The Opelousas courier., 1904-05-21

E&1E&&&8 aches were the thieves
complained OF by old Don Alvares.
whose hacienda lies down the Los
Aexos, among the spurs of the Sangge
&c Crlsti Mountains. The old gentle
man Will sleep far easier if he knows
that we have driven the red devils
across the range. Will you ride over
with a word Of our success tomorrow?
tla has q daughter whose beauty will
repay you for the forty-mile iaunt.
ana the don will treat YOU like d
prince. dare not leave caeA=
self, and he would de5fTR1r an honor
II one OF my officers brought him word
OF the fight. You can have an escort
II You wish. Will you go:'
Nothing wogld give me more
pleasure, colonel replied the oung
man. The young lady attracts me.
But L need no esqSrt: the trail is too
plain. Ill startC Tomorrow at day.
break
Thanks, my boy. Stay as you will
a week if need be. You have earne@
. leave. But take care of Yourself,
heart and all. The donna's eyeskns
glorious, but her admirers are jeag.f
Emerson laughed. &sr
I'm be careful sir. Good niff2.'
Good night" ~
And so they parted. eac,S to his
quarters, and the younge8 man to
dream of something brightsr than In
dian w%atch-fires for the morrow.
The Seventeenth were&old frontiers
men, and Colonel Miller performed his
duty to the government faithfully.
Two days before, after Il lively
brush, his troops had routed a large
body Of Apaches, a score of miles
above camp, and driven them over the
range.
The Indians came from the southern
country, where they had been COM
hitting many depredations, and it was
to II of the greatest sufferers at
their h~ands-old Don Alvares. a rich
Spaniard-that the colonel desired TO
send the comforting message announc-
ing this discontinue.
The morning dawned clear and golden
one Of New Mexico's best-and ere the
dew had faded from the cactus, or tl,e
breath of the night wind left the mes
quite thickets, Lieutenant Emerson. in
fatigue uniform, armed with pistols
n sabre, was amount and miles upon
his way along the winding trail tovard
Hacienda Alvares
The March sun was warm Mt noon
tide, as the lonely traveller paused be-
meath the shadow Of a great rock to
rest his horse and smoke a cigarette.
out Its backward-fiung rays from the
Ear West had grown weak and faint,
and the dim shadow of on-coming
night fell athwart the narrow path
way, ere the white wall of his des-
tlnation caught the eye of tie young
lieutenant.
Riding slowly down the broadplateau
toward the hacienda, thoughts of rest
and supper in his mind. Emerson sud-
denly started in his saddle, and, check.
ing his horse, his hand grasped his
sabre-hilt with a soldiers intuition.
Just before him, and a little to one
side of the path, standing apparently
helpless from either fatigue or fright.
was a half naked peon child-a dusky-
faced girl-gazing ixedly upon a
coiled snake that lay before her. its
glistening crest raised and swaying to
and fro, while it's angry eyes burned
into those Of the fascinated child.
An instant more and the venomous
reptile would have buried it's fangs
in the trembling form before it. when,
flashing through the air like the wing
of the plunging hawk, the troopers
sabre fell between the girl and the
snake, and the head of the moccasin
few twenty feet away through the
air.
Then Emerson caught the girl to his
saddle-bow and rode forward.
For a moment she trembled, speech
less. as she lay within the strong
arms of the soldier; then, with a soft
cry, she stroye to escape. They were
now close to the gate of the hacienda,
and vel as the child was dropping
TO the ground-for the lieutenant in
stantly released her-a young and
beautiful woman appeared and with a
glad cry the little peon sprang toward
her.
Emerson refined in his horse and
raised his cap.
Pardon, mademofselle. but the girl
was in danger-a moccasin was"
He was interrupted by the beauty
herself, into whose ear the child had
poured her story.
Sir, you need no pardon. l Thank
you in the name Of my father and his
most valued servant, Jacque Dumox,
for having saved the life of this girl.
May heaven bless you. But viii you
not enter, sir? You seem weary. and
night is at hand"
And so, following the beautiful Qua
dalupe-for it was she-Lieutenant
Emerson entered, for the first time,
the Hacienda Alvares..
Five hours later, while the old don
and the young soldier sat over their
coffes and smoked, each telling to each
tales of the strange Southwest. a peon
entered. The master looked up, then
waved his hand encouragingly.
This is the gentleman. Dumox, who
saved the life of your daughter
The man advanced. He was a genu-
Inc South Americana peon, a body
servant of the old don-who had fol-
lowed his master north from Peru.
With a gesture OF absolute homage. he
Frustrated himself at the feet of the
trooper. and kissed the ~lieutenant's