San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-12-29

y "
are noble. will give you something.
Feel here round my neck, there is a
little chain-now draw it over my
head-so. You see token hangs to it.
If ever you are in trouble with the In
dians, take their chief man apart and
show him this, and he will die for you
if need be.
"Englishman, by this gift / have
made you heir to the empire of the Az
tees in the heart of every Indian, and
the master of the great brotherhood of
Mexico. Molas, the messenger, will
tell you all and bring you to those who
can initiate you. Bid him to lead you
whittier he would have led me. Fare
well, and God go with you. Tell the
Indians how died, that they may not
think that You have murdered me-"
To these words of mine the senior
made no alawcr. Int thrust the token
into his pocket without looking at it,
like one who dreams. Then, taking
the candle with him, he crept forward
down the tunnel and vanished, and my
heart sank as saw him go, leaving me
to my dreadful fate without word of
farewell.
Doubtless he is too frightened to
speak," thought, "and it is right that
he should fly as quickly as possible to
save his life"
Now, as was soon to learn, was
doing the senior bitter wrong in my
mind, seeing that he never dreamed of
deserving me, but went to find a means
of rescue. AS he told ne afterwards,
when he reached the mouth Of the tun-
mel he could think of no gay by which
i might. be saved, since these noun
tains were uninhabited and it would
take several hours to bring men from
Cumarvo.
Outside the mine he sat himself down
to consider what could lie lone, but no
thought came, for it was impossible to
use the strength of the horses in that
narrow place. Then he s. rung up and
looked round him in dcsT; ir. Close to
him was little ravinp followed by
water, and on its very edge grew a
small mimosa thorn of VII: n the long
roots had been washed /, H. ost bare by
a flood. He saw it and =, inspiration
entered into him.
Springing at the lit, u tree, that
being SO tough wood vas the best
possible for his purpos,., he tore it
from such roothold as remained to it.
A few strokes with his lvy hunting
Oil tut .tuCucS anu
fibers, and soon he was G: eping care
fully up the tunnel, dragCi:g the trunk
after him. When he had gone some
ment of the roof fall, and 30 he said in
his story, was minded to fly.
SIT is /, Ignatio, and l lave brought
lever. Now when lift, struggle for
ward if you can"
Then he placed the trunk of the thorn
tree in what seemed to him the best
position, and put all his strength upon
it. 1t was in vain; even so he could
not stir the rock.
"Try little more to the right"
said, family; "there is a better hold. !"
He shifted the lever and dragged at
it till his muscles cracked, and l felt
the stone tremble as its bulk began to
rise.
"If you can help ever so little, it will
come!" he gasped.
Then in my despair, though the an
guish of it nearly killed me, set my
palms upon the ground, and contract
ing myself like a snake that is held
with a forked stick, thrust upwards
with my back, till the point of the stone
was raised to the height of eight or
ten inches from the ground.
For moment, and one only, it hung
there; next instant the lever slipped,
and down it came again. But / had
taken my chance, for, clinging to the
floor with my fingers, SO soon as my
back was free, with quick movement
/ dragged myself foot or more for
ward. Then the point of rock that had
been lifted from my back fell again,
but this time it struck the ground be-
tween my thighs.
Now he seized me by the arms and
tore me free, though l left one of my
long boots beneath the stone. / strove
to rise, but could not because of the
hurt to my back.
You must carry me, senior" said.
He glanced at the mass that trembled
above us, then, giving me the candle,
lifted me from the ground like an in
FAINT and staggered forward down the
tunnel. Perhaps we had gone some
seven or eight PAGES, not more, when
there was a dreadful crash behind us.
The roof had fallen in and the spot
which we had occupied some thirty sec
onds before was now piled high with
rocks.
"Onr' i said, ''cracks are showing in
the stone above usl' and he rushed for
ward till we found ourselves exhausted
and bleeding among the grasses outside
the mine.
Now bowed my head and returned
thanks for my escape; then, lifting it,
l looked my preserver in the face and
Said
II swear by the name of God, senior.
that he never made man nobler than
yourself
The next instant | fell forward and
tainted there among the ferns.
Ten days had passed since was car
ried from the mouth of that accursed
mine back to Cumarvo in litter, and
during all this time | had suffered
much pain in my back and been very
ill-so ill, indeed, that l was scarcely
allowed to speak with anyone. Now,
however, was much better, and one
afternoon Senior Strickland, assisted
by my foster brother Molas, lifted me
| from my bed into hammock.
"By the way, Ignatio," said the
senior when Molas had gone, 81 never
gave you back this charm of yours
What queer-loolling trinlSet it isl'
be added, taking it from his neck;
so nd lil - N.