Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1916-07-13
CHAPTER VlI-continued.


parently it was not enough that he
should sacrifice his life itself; his very
reputation, too, was to be torn to
shreds.
Hour after hour passed. He had
little tobacco, but one cannot enjoy
smoking in the dark. So he sat and
thought and thought till the tiny stars
came out like forget-me-nots in the
wonderful Mexican sky, and the camp
woke to renewed life in the GOODNESS.
Presently he was aroused by the
sound of someone fumbling at the
chain that fastened the door on the
outside. The door drew open. In the
shadow he heard a voice.
"Ohe Mic capitan!'
II was the voice of the officer who
had met him.
"Si-si! What is it?"
eff you will come with me 1t will
perhaps benefit you"
Kynaston fumbled in his bootleg
to see if that fiat automatic pistol still
lay close to his leg. Fortunately, he
had not been examined for concealed
weapons; the Mexicans had taken for
granted that a man surrendering him
self would not be fool enough to bring
arms into a hostile camp.
Kynaston stepped out. The officer
with two guards crowded their way
with their prisoner through the fast
gathering crowd to the house where
the general lived. By the light of the
two gluttering candles stuck in empty
bottles that illuminated the dirty in
terror Kynaston saw, seated beside the
rebel commander, figure that he rec
ognized at once-the blind priest of
Trocanto, the guardian of the shrine!
The general was the first to break
the silence.
IT have brought you here, Senior
Gringo, to ask you some questions.
This good man tells me that you are
an Americana officer Is it true?"
ASK him, If he is your source of
Information" said Kynaston in a dis
guised voice. He could see the priest
lean forward in an eager attempt to
identify him.
There has been a story come to
us"-the general was in deadly earn
est-"that we mean to look into. There
was stone of incalculable value in
the South that we meant to use to buy
arms and ammunition to help our
cause. We got it; then our forces
were attacked by three times their
number of the accursed federalistas,
and so the stone was taken. 1t was
then that, pursued by our men, the
thieves fled across the line and took
them the stone that meant so much to
the righteous cause.
"That stone was taken charge of
by the American officer. The next
day the stone and the officer had dis
appeared, and now the good father
tells me that you are the man. | tell
you plainly, Senior Gringo, that, fail
ing to obtain from you news of the
stones whereabouts, the court-martial
shall do it's duty in the morning. Am
I clear?"
AYE! AS clear as your own laws
and doubtless as discerning"
This time at hearing Kynaston's
voice the old priest leaned back in his
seat.
at is the man." he said quietly.
1T is the officer who took the stone"
"a bargain-then the stone against
your life The stone that means two
hundred thousand pesos against your
life! 1t can profit you nothing to keep
1t, for If it is not turned over to us
you shall surely die"
Kynaston turned holly toward the
priest.
Thou hast eaten my bread and
salt" he said passionately. Thou
hast slept in my camp. Thou knowest
right well that I did not take the
stone; thou knowest right well that
thou thyself art the thief, and that |
had parties out searching for thee by
mesa and by river What hast thou
to gain, padre. by lying away my
Iife?"
The old priest turned gray under
his dark skin.
MY son, this is not fair. Thou
sayest that thou didst not take it.
Who then did?"
who? Who but the man who has
sought it, as he says, for SO long? The
blind priest of Trocanto, of course.
Who else has SO great desire for it?
/ could not have taken it, as my COM
mandante-major-ca prove, for
was with him from the moment that
he came into my camp till the bundle
was unwrapped. and the stone was
found missing"
Was no one else in your tent them"
asked the general.
Thou knowest there was, senior"
The voice Of the blind priest rose to
almost breaking tension. Thou
knowest there were the two ladies'
where are they, aay?"
Where are they? Is this camp
place to ask such a question? Wouldst