The National tribune., 1899-05-11

lidhST DGICiC uS lIiSu SOiuiNii' =, ''hN'
dye know what he did Oil the Vega one
morning? He had some trouble in
hitcbing up, and the rest of the team
sters started out before he was quite
ready, and that made him so mad that
he whipped out dirkknife and raced
the guide-team down. Before they could
guess what he came for he had dived
down and slashed the hamstrings of the
two leaders. Now you'll stop, won't
you,' he snarled, as he pushed back his
knife with one hand and pulled pistol
with the other. They knewhim for dead
shot, and, rather than risk fight. the
wagon-master unhitched the crippled
mules and drove on with what he had
left"
We reached camp about an hour
before dark, and were greeted by the
exultant shouts of the kitchen COM
mittee. -s'-. -.-'r .- 80.
MAIL-CARRIER WOUNDED.
Soon after our return our mali-carrier
reached camp ,blood-drenched and with
q carbine- bullet in his shoulder. A
portion of the ousted Pelados, it seemed,
had taken refuge in the San Gabriel
Mountains, due west of their former
headquarters, and in a gap Of that
sierra Spanish videt had struck the
trail of our blockade-runner.
He could hardly move his right arm,
and had almost resigned himself to the
necessity of al amputation, but DIR.
Escobedo located the bullet by sort Of
instinct, and soon removed it, together
with a fewrsmall splinters Of bone. Be
fore midnight he had his patient resting
comfortabl u, with every chance OF a
complete recovery.
For another of our invalids medical
assistance, however, had come too late.
Juan Robledo, the trooper who had
been shot through the body at the time
of Col Parras's rout by the Holguin
.dragoous, had thus far survived des-
perate wound BY dint of a hardy con-
,stitution, and might have pulled through
in a Gypsy camp, with nothing but
hunger to aggravate his affection but
the dietetic experiments of our Hos
pital Steward had turned the precarious
balance, and ever since the middle Of
January it was known that the plucky
scout was going under.
For half week DIR. Escobedo had
slept in the hospital and superintended
the application of medicated bandages,
but on the afternoon of Jan. 90, he
gave up the fight, and slipped out to
order lunch of cakes and spice-cider.
: "He's dying" he said, "and We
might as well humor his last fancy"
About halfpast four the Assistant
Steward came over to my shop with a
note from the Doctor: "Can you spare
US a minute? He's asking for the
Americana; please come and see what
he wants"
l took my notebook and couple of
envelopes, and started for the hospital.
MYSTERIOUS MESSAGE.
"Don Tomas, do you think you'll go
back to New Orleans, when this war is
oyer7" he asked, after debating a note
of less than four lines, cor have you
any acquaintance who would undertake
to deliver this to my brother Joe?"
"Yes, amigo; I'll manage that for
you," l replied; "do you happen to
know your brothers house or ofiice?"
"He has none; just send it in care
Of Malatesta's fruit store, or if you can
deliver it yourself he will do all he can
for ou,"-handing me an open scrap
of paper:
"Dear joe: It's close to the rock
where you dug out the rabbit; l am
dying to-day, but I told no soul so you
Will find it all right. r."
ale knows what it means" explained
the testator, but nobody else does" an
opinion which l was inclined to share,
unless the communication referred to a
potfGll Of pesetas which the brothers
had agreed to bury in stress of circum-
stances.
The dying mans eyes closed, and the
shed filled with rough visitors, standing
aorund, silent in the vague hope of be-
ing able TO render last service to their
departing comrade. The old Doctor
felt his wrist and sadly shook hi. head /;
the pulse was near gone.
Bot just before sunset his eyes opened
once mere. "Serg't Mariel," said he,
"when | am dead put some flowers on
my heart, and let me keep my good
oveEcoat; don't bury me in a sack, as
they did poor Rochcz." j."
They buried him near the Lookout
Point the next morning.
Both Col Parras and our mail-carrier
Hernandez got oil tie siaI,-Iist, and the
latter Offered to resume has trips without
change Of program.
His mishap, he explained, had been
due to an altogether exceptional con-
junction of circumstances. A Spanish
patrol, in pursuit of a remnant of
Pelados, obliged him to seek safety in
the precipices Of the liver cliffs, near a
deserted ranch known as TIC Vicario,
and there were moments when he gave
himself mp FOR lost; the trail terminal