The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-12-19
CHAPTER XIII.
Paying a Debt.


the castle walls, great anxiety arose
among the royalists, for surely it SEEM
ed that if the waters continued to rise
twenty four hours longer the Castle of
Salvarez itself would cease to be habit
able. But when, on the following
morning, the rains ceased and the
floods stopped rising, the lower floor
of the castle was still dry.
The relief that Philip and his fol-
lowers felt at this was very great.
s Philip at once turned his attention to
his neglected plans, and while Gomez
and Don Juan Cara resumed the plan
for pressing forward to the Orinoco,
to cross it and extend their power.
They were thus engaged on the day
that the waters had fallen away from
around the castle, when Francisco
burst in upon them, frantic in some
new excitement.
"Your majesty" he cried. Gomez!
Don Juan! A traitor has again come
near us!''
What do you mean?" asked Philip,
starting up and placing his hand on
his sword-hilt. HAS Salvarez re-
turned?"
"Nay, not salvarez," replied Fran
cisco, "and never will, / fancy, for
where would he have gone to have sur
: vived the flood?"
"Then who? If not Salvarez, who is
the traitor of whom your speak?"
II know not. Yet that some one has
been here there is no doubt. The
horses are gone"
"The horses? Gone!"
''To be sure" said Gomez, with a
gloomy smile. 1--WE might have ex-
pected such loss, though not by the
hand of traitor. Above the storm
heard the poor beasts shrielling in
their fear, apd no doubt they had
broken bounds and stampeded through
the water to look for high ground and
safety. OF course they were safe
enough, for the stables were not flood
ed by more than few inches Of
water. But they didn't know that, Of
course"
"Such was my explanation when the
thing was reported to me-" said Fran
cisco, "but unfortunately there is proof
!, that was wrong and you are wrong.
The halters have been cut-every one
y of them"
"Cut!'
''Cut with a sharp knife. Every
kN,ered end is smooth and free from
y ragged appearance of break. The
Misses have been set free"
This is great misfortune" said
Ehilip. "The flood has either drowned
driven off most of the herds in this
icinity, and we shall have difficulty in
hoving north"
"There will be more-plenty of
them" said Francisco. con my own
fields have two thousand, and there
is high ground enough to give all my
beasts safety from the floods. 1t is not
is the presence SO near of an enemy"
"That enemy must be found" said
Philip.
"The place is full of mysteries" said
Francisco. do you remember, your
majesty, how even your own knife was
secretly taken from this room and con-
veyed to the hand of Salvarez?"
True," replied Philip. 1--WE found
1t sticking between the ribs of the
murdered sentinel. l brought it here
He disturbed the maps and papers on
the table in an absent way, as If to
pick up the knife.
'By the hole salnts!" he exclaimed,
g., tat ~,
witched?"
II knew a knife had been used" he
said, "and now it would seem to have
been your majesty's own"
Philip strobe to and fro excitedly.
"Some one assuredly has access to
this ROOM" he said, land visits it when
none of us are present. The matter
must be Investigated and that imme-
diately. Have the guards that have
been on duty at this door since the
beginning of the food summoned be-
fore us that we may hear their state
ments.''
While Philip, Gomez and Don Juan
were engaged in questioning the
frightened and bewildered sentinels,
& let us see what another member Of the
band was doing.
When Lola Cara had been lying on
her sick bed, attended only by her
father, whose reports of her condition
were anxiously listened to by Philip
and Gomez, Mattazudo was as anxious
az either Of them. When he had been
ordered to bring Namampa, the herb
doctor, a CLEAN of triumph had illu-
mined his ugly face.
And when Don Juan was plunged in
grief and Philip mourned the loss of
his queen, and Gomez cursed the fate
that had taken the beautiful victim
from his when he might have succeed
ed in getting her in his power, Malta
Judo -Mattazudo the half-breed
smiled and was happy.