The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-08-14
CHAPTER K.
In the Saddle Again.

J II was with thrill of exultation that
| 1 felt my feet touch the stirrups, and
gave my horse the rein as he sprang
+ through the stable door. I was free. /
| breathed the open air again.
! 1 cared not that the guard must soon
learn OF my escape. What mattered II
/ Il they did follow in pursuit Of me? So
far 1 had outwitted them, and if they
tried to overtake me, l would lead them
a pretty chase.
Whether the people whom I passed
thought me a mailman, or a messenger
| bearing important dispatches, I took no
time TO consider They stepped aside to
get out Of the way; and l stopped for
nothing
On I rode, without drawing rein.
through narrow alleys and side streets,
avoiding the main thoroughfares as
much as possible. my horse seeming TO
be possessed with the same transport
of exhilaration which animated me.
| II will be seen that from my lodgings
| in almost the extreme northern part Of
the city. had TO go to the suburbs in
the southern part. a distance Of nearly
five miles. l took no account of the
streets through which I passed, and l
could not have remembered them after
ward II l had tried; but 1 kept in a
general direction toward the Alameda.
which was a landmark could not easily
miss After I left the Alameda I took
the Gale de Patoni 70 what is now the
! Paseo de la Riforma, and now for the
first time let my horse walk
It was on the Paseo that I expected
TO meet Martin; but just at what place.
or when, ] had no way of finding out.
II would seem like a mere accident were
10 meet him and our plans succeed.
A hundred contingencies might arise,
any one OF which would be sufficient to
defeat my object
Why should the young lady be taken
TO the convent at this hour? Or was
she going TO the convent at all? If she
was. how could Martin know what con-
vent she was TO enter? These ques-
tions, and many others which occurred
to me, served to convince me upon what
a slender hope I was basing my calcula-
tons.
/ was very much in the dark as 10 the
whole matter; but as yet, OF course, I
had not seen Martin. He. no doubt,
could explain many things. l rode
slowly along the road for some distance
looking for him al the while.
Not far In front OF me rose the castle
Of Chapultepec: and on the slope of the
hill upon which IT stood were the
cyprus groves which had stood there
for how long no one knew, but for cen
turtles before the conquest.
Everything was very still; and under
the high, moss-draped arches the road
was dark and gloomy I turned. and
riding back a short distance. took the
thoroughfare which led 10 the convent.
In the quiet OF the evening the build
ings presented an imposing spectacle.
Before me was the lake, its CLASSY sur
face rejecting the stars and the col
umns supporting the promenade above.
Terraced stone walks rose from f. Dor
dered by plants and flowers. The air
was laden with the perfume OF the or
ange and the lemon; and there were or
chards of apple. pear, ounce. and olive.
It was a beautiful palace in the eX-
| treme-a dream of loneliness, but non .
the less a place which might be made
a prison.
| Far to the south I could see the
shadow OF POpOCatapetl and the white
robed IxtaccihuatI. silent watchers, who
had kept guard through the ages. while
many races OF men had come and gone.
l Only lot Il IlOHitt4N Neio 4 bNtl l'NNt "a
| by my thoughts, the stiffness OF the
evening. and the recalling OF historical
events which made memorable the place.
| rode toward the city. Now and then
! I passed people on the way. but the
Pasco after dark is always almost de-
serted. Il seemed unusually quiet 10
me. for I was laboring under the reac-
ton which follows excitement, and the
effect on my spirits was somewhat de-
pressing.
! What a forlorn chase I was leadinSl
how improbable was success! It was
like a dream-the fair senorita a myth
the events of the last few days but
lfacies. I was aroused from my Ieth-
argy by finding myself again in the city
and seeing three horsemen coming to-
ward me. I turned we'll 10 one sid,
TO let them pass.
rs this you or some one else?" asked
one Of the men, turning his horse and
riding W to me.
In an instant I recognized Martins
voice and had called his name with Z
Joyous feeling OF surprise.
by all the saints in the calendar, I'd
as soon have thought to see you.
ghost" he exclaimed.
You did not think that ! would b,
able to cscape?" I asked.
II will admit that the chances SCENE.
against you" he replied. What. did
you walk cut OF your prison unchal
lcnged. or bribe your jailers? Or. die
you make a grand sally, and charge tn,
enemy? 1t would be just like you to d,
such a thing as that"
No, crawled out through a hole il
the wall" 7 answered. lust as an,
common indicator would have done
There was nothing at all glorious Of
noble in my escape. Bat what have
you discovered? I am impatient t,
know
Everything"
You don't mean it, I cried. An,
what is everything"
Donna Teresa will pass along thi
very road he replied. with a dramati
wave OF his hand. An escort Of you
trusty fellows of the regular guard viii
! accompany her. l assure you you
lady travels as becomes her fortune ant
her position in society"
Martin ether scared or was down fl
the depths.
How did you gain this information2
l inquired, having some doubt as 10 IN
truth Of his statement
"Oh. partly by putting this and tina
together, and partly by the 1udiciop