Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1901-11-01
CHAPTER x.
Prisoners.

cret passage.
There was nothing left for him to do
hut hurry back to his troops, and make
what preparations he could to with
stand an attack for it was almost GER
tain that tns royalists would follow up
their victory, and attempt to destroy
the force under his command.
And Salvaraz reasoned correctly.
Shortly after the scene between Phil
in and Don Juan, portion of the MOB,
called the royalist army. was led out
by Gomez. who had with him, in i'm
mediate command Of their respective
followers, Francisco and Mattazudo.
Between Gomez and Mattazudo there
had arisen a violent hatred, but Gomez
feared the power Of the Zambos too
much to attempt to injure the half
breed then. it,.
About the same time that Gomez left
the castle, Don Juan Cara, accompa-
MED by the two men he had chosen to
accompany him, left also, and set out
toward the Carib's hut.
Cara and his two companions had
not gone far when two forms emerged
from a hiding-place, and like noiseless
shadows, giided after them.
Not a word was spoken by either
party during the journey.
Reaching the Carib's hut, Don Juan
found the Indian sitting on log be-
fore his door, smoking a rude stone
pipe, and enjoying, in his own fash
ion, the cool evening.
Il am here again, Ramana," said
Don Juan.
Il see you," replied the Carib
n must have the truth about my
daughter !; r
81 have told it to you twice. have
not seen your daughter" ~.
"Ramana, listen to me You behold
in me a broken-hearted father. My
happiness is in your hands. How can
you still be cruel? Where is my
chld?"
Il know not
'Ramana, are you loyal to the
kng?" -s.
When he is king I will be loyal to
:lim," replied the Indian. 'It matters
not to us who may be our rulers. One
kind is as bad as another. We had
1ands-they took them from us. One
government follows another. Each
one is as bad as the last. We have
nothing left, yet we are expected to
be loyal"
Restore my daughter to me, Ram
ana, and the king will restore your
lands. I swear it,"
.'I would give you your daughter if
I had her But I have not. I have
not seen her.
''Will you come and tell that to the
king?"
The king! Has the Spaniard who
calls himself king sent for me?"
"Yes My daughter was to wed the
! king. He is anxious about her, too,
Ramana.'
II will CO." said the Indian. There
! is some mystery here. The other said
she was to wed him. The half-breed
is the one''
They left together, and Medworth
and Tempest started to follow them
Then sudden thought arrested Ar
thur and he turned back motioning
for Tempest to follow him. Instead of
following Don Juan and Ramana back
to the castle they remained hidden
near the hut. Medworth's idea in do
ing this was that if lRamana was ly-
ing Lola might be somewhere near.
They waited some little time and,
hearing no sound peered into the
open door Of the hut.
There was no one there.
The hut was such rude, ill-made
thing that it seemed hardly possible
that there could be hiding-place
connected with it.
Satisfying themselves that no one
was inside, they withdrew again into
the shadows and waited.
After time they heard voices, and
two persons came walking slowly
toward the hut. They were-both In
dams, and were speaking in Spanish,
yet in SO low tone that the listening
Americans could not understand what
they said.
But when they reached the hut and
found it empty, one turned to the
other and said:
'Ravona, the hut is empty. Where
are the old ones?"
cit is strange" said the one called
Ravena. 'My father and mother are
very old. They do not go far from
their hut at night"
Just then the sharp hiss of wom-
ans voice was heard, and an old In
dian hag came from clump Of woods
about a hundred yards away.
ooh, there you are" said Ravona.
We missed you. Where is the old
one?"
II left him here. Strange things are
being done now
What do you mean?"
"A girl was stolen from the castle.
First Gomez comes to find her and
says Mattazudo the half breed brought
her to Ramana. But Ramana has not
seen her. Then the half-breed comes
himself and demands her. What
liar that half-breed is. Perhaps some