The Saint Paul globe., 1904-05-29

water. Waking up early, he saw us sleep
lng and felt great pity for the senorita.
AS TO the cabe1lero-his saviour from
drowning, alas!-the senorita would need
every ounce of his strength. He would
let us sleep until his return from the
spring; and, there being blessed fresh
ness In the air, he caught up the flask
and started bare-headed. The torrent,
aIter ne had done, he was about to rise,
gushing with force made a loud noise and
Wnen, giancing about carelessly, he saw
two men leaning on their escopetas and
looking at him in perfect silence. They
were standing right over him; he knew
them We'll; one they called Ell Rubio; the
other, the little one, was Jose-squinting
Jose They said nothing; nothing at ALL
with a sudden and mighty effort he pre-
served his self f-command, affected uncon-
Germ and, instead of getting up, only
shifted his pose to a sitting position took
OH his shoes and stockings, and pro-
ceeded to battle his feet.
He could not tell whence these two
had come, with what object, or how much
they knew. They might have been only
messengers from Rio Medic to Havana.
They generally went in couples. If
Manuel had escaped alive out of the sea,
everything was known in Rio Medic. The
thoughts rushed round and round his
head. He remembered that our boat must
be floating or lying stranded in the little
Oe1J1 elA0 1OSO1NGQ, III case OF necessity,
TO say that we two were dead, that we
had been drowned
1t was Ell Rubio who put the very ques-
tfon to him, in an insolent Tone and sit
ting on the ground out of his reach, with
his gun across his knees. His long knife
ready m his hand, squirting Jose re-
NAMED standing over Castro. Those two
men nodded to each other significantly
at the intelligence. He perceived that
they We're more than half disposed to
credit his story. They had nearly been
crowned themselves pursuing that ac-
cursed hereto of an Englishman When,
from their remarks, he learned that the
schooner was. in the bay, he began put
ting on his shoes. though the hope Of
making a suddena lash for his life down
the ravine abandoned him.
Inc schooner had been run in at night
during the gale, and in such distress that
they let her take the ground. She was
not injured, however, and some of them
were preparing to haul her off. Our
boat as ! conceive after humping along
the beach, had drifted within the inf1u-
ence Of the current created by the little
river, or else by the water forced into
the basin by the tempest, seeking to es-
cape, and had been carried out towards
the inlet. She was seen at daylight
knocking about amongst the breakers.
bottom up, and in such shallow water
deep managed to turn her over. They
mad found a. woolen shawl and my cap
Hoating underneath. That the boat had
been In the bay at all did not seem to
have occurred to them. 1t had been con-
GUIDED that she had capsized outside the
entrance. Castro hastened to confirm
the idea by relating how he had been
clinging to the bottom Of the boat for
long time. Thus he had saved himself
he declared.
Manuel will be glad,'' observed Ell Ru-
~bia then, with an evil laugh And for
long time nobody said a word
1t Is clear that these ruffians stood in
awe OF his blade In their cowardIy
hearts they did not think it quite safe
(being only two to one) to try and dis
arm that old man. They backed away
step or two, and, leveling their pieces
suddenly ordered him to get up and walk
before. He threw at them an obscene
word. He thought to himself, tBuenol
They will blow my head off my sholders.'
NO emotion stirred in him. as If his blood
mad already ceased to run in his veins
They remained, all three in state of
suspended animation, but at last Ell Rubio
Missed through his teeth with vexation,
and grunted:
Attention, Jose. Take aim. We will
break his legs and take away the sting of
this old Scorpion
Castros blood felt chilly in his limbs,
but instead Of planting his knife in his
breast he spoke up to ask them where,
supposing he consented, they wished to
conduct him.
TO Manuelour captain. He would
like to embrace you before you de- said
El RubiO, advancing a stride nearer. his
gun to his shoulder Get up! March!''
And Castro found himself on his feet,
looking straight into the black holes of
the barrels.
''Walkr they exclaimed together, step
ping upon him.
The time had come to die.
HAL Canalla!'' he said.
They made menacing clamor. Walk,
viejo. traitor; walk"
"Senorita-I walked" The heartrending
effort Of his voice, the trembling of this
gray head, the sobs under the words, op-
pressed our breast with dismay and dread.
The footsteps Of his captors sounded be-
hind him, and he tried to edge toward the
ravine. When nearly above the opening
Of the cavern he would, he thought,
swerye inland, and dash off as fast as he
was able. Then they would have to fire
at him: we would be sure to hear the
shots, the warning would be clear
and suddenly, looking up, he saw that
small band of Lugarenos, having just as
cended the brow of the upland, were COM
ing to meet him. Now was the time to
get shot, he turned sharply and began to
run over that great plain toward dis
tant clump of trees.
Those ahead had already spread them
selves out over the plain, yelling to each
other, and were converging upon him.
That was the time to stop, and with one
blow fall dead at their feet. He doubled
round in front of Manuel, who stood wav-
ing his arms and screening orders, and
ran back towards the ravine. The plain
rang with furious shouts. They rushed
at him from every side. He would throw
himself over. 1t was a race for the preci-
pice. He won it.
suppose he found it not so easy to die,
to part with the warmth Of sunshine, the