Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-06-20
CHAPTER XVIII

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the carriage into the first courtyard.
The leave-taking was short. for there
was no time to lose in vain compliments.
The young ladies drew down their wells,
and proceeded to the courtyard under
guidance of the abbess. The carriage
had been drawn as close as possible to
the cloisters. and the court was entirely
deserted, only the abbess, the sister por-
ter, and a confidential nun witnessing the
departure
As the Frenchman opened the door of
the carriage a piece of paper lying on
the seat caught his eye. He seized it
without being seen, and hid it in the hol
low of his hand. After kissing the good
abbess for the last time, the young ladies
took the back seat, and Don Martial the
front, as did VI. Rallier. after previously
whispering to the coachman. that is, to
Curumilla, two Indian words, to which
he replied by sinister grin. Then, at
signal from the abbess, the convent gates
were opened, and the carriage started at
full speed, drawn by six powerful mules
1t was about seven o'clock in the morn
ing. The fugitives-for we can give them
no other name-galloped in silence for
the first ten or fifteen minutes, when the
Frenchman gently touched his compan-
| ions shoulder, and offered him the paper
he had found in the carriage.
Read" he said.
The paper only contained two words,
hurriedly written in pencil:
Take care"
ooh, Oh" the Tigrero exclaimed, turn
ing pale, what does this mean?"
1T means that in spite of our precau-
tons, or perhaps in account of them,
for in these COMPOUNDED affairs a man
never knows how to act in order to de-
ceive the persons he fears, we are dis
covered, and probably have spies at our
heels"
And what will become of the young
ladies in the event of dispute?"
I'm the event of a fight, you mean. for
there will be an obstinate one, l foretell.
Well, we will defend them as well as we
can"
II know that; but suppose we are
killed."
'Ah there is that chance; but 1 never
think of that until after the event"
Dona Anita hid her head in her
friends bosom.
"Reassure yourself, senorita," the
Frenchman said, and above all, be 81
lent, for the sound of your voice might
be recognized, and change into certainty
what may still be only a suspicion. Be
sides. remember that if you have enemies
you have also friends since they took the
| precaution to warn us. Now, in all
probability, this unknown offer of advice
| will not have stopped there but thought
of the means to come to our assistance in
the most effectual manner"
General Don Sebastian Guerrero had
organized a band of spies composed of
| leperos and scoundrels, who, however,
possessed acknowledged cleverness and
skill, and if Valentine had escaped their
surveillance and foiled their machina-
tions, it was solely through the habits
which he contracted during a heightened
life in the prairies, and which had be-
come an intuition with him, so far did
he carry the quality of scenting and I'M
masking an enemy, whatever might be
the countenance he borrowed.
The Convent of the Bernardines had
naturally become for some days past the
center of the surveillance as it was the
agents. The arrival of carriage with
closed blinds at the convent at once gave
the alarm; and though NJ. Rallier was
not personally known, the fact of his be-
ing a Frenchman was sufficient to rouse
suspicious.
While the Frenchman and the monk
were conversing with the abbess, a lepero
pretended to hurt himself, and was con-
veyed by two of his acolytes to the con-
vent gate, and the good-hearted porter
had not refused him admission, but, on
the contrary, mad eagerly given him all
the assistance his condition seemed to
require.
While the lepero was gradually regain
ing his senses, his comrades asked ques-
tons with that caution still peculiar to
their Mexican nature. The sister-porter
was a worthy woman, endowed with a
very small stock of brains, and fond of
talking. On finding this opportunity to
indulge in her favoTite employment. she
was easily led on. and, almost of her own
accord, told all she knew, not suspecting
the harm she did.
When the three leperos had drawn all
they could out of the sister-porter. they
fastened to leave the convent. Just as
they emerged into the street, they found
themselves face to face with No Carnero.
the generals capataz. whom his master
had sent on a tour of discovery. They
ran up TO him, and in a few words told
him what had happened.
This was grave, and the capataz trem-
bled inwardly at the revelation, for he I'M
derstood the terrible danger by which his
friends were menaced. But Carnero was
a clever man. and at onse made up his
mind to his course of action.
He greatly praised the leperos for the
skill. they had displayed in discovering
the secret, put some piastres into their
hands, and sent them off to the general,
with the recommended ton, which was
most necessary to make all possible
speed. Then, in his turn, he began prowl-
ing round the convent, and especially the
carriage, which Curumilla made no diff
Guilty in letting him approach, for the
reader will doubtless have guessed that
the luminosity the Indian had on several
occasions evinced for the capataz, was
pretended, and that they were perfectly
good friends when nobody could see or
hear them.
The capataz skillfully profted by the
confusion created in the crowd by the
carriage entering the convent. to throw
in. unperceived. the paper NJ. Rallier had
found. Certain now that his friends would
be on their guard he went of in his turn,
after recommending the spies he left be-
fore the convent to keep up a good watch
and walked in the direction of the Plaza
Mayor.
At the corner of the Gale de Plateros
he saw a man standing in front of a pull
guerra The capataz entered the pull
guerra and let fall a piastre which rolled
TO the foot of the man standing in the
doorway. The latter stopped, picked up
the coin, and restored it TO its owner,
and the capataz walked out, doubtless sat
isfed and cautiously continued his way.
On reaching the plaza again, the man of
the pulqueria, who was probably going