CHAPTER XI
SN
Polito Lends a Hand
I shall never forget that scene on
the blood-drenched field of Carabobo,
when the Liberator went among the
scant hundred men that made up the
remnant of my Apure battalion, and
threw his arms around them, and
called them “My boys,” and “My chil
dren.” Or when he stood before the
silent, shattered ranks of the British
legion, his face working in an emo-
tion he could not control, his eyes un-
seeing because of the tears he could
not hold in check, his voice—for the
first time in his life—broken and
halting, and called them, “Salvadores
de mi patria!” For they had been, in-
deed, the saviors of his country. That
is a picture I shall hold to the end of
my days.
It came to me that I was free, too,
that now, I could lay down my sword
and hark to the call of love. And,
dreaming, I saw the pleading eyes of
Dulce again, and I heard the caressing
tones of her volce, and felt almost the
glory of her presence,
Manuel awakened me from this
pleasant trance. He stood before me,
the bridle of a fine bay mount in his
hand
“Manuel,” I said, amazed, “is not
this the horse that brought me from
Caracas?’
“No other, major; and he can take
you just as swiftly to Valencia”
“But why should I go to Valencia?”
Manuel spoke swiftly: “Adolfo de
Fuentes esca as did most of the
Spanish officers, for they fight behind
the protection of their men. He may
have gone to Valencla—who knows?
Colonel Pini, with his cavalry, has
been directed to pursue La Torre and
Morales, who, with a small body eof
men, are fleeing toward the safe port
of Cabello. Pini's orders are to the
effect that, If he does not overtake the
Spaniards ere they reach Valencia, he
is to take over that city, a task that
should please him very much, for the
moonlight glances of the Senorita have
had a devastating effect upon his
heart He is mad, my friend, and
when a man of Pinl's caliber Is mad
about a lady, he is dangerous."
“You bring ill tidings, Manuel”
“Francisco told me many of these
things,” Manuel continued. “He has
approached Dolivar, and he has In-
formed the general that the Ameri.
cano, who, with so small a force, held
firm against the right wing of the
Spanish army, requests leave to visit
Valencia, and Bolivar has given his
permission. Therefore—"
“Would Franci
ped,
sco's knowledge, my
friend—which seems, indeed, to cover
everything—include the location of
the house where the Senorita may be
found
“Of a surety. It
Kenora Ybarra,
of the house of the governor—toward
the lake. A large house of stone and
adobe, tinted brown, with a border of
red, and resting on a corner of two
streets.”
“Ah, Manuel™ I sald fervently, “if
I were less American and more French
I would kiss thee
“Then your American
saved your life.” said he;
Eighteen miles—that was all—eight-
een miles on this swift bay horse and
I would reach Valencia, -would find
there the lovely Senorita, would take
her in my arms again, for she had
told me that her love for me had filled
her life. I would crush with passion.
ate kisses the warm willing lips, I
would hear her call my name again,
and 1 would look into the purple
depths of her eyes and find there a
light of love,
The battle we had won had opened
up new vistas in my life. Because of
our love the Senorita Lamartina he.
fonged to me. 1 could take her back
to the land of moonlight that was my
own, back to the fine sturdy gentleman
who was my father, and to the gra-
cious lady who was my mother, and
to Felice, the slim, exquisite little sis.
ter of mine. They would love her,
and she would make my country her
own,
1 entered Valencia from the south.
west, and had no difficulty in finding
the mansion that had been the habi-
tation of various governors. Manuel's
directions proved correct, for [ found
the red-bordered house of brown that
was the home of the Senora Ybarra:
in frent of which | dismounted, giv.
ing the reins into the keeping of a
grinning muchacho,
1 touched very lightly the knocker
of the carved door, for 1 did not know
what the place might hold for me.
That the Senorita was there I deemed
sufficient, and 1 was quite willing to
take my chances with anyone else, A
small brown woman opened the door
wide enough to give me careful exam-
fthition, then she loosed the chain and
let me in. The sight of my uniform
R Clannad the fear from her dark eyes
Yand brought a smile of welcome to her
face. She spoke In a cautious whis.
per: “Have the men of Venezuela
taken over the city?”
