The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-01-30

L
and of gentle laughter, still always clear and
distinct, she heard him speak
have only this opportunity to say what
/ would to you; but l love you. love you
better than all of the earth or my immortal
soul. Do you love me?n
Was she trembling as he held her in his
arms or did he imagine? Was her silence
TO be forever as they circled slowly on? But
no! She speaks to him, so low it seems al
most whisper from the night air.
"Yes, my Captain" She had heard little
Pedro so call him and unconsci0usly used
| the term.
What need for further speech. There was
the music, the concentrated language and
expression of love ever since the first man
blew through the hollow reed a rude melody
to the hearts choice. But he heard her
speak again, low and distinctly:
My father comes soon. You must speak
with him."
There is no heart braver than lovers nor
any soul so faint.
81 will wait, as you say" What of his
ship and his duty? But if he should re-
fuse-should separate us?"
Are you not brave and strong, my Cap
| tain? Can you not think of what to do?
| But do not know he will refuse. ] would
not like to cause him sorrow unnecessarily"
The very next day, an hour past high
noon, while the Captain was taking his siesta
| in hammock in the shade of the piazza he
was aroused by the noise of many horses
| hoofs and the Jingle of accouterments As
he look ed a band of 80 or 40 dusty troopers
rode by, straight, martial figure in the lead,
with the face of stone image. 1t was the
| Commandant, home returning. The Cap
tain forthwith determined TO 90 and speak
with him as to Estella that very evening;
| but, in spite of his resolve, there was fore
boding in his mind.
In the cool of the afternoon he set forth.
| His quarters were some hundreds OF yards
from other dwellings, and looking across the
open space he saw a little figure running to-
ward him. 1t was Pedro. The boy came to
him almost breathless and asked:
"Stop, my Captain. Whittier do you go?"
81 go, truest friend, to thy home to talk
with the Commandant"
"Estella sent me-" Pedro continued. u
am TO tell you from her, SO no one can hear
| but you, two things. One. Not to come to
our house either this day or at any time.
Two. Do not go 10 bed this night at all, but
sit on your piazza, full dressed, armed and
awake"
Pedro turned and was away like a flash.
The Captain went back slowly, wondering,
ill at ease, but hopeful.
When the night came he buckled his short,
| thick cutass at his side, looked well to the
| priming of his brace of pistols, stuck them in
| his belt, seated himself in his hammock on
| the piazza and waited. No man knows how
long the hours of The night drag by unless
/ he has waited as did the Captain, with doubt
and fear gnawing his heart. He sat there
while Venus the evening star, passed below
the dark horizon. The new moon sank in
the west and darker shadow passed over
the silent earth. Far in the night he heard
sound rs of swift horses coming. He list
ened. There was a noise slight indeed, a
fainst rustling in 'front.' and voice. almost
a whisper. 1t was Estellas.
"Is that you, my Captain?"
| He stood up, and in moment she was
standing near him, dim form vaguely seen
| in the dark.
81 have come to you" she hurried on.
1--WE must leave at once. My father came to-
day and called me TO him. He ordered me
to prepare to leave in two days for San An
tonic, there to meet and marry man he had
chosen for me. / dissembled.- i told him
/ would 60, God allowing. But God will
not allow. My father has given his word
| 10 this thing. He knows of you nothing,
but to- morrow he will hear Every curious
| eve has noticed us, and every babbling
tongue will speak of US to him, and he
would cut you to pieces had he suspicion
of the truth. We must go. l have horses
with me here, and down yonder is the sea,
your ship, and safety"
Rapidly and incoherently she spoke. But
there was no question as to the danger.
She had the reins of two horses in her
hands; she handed one to the Captain,
tod liuh f1H for
him.
And now there came misfortune that
had near been their undoing. The Captains
horse was one of the ordinary Spanish ponies
of that country; no better nor worse than
his kind. Even to this day they resent the
rider no matter how many years they have
been ridden. They always rear, kick and
plunge on being mounted, but these things
are expected and thought of as nothing by
the skilled riders of the Southwest. The
Captain was sailor, with all the proverbial
awkwardness of sailor on horseback. He
had no sooner seated himself in the saddle
than the pony reared, plunged, then jumped
high in the air and came down stiff-legged,
and threw the Captain heavily to the
ground.
"Madre de Dios! what has happened?D
said Estella, grasping the bridle-Ten of the
Half-stunned dizzy and faint, the Captain
tried to rise. Sharp pains shot up from his
left foot, and he fell again. he had sprained
his ankle.
"What msf0rtunel" he groaned. al
am clumsy rider. My leg is hurt, and /
cannot rise"
How she did it the stars can only tell, but
she tied her own horse TO the piazza, flung
off the mans saddle from the other, and
sprang to his back. Elated with his recent
achievement, he pitched harder than ever.
| But in vain; firm hand ever held him; a
steady hand rained blow after blow Of the
heavy quirt upon his head, and light
form stayed ever with him, ,despite his fierce
gymnastics. He gave in, and she rode him
back, humble and conquered to where the
Captain lay. Then this weak girl dismount-
ed, took the loOped horse-hair lariat from
| the thrown-aside saddle, raised up the Cap
tain, and dragging, pushing and lifting,
managed oplace him prone upon the pOny's
bare back. There with many twist and
turn of the lariat she tied him hard and
fast, face upward to the stars, as was Mazep-
pa. She remOunted her own horse, and,
leading the other, she rode away in the
darkness.
Across the broad, fat-coast prairies they
rode, ever to the south, through the fresh,
cool breeze from the sea- AS they rode on,