Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-05-02
DAILY SHORT STORY
A MEXICAN ADVENTURE.
IOriginal.l

gave me the following account OF MS
experience in Mexico:
After my entrance into the army
served Oh the SpanisANrontier, where
| picked up a knowledge of the Span
ish language. From there l went with
my regiment 10 Mexico, where our
troops were supporting Macmillan.
After his capture by the French L en-
ga ged in desperate plot TO effect his
escape. but we failed, were arrested
and put in prison TO await either being
garroted or shot. The night before we
were 10 be executed the officer in COM
mand came into the room where we
were confined and asked If any of us
spoke Spanish. Three of us responded.
Then he asked US if we were Greek
scholars. alone replied in the affirma-
tive. Iwas taken out of the room and
was the only one of my comrades who
was not shot the next morning.
The commandment took me TO his colo
mel, who told me that he wished for
tutor I'm Greek for his son, who was
preparing for college. and asked me II
/ was competent To fill the position.
was not II proficient Greek scholar. but
of course did not throw away chance
for my life. | undertook the work
and was promised that if I succeeded
] would he permitted to return to
France The colonel then sent me to
his hacienda in the province of Tamau-
lipas, first providing me with permit
10 remain there signed by General
JuareZ himself.
My pupil. boy OF sixteen. and his
sister, two or three years his senior,
were on the veranda when / was dry
Ell up To the house. They knew my
story, and the boy regarded me with
keen interest As for the girl, it was
far more than this. \ great sympathy
welled up in her IuStrOus Spanish eyes.
| ShudderSd. for I knew that I could
not live near her without loving her,
and To love her meant to me a return
TO the death | had so narrowly es-
capped
People Of Spanish blood have always
been careful of their young girls, but
there is no degree of watchfulneSs that
would have prevented the stolen meet
iugS between Donna Anita and me.
Both understood that we were on tue
brink of a volcano. But danger only
NliNllS- bhtLS lONC1 anu We BdSSth tlN
quicker for 1T from one degree to an
other. Then when we both knew and
acknowledged that we were necessary
TO each other we were ready to run any
risk rather than be separated. We dare
not ask Anita's fathers consent to our
union. for. if refuSed-and refusal was
almost certan-my life would pay for
our rashnesS. We must make an at
tempt at flight Failure in this also
meant death to me. though | regarded
the chances more In my favor. That
we agreed to take even this risk can
only lie expls ined under the theory that
love is stronger than the fear of death.
The hacienda was situated $50 miles
south OF the Texas border and thirty
five miles west Of the gulf of Mexico.
| chose the shorter line. Frenchman
to he travelling with young girl at
that dag would at once excite suspi-
cion; therefore | decided that Anita
must go as n boy. Appropriatng a suit
Of her brothers, she left her room one
night after the lights were out and met
meat the stable. l had her own horse
already saddled and one for myself.
Leading our nags under the shadow of
a hedge to the gate, we mounted and
rode away.
Before US was happiness, behind us
death. The risk we ran made the eX-
element keen as the edge of a scimi-
ter. and to me not unmixed with a sen
SatiOn of pleasure. Fortunately Anita
was as much at home on her horse as
on foot. We made the first ten miles
in less than an hour and the next ten
in an hour and half At l 80 in the
morning we stopped to rest our horses
and water them al a stream. / dared
not attempt TO use them further for an
hour. when we started again. We
made the next ten miles by 80, and
the day dawned. We were within few
miles of the coast when we passed a
band of Mexican guerrlIlas encamped
beside the road. They called on us to
return. and | considered the better
chance for lis 10 obey. Their com
mandCr questioned me, and. assuming
to be indignant, ! pulled out my permit
and. pointing TO the name of JuareZ,
threatened the man with dire cOnse-
quences IL he detained me. Without
waiting for him TO read the document
We rode on. leaving him in the road
looking at us wonderingly.
In half an hour we reached the coast
and / set about securing Il craft on
which To reach BrOwnville. the nearest
point in Texas. Our departure must
be by this time discovered, and one
party of pursuers at least would make
for the coast. In couple of hours we
must be afioat or captured. There was
but one craft in sight-a fishing smack
some two miles out. Fortunately |
found a boat and pulled out TO her.
told the owner that l was anxious to
get to Brownville on important bust
ness for General Juarez, whose mas gle
name l showed him on my permit,
Offering the man a large sum for the
use OF his smack. After much delay he
consented, pulled me ashore, took in
Anita and provisions and pulled back
TO the smack and set sail. When far
out at sea / saw a party OF horsemen
dash up to the beach and scan the wa