“Aye, Senora.”
“1 am glad.”
“Will the Senorita Lamartina-—9"
Now she was looking at my halr,
“You'll be the Americano, Senor
Garde?”
1 nodded.
“She has spoken of you; she has
sald you would come—some day.”
“Aye, Senora.”
“But two officers of Spain are with
her; can you not hear their voices?”
1 started down the wide hallway,
whence had come the murmur of con-
is the home of
lving three streets east
blood has
“begone I
® By FRED McLAUGHLIN ¢§
Author of “The Blade of Picardy”
Copyright by Bobba-Merrill Co,
(WNU Service.)
—
versation, but she put a hand on my
arm, , “Wait, I would tell you. One
is her brother, the lieutenant—"
“Yes?”
“And the other is he who was com-
mandant of the Venezuela garrison,
Is it safe for you to enter?”
“Aye, it Is always safe for me to
enter wherever the Senorita may be”
We stood listening, in the gloomy
corridor, for the voices had became
high, belligerent, I could hear, very
faintly, the soft sobbing of the Seno-
rita Lamartina, I heard a rasping oath
from Adolfo, and an accusing com-
plaint from Polito,
“A fine soldier, Adolfo—you, who
leave the field before the battle is
over. [| saw you, I saw you run like
the veriest coward when the llanero
cavalry struck us, and-—useless as a
soldier because of my crippled arm—
I followed youn, for I knew you would
come here to try some devil's trick
upon my sister.”
“I must protect her,” said
“for we have lost"
“Aye, we lost; and we should have
lost, for the Spanish officers deserted
thelr men. tah, that a colonel, and a
De Fuentes, should run in the face of
an enemy. Mother of G—d"” he
gasped, “can my sister marry a craven,
can you expect her to look upon you
with anything save loathing?"
“Polit,” came the volce of Dulce,
“ah Polito!™
“1 told you, Adolfo,” Polito contin-
ued, “that I would kill you if you
tried to force my sister into marriage
and Dulce told you she would marry
you when Spain should win In Vene-
zuela,” He laughed bitterly. “Spain
has lost, my country has lost the
western world; because of the stu-
Adolfo,
“Mave the Men of Venezuela Taken
Over the City?”
pidity and the cowardice of De Fuen-
tes and La Torre and that murderer,
Morales, Spain will bave falled in her
attempt to build a mighty empire in
the New world. All the wealth of this
fair land could have made us a great
nation, but his majesty, Ferdinand,
puts his work here in the hands of
cowards!
“Aye, worse than cowards—cheap
tricksters. In Caracas you played an
evil trick spon my sister, You and
that other liar, 3orales, told her that
the tall Americano lay In the dun-
geon, awaiting execution, and that she
conld save him by going to the altar
with you"
Ah, name of a sweet and sacrificing
angel! How 1 loved her for that, A
whole life of service could never re-
pay her,
Now Adolfo got in a word or two:
“You talk to me thus, lleutenant, you a
subordinate officer, talk so to the com-
mandant of the Valencia garrison? A
word from me and a firing squad will
face you as you stand against a wall,
and that word, believe me, shall be
given before the sun has set, And the
Senorita Dulce, who has held me off
with threats and promises, and who
has loved secretly this ladrone that
ghe picked up in a New Orleans
park—"
“Ah,
“Dios!”
Polito laughed, “Colonel Fuentes
will give no. order for my execution,
for such order is out of his province.
He is not the commandant of the Valan-
cla garrison.”
