The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1896-02-13

repairing his broken IOrGUuoS NY udA
rage with his cousin. He enlightened
mel need not describe the scene-and
I refused to stand aside. Then he threat
ened to take my life.
GAS YOU know, my wife is capital
horsewoman, and it was our custom &c
ride daily Gil the Los Cocos road. One
morning my darling failed to meet me
at the trusting place. / dismounted te
wait, leaving my horse with Pope. Pres
emily he called me, and l found him
examining the tracks.
"sSenor, said he in his grave fash
ion, here is the trail of the sonora &
mare. 1t is fresh It was made this
morning. He moved on, bent double.
"'Other horses have halted here, have
plunged about and have gone. The Sc
nora's mare went with them. Again he
moved on.
"'Ah ? haexclaimed presently, there
is the print of lasso ring which has
missed the mark There the sonora s
mare halted suddenly, like the wise ami
NAL she is. That lasso did not miss,
and she has had fall before maybe
"'What on earth are you driving at?'
cried.
"'The sonora turned there and squirt
ed the mare, he said. The other horses
followed in great hurry, senior. She
did not gallop far, as we have seen.
Afterward she went quietly
"'For the love of heaven tell me
what you have learnedp cried
GA mile farther on, senior, answer
ed the Indian stOlidly, there is path
which leads to Don Manuel's hacienda.
If the sonora s mare turns there, that is
where the Sonora Isabel will have gone
not willingly, senior.
'We galloped hard to the byway
spoken Of Sure enough, all the tracks
left the road there. The Observant In
dian was right.
81 had my pistols, he his machete.
We pursued the abductors and caught
them before they reached the hacienda
AS ugly quartet as 1 ever set eyes
on. The prudent Don Manuel had di-
rected the business from safe distance.
Ellis 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 ;"
Mrs. Norman came in just then, and
Jack abruptly changed the subject. Half
an hour later Jack resumed
4
"My darling was very fond of her
aunt and unwilling to hurt her, so we
said nothing of her sons villainy. But
when Pepe and I got back to our ruin
GUS palace he advised me to barricade
the door of my room. However. l didn t
think it worth while, but at nightfall
stretched myself on the hide bed and
fell asleep, with revolver close to my
hand.
About midnight was awakened by
cut on the head, which, luckily, did
not stun me, or I shouldn't be spinning
this yarn now. l started up with the
blood streaming down my face.
don Manuel stood over me with my
revolver in one hand and an uplifted
machete in the other There's the ma
chete.
Nov you shall die, robert! he
Kissed and aimed another blow at me,
which l avoided. Shouting loudly for
Pope, I grappled with him and got hold
of his wrists. | was the stronger, but
loss of blood had weakened me- He
wrenched his right hand free and cut
me across the cheek. The blow dazed
me; staggered and fell on the bed.
Before I could rise his knee was on
my chest, the machete at my throat.
felt the edge. With last effort I flung
him from me. That instant the bed
heaved and tossed, the stout walls shook,
the sleeping city awoke with scream of
terror. Dazed as / was, / knew what
had happened. So did my enemy.
THE earthquake shall not save you 7
he yelled, and rushed at me over the
quivering floor. But again the bed
heaved beneath me. Something fell from
above. There was dull, sickening thud
"a scream of agony-and Don Manuel
rolled over and lay still, leaving the
machete across my neck. All, that was
a close shave!
II staggered to my feet and CROPPED
my way through clouds of dust to the
street, which was full of people, shrek
ing, wailing, praying to the saints. An
hour the earthquake lasted, shock fol
lowing shock.
when all was quiet and the people
had ceased to wall and pray, returned
to the palace. Pope lay in his hammock,
bound and gagged. Together we entered
the room where / had SO narrowly es-
capped death.
1.-The body Of Don Manuel, with the
skull crushed in, lay beside my bed.
Close at hand lay the Liberator in the
condition in which you see it. The
statue had toppled over in the nick OF
time, killed the would be murderer and
set me Free On such chances do the lives
of men hang.
Don Manuel's mother never knew
the truth respecting his death. 1t was
attributed to the earthquake, as also
were the cuts on my head and cheek.
left Granada as soon as I could, taking
my bride with me.
Nov you know why we treasure the
Liberator, and why we have not dared
to talk about it. ANSWERS.
New Sort of Poker.
A new variation of poker has sprung
up. 1t deals out the entire pack in equa