The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-04-08
THE
CHRONICLES
OF DON @.

spelled despair to the civil guards OF
Spain. Time after time he had foiled
their best-laid schemes. Yet it must
be owned that he was fair and even
an appreciative enemy. He had been
heard TO say mere than once that. but
Tor the existence OF the guardia civile
he would, I'm one of his black moods,
have taken his own life from sheer
ennui.
He was wont to add that he owed
debt to mono i'm the world, save only to
the guardia civile and the ibex Of the
sierra. For the ibex lured sportsmen
TO travel ND into the solitudes of the
mountains, where now and again they
were captured by Don Q.'s scouts AMI
held TO ransoms while the civil guard
kept alive his interest in preserving
his own life, since they were always
trying TO take &c.
The guardla clvile Is a picked corps
of military police, who possess a man
ual containing one of the most remark
able and noble codes OF regulations the
world has ever seen, Part opens with
the following sentence; Honor must
be the chief object of the civil guard.
and Il must be preserved sDOtless and
intact" The outcome of such a code
as this. added to gathering halo of
tradition. has produced body Of men
we'll equipped in every sense of the
word, spIendidly disciplined. only to be
matched by the famous Irish constab-
ulary.
Unless you have Travelled through
some Of the desDObladOs, the desert
tracts of Spain, or In the lonely sierra,
IT IS hard fully to understand the du-
Of ciNy4I \
He holds a rowing commission to pa
troll the highways and mountain passes,
and always works with q cOmrade, for
the wild roads owe their safety to his
presence. Don .. had defied them year
after year, setting at nOught their eff
forts, battling their plans by aCuteness
of brain and a perfectly syStematized
intelligence department.
Ultimately after the visit paid by the
brigand to Don Hugo, sum, which In
some eyes took on the form Of a fabu-
lOus fortune. was put on the head Of
Don o.
At this time, among his numerous
foes was counted one, perhaps the most
inveterate OF them all, of whom Don Q.
knew nothing. ManuelO MorunO was a
member of the civil guard, was his
brother, GlegOrio- They were very ST.
lent men. and after the custom Of their
corps, they worked together.
chance allusion to the ears OF the
governor of the prison of CaStelenO,
flung in mOCkery at ManuelO. with a
gibe that he and Gregorio should try
their hand at capturing the mysterious
brigand who had for so long check
mated every plot formed against him.
planted seed in the heart of the elder
MOruno that soon usurped his whole
thoughts.
Therefore a certain amount of inter-
est was awakened at the headquarters
of that terciO Of the civil guard tC
which the brothers belonged, when they
= aNcs frv~ in
definite term
You want an unusual favor. Man.
Uelo,'' the commander said to the elder
II will see what I can do for you both
You are good men at your work. though
a trif1e heavy-handed."
Later a month was conceded.
1T is not enough said Manuelo
we will take no leave, senior"
The officer looked thoughtful.
May ] inquire where you propose
to spend your leave?" he asked, after z
pause.
Manuelo's face grew more sOmber.
"Gregorio and I have given the year:
of our manhood TO the honor of the
guardia civile. If we cannot have leave
without words spoken, we stay-that
IS all, senior"
rs it true, then, that you would go tc
the sierra? Have you a plan?" The
officer put the question almost in {
whisper.
There is a saying in my birthplace
"A loose tongue cuts the throat,
senOr.'
True. He Of the sierra hears every
thing" the cOmmandante said, half L
himself
81 wonder IL you realize the dtff1cu1ty
No one has ever got the better OF him
I'VE nave made a VOW returned
Manuelo rigidly.
The sporting instinct awoke in tn
commandante and sent glow through
his veins 1t rested with him to sill
the dogs on the wildcat.
Go" he said; land may the saint
go with you"
The plan formed by the Morunos wa
such a one as might have been expect
ed from men of their character. Afte
many discussions they decided that tn
chance of success lay in one direction
only. BY no attempt from the outsid
could they ever hope to reach the war!
and terrible Don @ They resolved
therefore, to make the desperate ven
ture of following him deep into hi
unascertained hiding places in the sier
"a and there to gain accurate and first
hand knowledge of his habits, with
Derhaps some measure of his conf
dence In a word. they were going I
turn brigands and enroll themselve
amongst the seqUestradOres who owe
him allegiance.
Two DAYS later there arrived at
small village not far from Castelleno
couple of unshaven, savage-lOokin
men. In a safe place they had burie
their passports. 1t is necessary !
SDai in for every man who goes any dis
lance from his home 10 carry a pass
port If he is found without 1T tn
carcel is his portion till he can max
matters straight. 4 couple of guardia
civiles came upon the pair, the meVi
table question was asked, and, as the
were without papers the brothers Wer
arrested and taken off to the lookup, ]
much the same way that they them
selves had frequently arrested suspl
cious travellers.
SuIIenly the two brothers marched I
the village carcel, and, once within tn