The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1921-02-11
i'oh Wen, run along and get your

81
Ricardo departed on the run, TAX
Ing the sentry at the door with him
and IN his haste giving no thought
to Mother jerks and her companion
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 l0okaround
him.
Some hundred feet down the street
from the palace gate Sarros bay
charger lay dead. s When Webster's
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 it's death-strug-
gle had half risen, only to fall again.
this. time on athe extended left leg of
his late master; consequently when
Sarros recovered consciousness follow
ing the thoughtful attentions bf his
.assailant, it was to discover himself AZ
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 a
trapped animal. ..s <.s a..5:
For several miputes 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. t$5,y X
AS Ricardo caught sight Of Sarros
he instinctiyely 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~S
tors pistol, which lay in back Of him,
but not out Of reach. Just as he did
$50, Sarros, app rently convinced Of the
1fntility Of his efforts to- free himself,
Surrendered to fate and commenced
rather pitifully to weep with rage
and despair. 4 Is y !. 81 + ID. ss2t
f Ricardo watched him for a few sec
',onds, for there was Just sufficient Of
tile blood Of his Castilian ancestors
still in his veins to render this sorry
spectacle rather an enjoyable one to-
him. Besides; he was so per cent;
Iberian, race which can hate quite
as thoroughly as It can love, and
for a time Ricardo even nourished the
thought Of still further INDUCING 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,5 and COM
menced to rub the circulation back
into the bruised member, Ricardo
seated himself on the runip of the
dead horse and appraised his prisoner
critically. ..2. ts.:.5..... I 3z
Sarros glanced up, remembered his
manners and very heartily anu grace
fully thanked his deliverer.
1T IS not a matter for which thanks
are due me, Sarros," Ricardo replied
coldly. IT 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" .,,... ,53 y
Y 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 a moist
sponge, leaving him as calmly stoical;
and Indifferent as a cigarstore Indian.
He fumbled ia his coat pocket for 4
gold cigarette case, selected ciga.
rette, lighted 1t and blew smoke at
Ricardo. The JIG was up; he knew
it; and with admirable snonchalance
he declined to lower his presidential
dignity by discussing or. considering 1t.
He realized It would delight his cap.
tor to know he dreaded to face the
issue, and It was not: q Sarros practice
to give aid and comfort to the enemy.
..Spunky devill" Ricardo reflected
forced to admiration despite himself
Aloud ale; said: yYou know the code
Of our people. sarros: An eye: fol
an eye md d tooth for a tooth.p !.
sarfos bowed II am at your sefy.
Ice" hssreplied carelessly.
Then at daylight tomornow morn
Ing 7 shalt make settlement. Ricardo
beckoned his men to approach Take
this man and confine him uiilGk o
double guard in the alsenal,," he or
dered. Present my compliments to
the officer in charge there and tell
him It is my wish that priest be
provided for the prisoner tonight, and
that tomorrow morning, at six O'Clock,
a detail OF six men and sergeant
escort this man to the cemetery in
the rear Of the Cathedral de Ia Cruz.
/ will meet the. detail there and take
command of it.''z a. III 535t e
Two of Ricardo's imported fighting
men stepped to the prisoners side,
seized him, one by each arm, and lift
cd him to his feet; supported be.
tween them, he limped away to his
doom, while his youthful conqueror
remained seated on the dead horse,
his gaZe bent uDon the, ground. his