Evening star., 1921-10-30

"And you fear the law?"
"A week ago 1 stabbed a man In
| Castellcno."
Don Q. nodded.
And them" he asked
81 wish to take service with you.
My protection?"
u wish to TAX service with you,
SO you wish to take service with
me?"
| Yes"
! Don Q. looked into Fuentes' face
with long chilly stare.
You desire to take the oath of
loyalty to me and to your COM
panions?"
IF you have such an oath. yes"
THE words of that oath, repeat
them. Robledo."
Robledo stretched out his hands.
Il swear that l will serve my Lord
| of the Mountains as a true and faith
| full servant His enemies shall be my
enemies and my obedience shall be
his. If / fail in this oath or in 10y
atty to my lord or to my comrades
in word or deed may die unshriven."
That is the oath. will you swear.
| Don Ramon?"
Fuentes' lips tightened.
Yes" said he.
"Then place your hand here" Don
| @. indicated a box covered with
cloth which lay upon a rough table,
land repeat the words"
Fuentes did so.
When he had finished Don @. re-
moved the cloth from the box and
opened it. Gaspar and Robledo cross
ed themselves.
You have sworn the oath.'' said
Don O., with your hand upon the
Vicandor. From now onward you are
my man. Go! Robledo viii show
you your place beside the fires"
DuRing the next week Fuentes
- learned the routine Of brig
and's life. When first he had gone
into the mountains he had hoped that
Don @. would give him some posi-
ton as an officer or lieutenant, but
he soon realized that in the Boca de
Lobo there never was, nor ever would
be, any delegation Of authority. There
were the bandits Roubledo, Gaspar'
himself, and three-score of others.
and there was Don O., their chlef. NO
military camp was ever under such
discinline. Men ran upon Don Q:s
commands at the double-a single
word from him cut the smile from
their lips. He was fantastic in his
punishments and his rewards.
A bandits life, Fuentes found, was
a lazy one, that is. except when some
active work was afoot, such as the
canture of a prisoner. At other times.
its daily curriculum was maze up ot
sentry-go below the pine trees at the
north end of the Boca, and the usuai
duties of the camp, its cleanliness,
!, etc. about which Don Q. was very
meticulous, For the rest, the bano
Law about their fires ana prayed oe-
meath sun and stars for such stakes
as they could afford.
II is but natural. seeing how many
,ttemnts had been made upon him.
that Don q. should be suspicious OF
those who attempted to join his band,
snI from the first, Fuentes had
aroused his doubts. NOT had the spi-
sode of the oath, which ne naa takeh NJ.
With such obvious unwillingness. les,
sanad the miseiving of the brigand
ohief Sn it came about that Don Q.
ave his orders to Robledo and Cas-
pm INV children" said he, you VIII
watch this Fuemtes very careiulIy' u ~
nav be that there is guile In ms
haart may when you discover anything
YOU will come to me again..
60 Robledo and Gaspar. who had
snent many years of their lives IN
doubtine the motives of men, Kept an
uncommonly sharp eve upon Fuentes:
But the ex-matador was man well
| ahla to keep his own counsel. and IN
the end it was only chance that Ia
yored the watchers.
It so happened that through the
| southern end of the Boca de Looo q
maintain torrent fell from pool to
pool down the rocks. Here. one day,
| Robledo. Gaspar, and Fuentes were
washinE themselves when the hat OF
Fuemtes fell from his head and was
whirled away upon the current
| Fuentes rushed down the bank and
4 threw himself into the stream. Ro-