The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-04-22
A King of Finance

about the fire broke up, and in the
clear space two couples were dancing,
the girls swaying gracefully as mead
ow grasses, with many delicate step
pings, swift and involved.
McCOrkadale watched them, a glow
coming slowly up into his face. Then
he sprang to his feet, thrust aside one
of the young men, and took his place
as partner in the dance. There was a
suppressed scuffie behind him as the
cazador's sinewy wrist spoiled a knife
thrust aimed at the Cuban's back. The
ousted partner, young shepherd,
turned in hot blood on the hunter.
BE content, EStaban; my lord de-
sires him. said Robledo soothingly.
In these dances partners advance
and retreat. circle and bend, each NOV
ing in relation to the other, but separ-
ately, without contact even of the
hands. McCorkadale took his part
ably and with abandon, but as the
music quickened he caught the girl by
the waist and whirIed her round in
rough waltz. He fancied he heard a
growl from the spectators, but the
dance hurried to an end and a black
proved man at once came up to tell
him that the casador had already de-
parted to locate the quarry for his ex-
cellency's pleasure.
In the forenoon of the next day Will
son from his couch by the wall
watched McCorkadaIe ride away to-
one or two others. The innkeeper
turned In from the doorway.
George McCorkadaIe, most entirely
at your service" the gentleman of that
name was saying as he swept his hat
in an elaborate bow across his feet.
"McCOrkadale," Don .. repeated
slowly, gazing at the swarthy face op-
posite, land an Englishman? Yet that
turn Of the wrist was surely never
learned beyond the sound of the Span
ish tongue" He Illustrated the supple
movement as he spoke.
Don O. was summing himself on the
rocky terrace outside his dwelling
cave In front Of him stood the recent
ly-caught captive, smiling and jaunty
in these particulars varying from the
generality of individuals who occupied
that position.
The boar hunt had resolved itself
into a trap for the hunter. When Nc
COrkadale arrived at the patch of level
ground shut in by steep cliffs and
feathered with Observation-Disclosures he
was assured was excellent ground for
pig-the men had closed in about him.
He grasped at the rifle slung behind
his saddle, but the captors were too
quick for him.
His first feeling was a murderous
| flare of rage. But RobledO and his
companions knew how to handle furi-
GUS men, and as the mule was led up
wards through patches of pine and
/ pinsapO, along tracks hardly to be de-
teCted, and lastly, through barren,
eChOing ravineS, the Cuban cooled
down to more reasonable view of the
situation. For an idea terminated in
/ his mind that a temporary seclusion in
the glen of the brigand might very
well answer the purpose for which he
had left England. He proposed to
| have as good a time as possible and
L hnv hn loft fIr 10,
woods behind and climbed further and
! further into the shdOwas of bare black
gOrges, the desoIatiOn and intangible
menace of the landscape communica-
ted itself to his thoughts. he shook It
! off, and prepared to meet the dreaded
chief with a cheerfulness he judged
| that parsonage would find unusual
Though English born, senior, I had
/ the privilege to be brought up in
your country" He supplemented the
speech by another eXtraVagant bow
The chiefs eyelidS f1ickered. There
was a suspicion of mockery In the
mans cOurteSies.
Il have long been an exile from the
world" he remarked with apparent ir-
relevance-''and there are many types
of Englishmen."
McCOrkadaIe looked sharply at him.
/ The words might have conveyed an
insult had the tone been less suave.
Shall we touch on the disagreeable
/ of business?' went on Don Q. ur-
/ banely. THE matter of your ransom,
for example, senOr?"
Certainly. But pray let me assure
you I am not rich man. More's the
pityr'
TT is indeed a pity, as had
! thought of saying fifty thousand"
/ ''Pesetas?" interjected the prisoner
airily.
The senior is mistaken. was about
to say dollars; but, since he has the
| bad taste to bargain, we will say
pOunds-ffty thousand English pounds
! sterling"
You joke. surely? 1t is the ransom
of a millionaire" exclaimed McCOrka-
dale.
Don Q. bent his head with a polite
/ gesture of assent.
Precisely. 1 perceive you do not
understand that I am man whom
sOrdid considerations easily pain and
/ offend. The question is now i'm abey-
arCe. We will not return to it for a
week. The petty details of business
| disgust me, as have said; but finance
on a grand scale-that is another af-
/ fair I have looked forward for some
! time to discussing the subject with so
eminent an authority as yourself
| McCorkadale turned the dark red of
/ a swarthy man.
I'm spite of your exile you seem to
| gather some news up here" he re-
marked, cropping his debOnair man
ner.
/ Il f1atter myself that it is So
! agreed Don Q. with much amiability
| Il count myself fortunate in meeting
/ you. At one time or another members
/ of various professions have honored
me here in the mOuntainS-Sportsme
/ doctors, politicians, and so on; but
never before a millionaire. They came
/ to me in various ways-by rail- by car
/ riage, on foot, and on horseback But
you, senior, Outdid them all by rushing
| headlonS into my domains in an auto
mobile" The chief smiled as though
paying his companion a compliment.
"Ah, the scoundrel!' said McCorka-