The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-05-13

on just computation double as much food. Come, we must see justice done. Hear me, Juan, when the senor orders food for his own repast, you will bring double the quantity for this poor ser want who weeps for hunger.
 will my lord pardon me?n A tall young mountaneer stepped out from the rank of Don Q.'s followers His brows were bound with yellow handkerchief, and his dark eyes gleamed he set the butt of his musket on the floor and rummaged in his shirt for a moment.
 What is this, Robledo?'
 q should like my account settled lord This senor bought from me a certain precious thing in the plains, for which he promised me a payment of 2O,000 pesetas, which he failed to pay" Robledo brought out a ragged paper from his vest. Tt is written here. lord.''
 Don e. took the paper and glanced over it. "A fair demand" he remarked.
 What have you to say, senor?' he ad- dressed Iapoulo.
 But Iapoulo had no answer ready. He recognized the handsome face, the bold air of the mountaineer he had betrayed.
 "Speak.' The sharp command startled the usurer.
 "I have no money" he replied bitterly When will you let me go?"
 "As soon as you have paid your just debts, senor. This man''-he laid a slender, yellow finger on Robledos shoulder-"I will permit to be your messenger. To- morrow. at the first light, you will deliver to him letter for your agent in Malaga. By the way, Juan,- the senor wants pa- per, pen and ink
 Juan at once produced them.
 ''fhe pen is 1000 pesetas, the ink 300 and each sheet of paper is 1000," he said, as he handed them to Iapoulo.
 'I do not need them." The usurer be- leved he could score a point. If I re- fuse to write what can you do?"
 'The alternative is simple" replied Don O., and bending towards Iapoulo he whispered few words in his ear.
 No, no, will writel'' cried the man. tearing a sheet of paper in two. You see I use but half' he added.
 Pray do not be nasty, senor," im- plored Don Q. Rather, be very careful to ask for enough money, or perhaps we shall be forced to speak together again of alternatives
 Then in an instant they were gone the vultured-faced brigand and his swarthy, grnning band. Iapoulo found himself in the darkness. He felt each limb. He was sound and free; therefore surely he could escape. He rushed towards the opening of the cave, and against a grating that had been silently fastened
 
 to the wind and to the strange sounds that float about mountain sides in the night time. The world he knew lay five days of hard travel away, beyond many treacherous and deso3ate gorges. He did not heed the powerful snoring of Simio, who had seized on the loaves and sausage the brigands left behind them, and, hay ing eaten and come to the conclusion that there were worse folk abroad than the yulture of the sierra had fallen content edly asleep.
 Presently Iapoulo became lost in maze of calculations, which he worked out with knitted brows. Five days must be allowed for the messenger to go to Malaga, five to return, also one to spend in the city-that made eleven in all. Each day he would eat half a sausage and half a loaf of black bread. Simio-here he turned a savage look upon his sleep ing retainer-would eat a whole sausage and one loaf of black bread. Between they they would drink three small bottles of water. Their daily lodging cost 4000 pesetas. Thus he computed that each day in tine mountains would cost him 19,500 pesetas. He moaned. rocking himself to and fro at the thought of such a sum. But when he multiplied it by eleven, the tears trickled down his discolored cheeks, for, alasl to this total he must add the debt owing to Robledo.
 It was long before he found courage to name the whole amount, even to himself. When he realized that a monstrous slice of his fortune was slipping away from him he hid his face in his hands and for some moments told himself he would pre- fer death. But as the dreadful words