The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1911-11-09
A Consignment
of Wine
b. Ii PACE

father was a wine merchant there.
Having more fancy for an out Of door
life than a counting room, I persuaded
BIN 70 give me a position In bis bush
ness Of buyer I Travelled through the
grape growing districts and bought
wine az the vineyards.
One day I was travelling on horse
back over the southern slope Of the
mountains when ! heard q voice.
''HaItF'
The nrst idea that came into my
head was that 1 was stopped By a
brigand. and 1 was right
4 must trouble you. senior. 70 clasp
your hands on the top OF your head"
A brigand jumped over a wall
and. holding a gun IN the hollow Of
bis arm. came toward me- he wore
the costume Of the country. which e
picturesque. and had a devil may
care way with him. He asked me 70
hand him a weapon I carried at my
hip. keeping me covered meanwhile
and his eye fixed on mine. that be
might detect in time any lndica-
tfon OF a purpose to use H. As soon
as be had possession OF II be told me
10 proceed. conducting me to q camp
where a dozen men were lOunging.
From papers on my person the brig
ands discovered that I was the son OF
a rich wine merchant IN Madrid and
resolved 70 demand a large ransom for
my return. The man who captured me
went out IN search OF some one to
carry the message to my father and
returned with a peasant girl about
twenty years OF age. / wrote q note
to my father. giving an account Of my
capture. informing him Of the amount
that must be paid for my release II
II were not sent BY the girl l would
be killed requested that she b
well paid for carrying the message.
Before she departed I heard the cap
tain OF the band tell Der that II she
IN any way aided In an attempt 70
rescue me or IN an attack on the band
she and all her family would be killed
! knew nothing that was passing In
her mind and supposed that she would
not dare to give any information that
would jeopardize the brigands- I
knew my father would pay the ran
som. though the amount Eas 50 large
that II might ruin him financially. BUT
I was very much deceived By the girl
The day after her departure. At 2
O'Clock IN the morning. the only senti-
mel OF the camp was stabbed IN the
hack and every sleeping brigand
jumped upon BY a soldier and pinioned
n.
band had long been the terror OF that
region. and the girl had resolved to
risk the sacrifice OF herself and her
family to rid the country OF them She
knew every foot Of ground about their
camp and had guided the soldiers. en-
aiding them 10 surprise the brignnds-
They were taken to the capital. tried
and every one OF them executed
This was just before one OF those
revolutions By which my country has
been SO often disturbed The uprising
was unsuccessful. and the government
TO strike such terror into
he revolutionists that they would not
repeat the attempt One morning q
irl came to see me whom I a. once
recognized as Pepita. who had been
instrumental IN destroying the brig
snds.
The girl told me that her betrothed.
lose Sanchez. had been implicated IN
he revolution and had been taken IN
rms against the government he had
zen IN prison In Madrid and she had
" a rlse effected his escape But she
vas unable to get him out Of the cap
tai Every exit was closely guarded.
nd as Sanchez had been one OF the
In the rebellion the govern
nent was making every effort to recap
u-e him Pepita begged me to aid
i'm to leave the city.
where is he nowy' asked
Hiding IN a sewer"
Can you bring him to our store
ouse tonighty'
4 can try"
That night I went to the storehouse.
nd Sanchez. disguised IN Pepifa,s
rock and headgear. which partly Gov
red his face. came IN. ! had every
hing arranged The vehicle BY which
proposed to take him past the guards
ias a wine cask l had one prepared
Or him aud In the morning put him
Ito II with sufficient provisions 70
uard against hunger A team was
riven up &c the storehOuse and load
with a humber OF casks. OF port
Inc. One Of the casks contained the
wing body Of Jose Sanchez. rolled
on to the wagon myself. that it,
should not be injured Then
got up beside the driver. and We
arted to carry the wine out OF the
IT,
On arriving at the post where all
srsons going out were critically ex-
mined. the officer scrutinized me and
Ie driver critically. he even thump-
on the casks that be might Judge
/ the sound whether they contained
luid or solid substances But I bad
epared for this. -Give me a cup
said. land ! WIN convince you that
ere Is wine inside the casks. ana the
~ best" This pleased him. and be