The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-10-10

and came towards me He was of
dark, forbiddipg aspect, and he adj
dressed me With scant courtesy. Dis
daining to reply to my "Yaya listed
con Dios." the usual compliment of
the road, he peremptori1y asked me
who 1 was and whither I was going
II am an English officer from La
PeD0n, the great rock. and I so where
I please l said shortly.
This road leads nowhere
Then Why do you travel by it,"
retorted.
"That is our affair; we have no ac-
count to render to you. 1t is our
ground Turn bacRl"
What treasures do you keep con-
/ eealed in the rocks UP there? A hidden
| gold mine, perchanee?"
At my use of the word ''Escondida"
the man started as if 1 had shot him.
then shouted few sharp words 10 his
companions. In an instant they had
halted, faced round, and came at me
with such an ugly. threatening look
that in common prudence 1 retired be-
fore them.
My good gray soon left them far be-
hind and l rode into Maibeila without
drawing rein. There. at the inn. I re-
/ treShed man ana beast and sought
! some confederation of my suspicious
! The landlords reluctance in answering
/ my questions, his repeated Dio5 sabe
! God only hnoWs) confirmed me in my
| belief that there was really q mine and
! that it was being worked more or less
! secretly and not for the benefit OF Nc
! Killop's heirs.
J | gained further and more convincing
{ evidence on my homeward ride, and on
! visiting the place where the falucha
! had been taking III cargo. The boat
| was gone. | could see its sail on the
[ far horizon. But here upon the beach
| Was an unmistakeable telltale of what
! her business had been.
One of the bags must have burst as
it was going on board and some of it's
( contents were scattered about in the
! sand. L picked up half q dozen pieces
! of dark-colored stone, which Bright
| smith, when ] produced them, pro-
nounced to be. without doubt, galena or
I ore of lead.
II was on the third morning at Glib
| raltar, not long after gunfire, that |
reused him out to tell him my news.
He was profuse in his thanks, but [ cut
him short.
We had better push through to
| Madrid without loss of time" I said.
The game must be played out there. "
All that tedious and fatguing jour
ney my friend rallied against all rogues
Spaniards and mining experts in par
| ucular, and talked Lightly of what he
[
! noticed a great change in his demeanoI
as he referred to the law; he BEGAN to
patronize me as though what remained
was his affair. He meant to take the
case straight into the Spanish courts
An action for treSpaSS would lie, with
AID the pains and penalties. The peo-
pie who had Jumped" the mine must
be elected 5ummarily and properly
punished
TN let them see. That's my bust
ness. Mac, don't know that 1 need
detain you now if you are anxious tC
so home"
He was SO pompous and self-satisfeG
that l felt inclined to take him at hi:
word; but the detective instinct wa.
strong in me and I wanted to see the
thing through.
L was soon avenged on Brightsmith
he had met with a diSheartening checl
at the very outset 1t was necessary
Tor him TO produce the original con
! tracts made, and they We're nowhere IL
be found. After long and exhausttv,
search through all the notarial archive!
IN Madrid, they we're found at last il
the office of Messrs. Bernabeau & San
/ doval- But the notaries fatty refused
to surrender them or even to give a,
} attested copy, as Brightsmtth's NAM
did not appear in the contracts. He the1
appealed to the British chancery 70
protection, and was told by pert at
taehe that our minister could not inter
} fere with the course of Spanish law
Next he tried to get an injunction
against the persons known who were
wrongfully working La Escondida. Blu
, he could not name them, and h
was again denied. With all this h
! was perpetualIy worried to fulfill small
! formalities. ve1ed with incessan
delays and almost childish difficulties
: so that at last he was all but driver
mad
[ watched him. quietly amused, for
fortnight nearly. going my own road
/; which was not his, following my OWL
z devices, which interested me and KEEP
me fully employed. knowing all TIA
time that he would come TO me som
| day on his knees seeking help and sym
t pathy-
When he did I was ready for him.
This is the most exasperating coun
) try" he cried. Il seem to make no pro
gress at all What are you laughin
at?"
: Il laugh when I think what woul