Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-30

tie doubt that the Williams were all SNUG
glers and that these were the secret paths
by which they crossed the Portuguese
frontier. There were maLy mule tracks,
and once I was surprised to see the marks
of large horse where a stream had soft
ened the track. These were explained upon
reaching place where there was clear
ing in the firwood. l saw the animal itself
battered to fallen tree. My eyes hardly
rested upon it when recognized the great
black limbs and the white near the foreleg
It was the very horse which had begged
for in the morning.
Vidal? Was it possible that there was
another F,renchman in as perilous a plight
as myself? The thought had hardly enter
ed my head when our party stopped and
answer ed from among the brambles which
lined the base Of cliff at one side of the
clearing, and an instant later ten or a
dozen more brigands came out from among
them and the two parties greeted each
other. The newcomers surrendered my
friend of the bradawl with cries Of grief
and sympathy, and then. turning upon me-
they brandished their knives and howled
at me, like the gang Of assassins that they
were. So frantic were their gestures that
1 was convinced that my end had come
and was just bracing myself to meet it in
manner which should be worthy of my
past reputation when one of them gave an
order, and was dragged roughly across
the little glade to the brambles from which
this new band had emerged.
A narrow pathway led through them to a
deep grotto in the side of the cliff. The
sun was already setting outside and in the
cave itself 1t would have been quite dark
but for pair of torches which blazed
from a socket on either side Between them
there was sitting at a rude table a very
sngular-looking person, whom l saw in
stantly, from the respect with which the
others addressed him, could be rome other
than the brigand chief who had received
on account Of his dreadful character the
sinister name of Ell Cuchillo. The man
whom had injured had been carried in
and placed upon the top of barrel. his
helpless legs dangling about in front of
him and his cats eyes still darting glances
Of hatred at me. I understood from the
sEatches of talk which l could follow be-
tween the. chief and him that he was the
lieutenant of the band, and that part Of
his duties was to lie in wait, with his
smooth tongue and his peaceful garb, for
travellers like myself. When l thought of
lured to their death by this monster of
hypocrisy it gave me glow of pleasure to
think that 1 had brought his villainies to
an end-though I feared 1t would be at
peror nor the army could well spare.
AS the injured man, still supported on the
barrel by two comrades, was explaining
In Spanish all that had befallen him. 1 was
the table at which the chief was seated,
and had an excellent opportunity of OBJ
serving him. have seldom seen any man
who was less like my idea of a brigand,
and especially of a brigand with such
reputation that in a land of cruelty he
had earned SO dark a nickname. His face
was bluff, and broad and bland, with ruddy
cheeks and comfortable little tufts of side
whiskers, which gave him the appearance
OF well-to-do grocer of the Rue st. An
tome. He had not any Of those faring
sashes or cleaning weapons which distin-
guished his followers, but, on the contrary,
he wore a good broadcloth coat like a
respectable father of a family, and save
his brown leggings there was nothing to
indicate a life among the mountains His
surroundings, too, correspondent with him
self. and beside his snuff box upon the
table there stood great brown book, which
looked like commercial ledger. Many
other books were ranged along a plank
between two powder casks, and there was
great litter of papers, some of which had
verses scrubbed upon them. All this
took in while he, leaning indolently back in
his chair. was listening to the report of
his lieutenant Having heard everything
he ordered the cripple to be carried out
again, and was left with only three guards
waiting to hear my fate. He took up his
pen, and. tapping his forehead with the
handle Of 1t, he pursed up his lips and
roof of the grotto.
II suppose" said he at last, speaking
very excellent French, that you are not