The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-28
The Globes Daily Short Story

the mountain, where they threw me
down.
Just holler whenever you get ready
tub talk the American said, conf
IDENTIFY. Wen git out, so yuh can think
it over quiet like. Come on Jose." And
the Mexican followed him out.
They stopped near the caves mouth,
talking, and presently l was startled
at hearing the Mexican address the
other as "Senor Smeeth." Smith was
the name of the mines superintendent
l knew now into whose hands 1 had
fallen, and that I need expect no
mercy. In the hope that 1 would fl
nally tell them where to find the money
they thought | had brought, they would
keep me without food or water until I
became delirious and then perhaps end
my suffcrings with knife thrust. And
even If had had the money to give
them, they would have murdered me
the moment they got it in their hands.
And could expect no help, there was
not another human being nearer than
the mine, twenty miles away. I had
been in tight places before, but none of
them near so tight as this one, and
my heart sank like chunk of lead.
Presently the ScoundrelS moved
away, going back to make another
hunt through my things, and I began
-tugging with all my might to get
loose; but was tied too securely, the
leather only cut deeper into my flesh,
hurting me terribly. Then fit. of de-
spair seized me, and I lay back, quiet
and still. It must have been only a
few minutes afterward, though it
seemed hours, I heard a noise outside,
light blow on the ground it seemed,
and faint clink. I held my breath to
listen, and soon 1t came again, when
recognized it to be the sound made by
FL Sabio in hobbling about. The faith
full little fellow had seen the robbers
carrying me away, and had followed
fast as he could, trailing me by scent.
was feeling too miserable to give him
much thought, but did notice that he
kept getting nearer, and at last stopped
at the cave. Then he came inside,
shifting, and presently found me. I
lay still. face downward, as had been
left, and he began nosing at my head
to awake me. I called his name to
make him stop, and his nose went wan
dering down my back, and stopped at
my hands. / felt him lick my palms
once or twice, and then came a tug at
my wrists; then another, and my heart
jumped into my troat, beating wildly
with hope. He had found the thong,
and was chewing 1t.
would he chew it in two?" I wonder
ed, fearfully. But he had not had a
hat, and there was no. danger of him
relinquishing it willingly. Crunch,
crunch, his sharp teeth went cutting
into it, drawing my wrists tighter and
tighter until coul scarcely keep from
screaming with pain; but. in few
minutes the leather parted, when a pull
and a shake set my hands free. Then
I sat up and rubbed my wrists to re-
store circulation. Smith, in his search,
had overlooked a small pen-knife in
MY vest pocket, and so I had no trouble
getting my feet loose, but found that
l could scarcely walk. l could ride
Ell Sabio, however, and cutting his
hobbies, took him by the ear, and led
him outside, where / was in the act
of getting on his back, when the CLINT
of starlight on steel attracted my at
tention to the ground near the caves
entrance. It was my belt and re-
volvers; Smith was so sure of me that
he had dropped them there.
Before, my whole thought had been
to get away as quickly as possible, but
now other things came into my mind,
and I stopped. / was in a savage, re-
vengeful humor; and, realizing that
not only my employers property, but
my life as well, was at stake, prompt
ly decidede to take advantage of the
opportunity SO Unexpectedly come to
me-, to bring the matter to conclu-
sion. Giving Ell Sabio prod to make
him go away, crept back into the cave
and sat down, cooking my revolvers. l
waited perhaps half an hour, when
heard footsteps and voices approaching
and a moment later Smith and the
Mexican came in. They were out
lined plainly against the starry sky,
and were not more than three feet
away when I fired Then I went back
outside, and, loading Ell Sabio, started
for the mine, where I arrived the fol-
lowing afternoon. 1 found plenty of
rich ore in sight, but Smith and his
confederates had been pocketing the
proceeds from that, and crediting the
company with only low-grade stuff
that was not worth the working. Ell
Sabio must think it salt mine from
the quantity of salt he gets to eat
nowadays; and Francisco, now fore
man of one of the shifts, never tires
of telling how he saved my life by
sending the wise little animal to bear
ME company on the road to the mine
Bourbon Wilson.
San Francisco, October, 1902.
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