The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-11-19


had been provided by Don Q. with
an excellent Ross telescope, and with
.hitsthe bandit soon malH oat that
N" stranger WAS Of the aT.S;oC
class and that from his costume he
purpuS,d II journey thr"ueh m"
sierra. Grulla's course Of action was
obvious He At once descended. ami
meeting the rider at the posata.
where he WAC drinking cup or
mountain chocolate. dcscantcd upon
his own personal skill as a guide.
After some enquiries. ne was en-
gagged. ana tho same night ne con-
sr;,nt:CuSly led Don Jaime de RAJ
for It was he) into an ambush.
by the next evening tho prisoner
WAS in the glen NJ the B'Ca dc bobo.
As ne sat by the camp fire. his eyes
released from his own tightly knot
tel hlNlkcrChict. h. ~"'am" aware
ut ln,,hcr procession Ut men SIM ar
g. that rt which he himself had
Just lunu the central figure emCr:;-
,ne mt" tn. retreat "f the bandits.
Nmun; .hCm walked i man with
handaGrd eyes. and. when the ban
dagcs were removed. he was sur
I !S"d beyond words u recognize By
tn, light ~ the fires the dark and
handsome features Of the Count Of
polcma.
At the same moment Polema
caught sight Of Don Jaime. and ut
The handsome follow who was his
escort turned upon him.
"Silcnrr."
po!clna was not man Of cool
temper. and betrayed it.
silence" again commanded the
man.
WHY should he silent"
Men do NO., speak here IN the
mountains without the orders II my
."rd." sud The man. who happened
- be- RohledO.
A. the cnh If half an nour both
prisoners were led by the narrow
Path t. the cave into the presence
II Don .. Although the weather had
turned warmer they found the
bandit sitting hudd.cd in his cloak
nyer a ire ut pine wood. He rose
and SIiutcI them in his usual pune
t'iols manner.
Al. -Hn,!cmcn." said he. this is
IN unexpected joy for a very lonely
man. Few friends seek me here in
;h" mountains"
We hardly count ourselves
friends" replied Polema. in his
suavs!y insolcnt voice.
Yet you are here" said Don Q.
softly.
Not altogether Of our own Will"
nut in Don Jaime. with a laugh. II
i, not know how II was with the
Count. but I was ambushcd in the
foothills"
Indeed then my mon must have
been patrol,in% lower than usual"
AS for me. I was staying for the
night at the posada Of the Three
l;atS." said Pulema bitterly, when
a man came in for cup OF wine.
He had with him the head and horns
%; magnificent ihcX. In reply to
my questions he Informed mo that
there were several rams with heads
as good on the eastern sid" Of S1bio
Bianco. lie offered 20 guide me"
AN" said Don O., you are the
seventeenth"
WHAT"
Il mean that sixteen Cshalleros
before YOU have been decoyed here
by my good Hnhlcdo with the bait Of
that very ibcN head. II is indeed
hnc one. The right horn measures
3Sh inches along the curve, the loft.
alas. is tritic loss. know. for a.
a matter ot fact | shot the animal
myself seven wears. ago next Febru-
AIRY"
These details were received by
Don Jaime with amusement. but
Pulcma held to 4 Sullen silence, and
Non q continued:
"It Is quite clear. Is It not, that
both Of YOU Cahalierus have been the
victims of the enterprise Of my men.
Good Now let us get to business.
You are both rich. believer"
AS these days 60 yes" said de
Raj with laugh and a shrug. but
Polema held TO his sullcn silence.
II do not think it will be hard
ship" snid Don O., III I put down
your ransoms ut the same figure.
Shall we say one hundred thousand
dollars apiece? When this sum is
paid. senorcs. you will be free"
"A hundred thousand dollars!"
cried Polema, and paused.
"A hundred thousand dollars" re-
Piled Don O.. and TO be paid within
fifteen days. will arrange for a
messenger to depart for Seville
within q couple Of hours. He will
take with him tho letters which you
Will write explaining your unfortu-
nate prcdicamcnt. And now. So
uurcS. all this necessarily sOrdid de-
tail having been so happily arranged
between us. bog that YOU will both
consider yourselves my guests and l
trust that you will enjoy your stay
IN the mountains. You will give mo
your paroles. Of course"
"Parole?" questioned Don Jaime.
Yes. you will give me your word
that you will not make any attempt
To escape. or for that matter to per
form any act while you are with mo
that would be out of keeping with
your position as my guest"
The Count shrugged his shoulders
and quoted the Spanish provcrb.
Needs must" said ne. when one IS
between the sword and the wall"
II am infinitely indebted to you.
senior" said Don Jaime. and l have
the honor TO give you my parole"
Such were the circumstances in
which this strange party OF thrc"
assembled in the mountains. and IT
is perhaps q remarkable fact that
nearly seven days should have
raised without incident.
There was the usual round ~ tho
brigand camp, and in the evening