The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-01

ear It is a lie, as l mean to show him. Tomorrow you will take a message from me of his exeelleney. Don Hugo your hus- band"
 But" she Yentured, you promised to help me-"
 That will l do also.
 "Tell him I have Il little museum up here in the mountains. to which ] desire a small addition"
 Tell him further that when ] come down into Castelleno l shall have with me two ears-my own; but then when I depart l shall have four ears, my own and his. Yes, sonora. alone and single handed, within b days 1. Don O.. will come down from the mountains and crop the ears of the governor of the prison of Castelleno"
 But" she cried in horror you have deceived me. An earless husband!-how unendurabley'
 Nay. sonora, he will be the more faithful, believe me-"
 
 For the eighth time the governor of the prison of Castelleno muttered an angry oath. Because, for the eighth time that evening, his exeelleney had found his hand straying nervously to his ears.
 The message of Don Q. had been faith fully brought down to him by his wife. In her presence, and Indeed to himself during the hours of daylight he would scoh at the threat as the absurd and empty vaporng of a wretched hill thief. He was a strong man, mentally and physically, yet when evening began to fall, and the wind moaned over sad Spain, his mpresslonable nature took on more somber tint. He would start at a footfall and his hand whisk his ears. He cursed his imagination he cursed Don O., he cursed his wife, but in his heart fhearts he wished he had let sleeping dogs lie
 He remembered hundred tales of the fierce chief, each one of which made him shudder. For Don Q. was a man of a strange warped sense of humor and scarcely one of the legends attached to his name but glowed with lurld mani festatons of this quality. Besides, the bandit appeared to be omniscient None ever lived to carry him false news twice. But true information was paid for with terrific lavshness.
 Above all, Don Hugo could not forget that the mans promises were always kept; that he never failed to make his acts coincide scrupulously with his threats. Up in the Boca de Lobo, the Wolfs Mouth, as the robbers valley was called all was going on as usual. Don e. remained in his cave issuing orders and dealing out justice according to his own drastic code. But he was not idle The task he had set himself was one of enormous magnitude. and any small mis- take or slip could only end in supreme disaster.
 Don Q.'s plan was laid out very sub tly, and with a minute precision of de- tail, for his fierce heart dwelt in a frail body and he proposed to go down single handed to smite his enemy.
 When all was ready he called up Ro- bledo and Gaspar to the cave.
 My chlldren,' he said in his slkiest tones, there is one under the mountains with whom it Is necessary that l should deal, the governor of the prison of Cas- telleno."
 A flicker of excitement lit up the dark eyes of the men, but the chief raised his delicate yellow hand.
 q have nothing yet for you to do save to secure the quiet of my musings You will bring my food as usual day by day I lay no command of silence upon you but for no reason whateYer-you heed me, Robledo?--f no reason whatever am l to be called forth until you see me again"
 The men touched their tongues and eyes
 That Is well, Keep your oath in mind,' advised Don Q. For the story of what I am about to carry out will be told in the posadas of Spain by your children s children
 After this the quiet of dea.i fell upon the cave. The band believed the chief to be still there for he certainly had not passed the sentries, who vigorously kept the only known entry to the valley
 Don Q. had left the Boea de Lobo by