The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1908-04-18

of the very first of its inhabitants his
eye will be attracted to at the frontier
station will be a couple of members
his wanderings in that infinitely de
lightful land he will ever be haunted
by representatives of that force,
which he will come to look upon as
tho chief guardians of life and proper
II md liberty in this strange, half
Oriental country.
From the very start the Spanish
corps has had enormous difficulties to
grapple with. The country was abso-
lutely iawless when first the Civil
guard came into being. They Were
Handicapped by extremes of climate,
by huge stretches of roadless and al
most trackless country, by the feroc'
ity, ignorance, almost savagery of
many of the inhabitants.
For a member of the Civil guard TO
fail in the supremacy high standard of
duty set before him is considered by
his comrades and his rulers as almost
impossible. Everything is expected
from him. Everything with the rarest
exceptions may be expected from
him. And his government carries this
to its logical conclusion by giving him
an absolutely free hand, without which
he could not possibly WELD the intlu,
ence essential to the carrying out of
his duties
A couple Of Civil guards-they are
always in couples-often find them
selves few amongst many, and then it
is that there must be no wavering or
hesitation if their enemies show fight
Some Of their duties in the mining
districts of Spain, and in those parts
Of the country infested by gypsies,
are amongst the most on"rOuS. Espe-
Cially are they in danger when con.
Quoting prisoners across country. A
friend of mine who, many years ago,
held a post in connection with a mine
in a deSOlate and mountainous part of
Spain told me how a couple Of Civil
guards nippgd in the bud a very I'M
pleasant state of affairs in the village
close by 1t seemed that a miner. eX-
aspcrated by some rcproOf, had drawn
his knife on his employer, who had
luckily managed to evade him, but
had rotorted with all the energy a
powerful BritOn is able to put into a
sudden act of selfdefense when it
merges into retribution The other
miners resented the thrashing their
comrade had received. The man him.
self was handed over TO the authOri-
ties, and couple of Civil guards were
10 conduct him to the nearest town
The way led over the mountains by
Wild and lonely track, and the night
mad to be spent at rough inn. The
iunkeepcr, by an unluCky chance, was
the brother OF the prisoner. and when
the little company arrived he at One
faal.zod the state of affairs and began
to plot rescue Together with his
sou, b" determined to try and contriye
that the prisoner should slip out into
taa forest by a back door late in tln
evening, while The consgirators Dis
trae,el the attention Of whiche,e or of
III" guards vas taking the night
watch. They protested the greatest
hospitality to their uniformed guests.
and of course pretended that the pris.
oner was total stranger to them.
Their plans were we'll laid and with
the quickness Of their race were car.
ried out with considerable smartness
Nor We're the opponents only two to
TWO \ hanger on, none too well dis.
posed to the guardians Of law and or
der was quite willing to use his big
knife in the cause of the family, and
when the prisoner and lis guard
found themselves in the passage for a
Icment before settling down for the
night, they We're hustled apart, the
door close b., within which was the
o,he- guard, was locked and in the
sudden darkness as the lamp, seem.
ingly by accident. fell from its brack-
-. the prisoner slipped ont into the
open air Bat almost at the same mo.
ment there was rpsort, and In an IN.
'ant 2 second revolver shot rang out,
" SlIe the ing Cf a rife from the back