The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-03-11

GROVE Of silent men who smeiled often
stvely Of garlic and leather. They tied
him upon his horse and the party set
their faces northeast toward the tower
Ing bulk OF the higher sierra.
Eut for once IN a way the spiders of
Den Q. had taken a captive in their
net Of whom they could make nothing
In the dawn, when they got him out of
the cane-built hut in which they had
passed the latter part OF the night,
they saw that he was tall and thin and
rather stopped, with a statueSque face
Of extreme pallor. So far he was not so
altogether uncommon. But the brig
ands were accustomed to see character
! come out strongly in similar circum-
stances, yet Gevil-Hay asked no ques-
tons, he evinced no trace of curiosity
as to where they were taking him. He
showed nothing but a cold indiffer-
enCe. A man in his position who asked
no questions was a man of mark He
puzzled them
The truth was that Gevil-Hay de-
spised his warnings and took his i'll
fortune in the same spirit of fatalism-
He had been an Indian civil servant Of
good projects and bad health. In the
end the bad health proved the stronger
and his country retired him on mar
row income He was Internationally
heart-brOken. There was a woman
somewhere in the past, a woman to
whom the mans lonely heart had
chung steadfastly through the years
while health slowly and surely deserted
him. Love me little, love me long
has its corresponding lines set deep
throughout the character, and if Gevil
Hay was Incapable of passion of love
or sorrow, he was not ignorant of the
pang Of a long remuneration and an en-
during regret.
Late in the afternoon q halt was
called, the prisoner was biindfolded and
led through the scrub; then the wind
blew more sharply in his face and
Gevil-Hay knew that he trod on why
grass, which in turn changed to a sur
face of bare echOing rock Passing out
of this tunnel he was secured by having
his hands tied, and, when his eyes were
uncovered, he found himself in a small
enclosed valley with sheer precipitous
sides.
couple of men hurried him up
winding pathway cut out Of the cliff
face to the mouth of a cave. fronting
which was a little natural terrace.
There they found Don O., sitting in
the sunshine with wide hat of felt
drawn over his brOws. Gevil-Hay saw
nothing vulture-like but one lean hand
like a delicate yellow claw that held
the cloak about his neck.
ITO whom have 1 the pleasure to adj
dress myself" asked the brigand, with
extreme and unexpected politness.
Gevil-Hay's hands being lOosed, he
fixed his single eye-glass and glanced
round the glen before he replied.
Perhaps you viii be good enough to
give me some idea of your career, and
we can go into the question of the
ransom at the end of it" resumed Don
Q. in his courteous manner, as the
other finished speaking
Gevil-Hay answered briefly in good
Spanish, for an Indian civilian is sup
posed to start in life equipped with a
knowledge of every language under
the sun.
"Ah, then, you have retired-well,
been forced to retire-but with a pen
sion? Yesl"
Yes
How much?" he asked.
Three hundred pounds a year"
All" the brigand hesitates, while he
made a mental calculation. Your ran
som, senior" he stopped; he under
stood how to make a judicious use of
suspense-''you are a poor man, you
say. and you are lucky in that I be-
lieve you. ] will name but a moderate
sum, and after this conversation there
will be no more about it. We will omit
the subject while you remain my
gaest" The soft speech grew softer.
There is no need TO give my Hosi-
ton false name" @Sssered Gev2-