Evening star., 1921-10-30

exactly what passed between you
and the civil governor of Casteleno.
Don Manuelo Tuiz. on the evening
Of the 18th of June last"
Fuentes started.
II have never seen Don Manuelo,"
he said.
Think again." replied Don @. "At
8 o'clock you entered the house of
the governor. You were admitted by
old Urcano, the servant. You did not
emerge until an hour and half later.
when the governor himself opened
the door for you"
"It is not true" said Fuentes.
Some one has been lying to my lord"
what happened during that hour and
a half? Shall l tell you? The gov
ernor spoke to you of many things.
He told you that there was a price
of $4,000 upon my head. He told
it. He told you that If you did not
do so, you. who had been a matador.
a great bullfghter, would sink to the
misery of those whose rivals triumph
over them. Now. Fuentes. did you
sign that paper?"
Fuentes' predicament was terrible.
and he was dealing with one who
seemed to hold all the cards and who
played them with the certainty of a
master
Il signed no paper" said he at
last.
Don @. laughed. That is the first
word Of truth that you have spoken"
said he. ut was not you who signed
when he had signed the paper he
gave it to you. Where did you put
There was no paper" said Fu-
entes.
Give me your hat"
Sto rte pl
game is up. You will be we'll ad-
vised to obey me. and swiftly. have
already wasted many precious mo-
ments upon you"
Fuentes was a brave man. and he
placed his hat upon the table. Don
O., with one slit Of his knife exposed
the document
1T is agreed that Fuentes. the
bullfighter. shall receive reward of
ing the body of the brigand. COM
monty called Don Q. Signed, Tuiz,
civil governor"
Don Q. burst into a long, low laugh.
$50 there" said he. I'VE have the
reason why our excellent Fuentes has
At the one end. a cowardly governor
and a few thousand dollars. at the
other, our happy little meeting of to-
night"
During this conversation Fuentes
hand had crept to that revolver by
high bred face. and what mattered
anything that might come after? But
hard on this came another thought
his oath-the bones of the saint! Ah
he thought if that oath had only
never been sworn.
WELL" said Don O.. you die to-
morrow, and the manner of your
death is this: You know the great
precipice which overhangs the east
ern gorge? There is a plateau there
You must know it we'll, for you have
watched from it as an outpost. There
you will be taken at dawn. Your
eyes will be bandaged. Your COM
who will know of your infamy. will
prick you forward with their. knives
in the direction Of the precipice, and
then-farewell, Fuentes."
Now truly once more temptation
came upon Fuentes,. for his hatred
brigand watched him with a kind of
grim amusement. At length he spoke:
"Have you anything to say. for
grow weary Of your company.
Yss sSort cried Mesd. to say The truts axs
not as you tell it. It is true that
the governor signed these papers. 1t
is true that I came here to kill you.
| It is true that ere now l would have
done so or attempted to do SO had 1t
not been for my oath. my oath upon
the bones Of San Pedro Of the Noun
tains, See, all this time death has
been staring you in the face. and
what has held 1t back? Ny oath
the fact that am q true man. See,
ali this time I have held in my hand
i this'-and he flung the revolver upon
the table.
Don @. looked up and clapped his
Robledo and Gaspar came running
| up from the fires.
'"This man is q traitor" said the
] chief coldly. Tomorrow morning, q
aoon as the sun rises. come for me