Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1911-10-27
A Consiig nment
Of Wine
By ]. B. PAGE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

l was born In Madrid. Spain, and my
father was wine merchant there.
Having more fancy for an out of door
life than counting room, l persuaded
him to give me position in his bust
ness of buyer. Travelled through the
grape growing districts and bought
wine ut the vineyards.
One day l was travelling on horse
back over the southern slope of the
mountains when heard voice:
"Halt!'
| The first idea that came into my
head was that was stopped by
brigand. and l was right.
Il must trouble you, senior, to clasp
your hands on the top of your head"
A brigand jumped over a wall
and. holding gun in the hollow of
his arm. came toward me. He wore
the costume of the country, which is
picturesque, and had devil may
care way with him. He asked me to
hand him weapon l carried ut my
hip. keeping me covered meanwhile
and his eye fixed on mine. that he
might detect in time any indica
ton of purpose to use it. AS soon
as he had possession of it he told me
to proceed, conducting me to camp
where dozen men We're lounging
From papers on my person the brig
ands discovered that | was the son Of
a rich wine merchant in Madrid and
resolved to demand 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 peasant girl about
twenty years of age. l wrote note
to my father, giving an account of my
capture, informing him Of the amount
that must be paid for my release. If
it were not sent by the girl l would
be killed. l requested that she be
we'll paid for carrying the message.
Before she departed l heard the cap
tain of the band tell her that if she
in any way aided in an attempt to
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.
knew my father would pay the ran
som, though the amount was so large
that it might ruin him financially. But
I was very much deceived by the gir'.
The day after her departure. at 2
O'clock in the morning. the only senti-
mel Of the camp was stabbed in the
back and every sleeping brigand
jumped upon by soldier and pinioned
before he could use weapon. The
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. ell
abling them to surprise the brigands.
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
j determined to strike such terror into
the revolutionists that they would not
repeat the attempt. One morning a
girl came to see me whom l at once
recognized as Pepita, who had been
instrumental in destroying the brig
ands.
The girl told me that her betrothed.
Jose Sanchez. had been implicated in
the revolution and had been taken in
arms against the government. He had
been in prison in Madrid and she had
by ruse effected his escape. But she
was unable to get him out Of the cap
ital. Every exit was closely guarded.
and as Sanchez had been one of the
ringleaders in the rebellion the govern
ment was making every effort to recap
ture him. Pepita begged me to aid
him to leave the city.
"Where is he now" asked. .. n.y.
"Hiding in a sewer"
house tonight?
II can try"
That night went to the storehouse.
and Sanchez. disguised in Pepita' s
frock and headgear, which partly COW
cred his face. came in. had every
thing arranged. The vehicle by which
I proposed to take him past the guards
was a wine cask. had one prepared
for him and in the morning put him
into it with sufficient provisions to
guard against hunger. A team was
driven up to the storehouse and load
ed with number of casks of port
wine. One of the casks contained the
living body Of Jose Sanchez. l rolled
it on to the wagon myself, that its
contents should not be injured. Then
l got up beside the driver. and we
started to carry the wine out Of the
city.
On arriving at the post. where all
persons going out were critically ex
amined. the officer scrutinized me and
the driver critically. He even thump-
ed on the casks that he might judge
by the sound whether they contained
liquid or solid substances. But 1 had
prepared for this. "Give me cup"
I said, land will convince you that
there is wine inside the casks, and the
very best" This pleased him. and be
produced a cup. took spigot from
my pocket and, drawing wine, gave it
to him. filled him full and all the
guard besides. He had sounded most
Of the casks, but the libation stopped
him, and after drawing a few gallons
to leave behind we were permitted to
60 on.
shipped the casks to France, going
with them all the way, and liberated