The Washington times., 1904-06-05
CHAPTER I.
A Tryst on the Rock.

The silvery notes of a bugle sounded
along the slopes Of the Rock, signaling
the sentry changes. It was almost the
only sound that ever disturbed the quiet
OF the spot.
There were no parades there, no
rnarchings back and forth 20 the music
OF noisy bands in the year lIO4. so tur-
bulent in most parts Of Europe. One
little company. Of barely hundred and
fifty men. was all that Spain could
spare from her wars TO defend the no
blest fortress Of the continent
s. They were hardly enough for guard
duty. a man and a half TO each OF the
great guns. looking from the face Of
the cliff across the stormy entrance 10
the Mediterranean.
But for that matter. what foe would
venture TO attack Gibraltar. the Rock
which nature had made more secure
than any fortress ever devised by MANI
The throne itself might topple and In
vaders trample Spanish fields, but the
Rock would remain, symbol Of the eter-
nal power Of, Him who fashioned II
So thought every man Of the little
garrison, so thought every Spaniard
And thus there was a note of PROUD Sc
curity as well as stern summons In
the sunset call of the bugle.
The measured. pulsating tones float
ed above the huddled group of houses
that formed the town, and out to the
little boats bobbing up and down on
the heaving pillows of the bay. They
climbed the surface Of the Rock itself
and reached the ears of a girl who was
mounting UP the zigzag path that led
toward the summit.
At the sound she turned and looked
down upon the bugler whose strutting
figure was like that OF a game COCK, at
the distance Then. shading her eyes
with one slender hand, she gazed at the
sun hanging low in the western sky
1T Is true" she said aloud, although
the deserted slope had no ears for her
words 1T is but a half hour to sunset
I must hasten or Carlo will think am
not glad to see him.
Gs+herlng I'D her short skirt with
one hand and swinging her broad hat
in the other, the girl bounded up the
path with the agile grace Of young
aaze!le She gave no pause TO her ny
ing steps until she reached clump OF
locust trees which grew on a projecting
ledge that formed almost the only break
In the steep ascent Of half thousand
feet.
Here she halted. breathless, and look
ed eNpectantly about
There was nobody IN view and only
an indlstinct echo came back IN answer
to her low call.
After gazing IN every direction to
,,abe sure that the spot was deserted
The girl uttered an exclamation or I'M
,atince and threw herself upon the
rourblv-fashioned seat formed by a pro-
1ecting boulder.
AZ She rested. half recumbent upon
the scat and with eyes closed she
forrnad a picture that must have beer
,1eas,rsr TO the most critical eye. 1hS
ricb Mood had been stirred by the Tspla
exercise until II seemed as though 1h'
checks were bursting with sort coIoi
Ike TIE young peach tree wheh 'he ho
DAYS OF spring come on
Tho Bpg crimson almost. but not TO-
,,,u NJ beauty. were parted in mai
c,rve III the quick indrawins OF ne
,.~cotb She had brushed the dark hal
from her rounding forehead ana i re-
In a careless tang.e across her shou1
ders. - hea,,t,
r,be setting Of this plenteous oeaulS
vas q gown of dull green It's solt -
tt,re bearing testimony 10 tue sNii'
some oriental weaver across N0
shoulders was flung scarlet sii'~i y
lace. and the trim ankles peepihs I'm
beneath her skirts were lhcaSeu II
snangled Moorish boots.
7, 7,oild not have been an easy mat
80 20 decide the young woman's ma
,to,alitv. Had she chosen TO reveal ne
80 Anira Courtney. IL would hav
bocn of small assistance in solving IN
question. 81,
,,r,1Itsncv of the lips and the heav!
aorx hair. all betokened that Africal
&c whose sway held this Southern
,,e,,irsula in leash for centuries. IN
,.,corventicnal freedom of dress as we
as the fervent expression Of the race
c,.er in repose. suggested anothe
origin.
Tho ewes. usually the index of
,,orran.s nature. when unveiled by IN
svecning lashes now closed above them
were fnscrutable. the color of the sum
,oer sIsv when a sultry haze is in IN
cir and one can look into it an endles
distance without fathoming its depths
one U,o knew all chimes and all PEG
nles could have said OF this girl onl
1ubat was the TRUTH that she SCENE
the incarnation OF Gibraltar, which TN
ancients wisely named "the end or IN
world"
II IS the end OF worlds and the gate
way Of worlds. where North and Sout
and East and West meet and mingle a
Go the waters Of the Atlantic and III
Mediterranean between the Pillars
Hercules.
The girl lay for some moments in he
idle posture. with no thought appar
entity except 20 recover from the OK
ertion OF her hasty ascent Of the stee
path.
Presently an irregular sound cam
from higher up the slope. II was Xix
the careless footballs Of a man or AMI
NAL in a nasty descent Of the hillside.
The sounds drew rapidly nearer unit
they were close TO the arbor With
which the girl was sitting. She hear
them and her lips moved "a little "a
though counting their approach, but sh
did not change her position nor ope
her eyes.
When near the little grove the heav
steps subsidized into cautious football
that advanced sIowely around one sid
Of the arbor. Then Of a sudden tw
arms reached out. covered the girl