The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1902-10-09

Benu1nS over me was monk
You are wounded. son. he said, in
woTnan1y-
Yes, father replied my own
voice coming only in whisper Il
have been shot,
The monks face was very pale
unnaturally white thought He
looked at me through his goggles a
moment before answering
You are wounded in the back
son. he said rs it the work of an
assassino''
II Will tell you the truth, father =
1 said, weakly Il am a prisoner of
the state The brother of the prefetto
was murdered. I was accused of the
murder. and though 1 knew nothing
about it. was convicted. I was at
work on the public road to-day and
escaped a fellow prisoner fired at
me with the guards rifle and wounded
me- They will be after me soon"
ALAS, son, This is bad bust
ness
The monk, as he said this, glanced
nervously around, as if apprehensive
of detection in thus succoring a pris-
oner of state who had escaped
He put his hands under me and
lifted me gently from the ground 1
seemed to be but child in his arms
Holding me across the back of his
mule, he easily mounted, and, speak
ing TO the animal, We were soon NOV
ing up the mountain side
We did not travel far in this way
perhaps a quarter of a mile Then
we had come to a thick portion of
the forest, and we were in a rugged
mountain region. The monk had
been peering from side to side, if
in search of something, and suddenly
halted his mule before a tall, white
parked tree that stood near the edge
of the road.
Il thought 1 knew the place. he
murmured to himself THAT is GER
tainly the tree
Sliding from the saddle to the
ground, the monk took me in his
arms and carried me into the forest
He spoke to his mule and the animal
followed him.
He carried me carefully over rocks
ly impossible places He seemed to
know fully every foot of the uneven
ground, and to be looking for some
particular spot.
Ah.' he exclaimed at last. cit
is here The soldiers of the prefetto
will have to work to find you here
And you will not betray me-
father?'' I asked
Nay, I know full well the ease
with which the prefetto 1mprisons
falsely You are safe here. And you
will be fed"
tnank you, rather, L SAID, IN
gratitude.
inside was cool and sweet. could
hear the murmur and ripple of
spring and mountain stream near by.
1 felt sense of rest and security,
and my trust in the monk was firm.
Soon delicium set in
1 was now at the circus and gazing
with wonder and admiration at Nita
BarIotti, the trapeze queen, and at
Maubikeck, the lion tanner, in their
respective acts.
Then the visit to Ralph Gravis-
courts rooms and the discovery of
mind the day it actually
Cured And so on. lived over and
over again the stirring scenes of my
last days in New York, and the de-
parture of Maubikeck and myself on
the steamer.
And then the accident; Maubikeck
rushing into my room and carrying
me on deck: and there standing on
top of a wave, still in the glare of the
light from heaven, stood Maubikeck,
and above him. in red letters, seem
ingly of fire floating in the air, / saw
the words, eff you are saved and I
am not, save Nita from Ma1igni!"
I was vaguely conscious of a lapse
of time 1 lived over these scenes
1 seemed to feel that some one was
near me. But L knew nothing real
There was nothing of actual life about
me.
Again I fanc.ed L heard the ripping
of a stream.
Again I thought that marble walls
surrounded me- At first it seemed
that I was in a tomb, but gradually
consciousness came to me and L
awoke. The bed of furs was my
couch; the grotto walls were above
me. An odor of something came to
my nostrils family I turned my
head.
a fire was burning in the little
stove. By it, cigarette in his mouth
holding something over the Goals, sat
MutterelI- He rose and looked at
ne.
AH right, signor, he said. in the
calm voice of a man who knew what
he was doing and had been doing it
long time 1T will be ready in
minute A bit of toast and a sip of
wine will do you good Keep still
You are all right, signor.''
"Mutterellii" I whispered.