Tombstone epitaph., 1916-08-06

than deafh. After it is ail over. save my honor for me tf you can. Write my sis ter at least that that accusation is un- true.
 He clipped from the paper the ar. ticle which intimated that he had stolen the Bell and pinned it with a bit of splinter to his note, to be given to the messenger As the courier walked off to the great chinaberry tree under which his horse was tied. kynaston thought cheerlessly of what the result of the mission must be.
 The messenger was gone an hour when a sudden furry at the post of the guard set the camp alight with ex- citement. An aid came hastily to the house. demanding admission.
 Your letter was received. senor. by Senor Upton, who declined to read it" said the aid. He said that he was a caballero of blood and refused to receive messages that were sent him by the hands of a common sol. dier. He demanded that Fl General obispo send a commissioned officer to talk with him. Accordingly Major Gutierrez will go up at daylight to arrange matters"
 Kynaston spent a sleepless night. Early in the morning the camp was awake. the noise and excitement fore casting a move. An hour later an officer, furious with anger. entered with four men. He seized the Amert can roughly and tied his hands behind him with a strip of rawhide.
 Los perros!" the officer gritted. "Tc treat with men nke that-el gen. eral wishes to see you. gringo.
 What is it? We'll to ask! That thief of the world. Senor Upton bah. He is . ladrone. a picaron. a thief! Done? What has he done! Fl General Obispo sent this morning to talk with him about you and the jewel. which we need as a thirsty man needs water. His emissaries were el Commandante Major Gutierrez and el Coronel Mayer, who is the chief of our artillery.
 They went up under . white flag senor, and had a talk with the Ameri can. They could come to no terms. SC the two left him and started back When they reacher the bottom of the hill naturally enough they lowered the white flag"
 Yes, yes, Where are they now-
 The blind priest of Trocanto. whc had approached. answered the ques tion.
 They are prisoners in the hands of Senor Upton. He sent word back to el General Obispo that if the sol diers lay hand on thee he will hang the two officers as high as Haman Doubtless thou canst learn the details from el general"
 It was difficult to learn anything from the general, who, angry at being outwitted, spat like a cat and was equally intelligibie. It was from his first acquaintance that Kynastcu learned what had happened.
 Yes, senor. the two went up with a soldado-common soldier-carryine the flag of truce. You can see 1t Is a mile away; between us is the bel. of alamos-cottonwoo in the valley.
 Their talk. senor. came to nothing We know now that Senor Upton did but talk to gain time. When they left they walked down the hill. and when they reached the valley where the ala. mos grew. they dropped their flag of truce. sat down, and lit cigarettes.
 Tt was in that moment. senor. that a gray-headed old pirate stepped from behind tree. showed a great pistol under the nose of the valiant coronel. broke the rife of the soldier. and told him to go back to-el general will pardon me-to the stealer of horses who commanded here. with the mes sage that the two officers would be hanged if a hair of your head is touched-saints and angels, senores, what Is 1t now?"
 For another white flag was waving from the house and a shot had been fired to attract their attention.
 Kynaston looked up eagerly.