“Polite, my own,” sald Dulce, “sure-
ly your mind"
Dios,” the Senorita cried,
“Not at all, my sister, While the
poor deluded Adolfo pleaded with
you, and conxed and threatened, the
Venezuelan army has taken over the
city of Valencia, He 18 a prisoner,
and I am a prisoner, and I am going
to do my earnest best to kill him and
take my chances on escape,”
I hesitated, not because I was afraid
of Colonel Fuentes, but because [ ba-
Heved that the clean courage of this
boy would win,
“You have a weapon in your hand,
Adolfo, and you should not be afraid
to use it, I might tell you that my
left hand In my pocket also holds a
pistol. You have been a traitor to
Spain in your service, and a traitor
to honor and decency in your love, If
you have a spark of courage left you
will use your pistol before I kill you
like the dog—"
A deafening report filled the house
with thunder, and, an instant later,
another shot added volume to the din,
Senora Ybarra held to me for support,
“It is murder,” she gasped, “mur-
der . , . My poor house!”
1 heard the choking cry of a man
In agony and the crash of a heavy
body falling to the floor. I
for the sound of a voice, waited anx-
lously, Finally, it came:
“Polito, ah, Mother Mary,
“You will notice, my sister,
Polito coolly, “that it was not I
fired first,”
As I pushed through the portieres,
the knocker clanged loudly on the
front door. Dulce screamed at sight
of me, for she must have imagined
that I was an apparition, then she ran
into my arms,
name,
“Loren, ah, Loren! Polito has killed
him, my brother has killed Adolfo!”
Over the shining curls I looked at
Colonel Fuentes, who lay motionless
in the sprawling posture of his fall,
“A good thing, my own” I said; “Po-
lito has only saved me the task of kill-
ing him."
I loosed her and Li
tina proffered his weapon to me, *I
will be a prisoner, Senor—eh?”
“Yes, Polito, for 1 fear there will
be no chance for your escape. The
forces of Venezuela hold the city.”
As 1 stood over the prostrate man,
the pistol In my hand, Colonel Pini
appeared at the | He ap-
proached the Se and, cap in
hand, offered a deep bow before her,
“May 1 apologize for Maracay, Senorita
for a have
sessed me?”
“My
Senor”
Polito I"
sald
who
wirtieres,
snorita
madness must pos.
mind Is closed to Maracay,
she sald coldly, Ah, what
regal poise of her head, what limitless
heights from which
upon him!
He studied the still form of Adolfo.
“Pretty quick work, major; you offer
valiant service In aiding us to win the
battle of Carabobo, and then you rush
away to attend a few personal feuds
that you have accumulated, 1 con-
gratuiate you—a busier man I have
never seen”
I was sure that Dulce would not be
safe in the city so long as this man
was commanding officer, for the rule
of Valencia was martial law, and Col.
onel Pinl himself, for the present at
least, was the law. 1 determined,
therefore, to settle my affair with him
as quickly as possible,
“Your words of pralse warm my
heart, Colonel, for 1 have, as you inti
mate, made a most excellent begin.
ning: yet there are many important
things that I must do.”
His eyes narrowed. “Who, may 1
ask, Garde, will be the next on your
list now that you have finished with
the estimable Colonel Fuentes?”
“Not 80,” sald Polito. “Major Garde
was not—"
“You will be her brother—no? Pini
laughed softly, for there must have
been a deal in this situation to please
him. “One would imagine that the
Senorita Lamartina is well squired.”
“Aye, so she Is, my colonel™ I lied,
“and so shall she be. Long ago Adolfo
de Fuentes forfeited her regard In
such manner as to render a challenge
from me imperative. As you can
readily see, he has paid most griev.
ously for It It was my right,
Colonel.”
Dulce cried out In dismay and Po-
lito bent an astonished look upon me,
Nothing could be gained by charging
the lieutenant with the death of his
she looked down
might be lost, “The
Lamartina,” I continued, “was anxious
to take from me the honor of defend.
ing the Senorita, yet he was a prisoner,
and 1 could not permit it; besides, a
goldier may not attack his superior
officer—is it not so, my colonel?”
