The Little River news. (Ashdown, Little River County, Ark.) 1897-current, 1920-10-30
CHAPTER XVI.

While Ricardo watched beside the
unconscious Webster one Of his aides
galloped up the street. to return pres
emily with a detachment with stretch
ers, into which Webster and Don Juan
Cafetero were laid and carried up the
palace driveway into the huge golden
reception hall where only the night
before Sarros had greeted the bellies
and beaux of his capital. In the mean
time Mother jerks had succeeded in
restoring Dolores to consciousness !;
supported by the indomitable old
woman the girl slowly followed the
grim procession until. at the door of
the reception room. they found their
further progress barred by sentry.
''The red-haired man is dead" he
informed them in response to their
eager queries. eff you want his body"
he continued, hazarding guess as to
their mission. 81 guess you can have
it. There he u.s." And the sentry
pointed to the stretcher which had
be, n set down along the wall of the
reception hall.
jerks demanded. Don Juan Cafetero
had. unfortunately. been so much of
a nuisance to her In life that she was
not minded to be troubled greatly
over him in death. although the Spar
tanlike manner Of his exit had thrilled
the British bulldog blood in her.
1.-THE biz fellow isn't quite dead yet,
out I'm AFRAID he's a sOner. Inc
surgeons have him in this room now.
Friend of yours. Miss?" he inquired
in tones freighted with neighborly
sympathy.
Dolores nodded
"Sorry l can't let you in, Miss" he
continued, but the General ordered
me to keep everybody out until the
doctors have finished looking him
OVER If l was you, I'd wait in that
room across the hall; then you can
get the first news when the doctors
come out"
Mother jerks accepted his advice
and steered her charge into the room
indicated. AS they waited, Ricardo
Ruey stood anXiOusly beside the table
on which John Stuart. Webster's big,
limp body reposed, while Doctor Pach-
eco, assisted by Sobrantean con-
frere, went deftly over him with sur
gical scissors and cut the blood-soaked
clothing from his body.
"He breathes very gently" the rebel
leader said. presently. us there any
hOpe"
The little doctor shrugged. II fear
not That bayonet-thrust in the left
side missed his heart but not his
lung"
"But apparently he hasn't bled much
from that wound"
"The hemorrhage is probably in
ternal. Even if that congestion of
blood in the lungs does not prove fatal
very shortly, he cannot, in his weak
ened state, survive the traumatic
fever from all these wounds. 1t is
bound-hello, how our poor friend still
lives with the bayonet broken off in
his body-for here is steel-hah! Not
a bayOnet but a pistol"
He unbuttOned the wounded mans
coat and found a strap running dag
onally up across his breast and over
the right shoulder, connecting with
a holster under the left arm. The
doctor unbuckled this strap and re-
moved the holster, which contained
Webster's spare gun; Ricardo, glanc-
ing disinterestedly at the sheathed
weapon, noted a small, new, triangu-
lar hole in the leather holster He
picked it up, withdrew the pistol, and
found deep scratch, recently made,
along the blued steel close to the vul-
canite butt.
When Ricardo glanced at Pacheco
after his scrutiny of the pistol and
holster, the doctors dark eyes were
regarding him mirthfully.
81 have been unnecessarily alarmed,
my general" said PachecO. "Our
dear friend has been most fortunate
in his choice of wounds"
ha