The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-31


antIy close 10 my back he marched
me toward the edge of the forest.
which we skirted for a time IN silence.
Then the path turned suddenly into a
dense thicket. winding between close
set trees UNTIL deep within the wood
we came upon a natural clearing of
considerable extent.
In the center of this space was a
large, low building constructed of logs
and rooted with branches of trees
and surrounding the entire structure
We're grouped native Brazilians. armed
with rifles, revOlvers, and knives.
These men were not uniformed, and
their appearance was anything but
military; nevertheless there was a look
upon their stern faces that warned me
they We're in deadly earnest and not
to be trihed with.
AS my intercourse with the republic
cans had been confined entirely to a
few of their leaders. found no ia
miliar face among these people; so I
remained impressive while my captor
pushed me past the guards to a. small
doorway placed near a protecting an
gle of the building.
Enter" said he.
obeyed. and the next moment stood
before a group of men who We're evil
IDENTIFY the officers or leaders of the
little band of armed patriots I had
seen without
'.Ah!'' said one. in a deep bass voice,
1t is Senior Harcliffe, the secretary
to Dom Miguel
have before mentioned the fact
that whenever the conspirators had
visited de Pintra they remained Sc
curely masked. so that their features
were. with few exceptions, unknown
to me- But the voices were familiar
enough, and the man who had brought
me here had mentioned Sanchez Bas-
JrO names so had little difficulty
in guessing the identity of the person
age who now addressed me.
why are you here, senhOr?" he in
quired, with evident anxiety; sand do
you bring US news OF the uprising %
It know nothing of the uprising ex-
cept that your man here and I turned
to my guide, tells me there is war
in the land, and that the revolution is
proclaimed"
yes" returned Bastro, with a
grave nod.
Then" I continued, ''I advise you
to lay down your arms at once and
return to your homes before you en-
counters arrest and Imprisonment.
The leaders cast upon one another
uneasy looks, and BastrO drew a small
paper from his breast and handed it
to me. I recognized it as one of the
leaves from his notebook which PaOla
had attached to the carrier-pigeOn,
and upon it were scrawled these words.
It was the signal long since agreed
upon to start the Revolution.
1T is from Francisco Paola, the
traitor I said.
Listen, gentlemen; it is evident you
are ignorant of the events of the last
two days. And in as few words as
possible L related the occurrences at
de eltra s mansion, laying stress
upon the arrest of Piexoto, the perfidy
Of the minister Of police, and the
death of Treverot.
They were not so deeply impressed
as I had expected. The discovery of
the empty vault had aroused no inter-
est whatever, and they listened quietly
and without comment to my story of
Paola's betrayal of his fellow-conspir-
ators to the emperor.
But when I mentioned TreverOt's
death BastrO chose to smile, and in
dicating a tall gentleman standing al
his left, he said:
Permit me to introduce to you Sen
hor Treverot. He will tell you that
he still lives.
"Then Paola lied?" exclaimed,
somewhat chagrined.
Bastro shrugged his shoulders.
I'VE have confidence in the minis
ter of police said he, calmly. There
is no doubt but General Fonseca, at
Rio, has before now gained control of
the capital, and that the Revolution
is successfully established. We shall
know everything very soon, for my
men have gone to the nearest tele-
graph station for news. Meantime, to
guard against any emergency our pa
triots are being armed in readiness for
combat, and, in Matte Crosse, at least,
the rOyalists are powerless to oppose
u.s.
but the funds-the records! What
will happen if the emperor seizes
them ?" 1 asked.
1.-The emperor will not seize them
returned Bastro, unmOved. THE con-
tents of the vault are in safe-keeping.
Before I could question him further
a man sprang through the doorway.
THE wires from Rio are cut in
every direction, said he, in an agi-
tated voice. "a band of the Uruguay
an guards, under de Souza and Val
cour, is gallOping over the country to
arrest every patriot they can find, and
our people are hiding themselves in
terror
CONSERVATION spread over the fea-
lures of the little band which a mo-
ment before had deemed itself so Sc
cure and powerful. Bastro turned to
strides while the others watched him
silently.
What OF. Francisco PaoIa?" sud
denly asked the leader.
why senior. he seems to have dis
appeared replied the scout, with
hesitation.
Disappeared And why?"
Perhaps 1 can answer that QueS-
ton, Senior Bastro," said a voice be-
hind US. and turning my head I saw
my friend Pedro, the station-nastef
at Cuyaba, standing within the door
way.
ENTER, Pedro" commanded the
leader. what news do you bring,
and why have you abandoned your
post?"
1.-THE wires are down." said the sta
ton master, land no train is allowed
to leave Rio since the emperor reach
ed there at midnight"
"Then you know nothing of what
has transpired at the capital?" asked
Bastro.
Nothing, senior. It was yesterday
morning when the emperor's party
met the train at Cuyaba, and I hand
ed him telegram from de Lima, the
minister of state. 1t read in this way:
| General Fonseea and his army have
revolted and seized the palace, the
citadel, and all public buildings.
have called upon every loyal Brazilian