Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1919-02-06


browed man, stirred uneaslly.
at is Gods truth. There are spirits
on La Cumbre. and I wish to see the
priest about it."
"Spirits? What kind of spirits?"
The fellow shrugged. Evil spirits
spirits from hell. The men are buying
charms"
"Bahl 1 took you to be a sensible
person."
"You don't believe me? Well,
didn't believe them when they told me
about it. But l saw with my own
eyes"
Cobo leaned forward, mildly aston
ished. OF all his villainous troop, this
man was the last one he had credited
with Imagination of this sort. "What
did you sect"
"A ghost, my colonel. nothing else.
La Cumbre Is no place for an honest
Christian"
The colonel burst into a mocking
laugh. IAN honest Chrlstianl You !
OF all my vile ruffians, you are the
vilest. Why, you're thief, liar, and
an assassin You are lying to me now.
you the componte."
"As God is my judge, I'm telling you
the truth" protested the soldier. ''Flog
me if you will-rather- the componte
than another night in those trenches.
You know that old quinta?"
ss\Nbara poneho Cuatn mazda a UOof
of himself? Perfectly. Do you mean
to say that you saw old Esteban Va
roma walking with his head In his
hands?"
mo, but l saw that she-devil who
fell in the well and broke her neck"
"Eh? When did you behold this
this marvelw
1.-Two nights ago. She was there be-
side the well and her face shone
through the night like a lantern. There
was fire upon it. She came and went.
like moth in the lamplight. l tell
you l repented of my sins. Some of
the men laughed at me when l told
them. as they had laughed at the 9TH
ers. But last night two of the doubt
ers went up there"
Exactly. And they saw nothing"
''Your pardon. my colonel. They
came back in cold sweat. and they
spent the night on their knees. The
woman was there again. You have
seen the salt sea at night? Well. her
face was aglow, like that. so they said.
They heard the clanking of chains, too,
and the sound of hammers, coming
from the very bowels of the earth. Ii
is all plain enough, when you know
the story. But 1t is terrifying"
"This is indeed amazing" Cobo ac-
knowedged. but of course there is
some simple explanation Spirits, If |
indeed there are such things, are made
Of nothing-they are like thin air. |
How, then, could they rattle chains?
You probably saw some wretched pa
cificos in search of food and imagined
the rest"
Indeed Then what did l hear with
these very ears? Whispers. murmurs,
groans, and the clinkety-clink of old
Sebastian's chisel. For his sins that
old slave is chained in some cavern OF
the mountain. Soundless I'm no
baby. | know when I'm asleep. and |
know when I'm awake. That place Is
accursed, and want no more of it."
Cobo fell into frowning meditation.
allowing his cigarette 20 smolder down
until it burned his thick fingers. He
was not superstitious man and he
put no faith In the supernatural, ney-
ertheless he was convinced that his
was not lying, and reference
to Pancho Cueta had set his mind to
working along strange channels. He
had known Cueto well, and the latter's
stubborn belief In the existence Of that
Varona treasure had more than once
him. He wondered now II
'thers shared that faith, or II by
nance they had discovered a clue TO
he whereabouts of the money and
we're conducting q secret search. 1t
vas a fantastic idea. nevertheless
;obo told himself that II people were
frying about those deserted premises
was with some object, and their ac-
''ho "ouiu NhIihul ODStINdtlOu. lie
presence of the woman-a woman
With the glow of phosphorus upon her
ace was puzzling. but the whole affair
vas puzzling. lie determined to inves-
igate. After time he murmured, II
hould like to see this spirit"
The sergeant shrugged. 1t was plain
rom his expression that he could not
ccount for such desire. another
light Is coming" said he.
Good / shall visit the place, and
l see anything unusual well.
hall believe what you have told me.
deanwhile, go see your priest by all
means. 1t Will do you no HARM"
q A e n /