Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1918-07-25
Norine asked.

- Jous AAh ASOAAAJ
rescue me from a dungeon? Haven't
you nursed me back to health? Don't
I W my life to you both?"
Nonsense! I, for one, sha'n't take
a dollar of it."
ooh, but you must. I insist. Nurs-
Ing is a poorly paid profession.
Wouldn't you like to be rich?"
profession! Poorly paid?" Norine
sputtered, angrily. Gas if I'd take
pay"
"As If I would accept a great service
and forget it, like some miserable beg
gar!" Esteban replied stif1y.
O'Reilly laughed out. "Don't let's
quarrel over the spoil until we get it,"
said he. "That's the way with all
treasure-hunters. They invariably fall
out and go to fighting. To avoid blood
shed, I'll agree to sell my interest
cheap, for cash. My share Of the ia
nous Varona fortune going for a dol
lar"
"There! He doesn't believe a word
Of it," Esteban said.
Norine gave an impatient shrug.
"Some people wouldn't believe they
were alive unless they saw their breath
on a looking-glass. Goodness! How T
hate a %sneering skeptic, a wet blanket"
OReilly rose with one arm shielding
his face. "In the interest of friend
ship, l withdraw. A curse on these
buried treasures, anyhow. We shall
yet come to blows"
AS he walked away he heard Norine
say: Don't pay any attention to him.
Well go and dig it up ourselves, and
we won't wait until the war is over"
An hour later Esteban and his nurse
still had their heads together. They
were still talking of golden ingots and
pearls from the Caribbean the size of
plums when they looked up to see
O'Reilly running toward them. He was
visibly excited; he waved and shouted
at them. He was painting when he ar.
rived.
"News! From Matanzas!" he cried.
Gomez man has arrived"
Esteban struggled to rise, but No.
rine restrained him. "Rosa? What
does he say? Quick!"
Good news! She left the Pan de
Matanzas with the two negroes. She
went into the city before Cobo's raid
Esteban collapsed Imply. He closed
his eyes, his face was very white. He
crossed himself weakly.
"The letter is definite. It seems they
were starving. They obeyed Weyler's
bando. They're in Matanzas now"
do you hear, Esteban" Norine
shook her patient by the shoulder
"She's alive. Oh, can't you see that II
always pays to believe the bestY"
"Alive! Safe" Esteban whispered
His eyes, when he opened them, were
swimming; he clutched Norine's hand
tightly; his other hand he extended tc
O'Reilly. "a reconcentrado! In Ma
t%anzas! Well, that's good. We have
friends there-they'n not let hel
starve. This makes a new man Of me
See! I'm strong again. I'll go to her.
you'll go?" quickly cried Miss
Evans. you'll go! You're not strong
enough. 1t would be suicide. You
with a price upon your head! Every
body knows you there. Matanzas is
virtually a walled city. There's sick
ness, too-yellow fever, typhus-"
Exactly. And hunger. also. I sup
pose no one has taken Rosa in? Those
concentration camps aren't nice places
for a girl"
"But wait! I have friends in Wash.
ington. They're influential. They will
cable the American consul to look after
her. Anyhow, you mustn't think Of re.
turning to Matanzas," Norine faltered
her voice caught unexpectedly and she
turned her face away.
O'Reilly nodded shortly. "You're 8
sick man." he agreed. "There's no need
for both Of us to 60"
Esteban looked up. 'at"Then you"
II leave at-once. The Old Man has
given me a commission; to General Be.
%tancourt, and I'll be on anyway in an
hour. The2moon is young; Unjust
cross. the .trOcha before"
THAT 'trocha !" .Esteban, was up or
his elbow again. "Be careful there
O'Reilly. They keep a sharp lookout
and it's guarded with barbed wire. Be
sure you cut every strand. Yes, and
muff1e your horses hoofs, too. in cross.
ing the railroad track. That's how we
were detected. Pablo's horse struck
a rail, and they fred at the sound. He
fell at the first volley, riddled. Oh, ]
know that trocha!
Cd the trocha !" O'Reilly ex.
claimed. eat last I've got a chance to
do something. God! How long I've
waited"
Esteban drew O'Reilly's tense form
down and embraced his friend, after
the fashion of his people. "She has
been waiting. too," he said, huskily.
"We Varonas are good walters, O'Rei!-
ly. Rosa will never cease waiting un-
til you come. Tell her, for me-"
Norine withdrew softly out Of ear
shot. There were a lump in her throat
and q pain in her breast. She had &C.