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
The strangeness of some accidents
for which insurance companies have
been mulcted in the past almost dis-
rupts human belief, says an article in
Pearson's Weekly (London). Take
lovers, for instance. One man recent-
ly received insurance for broken ribs
caused by being hugged too endearing.
ly by his fiance, Another young
“ghelk” held his sweetheart on his lap
until his foot went to sleep. When he
rose to say good-by, his leg crumpled
up under him, and he bumped himself
severely, His insurance company paid
for the damage. Take a quiet stroll
through your neighborhood, and the
same puckish spirit of disaster may be
conspiring to work you grievous Ill,
At least, that is what an Exeter police
man must have thought recently, when
some cough drops
pocket, and set fire to his clothes so
effectively that the local fire brigade
had to be called out In order to ex-
tinguish them, It was explained later
that the tablets contained chlorate of
potash, which had ignited through be
ing rubhed against the lining of his
pocket! as he walked along on his beat,
Trading Term
The designation direct trade Is giv.
en to commerce between two nations
carried on in vessels of either of those
nations, When conducted In vessels
of other nations it is termed indirect
trade.
STAGE COACH
+»: TALES
By E. C. TAYLOR
The Race With Mail
ILLIAM G., BECK, an old stage
coach driver of the National
road days, lived until recently at
Fairfield, Iowa, Nearing eighty years
of age, he sald he felt like "jumping
up and cracking his heels together
whenever he heard or read of the
men and events on the old National
road,” and wished he were back there
again,
He was the son of James Beck,
of the noted bridge building firm of
the early decades of the United States,
and started driving a stage coach be-
fore he was of age. He was born in
Uniontown, Pa., in 1819 and went
to lowa to live in 1847,
he left the road.
* the
Both
Line,
pany. the “Old Line” and
time.
classes,
at that
was of two
States mall
The mail
“lock mail,” In
wis to be speeded west
possible, and the “canvas
canvas bags, which
slower schedule, The
quently called the
mail,” in
latter was fre
“second
matter
In December, 1840,
carried the “lock mail
Intent” line the “canvas mail” Beck
was driving the mall coach for the
out of Cumberland,
Jacob Crouch the
for the rival
Great rivalry ex
the “Old Line”
and the *
and drove mall
company
isted between
the
the mail, and races were
On this particular
Crouch loaded the “canva ail’
aboard his coach Immediately after
the train arrived
started off at full
carrying
‘umberiand, and
ard the
speed tow
The handed to
to the post
“lock mail” was
Beck, who had to ta
office, where It
fore he could start
ing him
waiting In
ke it
was overhauled be
on h caus
considerable delay While
front of the Cumberland
for the mail sorted,
Jack Shuck and other
line drivers chided
fact that the
] trip,
to be
“Good Intent”
with
* had such
the
a good start tha
near it,
*1 made up my
later, “that If It wo
my two team
him.”
It was
8 I would
*
when Beck
n crossing
after nightfall
got under way, at
werland mountains
his stage mps went out, But
what Beck thought calamity
turned out to be an advantage
As soon as he i the Wills
eek bridge, he put his teams to a
full run and never pulled up
he reached Roek Hill, seven mi
out of Cumberland.
At that point the road
ing. and he espled the lig
rival's conch (‘rouch, bed
terway In the
was a
had erosse
les
was wind
his of his
anse of the
not see Deck approaching
had kept a careful lookout.
Crouch was very much
when Beck pulled up along
him, and the two raced side by
into Frostburg, Md. lashing
tenms at every Jump.
Grooms at Frostburg
second teams hitched to
by the time Beck had fairly stopped.
A friendly driver ran
mail” to the Frostburg
while another lit the lamps.
not leave his seat.
The reins on the fresh teams were
thrown up to him and he was off
gain In full run. The way mail bag
was thrown onto the coach as he
dashed past the post office
Crouch, carrying the “canvas mail”
had not had to stop, and had gone
on ahead. At Sand Spring, at the
foot of Big Savage, Beck passed
Crouch, Thereafter he held the lead,
trotting his team every inch of the
rond to Piney Grove, the end of the
mail route,
Beck had covered the 22 miles In
2 hours and 10 minutes. Fourteen
miles of the way had been up hill,
but he pulled into Piney Grove 22
minutes ahead of his rival
(@ 1931, Wenrtern Newspaper Union.)
post
leck did
Crabs Great Travelers
A British Blue book records that
during recent experiments, crabs were
removed from their original home to
a piace where there was far more
food for them, and where it was
happily. But they did not. No soon.
er had they been turned into the sea
And
in a surprisingly short time the ma-
jority of them had walked, or sidled
the 78 miles back again, Each of the
walkers carried his own Identification
dise, for he was marked by means of
—
Coral Fisheries
The precious coral is found wide
spread on the borders and around the
islands of the Mediterrunoann sea.
