The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-05-27

in a grapple, and in moment they reeled over the edge together.
 "Then our great lord leaped upon a high rock, where all could behold him, and called to Don Hugo to see how a traitor diedl Senor, 1 shut my eyes, l could hear the bullets chipping upon the rocks round my lord. I almost felt the weight of his body as it fell" Rob- | ledo rubbed himself reminiscently. But 1 it was only sore thrust in the side from the butt of my lords rifle-I doubt but it broke a rib or two-for he was angry. Fool! can they kill me?' he said. "A great battle followed. The slaugh- ter upon the narrow path was terrible The troops tried to rush it many times, but we shot them down. The vultures wings came between us and the sun, cast ing their shadows on the dead. Still we held off the soldiers. My lord was every where-passing from trench to trench without fear.
 Shouts there were, senor, and many screaming above the loud rattling of the bullets. Men and muskets tossed like rags before a wind as they pitched into the chasm. Death l have seen many time, senor but not like that" the young fellow shuddered.
 By midday the governor drew off his people, and sat down to wait until starva- tion should begin to tell upon our cour- age. But though only single man among us was wounded those evil ones began to gramble among themselves, and con- coct plans for betraying the chief
 But one cannot deceive him, senor, when night fell he called them from the trenches, and read their hearts as preist reads his book. They denied their treachery with oaths. Then my lord said if any would still follow him and fight, let them stand out on his side.''
 Isabelilla, crouched by the young rob- t.s.. x.-t4 |. arfv,
 How many stood on his side? Tell me- she said, husky with emotion. But one only.''
 And that one? know him. It was you, my Robledo," exclaimed the girl. and she flung her arms around him in fierce caress.
 My lord laughed" Robledo crossed himself .'He laughed, but I feared his laughter He drove those others from the cave, and bade them live or die as they would For awhile he sat silent senor. and then he told me to follow him. We crept in the darkness over the peak, and down upon the other side, and my lord led me by goat tracks for long time, and we came at length to a hole, and he bade me enter. In truth, l feared to enter-but I also feared my lord
 Tn little time my lord lit lan- tern. We were i1 a tunnel under the bridge of rock and it grew smaller Hll we crawled as a wildcat crawls through the underbrush, and my breathing came hard. I know now how long we crept through the heart of the mountains, my head was bursting, and I vowed offer ing to the patron saint of hunters (for when I am not a brigand. senor, l lead hunting parties to shoot the ibex), if T ever escaped to the free air again. At the last I found myself lying in hol- low of deep grass with the good wind blowing over me.
 '"The moon was out and through a screen of bushes we could see the bridge and the peak The soldiers were flying white flag and taking their wounded from the bridge. and a white flag came up out of the trenches on the Punta de I.anza I feared for the anger of my lord. But he only laughed very softly, and pointed to one who lay on his face beside the end of the path and held talk with some of the civil guard"
 They were betraying the peak-your own man?'
 "Yes, senor. But the people of the governor feared treachery, and would not pass over. In the end the civil guards rushed across. led by one Moruno. whom know-there are men of spirit in the civil guard" Robledo remarked gener- ously-"and by degrees nearly all the the Punta de LanZa, searching for my lord. Then I found that my lord was gone from beside me.
 Had gone," exclaimed Lalor.
 Robledo held up his hand with much the gesture of his old master.
 .Lsten. senor. Don Hugo himself pass ed over for I saw him. Indeed, when they knew the surrender was complete all would have gone to look at the cave of Don O. for never before in all the his- tory of the sierra has any expedition found a dwelling of my lords. So I thought of these things within myself and wondered what my iord would do, when I was shaken by horrible noise. The mountain vonlited a leaping flame and trembled with the pain of its torment.