that Don Manuel al
so loved her. 1 did not learn until too
late that he had long looked forward TO
repairing his broken fortunes by mar
riage with his cousin. He enlightened
me- need not describe the scene-and
I refused 10 stand aside. Then he
threatened 10 take my life.
"As you know, my wife is a capital
horse-woman, and it was our custom
TO ride daily on the Los CJcos road.
One morning my darling failed to meet
me at the trysing place. l dismount-
ed TO wait, leaving my horse TO Pope
Presently he called me, and l found
him examining the tracks.
d" 'Senor,' said he in his grave fash
ion. here is the trail of the Senora's
mare. 1t is fresh. 1t was made this
morning He moved on, bent double.
"'Other horses have halted here,
have plunged about and have gone.
The Senora's mare went with them
Again he moved on.
"'Ahp he exclaimed, presently,
there is the print of lasso ring which
has missed the mark. There the Sc
nora's mare halted suddenly, like the
wise animal she is. That lassO did not
miss, and she has had fall before,
maybe
What on earth are you driving at?'
I cried.
The sonora turned there and spur
red the mare he said. The other
horses followed-in a great hurry, Sc
nor. She did not gallOp far, as we have
seen. Afterward she went quietly
For the love of heaven tell me what
you have learned? 1 cried.
a mile further on, senior, answer
ed the Indian, stOlidly, there is path
which leads to Don Manuel's hacienda.
II the senOra's mare turns there, that
is where the Sonora Isabel will have
gone-nOt willingly, senior.
I'VE galloped hard TO the byway
spoken OF. Sure enough, all the tracks
left the road there. The obseryant In
dian was right.
It had my pistols, he his machet.
We pursued the abductOrs, and caught
them before they reached the hacienda
as ugly a quartet as I ever set eyes
on. The prudent Don Manuel had di-
rected the business from a safe dis
lance.
His fellows showed fight Of course,
but 1 managed to wing one at the first
fire. when they all turned tail. took my
darling back to her aunt, with whom
she was quite safe. Don Manuel did
not show up. He knew better
III.
MY darling was very fond of her
aunt and unwilling to hurt her. 50 we
said nothing of sons villany. But when