The Minneapolis journal., 1906-04-08
THE
QUEENS PAGE
~ S0A AASsAeA 20 1ASSA Merrill Company
CHAPTER z.
Pedro and the Contrabandista.

night, for is not man at eleven when all is
and done but he felt that boy who could ont into
the world to make fortune for himself and family
should not be afraid of shadows Then he remembered
that the Count de supposed him to be this
minute asleep by Fabiens sde and he had promised to
obey the count in all things.
He turned to 60 back when strange thing happened
Something large, like the wings Of bat,
veloped him from head to foot muf1ing him in such
that his cry Of fright smothered into faint
murmur; then he seized and carried away by
one on horseback.
The boy struggled with all his might, still striy-
ing to make himself heard, when harsh voice said:
keep STILL you will regret it. If you will be quiet
not hair of your head shall be touched and you shall
be restored unharmed to your friends not hold
you if you struggle like that and-wel there plenty
of cliffs where boy might be dropped over and the
world be the wiser
The effect of this speech was to make Pedro keep
very quiet indeed But he did great deal of thinking
Count de Saint Victor would not know of his absence
until morning, and where would Pedro be by that tmef
What could this want with him Why should anyone
want to take him from his frends4
After what seemed to be very long time the
horse stopped and Pedro could hear mems voices The
cover taken from his head, but he could very
little few shadowy forms the moon being behind
a cloud s.* s.=
.tTrapped him already, ehs', asked a voice that
seemed familiar. Did you send the to get him
out, as told yous''
Not necessary said Pedros captor, letting the
boy slip to the ground He out Of his own ac-
cord just he had been expecting me- and carried
a e
we obtain the ransom. Your dotng grandmother and
your estate good for great many thousand
81 do not know what you mean" returned the boy
wonderngly; s'I not marquis. s@s
ttOh no. you nothing now but q peasant lad; but
the day we rode together you were a nobleman with
your purse filed with gold You talked Of Madame Ia
Marquiss, your grandmother and Of the money she she
NJ. 'tI do not know what you I have no grand
mother believe you think am Fabien. But am not;
Pedro Velasco and there is money in my family
for anybody
The man gave vent to exclamation Of wrath
1sDid you bring the wrong boy7' he asked furously
= fha how 01oht WIS ma
piled the other; 9 strike fire and see for yourself
fire of dry sticks kindled and the fame
fortune whom he fondly hoped to have captured but
4 Pedro Velasco, the heir to almost nothing at all
The man with the was 50 angry that Pedro
trembled lest he should say him in his fury but his
wrath to be vented against the boys captor
%stAfter all planning you have brought the wrong
one,' he said, sand you have put them their
aol,' aoI', = lese' - ''e'ee - : seo' :
II thought it was the right boy: replied Diego
n sulzily .The other one was very commonly looking
chap, but this looked like marquis =
.'You should not have depended upon looks " roared
the other, you should have inquired Have you not
tongue in your stupid headf'
The boy hoped that now, when they found there
nothing gained BY keeping him, they would return
him to his friends and his heart sank when the man
with the said Nov that we have the little pop
will be able to pay something for ms ransom. -
In vain Pedro protested, declaring that it would be
impossible for his mother to pay He told
d
threat Of violence they all lay down ground
sleep, of their number called Antonio being
pointed to watch their small prisoner that
not escape of the horses in the night.
Antonio was not unkind sentinel He folded a
long that part of it answered for couch and
part for the boy and sat down beside him
keep watch ordered to do by the chief Of the band
The small prisoner too unhappy to sleep. What
would the Count de Saint Victor do in the morning
he found one his small charges missing7 And Petro
nia would go almost mad with grief, he He
hoped they could keep the from his mother long
possible and find his ransom money in some other
Pedro meditations interrupted by hand laid
on his arm and the sentinel whispered tsDo go to
sleep When sure that the others are wrapped IN
slumber, you may come with me- = s
The boys heart almost snothered him, b beat 60
hard from pure Joy He had felt that Antonio looked
upon him kindly the frst and he was going to
help him to escaped @ss
h,zt Antn