The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1907-07-27
his Food SO treacherously shed, cries for

- - 80
his Food, 80 treacherously shed, cries for
vengeance"
The hunter huriedly wiped away the
tears he had been unable to repress while
speaking of the count, andS went on in
a voice choked by the internal emotion
which he strove in vain to conquer:
But let us, for the present, leave this
sad "Reminiscences TO slumber in our hearts.
The count was my friend, my dearest
friend, more than brother TO me; he
often spoke about you to me, and several
times told me your gloomy history, which
terminated in frightful catastrophe"
The Tigrero, in few moments, began
his narrative as follows:
my friends must have fancied me
dead. You are aware that l was at
tackled by Black Bear just as ! believed
l had saved friends. We fought on the
edge of a pit and l was just about to
finish him when the Comauche war cry
was heard. Startled, let the Indian go,
he rushed at Dona Anita, a member OF
the party, who, however, repulsed him.
He fell backward in the direction of the
pit, clutching nae, and down We went to-
gether."
go on" the hunter said, II am listen
ing to you with the greatest attention"
"The Indian was desperately wounded,
and it was a corpse that dragged me
down. The chief was the first to reach
the bottom, and l fell upon his body,
which deadened my fall. | cannot say
how long remained in this state, but l
fancy my faint must have lasted two
hours. When l opened my eyes again,
found myself in utter darkness That
did not trouble me greatly, as | had about
me everything necessary to light fire.
Within a few moments had light, and
was enabled to look about me. | was
lying at the bottom of a species of tun-
mel, for the pit grew narrower in its de-
scent. When l reached the floor of the
cavern, lay for more than half an hour
on the sand, exhausted, painting, unable
to make the slightest movement. Fortu-
nately for me this terrible condition did
not last long. for the refreshing air from
without, reaching me through the passages
of the cavern, recovered me. The ground
around me was covered with dead bodies,
struggle. l sought in vain for the corpses
of bona Anita and her father. l breath
cd again, and hope re-entered my heart.
Those for whom | had given my life were
saved. This thought restored my courage,
and l felt quite a different man. | rose
without any excessive difficulty, and, sup
porting myself on my rifle, went toward
the mouth of the cavern, after removing
my stock of provision, and taking two
powder horns from stores / had previous
ly cached No words can describe the
emotion felt when, after a painful walk
through the grotto, at length reached
the river bank, and saw the sun once
more.
IAN hour later, mounted on my good
horse, l bent my steps toward houses.
Ny journey was d long one, and when
| reached Sonora the news l heard al
most drove me mad. Don Sylvia de
Torres had been killed in the fight with
the Apaches, Is was probably his daugh
ter. For a month lowered between life
and death. When hardly copvalescent, l
dragged myself TO the house of the only
man competent Of giving me precise in
formation. This man refused to recog-
nize me- although | had been intimate
with him for many years. When l told
him my naIae he laughed in my face, and
when / insisted, he had me expelled by
his poems, telling me that l was mad,
that Don Martial was dead, and an i'm
rostor. i went away with rage and de-
spair in my heart. After this all my
friends to whom l presented myself re-
fused to recognize me, so thoroughly was
the report of my death believed. All the
efforts l attempted to dissipate this
alarming mistake and prove the falsehood
or the rgmor were in vain, for too many
persons were interested in it being true,
on account of my large estates; and also,
/ suppose, through a fear of injuring the
man to whom ! first applicable only
living relation of the Torres family. What
more need tell you? Disguised in every
way. heartbroken with grief, and recognize
ing the inutility Of the efforts had made,
left the town, and, mounting my horse,
returned to the desert, seeking the most
unknown spots and the most desoate re-
gions In which to hide myself"
Brother" Valentine said, gently, you
have forgotten to tell me the name of that
influential person who had you turned out
of his house, and treated you as an i'm
postor.
THAT is true" Don Martial answered.
Ellis name is Don Sebastian Guerrero,
and he is military governor of the prov
ince of Sonora"
don Martial" cried the hunter, you
may thank heaven for decreeing that we
should meet in the desert, in order that
the punishment of this man should be
complete"