The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-06-22

ride, and l get q little mule of mine from the hin in the milpa, think we can catch him by morning, He cannot travel very swiftly with his mozo and pack animal; besides he will go by the coast, which takes a long curve to the west, We will follow wood trail that I know and save an hours time be- tween here and Panuco"
 Can we handle him alone, or shall I borrow some soldier of the Jefe, Theo- doro?"
 "Senor," he,answered, do you re- member the night you saved my life from the wood choppers; how we fought back to back and whipped those nine machetros? and then you ask me if we can whip one man, l will go alone and bring him back"
 "No, Theo," replied, i've will go to- gether, Let us eat, then you can get your little mule, and I will ask Don Vii cente for his horse"
 Supper over, we soon procured our horses, and, with many blessings and good wishes from Dona Carolina, we started out.
 Our way led along the main road, or canlino real, until we reached Tzatlan, a small village, where we struck the wood traiL There, we learned that about D. m. Moses and his servant had passed Theodore had carefully studied the ground from La Chola to Tzatlan and though the light was now falling rapidly, he had no difficulty in recognizing the track of Dona Caroli- mas mare.
 We rode hard; at times the way was bad, and we had to slacllen our pace. Occasionally we were forced to duck our heads to preserve our eyes from some thorny bush, and once we rode for two miles through a swampy country where the gigantic trees arch ing overhead, completely shut out all light. Once, when riding over bushy mesa, my horse stopped and snorted the trail, stood a large jaguar; but only for an instant then he turned and crashed through the bushes. 1 At midnight we stopped beside small creek and watered the horses and stretched our legs, Oh, how sore I was! | had never ridden so hard be- fore. How I wished for a telegraph line, and, wondered if Herodius suf- fered as much when she chased her wandering Jew,
 About five o'clock in the morning Theodore, who was ahead, stopped, and l rode up to him. What is it?" I | asked.
 "Weare now" answered Theo, about | half mile from Panuco. I think we had better try and stop them here. We have travelled fast, and I don't believe they have passed this point" 1 I agreeing, we turned down an arro- 70 and reached the -camino real Here l Theodore made close scrutiny of 1 the ground by a couple of lighted matches, and assured me that Moses had not yet passed.
 | We tied our horses few yards back l in the woods, and selecting a large | clump of mesquite to hide behind. waited with anxious hearts the coming 1 of the Jew l It seemed that we had waited an age, and I was beginning to despair. The day began to dawn and the moon to pale, when we heard rattle of hoofs and stones, and Theodore said to me, Here he comes; he is about three hum dred yards away" I hastily looked at | that had brought along in preference 1 to a revolver. It was loaded heavily in 1 each barrel with buckshot.
 Nearer and nearer came the sounds, and, looking through the foliage, I could see in the dim light Moses and his servant. They were asleep. The mare, tired from her all-night trip, was walking slowly.
 1 I stepped out from behind the bush The mare gave snort and stopped The moZo awoke with a jerk, and see ing two men with guns leveled on his master vadorously turned tail and went clattering down the road, leaving the pack-mule and Moses to our tender mercies.
 Get off your horse, doctor" I cried
 He made an involuntarily move to- ward his revolver, then looked down | the barrels of our guns, and concluded that it was best to do as l wished.
 That's right" I said. Now, throw up your hands. I don't wish to detain you unnecessarily, doctor, but I would like the money you so kindly changed for me"
 Theodore now stepped up,and, while I covered Moses, he disarmed him and went through his pockets, grip, blau- kets and saddlebags; but all he could find in money was two hundred and forty-siX dollars. ,tl Where is the rest Of my money, doc tor?" I asked. E.
 T lost it cock fighting at Don Igna- clos" he replied.
 "All right, then; your jewelry will be good for two hundred dollars, and when you get settled in some other country J shall draw on you at sight for the balance"
 How his black eyes gleamed with an- ger at me! Theodore relieved him of his watch and attempted to take the | ring from his hand; but, as he did so, | Moses jerked his hand away and start | ed to run.
 Stop" I cried, Cor I'll shoot! De liver that ring or I'll blow your head off. .'
 He stopped and, with @ voice full Of | sorrow, said: Its no use. knew it would come to this. Fool that was to believe that I could in some manner | circumvent the predictions of this ring! There, take it." and, with a gesture full | of bitterness, he hurled it at my feet May it trouble you as it has me. It has five times unerringly predicted dis | aster to me, and, do my best, I cannot