Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-10-31
TWAS A MIRAGE.


Chapter /.
Approaching the PaSo del Pinto, fa4'
Within tile heart of the wild Sierra
Madre. is a young man whose hand
some face readily bespeaks him TO be
no othel. than oscar Cunningham.
The time is early May. 1t is morn
ing: time of day which in this dis
tant land of Mexico mostly appeals
to those whose thoughts are vi love
Oscar Cunyngham looks about hin
YEARLY The scene il beautiful, hut
nevertheless lie cares not IL he lives
or dies, for his soul can derive no AMI
nation from it. Dropping palms and
hanging orchids only bring back TO
his memory recent scene in a
church beyond the Rio Grande.
oh, Lettuce Outlying, how could
you shake me at the altar in such 81
cruel mannerI" he finally mmtters.
Then in paIoxysm of rage, with
his hunting knife between his teeth
and his Winchester cooked, he dashes
to towards the rocky defile.
CHAPTER IL.
"Ah, ha! b1oGco tracks. and fresh
ones, too, at that,' exclaims Oscar
Cunningham, AT the same tiane leaping
from his horse and examining the
footprints with a readilr, glass.
Yes, yes: they are fresh, ana by
love, with Heavens assistance. I'll
soon oyertake them. AMI then-and
then''-But the words stick fast in
his throat
gSpringing to his saddle once more,
lie lunges further and deeper into the
mountain fastneSs, Now he scales a
barrier Of Jagged rocks. sliyerel
asunder by some ancient terrenean
CONFUSION, perhaps and now he
clears a chasm with a bound. Such
obstacles would seem impossible to
a heart less determined on revenge.
And now, at last. he draws his
CHAPTER ILL.,
reins beneath an oyerhanging cliff,
and raising his left hand above his
brow he looks forward intently.
Lying before him i'll a grove Of live
oaks intelspersed with plantains and
wild glapeyines, he sees the hacienda
of Don Cardiac. A scene TO compare
with fairy tales it is. Here an abode
with broad cool yelandas, and there
a ripping brooklet nolselessly wind
ing It's way ont of sight beneath yon-
der mountain.
But why does Oscar Cunyngham
tremble so? He sees a figure of q
young girl sitting in 4 hammock,
bending over guitar. As she runs
her fingers lightly over the frets she
now and again raises her lustrous,
soulful eyes to the dark face Of the
young SraniaId who stands beside
, her.
1t Is Don Cardiac, the notorious
young Chihuahua bandit, and the girl
is none less than Lettuce Outlying.
But see The handsome spaniard
embraces her and their lips are mov-
| ing towards each other
CHAPTER ~.
With an oath Oscar Cunyrgham
raises his rifle to his shoulder.
you poltroon" lie eSclaims, and
then he runs his eye along the bur
nished barrel until the glimmering
sight glows full against the Span
iard's profile There Is a sharp report
and the deadly bah speeds on its way
towards the grove. The smoke clears
away and the young American looks
down the vale with ghoulish glee 70
see what work Of death he had
wrought
CHAPTER Y.
| Still 40 the lips Of Don Cardiac and
the beautiful girl fly together at in
| tervals. But there is no report from
F., their contact. which is strange and
1 taunbng TO Oscar Cunningham, who
now raises his weapon again and
takes more careful aim. The range is
simple and his heart beats with hope
/ and determination. But the result of
the shot is no different. and tney kiss
| again.
CHAPTER ~.
| And now Oscar Cunningham ~ de-
termined to lombard the hacienda in
earnest. An hour Of lGtessant shoot
ing is carried on and then his ammu-
mition gives out. Sti!l the Spanlar'
and maiden continue 10 kiss each
other, seemingly 3bliyious Of The pro-
/ longed firing.
But pause. See! \ sudden enange
comes over the scene. The hacienda
and all it's environments, including
the Spaniard and maiden, are gently
rising and floating away over the
mountains out Of sight.
"Ahr' exclaims oscar Cunyngham'
/ and is it possible that after all I've
wasted my powder ON a mirage
SO with a heavy heart he recrosses
the Rio Grande to Texas New York
/ World.