The Little River news. (Ashdown, Little River County, Ark.) 1897-current, 1920-11-03

they have the wounded-t's couple
of blocks away from hereto tell
Mother jerks and the young lady
with her I'll not be back"
They're both outside now. They
must have gone looking for you, be-
cause they found you and Don Juan
first and then told me about it."
"Who told your
Mother jerks"
"Ohl Well, run along and get your
man." sda Is
Ricardo. departed on the run, TAX
ing the sentry at the door with him
and in his haste giving no Thought
waiting for the doctors verdict. In
the palace grounds he gathered two
more men and babe them follow him !;
leading by twenty yards, he emerged
at the gate and paused to look around
him.
Some hundred feet down the street
from the palace gate Sarros's bay
charger lay dead. When Websters
bullet brought the poor beast down,
his rider had fallen clear of him, only
to fall a victim to the ferocity of Don
Juan Cafetero. Later, as Sarros lay
stunned and bleeding beside his mount,
the stricken animal in its death-strug-
gle had half risen, only to fall again,
this time on the extended left leg of
his late master; consequently when
Sarros recovered consciousness follow
ing the thoughtful attentions of his
assailant, it was to discover himself a
hopeless prisoner The heavy carcass
of his horse pinned his foot and part
Of his leg to the ground, rendering
him as helpless and desperate as
trapped animal.
For several minutes now he had
been striving frantically to release
himself; with his sound right leg
pressed against the animals back
bone he tried to gain sufficient pur-
chase to withdraw his left leg from
the carcass.
AS Ricardo caught sight Of Sarrus
he instinctively realized that this was
his mortal enemy; motiOning his men
to stand back, he approached the
struggling man on tiptoe and thought
fully possessed himself of the dicta,
tors pistol which lay in back Of him.
but not out Of reach. Just as he did
SO, Sarros. apparently convinced Of the
flItility of his efforts to free himself,
surrendered to-, fate and commenced
f,,11 Is
and despair.
Ricardo watched him for few Sec
0nds, for there was just sufficient Of
the blood Of his Castilian ancestors
still in his veins 10 render this sorry
spectacle rather an enjoyable one to
him. Besides. he was SO per cent
Iberian. a race which can hate quite
as thoroughly as it can love, and
for time Ricardo even nourished the
thought Of still further indulging his
thirst for revenge by pretending to
aid Sarros in his escape! Presently.
however, he put the ungenerOus
thought from him; Selling the dead
horse by the tail, he dragged the car
cass off his enemy's leg, and while
Sarros sat up, tailor-fashion. and COM
menced to rub the circulation back
into the bruised member, Ricardo
seated himself on the rump Of the
dead horse and appraised his prisoner
critically.
Sarros glanced up. remembered his
manners and very heartily and grace,
fully thanked his deliverer.
ut is not matter for which thanks
are due me, Sarros," Ricardo replied
colby. 81 am Ricardo Luiz Ruey,
and have come back to Sobrante to
pay my fathers debt to you. You
will remember having forced the obli
CATION upon me in the cemetery some
fifteen years ago"
For perhaps ten Mortified seconds
SarrOs stared at Ricardo; then the
dark blood in him came TO his defense;
his tense pose relaxed; the fright
and despair left his swarthy counte
nance as if erased with moist
sponge, leaving him as calmly stoica
and Indifferent as a cigarStOre Indian.
He fumbled in his coat pocket for a
gold cigarette case selected a ciga-
rette, lighted il and blew smoke al
Ricardo, The jig was up; he knew
it; and with admirable uonchalanre
he declined TO lower his presidential,
dignity by discussing or considering ii.
He realized il would delight his cap.
tor to know he dreaded to face the
issue and II was no' SarroS practice
TO give aid and comfort to the enemy.
"Snunky DEVIL" Ricardo reflected.
forced to admiration despite himself.
Aloud he said: "You know Il lode
of our people. Sarros. All eye for
an eve and tooth for tooth"
Sarros bowed. 81 am at your serv-
ice" he replied carelessly.
"Then at daylight tomorrow morn
ing / shall make settlement" Ricardo
beckoned his men to approach. Take
this man and confine him under a
double guard in the arsenal" he or
dered. present my compliments to
the officer In charge there and tell
him it is my wish that a priest be
provided for the prisoner tonight, and
that tomorrow morning, at six O'Clock,
a detail of six men and sergeant
II