El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-10-13

attempt to escape had now come, AM
Purser Sands, after seeirg that hi
stratagem was well contrived, wen
hastily up to his stateroom.
'Everytbing is now ready, general,
he said. st is the best l can do. The,
will hardly unload the heavy cases O
the cargo from the lighter tonight. [
you lie low and watch your chance ,yol
can slip ashore during the night aoC
reach the house of some of your friends
in the city,
"Can you give me paper and pen for
moment?" General Diaz asked, 81
wish to write word before leaving you
Senior Sands.'
Certainly" said the purser, But il
will be we'll to make haste" He opened
his writing desk.
General Diaz hastily wrote a few
lines, then rose and grasped the pur-
Ser's hand.
81 have not words to express the
thanks which l owe you," he said. Ac-
cept this order, please, as az slight tes-
timonial of my gratitude.
In some surprise the purser glanc I'd
at the paper. It was an order on
General Diaz's private bankers in the
City of Mexico for fifty thousand dol
| lars.
A flush of something like indigna-
| tiOn Overspread the purser's face as he
handed the order back You have quite
misunderstood me, General Diaz," he
said.
but it is only fair the general
replied, hesitating to AXE the paper.
You could have claimed that sum at
any moment for the last ten days.
The purSer tore the order slowly to
bits and threw them into the waste
basket.
81 must beg that you will never
think of the matter in this light
again." he replied. THE little l have
done has been as between a man and
his brother. Believe me when l say
that the thought of gain has never en-
tered my mind.'
The eyes of the two men met, and
they understood each other.
Not many of my friends, even my
warmest friends, are like you, Senior
Sands" replied General Diaz, with
trace of sadness in his tone: and wiring
ing the band of the purser again in
perils of the night.
Danger was still his companion: as
he soon knew from overhearipg the
lighters crew say the cargo was to be
transferred to cOasting craft that
night. So the refugee lowered him
self into the water and with quick
strokes swan away before the scow
IcdCuSO tDc
Darkness now rested on the water:
and although he passed close to a num-
Der of vessels moOred to buOys, he was
not observed, But so many people
were astir along the waterfront that
he dared not approach any OF the land
ingstairs at the foot of the principal
streets. For as much as an hour he
watched and waited, holding on by the
small hawser of a fishing vessel, and
oil = ho 10 hvva har
which kept swimming around as if
much interested in him.
When the shark 3 patience gave out,
Diam erved himself to swim to cove
below the town, and although the
distance was fully two miles, he sue
ceeded in reaching it and landing un-
discovered in q swamp, Amidst the
tall marsh grass he passed the first
night of his return to his native land.
Some Indian muleteers CHANGED to
come that way in the morning, and
feeling sure of the goodwill of these
simple folk, he joined them and
journeyed with them into the interior
of the country,
The story of General Diaz's subse-
quent adventures is a part of the his
tory of Mexico, Strenuous efforts
were made to capture him on the part
Of LerdO'S government, aad at one
roof of the United States consulate.
AS soon, however, as his friends, the
liberals were made generally aware of
his return, they rallied 10 his standard
and victory quickly crowned his at
tempt to regain control of public af
fairs.
Meantime. content to have done a
good action for its own sake, Sands the
purser continued to hold his position on
I
years passed before he visited the City
of Mexico, the distance from Vera
Cruz to the capital being an entire
days journey by rail. 1t was not often,
indeed, that he could get away from
steamer during her brief sOjOurn in
port.
At length it happened that the vessel
was delayed at Vera Cruz for ten or
twelve days; and the purser improved
the opportunity by paying brief visit
to the famous old City of Mexico.
The grand scenery of that journey
by rail up from the coast to the plateau
of Mexico, past the snowy peak of
Oriz aba, is spec tacle not soon to be
forgotten, aud was not without its eff
feet on the mind OF the purser. When
at length, as evening drew on, the
train reached the capital in the his
tOric valley of Teuochtitlan, and he
curious sense of lonesomeness Cypress
d him, for be knew no one in tn city.
He evenicoufessed to feeling of home
sickness as he sat alone in his room
that evening.
Suddenly his ear caught the sound
of many footsteps and a jingle OF spurs,
or scabbards, in the corridor outside,
followed by u sharp rap at the door.
The purSer was startled. He had
expected no visitors. Rather eau tious-
ly, therefore, he opened the door
little to see who had knocked so per-
emptorily.
\ group of eight or ten officers in
full uniform, wearing their side-arms,
stood in the passage! For an instant,
fea~ that he had been mistaken for
some criminal, or conspiratOr against
the government, flashed across the
purser's mind. Yet, even with his
first glance at the faces of his martial
visitors, ne noted that the couutenance
of the officer standing in advance OF
the others was moi wholly unfamiliar: