Newport daily independent., 1902-11-26
AWoman's s Revenge -Jp

HE stage coach from San Diego
 to Fort Yuma stopped at Cas- tro's ranch to change horses and per init such passengers as dared take the chances to eat of the Mexican's food or imbibe his vile liquors. It was simply road house of the most wretched type, with dirt and squalor on every hand, and Castro had an evil reputation. 1t was whispered that he bought quartermaster stores stolen from the fort, harbored out laws, and went upon raids with them. He was a man of 50, misshapen in body, with the face of a wolf, and how he could have won the hand of the young and fair looking woman who called him husband no one could make out. Little was seen of her by guests, and Castro <Nhs man no one liked to>qqssfon.
 To the east of the ranch was the road running down to the Arizona line. and now and then, when the road agents and cattle stealers be- came too bold, patrol was sent out from the fort to cover 20 miles of it. It was while in charge of this pa trol that young Lieut.. Forbush first met Castro's wife. Castro was off on one of his raids, and the woman in charge of the place. Forbush was hardly more than boy, he had just been assigned from West Point, and knew nothing of the country or the ways of it's inhabitants. He made his headquarters at Castro's, and there were reasons why the young wife smiled on him and bade him very welcome.
 Castro knew that he was suspected by the military authorities, and it was his plan to hoodwink them by great show of servility and friend ship. He smiled in the faces of the officers while he cursed them under hls bseath. He begged them to honor him with their presence, but would have rather stuck knife into their backs. His wife smiled and fiirted with the boy officer and played love airs to him on her guitar, while old Sergt, Erik was growing and cursing outside. The sergeant had served for almost 20 years. He knew the dodges of the outlaws and the tricks of the half-breeds. He saw and heard enough to know that the wom- an with the big black eyes was working some sort of a game for the benefit of her husband, but it was not until a freighter had been robbed of his outfit and left for dead or hn ff.l1 t,sAl have made safe that he summoned up courage enough to cross the gulf existing between man and officer When he did decide to talk, he de cided to talk plainly:
 Lieut.. Forbush, you may order me under arrest and court-martial me if you will" he began, but I'm bound to tell you that female is wanting to make fool of you. She's work. ing under the orders of old Castro and his game is to keep us from do ing our duty while his band of cut throats are picking up plunder."
 Sergeant, do you know what you are sayingl" sternly replied the off cer.
 T do, sir, and it may mean dis grace for me, but I've got to speak up. That woman is trying t0 be witch you for a purpose. We are not carrying out our orders, and it is all owing to her deyilment. If you'd been out here couple of years, you'd know what her smiles and music mean to an honest soldier. It will not be for me or any other man of this patrol to say word at the fort, no matter what happens, but I'm telling you as man, that the senora will lead you to hell if you foller her"
 The young officer, with the nili-