The most important coral fisheries ex
tend along the coasts of Tunisin, Al
gerin and Moroceo, but real coral also
is obtained in the vicinity of Naples
and on the coasts of Sardinia, Cor
sien, Catalina and Provence, It also
occurs in the North Atlantic off the
northwest const of Africa. Black coral
which grows to a considerable height
and thickness is found in the tropical
water of Australia,
Snake Venom Found to
Be ¢ Ct wre for E pile psy
re i as en Cre
|
to
mpl
ned. The
6 per cent of the cases
progress manifested i
rest of the patients fol
the treatment, the =n
gradually frequent,
like
neurasthenic pa
rf
n the
owine
hecoming lous
Experim
also made
tients and
hysteria
ents of a
with
persons
and rheumatism,
suffering
A Far Better
No matter how up to date
doctor is, there Is one old-fash
remedy he often finds most heipf
the mustard plaster, For generations
it has been recognized as usef
treating bad colds, particularly where
pneumonia is feared. But
many physicians realize that there is
external treatment,
never before obtained. It is B.& M,,
The Penetrating ®*Germicide. For
quickly checking coughs and colds it
is always dependable. Should al-
ways be used where pneumonia
threatens or has set in. B. & M, is
the only germicide that penetrates
when externally applied. There is
nothing else like it, no substitute for
it. Your druggist should have it in
stock, Or we will mall a full-size
bottle on receipt of $1.25 and his
name, Useful booklet free 'F. E
Rolling Co, 53 Beverly St, Boston,
Mass. (Adv)
Fragrant Foliage
Plants with fragrant foliage were
popular years ago. The leaves were
picked, dried and used for various
purposes, scattered through the linen
in bureau drawers and for scenting
ribbon boxes and other things,
Lemon verbena was a favorite, rose
geranium and other scented geranl-
ums were also used. Then after the
bottle was well packed with the pet.
als, alcohol was added to gomplete-
ly cover them, which made a dell
cately flavored perfume.
Remorse is the pain of sin,
New Style Blacksmithing
he village smithy has taken to
hways and business is excel
Huis Wanasek, a Wisconsin
h, reports He
orized era shoved
admits that
Webster's Foresight Poor
Daniel Webster t
§ wis relee
his party as their President
¥
fate. he was offered the plac »
lent under Taylor and
refused. Had he accept.
have been num-
Presidents, ¢
indignantly
would today
bered among our
lor died in office,
Critical Reply
Little Elsie was taken to see Aunt
“Would you like to have one like
that? asked Uncle Ned.
“No,” sighed Elsie, “different.”
For
INDIGESTION
Uso Nature's
PRESCRIPTION
Mother Nature is the best doctor
you could bring to the aid of ine
digestion. In her fragrant herbs
and leaves, 8s packaged ia Gare
Beid Tes, she gives you a mild bot
ent ription for cleanse
nd the
Ga
ptiy, fully,
gently, Theld Tes relieves
stomach heavimont: occasional
SonitiutIon we mbes indigestion
At AR Druggists
GARFIELD TEA
A Wadural Losdive Drink
Run for office and read the opposl-
tion newspapers If you would see
yourself as others see you,
The eyes of our souls only then be
gin to see when our bodily eyes are
closing. — Seneca.
Some may Indulge in all the free
speech they please because nobody
cares,
A man must get a thing before he
can forget it—Holmes,
The cup that cheers Is a noisy
plece of crockery,
pi he a Ey
wieta, 1 sou Chesmical Work.
Daily use of Catieura
and Jase much to Joep the
cleanses the
healthy.