Rocky Ford enterprise., 1901-10-11
The FilibuSterS of Venezuela.
Or the Trials of Spanish Girl.
BY SEWARD w HOPKINS.
by
BY SEWARD W. HOPKINS.
copyrisL,ed by
CHAPTER X.

Prisoners.
When General Salvarez learned OF
the failure to blow up the castle. he
did not for a moment doubt that his
enemies were In possession Of the Sc
cret passage.
There was nothing left for him to do
but hurry back to his troops. and make
what preparations he could to with
stand an attack. for 1t was almost GER
tain that the royalists would follow up
their victory. and attempt to destroy
the force under his command.
And Salvarez reasoned correctly.
Shortly after the scene between Phil
ip and Don Juan. a 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 Mattnzudo.
Between Gomez and Mattazudo there
had arisen violent hatred. but Gomez
feared the power of the Zambos too
much to attempt to injurc the half
breed then.
About the same time that Gomez left
the castle. Don Juan CARA, aceompa-
MED by the two men he had chosen to
accompany him. left also. and set GU;
toward the casib's hut.
Cara and his two companions had
not gone far when two forms emerged
from hiding place. and like no!seless
shadows. glldcd after them.
Not n word was spoken by either
party during the journey.
Reaching the carIbs hut. Don Juan
found the Indian sitting on n log be-
fore his door. smoking rude stone
ion. the cool evening.
Il am here again. Ramana." said
Don Juan.
Il scc you" replied the carlb.
II must have the truth abou, my
daughter"
Il have told II to you twice. ! have
not seen your daughter
'Ramana. listen to me. You behold
In me broken-hcar;cd father. Ny
happiness is In your hands. How can
you still be cruel. Where is my
chiid."
Il know not
"Ramana. arc you loyal to the
king
when he Is king will be loyal 10
him." replied the Indian. 1T matters
not TO US who may be our rulers. One
kind Ia AS bad as another. We had
lands-thcy took them from uH. One
government follows another. Each
one In as bad an the last We have
nothing left. yet ne arc expected to
be loyal"
Restore my daughter to me. Ram
ana. and the king will restore your
lands. I swear it,
Il would give you your daughter II
had her. but I have not. have
not seen her.
VIII you come and tell that to the
kinE7"
The kins' Has the spaniara who
calls himself king sent for me7''
Yes. My daughter was to wed the
king. He Is anxious about Der. too.
Ramans.'
''I will co." said the Indian. There
Is some mystery here. The other said
she was 20 wed him. Tho haif-brccd
is the one
They lct, together. and Mcdwor,h
and Tempest started TO follow them.
Then n sudden thought arrested Ar
thur and he turned back motioning
for Tempes, to follow him. Instead of
following Don Juan and Rsmana back
to the castle they remained hidden
near the hut. Mcdworth's idea in do
ing this was that II Ramana 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 rn one there
The hut was such rude. ill-made
thing that II seemed hardly possible
that there could be a hiding-pla
connected with Il.
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
dians. and were speaking in Spanish.
yet in so low a tone that the listening
Americans could not understand what
they said.
But when they reached the hut and
found II empty. one turned to the
other and said:
''Ravona. the hut is empty. Where
are the old ones7''
ut is strange" said the one called
Ravona. 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 hundred yards away.
"oh. there you are said Ravona
We missed you. Where is the old
one7"
"I left him here. Strange things are
being done now"
what do you mean7''