Evening star., 1921-11-13

or paSSlonleSS decay. Inc country
appealed to him. however, in some
curious and remote fashion, and he
certainly rejoiced in the pictures.
1t was because the guide book men,
toned some portraits in Castelleno.
that he decided to visit that town.
He confided his intention to the
British consul at Seville.
Certainly, there is q good hotel in
Castellsno:, You can go. my dear sir.
on Friday"
TT is my intention to start tomor-
row." said Studeley.
You cannot do that"
II do not get you. Why not. pray?"
There is no escort until Friday"
Escort demanded Studeley amaz-
The road passes close to the sierra.
through the foothills, and Don @. is &C
tive Just now"
And who. pray. is Don o."
Well" said the consul, ''he is what
the Spanish here call sequestrador,-
that is, one who holds to ransom"
In other words. bandit" said Stude
ley. He would not dare TO interfere
with me-
The consul smiled somewhat grimlly.
gan. But Studeley changed the subject
and soon afterward took his leave.
+ X X X
a matter OF 1act, untll ne Hdu
\ spoken to the consul, Studeley cared
not a great deal whether he went to
Caselleno or not, but he was one of
those men upon whom opposition has
been the most violent effects-one of the
reasons Of his success in his chosen pro-
fession perhaps. Suffice it that he left
the consuls presence Determined to
proceed to Castelleno. and he set about
making his arrangements at once.
He began with an inquiry at his hotel,
where he was told that the distance was
some thirty English miles and that the
only means of transport was either
carriage or horseback. He made in
Quiries as to the possibility of hiring an
automobile, but was told that the roads
were too bad. The manner of the Span
him this information might have con-
veyed some hint to a man less set in the
firnness Of his own opinions than the
great lawyer.
So it came about that Arlington J.
Studeley. K c., was reduced to that sim
ple-minded form Of travel of which he
had read as boy, In the works Of
George Borrow.
He hired q piebald horse for himself,
which was known as the Overo. and aft
er tramping through many streets
somewhere 1T tho back Of the bull ring.
he secured as guide a tall. bearded
man, who had been reccomended to him
by the lvcry-stablo owner from whom
he had hired the horse.
Thirty miles had not seemed much to
Mr.. Studeley until he realized the pace
Of Spanish travel, but as dark came on
and he found himself hardly ten miles
upon his way. he realized that he would
have to sleep upon the road. A ques-
ton to his guide led to the information
that there was an excellent posada, kept
b yone GARLIC. at which he could OBJ
tain . bottle Of wine, fowl. and excel
lent tortihas, and where. though the
place was rough, he might sleep until
morning.
Studeley at first, out of sheer Eng
lish obstinacy, was for riding all night,
but the heavens grew darker and
darker, and presently there was a
little scurry Of rain, and it was this
shower that decided him.
He gave his orders to Gaspar. who
turned of in a northeasterly direction
up what appeared to be bride path.
Two hours riding along this brought
them within sight of a solitary light.
burning against dark background of
what appeared to be an immense
mountain. Gaspar, riding first, ap-
preached the door and knocked upon
it, and a moment later Stadeley found
himself inside a low room, in which
Ia solitary man was drinking aguard-
,.iente at the table, while a dark-haired
woman Of gypsyish good looks. was
rocking food over brazier. The
floor OF the place was earth, and
mule was stabbed at one end Of the
living room. At the other. behind
kind Of counter. skins OF wine bulged
..il the fireElow.
Arlington J. Studeley was a very
fastidious man, and at first his sur
roundings filled him with disgust. but
AN excellent meal was soon placed be-
fore him and after it had been washed
.down with equally excellent wine, he
was conducted to a bed of pine boughs
covered with sheepskins. and here he
,soon lost himself in the depths of
,slumber.
He was a very heavy sleeper. and.
:as are many such, was when he
ia woke. slow to pick up the thread of
rs he did SO, his acute and highly
trained mind sprang at once to vivid
attention. He still lay upon the bed
of boughs and skins. but he was
slowly aware that his hands and feet
were bound and that particularly
villainous looking Spaniard. whom he
had never seen before, sat smoking
cigarette and watching him with in
tense interest.
AS his eyes opened the watcher be-
side him cried out something In the
mountain dialect, and at once four
of them was the man he had seen
smoking in the posada on the pre-
.vious night, and one Of them was his
guide, Gaspar. All carried weapons
and wore the alpargatas-the rope
soled shoe Of the mountaineer.
What is the meaning of this?" de-
ananded Studeley, in the rasping voice
which had so often brought confusion
upon q refractory witness.
Gaspar shrugged his shoulders.
The Senior Inglese will forgive
me-" said he, but his presence is
wanted above there" He waved his
hands toward the mountains.
"But I wish to proceed at once to
CasteIleno."
CTUDELEY got no farther. One Of
~ the bandits. while he was speak
ing, had strolled round the head iof
his couch and this man slipped a
gag into his mouth. Never befoke
had q leading X. c. been SO effectives
ly silenced! "
The sun was not half an hour highb
in the heavens before the next actS
in the drama in which Studeley was
The central figure unfolded itself.
The five men came in, unbound his
legs and utterly refusing all his ef-
forts to remove the gag and allow
him to speak, they carried him out
and tied him upon the big overo
horse which he had ridden on the
previous evening.
All day the cavalcade travelled on
over the widest and toughest paths.
marching with each hour deeper into
the grim and gloomy dshles.
II am delighted. senor.a said, Don