The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-12-18

1ldZd, 10 TIE west, dlldChlllS Ut IHc
same time. The history of Venezuela
calls this battle only skirmish, for
it failed of it's goal because the body
cannot go forward if the wings are
dragging. In our unit were two hun
dred of the British legion and over
four hundred Indians, and despite the
dragging wings, we pushed onward
until we touched the town, which,
after an hour of fiercely contested
fighting, fell.
Our Indian soldiers, out of hand
with joy over this hard-won victory,
ran, yelling and shooting, through the
narrow streets. In an hour they had
found wine and rum, and other drinks
to satisfy them, and so became, at
last, more tractable under the COM
mands of their officers.
l had given strict orders to my bat
talon that no captives, wounded or
we'll, should be murdered, which had
been, up to this time, the general
procedure in the frightful 'war of
death" that Morales had inaugurated
and that both sides were waging; so
squads were roaming over the city,
carrying to the nearest available
houses wounded men for treatment.
At one of these houses | found Cap
tain Monahan. He was leaning
against an adobe wall, hands in the
pockets Of his tan and gray jacket,
noisoma pipe tilted at a rakish angle
and idle eyes upon western sun.
"Why do you stand there"
laughed; "will the poor walls fall if
you remove your support?"
81 am waiting" said he, disregard
ing my levity, ''for Colonel PM to
come to his senses"
"Then you have long wait, my
captain, for PM will never arrive"
1.-The Lamartina boy is inside" He
pointed over his shoulder with an in
different thumb. ''He wants to see
you"
SIS he wounded, Monahan?"
Not much"
"Did he say anything about his-?"
ITO me?" The Irishman grinned
again. I'm not chasing moonbeams,
Garde, I'm no signing Romeo; I'm a
soldier
"And a good one, my friend" said
1, STOPPING to pass the portal.
Polito-very pale, very frail-lay
upon a crude bed of straw. His eyes
lighted up when he saw me, and as he
raised left hand, assumed that his
icrht sGThn-thn
wrath" he said.
1 opene( his jacket, thrust the shirt
aside, and found a bullet wound be-
low the collar-bone. mot so bad"
assured Polito; sit missed the lung,
I am certain. You should be out in
month. Who was in command of
this sector, Polito?"
"Adolfo." He tried to smile
very sorry effort. "Why did-did you
not keep her, Senior, when you had the
chance. She rode away from Caracas
with you"
Sand l sent her back to the lines
Of Spain, realizing too late that she
was not yourself. The revolutionists
approached, and her life would have
been endangered. My love for her
should have seen through so simple
a masquerade 1 seem always to fail.
Did she"-I had some difficulty with
my voice-"did she marry Colonel
Fuentes?"
He shook his head, signing the
while. "Adolfo waits" He offered
another feeble smile. ''Dulce is diff
cult, Senior"
"Does she speak of-of me, PolitoY'
He nodded. 81 think she feels that
your regard should have read a mere
disguise"
"And so it should, Senior, had l
been thinking less of my own affairs.
Forgive me, Polite, am thinking, as
usual, only of myself. 1 shall see that
a medico comes to attend you at
once"
Il would repay you.' He thought
a long moment. You cannot hold the
advantage you have gained, Senior, for
Paez and Plaza, having failed, will
permit our wings to close in upon the
city,
l nodded.
"Your lines of communication, once
BROKEN :"
] nodded again, for l knew then why
Monahan awaited the pleasure of
Colonel PM, and l realized the dam
ger of the diliatory tactics CT our
colonel.
(TO BE CONTINUED)