Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-06-04

Throw yourself into the sea, senior,
and we will pick YOU up.
81 dare not, was the answer, "come
aboard and fetch me-"
ssDoes the senior still wish us to
stay?' asked the boatswaln calmly.
Listen. You cur'' shouted the senior,
'.the ship is sinking and will take us
with it. At the word three, give way,
men. Now, will you come or not?
One, two
II GOMEZ said the Mexican, and
driven to it by despair he cast himself
into the sea.
With difficulty the senior. assisted by
an Indian with boathook, succeeded
in getting hold of him as he was
washed past on the swell. There,
however, the matter rested for the pres
ent, for just then the deck of the Santa
Maria burst with rending sound, and
she began to go down bodily.
ssRow for your lives!'' shouted the
boatswain, and they rowed, dragging
Don Jose in the wake of the boat
Down went the Santa Maria, bow
first, making a hollow in the sea that
sucked us back toward her.
So soon as this great danger had
gone by the sailors lifted Don Jose into
the boat, where he lay gasping but
unframed. Then arose the question
of what we could do to save our lives.
AS it was, we must have been Swamped
many times over but for the stanch-
ness of the boat, which, fortunately,
was a new one, and the seamanship
and ceaseless vigilance of the Indian
bOatSwaln who commanded her. For
hour after hour he crouched in the bow
of the cutter, staring through the
sheets of rain and the darkness with
his hawks eyes and shouting directions
to the crew as he heard or caught sight
of a white-crested billow rolling down
upon us, when we would be flung up
toward the sky to sink deep into the
trough on the further side, sometimes
half full of water. which must be baled
out before the next wave came.
I was very thankful when, at length
overcome by cold and exhaustion. 1
sank into Inconsistencies or swoon.
How long remained in this merciful
state of oblivion 1 do not know, but I
me and called into my ear with a voice
that trembled with cold or joy, or both:
awake, awake, we are savedi"
''Saved?" said, confusedly. ''What
from?"
From death in the sea. Look lord"
'Where are we?" asked.
I'm the Usumacinto river, thanks
be to Godr' answered Molas. 1--WE
have been driven across the bay in the
dark and at the dawn found ourselves
just outside the breakers. Somehow
we passed them safely and there be-
fore us is the blessed land
AS for the Indians, the men to whom
we owed our lives. they were utterly
worn out. Two of them appeared to
have swooned where they sat, three
others lay gasping beneath the seats,
but Molas held the tiller by my side,
and the boatswain still sat upright in
the bow, where he had faced death for
so many dreadful hours.
''Say, lord" he asked, turning his
face that was hollow with suspense and
suffering to speak to me, lean you
row? If so, you take the oar and pull
us to the bank, while Molas steers, for
our arms will work no more?'
Then L struggled from my seat, and
with great efforts, for every move
ment caused me pain, pulled the cut
ter TO the bank.
a rancho, or village, halfa league away,
and, on learning our misfortunes and
who we were, these men hurried home
to bring us food, having first pointed
out to US a pool Of sweet rain water,
of which we stood in great need, for
our threats were dry. When they had
been gone nearly an hour women ar
rived from the rancho, bearing with
them baskets laden with tortillas or
meal cakes, frijole beans, q roast kid.
and bottle of good aqua ardiente, the
brandy of this country. On these pro-
visions we fell to thankfully, and be-
fore we had finished our meal the
alcalde, or head man of the village, pre-
sented himself to pay his respects and
to invite us to his house.
Now 1 whispered to Molas. who had
some acquaintance with this man, to
take him apart and discover my rank to
him, and to learn if perchance he had
any tidings of that stranger whom we
came to visit, DIR. Zibalbay. He nodded
and obeyed, and after awhile / rose
and followed him behind some trees,
where the a1calde, who was of our
brotherhood, greeted me with rever-
ence.
81 have news, my lord" said Molas.
"This man says that he has heard of
the old Indian and his daughter, and
that but this morning one who has
travelled down the river told him that
some five or six days ago they were
both of them seized by Don Pedro Mo-
reno, the father of Don Jose yonder,
and imprisoned at the hacienda of
Santa Cruz, where, dead or alive, they
remain
Now thought awhile, then sending
for Senior James I told him what we
had learned.
But what can this villain want to
do with an old Indian and his daugh-
ter?" he asked.
1.-THE senior forgets," said Molas,
ssthat Don Pedro robbed me of the gold