Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1918-09-27

indeedi That means something %
hide. Oh. II / could only help youT"
"Heavensi II ! only had some
thing-anything. to work With" NUT
tered the American as he fell to with
redoubled energy. he no longer tried
to conserve his strength. for the
treasure seekers lust beset him. Rosa
looked on, wringing her hands and urg-
Ing him to greater haste.
But tie low, thick door was built Of
some hard, native wood: 1t was wet
and tough and slippery. O'Reilly's
blows made no impression upon 1t, nor
upon the heavy hasps and staples with
which 1t was secured In place. The
latter were deeply rusted. to be sure.
but they withstood his efforts, and he
was finally forced to rest, baffled, en-
ragged, half hysterical from weakness
and fatigue.
Daylight was at hand once more. but
he refused to give up, and worked on
stubbornly, %furiously, until Rosa, in
an agony, besought him to desist.
Johnnie again collapsed on the grass
and lay painting while the other two
replaced the planks.
Another hour and I'd have been into
It," he declared, huskily. .
"You will skill yourself" Jacket told
him.
Rosa bent over him with shining
eyes and parted lips. EYES," said she,
BE patient. We will come back,
O'Reilly, and tonight we shall be rich"
.
Colonel Cobo lit a black cigarette,
leaned back in his chair. and exhaled
two fierce jets Of smoke through his
nostrils. For q full moment he scowled
forbiddingly at the sergeant who had
asked to see him.
"What's this you are telling me?'
he inquired finally.
The sergeant, a mean.faced, low
browed man, stirred u~neasily.
""It is Gods truth. There are spirits
on La Cumbre, and I wish to see the
priest about It."
"Spirits2 What kind Of spiritsr"
The fellow shrugged. EVIL spirits-
spirits from hell. The men are buying
charms"
"Bahi I took you to be q sensible
person."
"You don't believe met Well, ]
didn't believe them when they told me
about II. But I saw with my OWE
eyes,"
Cobo leaned forward, mildly aston
ished. OF all his vinainous troop. ,thi!
man was the last one he had credited
with Imagination Of this sort. "Wha'
did you sect"
"A ghost, my colonel, nothing else
La Cumbre is no place for an homes
Christian"
The colonel burst into a mockini
laugh. "An honest Christian! You
OF oil my vile rufians, you ore tn
vilest. Why, you're a thief, a liar, ant
an assassin You are lying to me now
Come-the truth for once, before I Civ
you the componte."
"As God is my Judge, I'm telling 20,
the truth" protested the soldier. "Floi
me If you will-rather the compont
than another night in those trenches
You know that old Quinta?"
"Where Pancho Cueto made q goa
Of himself Perfectly. Do you meal
to say that you saw old Esteban We
roma walking with his head In hi
handsf"
"No, but I saw that she-devil VIII
fell In the we'll and broke her neck"
'Thi When did you behold this
this marvelf"
"Two nights ago. She was there b.
side the well and her face shon
through the night like a lantern. Their
was fire upon 1t. She came and wen
like Q moth in the lamplight. I te
you I repented Of my sins. Some Z
the men laughed at me when I toll
them, as they had laughed at the oil
eSs. But last night two of the doub
ers went up there"
CTO BE CONTINUED.)