The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-26
wild Ride OF q Porto Rican Girl.

There Is one woman I'm this country
who rejoiced exceedingly at the tri-
umph of u arms against the Span
iards. This Is the beautiful Miss Val
encia Monica, who Is now living In san
Antonio. Texas.
She is an exile from the island of
Porto Rico, and nov that the Ameri-
can army In rapidly taking possession
OF the country. his beautiful young
lady is unable to express her JOY over
the prospect of returning to her home.
Miss Monica is the heroine OF a most
remarkable escape from the hands of
the merciless Spaniards. About a yea:
ago she was i'm Cuba, and I'm company
with a family OF reconcentradoes she
attempted to make the journey across
the country from the little interior
plantation of Palma to Santiago. In
the hope OF finding some opportunity
at the latter place to escape to the
United States.
An officer. with a spark of humanity
in his bosom. touched by the miserable
condition of the u~nfortunates. furnished
them with a pass, and assured the
young lady that no soldiers would
harm them. They a an old cart, in
which they had loaded a few articles
OF clothing and a scant supply OF pro-
visions. Miss Monica rode an old on
key. which had been given to her by one
OF the faithful negroes on her fathers
Cuban plantation. They met several
columns of soldiers. who did not modest
them. and they were beginning to con-
graduate themselves over their good
fortune. when one evening. just as they
were preparing to camp, a dozen or
more Spanish guerrillas galloped up to
the cart and overturned It. The young
lady showed her pass to the brute who
| appeared to be In command, and made
a piteous appeal to him to leave them
! undisturbed. She might as we'll have
| talked to the stones in the hills. The
man could not read. and. to add to the
terror he had already excited, Miss
Monica discovered that the guerrillas
were all very drunk. They helped
themselves to the provisions found in
the cart. The leader of the gang. after
offering the young lady a drink from
his bottle. staggered against her. and
made an attempt to take her face In
his hands. Now thoroughly alarmed.
and preferring death to %dishonor. the
little Cuban quickly drew a %stiletto
from her bosom and sprang at the
monsters throat, barely grazing his
beard with the keen blade His COM
rades laughed and hurrahed, and made
all kinds of sport OF their leader. The
young lady's knowledge OF the char
acter and spirit of the Cuban guerrilla
led her to believe that she had aroused
a spark of chivahy in the men. n
she appealed TO them for protection.
They did force the monster to let the
pretty little tigress." as they called
her. alone. and after some moments
they went into camp, or. rather.
stretched themselves out under the
trees a short distance away from the
cart.
A very slight circumstance doubt
less saved the young lady from a fate
worse than death. though IL subjected
her to one Of the most frightful or
deals ever endured by mortal flesh.
one Of the guerrillas came into the
camp leading a very wild looking black
stallion. which he. i'm his drunken reck-
~lessness. declared was the DEVILS own
saddle horse. IL appeared that they
had just stolen the fine animal. and
that he had thrown everyone who had
mounted him.
DO you think you could ride him. my
little tigress?" said one of the guerril-
las. approaching Miss Monica, and
making an attempt to become familiar.
Her answer. which was, II should like
nothing better h TO try" seemed to
tickle the desperate characters inn
mensely. Miss Monica says that she
hardly knows why she made such an
answer. she realized hat she Ia no
chance Of escaping from the drunken
set and would willingly have exchanged
her position for the back of the Wild
est horse In the world.
The next moment these fiends were
hurrahing and binding the terrified girl
tn the little less terrified horse. Before
Miss Monica realized what her tor
mentors were doing one OF the wretches
cut the rope that was about the
horses neck and fired a pistol. The
frightened animal sprang into the ali
and struck the earth ~a-running. Pistol
balls rained about him. but unframed
he seemed To sail above the earth with
the wind. and was soon beyond tht
reach of the guerrillas.
. But her Good angel had not deserted
her. A company OF Cuban soldiers. fol
q. lowing the euerillas. were riding slowl,
/. over the open plain that the WILD
. horse with his burden of beauty wa
: traversing. The Cubans heard IN,
= horse coming. and they halted, suspect
F: ing that one Of their men was beinl
pursued.
They could hardly believe their own
eyes when they found a young lad,
dashed TO the back OF the wild horse
5 and when Miss Monica had somewha
z recovered and told her friends how II
: all occurred, there was no limit to tn
fury that prevailed in the camp.
Miss Monica was escorted to the Gu
a camp. where she met her father. !
few days afterward n staunch it'll
: flibuster. Three Friends. landed on tn
4 coast with a supply of arms. and tn
e young lady found an opportI nifty q
r reach the Florida coast. Since Their sh
, has hsan making her h,ma With vaIa