Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-11-23


except in fair fight. That's about ALL
and I hope it will do; at any rate, it's
too late for me to try and learn a new
one now. l listen on a Sunday to your
fathers reading, and I wish sometimes
had been taught; and yet it's better as
it is. A man who acted like that
wouldn't be much good for a rough life
on the prairies, though 1 have no doubt
it could be done in the settlements. Now
I will go on with that yarn I was just
beginning.
"One day our captain sent for RUDE
and me, and says, I've got a job for you
two scouts. It's a dangerous one, but
you won't like it any the worse for that,
[ know
Not a Bit said Rube, with laugh.
He was the lightest-hearted fellow, was
Rube; always gay and jolly, and wouldn't
have hurt a squirrel, except in stand-up
fight and as a matter of business.
"'What is it, Cap? said [; you've only
got to give us the word, and we're off,
"'I've had a message he said, from
Col Cabra of their service, that he is
ready to turn traitor, and hand us over
some correspondence of Santa Anna, Of
which he has somehow got possession.
| Being a traitor, he won't trust any one,
and the only plan we can hit upon is that
he shall make a journey to San Miguel,
thirty miles north of this, as if on bust
ness. | am to make an expedition in that
direction, and am to make him prisoner.
He will then hand over the papers. We
shall bring him here, and, after keeping
him for a time let him go on parole. No
suspicion will, therefore, at any future
time, arise against him. Now, I want
you to go on tomorrow to San Miguel.
Go in there after dusk, and take up your
quarters at this address. Get up as Mex
leans; it only requires q big cloak and d
sombrero. Stay all next day, and till day
break on the morning afterward, and
then ride back on this road. You will find
out, in the first place, whether Cabra has
arrived, and, in the next place, whether
Ell Zeres is in the neighborhood. 1 shall
only bring forty men, as l do not wish it
to be supposed that l am going on more
than mere scouting expedition You
understand
"'All right, Cap; We'll do it, L said,
and we went off to our quarters.
1--WE had better start early, Seth said
Rube, say at daybreak.'
w nat Tor, RuDe! Sdld.
"Rube laughed L don't want to get
there before dusk. You remember Pc
pita? You know did feel uncommon
soft toward Pepita, and really thought
of marrying and taking her back to Mis-
souri,
"'Only she wouldn't come, RUDE?
"'Just so, Seth said he, laughing. SO
we agreed we would be the best friends;
and she asked me, if ever l went out to
San Miguel, to go and see her She lives
in a small hacienda, a league this side OF
the town.
II saw that it was of no use to argue,
but l didn't like it. The Mexican women
hated US worse than the men did, and
that warnt easy to do. But next morn
ing off we started, and by ten o'clock we
rode up to the door of the place which
Rube said answered to the description
Pepita had given him. It was pretty
place, with trees around it, and might
have been the residence of a small pro-
prietor such as Pepita had described her
| father to be- AS we rode up to the door
it opened, and | saw at once that Rube
was right, for a dark-eyed Mexican girl
, came out and looked at US inquiringiy.
"'What can l do for you, seniors? she
asked.
| Don't you remember me, Donna Pc
! pita?' Rube said, laughing, as he lifted
the sombrero which had shaded his face.
1.-The girl started violently. 'Ah, Sig
nor Americana, is it you? l might have
| known indeed she said, smiling, by your
size, even wrapped up. This, of course,
| is Signor Seth-you are always together.
But come in she said
"'Who have you got inside, Donna
| Pepita? Rube asked. L know that L
| can trust you, but l can't trust others,
! and [ don't want it known | am here
1.-The house is empty Pepita said.
| NV father is out. There is only old ia
! cinta at home.
| 'At this moment an old woman made
her appearance at the door, and at a
word from Pepita took our horses, while
| Pepita signed US to enter.
| Excuse me, signora,' I said we will
| so first and see our horses stabbed. 1t is
| our custom; one never knows when he
may want them
Il thought Pepita looked annoyed, but
/ it was only for a moment, and then she
| said something in one of the country dia-
| lects to the old woman. She nodded her
| head and went off round to the back of
| the house. we leading our horses and fol-
lowing her. The stables, L observed, were
singularly large and we'll kept for house
| of its size, but, to my surprise, instead OF
going to the long range of buildings, the
old woman led the way to a small shed.
"'Ain't these stables" said |.
''She shook her head, and said in Span
ish, They were once, but we have only
two horses. Now they are used as store
for grains: the master has the key
Il could not contradict her, though
believed she was telling me a lie. How
ever, we fastened our horses up in the
shed, put the pistols from our holsters
| into our belts, and, taking our rifles in
our hands, entered the house.
"Pepita received US very warmly, and
busted herself assisting the old woman
to get US something to eat; after which
she and Rube began love-making, and it
really seemed as if the girl meant to
change her mind, and go back with Rube,
! after all. Still | was uneasy, and shortly