The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-20

the wood. and by that time Nicanor was
out OF sight; but the chief knew his enc
my would make for the nearest village,
some four leagues distant. II Nicanor once
gained it's shelter he must escape, carry
ing with him the desperate secret.
with spur and voice. Don O. urged
his horse forward. The snowbound chase
sent no sound up to the dim heaven;
magic circle might have been shutting
in these two gasping riders and their
passions. But Don O. being much the
lighter man.. was gaining surely upon
the other. Nicanor. peering back over
his shoulder and seeing only one pursuer
and that one oyertaking him. fred again
and again at the figure with the flying
cloak bent so closely wore his horses
neck
No shot came back in reply. He Is
without a pistol. this brigand," thought
Ncanor and turned at bay, wheeling
his blown horse behind a thicket laden
with snow. The chief swept nearer and
nearer, then his horse seemed to sum
BILE or rear. Don Nieanor could not clear
ly see what happened. but Don @. was
thrown from his saddle. He lit upon the
ground not far from The thcket. and by
the impetus of his fall rolled over and
over to within a few feet Of 1t.
Don Nicanor, spying through the
branches to take good aim, passed for
ever from the light and consciousness OF
earth, for little tongue of flame licked
upward from the tumbled figure upon
the snow. followed by the smack Of the
striking bullet, a sound unlike any other
In the world.
Instantly the chief was up to run In
upon his foe but Nicanor was hanging
dead half among the bushes, his feet still
lodged in the stirrups.
"A very simple trick good Don Mica
nor. but It sufficed for you" said the
brigand. he pushed the body to the
ground.
Climbing upon his horse. ne glanced up
at the moon. and saw with satisfaction
that by its light he could ride at a hand
gallop back along his own tracks. Mica
nor's tongue was dumb forever but in
fnitely the more dangerous of his two
adversaries remained So far Don Q.
felt things had gone well enough. but the
danger to his long hopes and hereditary
pride still doomed darkly ahead. Diego
was a man of cunning and maleyolence
and one who did not lack courage. Per-
haps he had not yet recovered conscious
ness, or he might have departed. taking
the secret with him. or most likely Of
all he was lying in wait for Don O.,
whose return he very well knew he might
safely count on
Yet who could say what turn Don
Diegos enmity might take? Suppose he
recognized the fact that his deepest re-
venge lay in spreading abroad his
knowledge to befoul the honor of that
kingly name, At the thought Don O.
drove his horse on. but a cloud of drifting
up obscured the moon. and in moment
horse and rider were wrapped in a blind
ing squat of snow II was impossible
to tell the direction in which they were
travelling so for maddenlng hour Don
Q. plodded slowly on. consumed with i'm
patience and anxiety. keenly alert to
every sound, yet benumbed by cold and
wind.
In the midst of his despair. he found
himself on the mound OF Las Lachuzas
Hurriedly tying up the horse, he CROPPED
his way into the building, through the 81
lent passages to the h9lL In the dull glow
of the fire It seemed empty
Empty empty; nothing to be seen but
little itful flames. feeling about the fresh
~ piled wood on the hearthl Diego no
longer lay where the brigand had left
him Don O.. keeping In cover of the great
screen. waited, for 1t was clear that dur-
ing his absence his opponent had recov-
cred consciousness,
But the fire languished and east long,
deceptive shadows on the floor and rugged
walls. Watching the chief at length made
out something black and round, from
which a dun CLEAN was struck at inter-
walls.
All was very still. save those weird
noises that wander forever In old habit
tatlons. The brigand crawled nearer and
nearer to the dark object. All at once a
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