The Ordway new era., 1918-12-20
CHAPTER xviII-continued.


IT.
II have been close to death so long
that It means little to me-" she con-
fessed. II have you. and-well. with
you at my side can face the worst"
~Oh. we won't give up until we have
to,~ he assured her. s'Tf had money
1t would be a Simple proposition to
bribe some guard to pass us through
the lines. but have spent all that Gen
erai Betancourt gave me-" he
smoothed back Rosa's dark hair and
smiled reassuringly at her. ~Well. I'll
manage somehow; so don't worry your
pretty head. I'll find the price. If !
have to wnylay old. Don Mario and rob
him. Don't you think look like q
bapdit7 The very sight of me would
ferrify that fat rascal"
''Ts me you are beautiful" breathed
the girl. Then she lowered her eyes.
Ia, lai How spoil you! have
quite forgotten how to be ladylike. Isa-
hel was right when she called me a
bold and forward hussy.. Now, then.
please turn your face aside. for wish
to think, and so long as you look at
me 1 cannot-I make love to you bra
EenIy. Sect Now. then. that is much
better. 1 shall hold your hand. so.
When I ki0 It you may look at me
again. for q moment" Drawing her
self closer to OReiHy. Rosa began
thoughtfulIy: Before you came more
than once was on the point Of appeal
Ing to some Of my former friends. but
they are all Spaniards and we are no
Ionger-simpatico you understand"
Rosa paused for his answer.
Perfectly: Tn in the same fix. OF
all the people used to know there
isn't one but would denounce me If
made myself known. Now that I've
been fighting with the insurrectos, I
daren't even go to the American consul
for help-if there is an American con-
sui
Rosa nodded. then continued, hesi-
tatingiy: II had vivid dream. last
night. Perhaps 1t was portent Who
knows7 It was about that stepmother
of mine. You remember how she met
her death7 I wrote you"
"Yes. and Esteban also told me-"
1T was he who recovered her body
from the well. One day, while we
were in hiding. away up yonder in the
tYumuri. he showed me an old colin"
II know" O'Reilly said quickly. ''He
told me the whole story. He thinks
that doubloon is a clue to your fathers
fortune, butt can't put much faith in
1t. In fact, I didn't believe until this
moment that there was a doubloon at
all"
sAnv, scAaod <baro xy.sy ,,xr, a. y,
There was q moment Of silence dur
ling which the lovers were oblivious to
all but each other. then Rosa muir
Injured: 'How strangel Sometimes
your eyes are blue and sometimes gray.
Does that mean that your love. too.
loan chaneef"
Certainly not. But come. what
iahsst Esteban and that doubloonT
With an effort the girl brought her
self back to earth. swell. 1t occurred
Ito me. in the light Of that dream last
might. that Esteban may have been
fright. OF course nobody outside Of
our family credits the old story, and
yet my father was considered very
rich man at one time. Pancho Cueto
believed in the existence of the treas
lure. and he was In position to know"
Truei Perhaps. after all"
OReIlly frowned meditatively.
Rosa lifted herself upon her elbow,
her eyes sparkling. wouldn't 1t be
wonderful IL 1t were true? Just think,
O'Reilly. cases of Spanish gold, silver
lccins in casks. packages Of gems. Oh,
I've heard Isabel talk about 1t often
enough"
Don't forget those pearls from the
Caribbean. as large us plums." Johnny
smiled 'T'could never quite swallow
that A pearl the size of currant
would buy our freedom right now"
After a moment he went on, more seri-
ously: "rve notion to look into that
old well this very afternoon. IL
dare say I'm foolish. but-somehow
the story doesn't sound so improbable
as It did. Perhaps It is worth inves-
lighting" He made up his mind
swiftly. 'T-Tm of this very instant"
When OReilly emerged from the hut
he found Jacket industriously at work
over fragment of grindstone which
he had somewhere unearthed The boy
looked up at his friends approach and
held out for inspection long. thin file.
which he was slowly shaping into u
knife-blade.
"What do you think Of thatf" he
Queried proudly. 'It may come in
handy when we are ready to clear out
OF this pesthole."
"Where did you get it7"
'Oh, stole 1t. steal everything ]
can lay my hands on nowadays. One
can never tell when he may have q
throat to cut, and a file has good steel
In It"
sSince you are such an accom-
Ipllshed thief. do you think you could
steal something for me7" oReilly In
lQuired. "A piece of roper"