. ..The FdJbusters of Venezuela..
H ,
÷ Or the Trials of a Soanish (iirl ÷
• r • •
By SEWAI~D W. HOPKINS.
.@.
Copyrighted 1900 by Robert Bonner's Sons.
(CHAPTER VL--(Continued.) then, with a half dozen of his bravest
Thus they talked, Gomez all the time
conducting the defense of the castle
against its owner, and at the same
time keeping Philtp and Don Juan
:with him, and their interest centered
in thb fight.
An hour passed, amd burned powder
on each side was the only result
achieved.
Don Juan began to grow impatient.
"Of what use is this?" he exclaimed.
"'The fools will play with those guns
all day and all night. This kind of war-
fare grows monotonous. When they get
weary they will depart, only to annoy
ns again."
"What would ):ou advise, Don
Juan?" asked Philip.
"Attack! Drive them! Cut them
down! It is only by destroying this
army of Salvarez that we can carry
our banners from this place toward
Caracas."
'It is so," said Philip, "Gomez, why
not attack?"
"It can be done," said Gomoz, darting
a look of hatred at Garza.
It was not the desire of Gomez just
then to shorten the battle. Mattazudo
had not yet returned from the evil er-
rand upon which he had been sent.
But tee commands of Philip must be
obeyed.
Then it was that Salvarez was start-
led by the shouts of his men.
From the battlements outside the
castle came a company to drive the be-
siegers away. I
Salvarez shouted out an order to his I
soldiers. They had been impatientlyI
waiting for the time to come whenI
rifles and pistols could be used in the I
defense of their country, instead ofI
cannon, which accomplished nothing.
I
They rallied around their courageous
leader.
"Fire!" he commanded.
A volley was fired, and a dozen of
the men of Philip lay dead, and a score
wounded. Yet the remainder did not
slacken the speed at which they ad-
vanced.
They returned the fire.
Several of the soldiers of Salvarez
fell.
Salvarez gave the command to fire
again.
The advancing enemy now, instead
of coming straight for Salvarez, made
for the trees and found shelter.
Then began a sort of guerrila fight-
ing, neither side gaining the advant-
age. Firing by volleys was out of the
question. Every man found a tree and
fired from behind it whenever he saw
the head of an enemy.
This lasted a half-hour.
Then Mattazudo appeared near the
group of officers around Philip of Ara-
gon.
"It is done. She is safe," he whisp-
ered in the ear of Gomez.
Gomez turned to Philip.
"'It has lasted long enough," he said.
"I will now show your majesty how to
deal with those who oppose you." He gave the word to Mattazudo.
The two hundred Zambos under the
command of the rascally half-breed
swep~ out of the battlements, and,
gaining the rear of Salvarez, began an
• attack.
Men of the republic fell by dozens,
"It is of no use," said Salvarez. "Our
men canont hold out. We cannot hope
!to win. Another time, and the castle
shall be ours."
He gave the order to retreat.
His men, being familiar with the
ground, melted away from before the
Zambos, and when there were no more
soldiers to pursue, the Zambos re-
turned to the castle.
Phillp, Gomez and Don Juan stood
;and watched the return of their army
from the scene of its second victory.
"We are invincible," said Philip.
"You are king," said Don Juan.
CHAPTER VII.
The Powder Mine.
"If this is our last match, shall we
use it now, or save it for another
time "
Medworth had asked this ~estion
when Tempest had handed him the
match in the underground passage
where the Americans had lo~t their
way in the darkness.
They felt along the moist, slippery
Wails, and slowly made their way from
• one cavernous chamber to another, but
without success: After several hours at
!this work they seemed to have accom-
! plished nothing.
And, in fact, they had not aecom-
Dlished anything.
The caverns in which they were were
not under the castle of Salvarez.
,~hey were not far away from it.
From the entrance at the river bank
to the opening in the foundation walls
the way was crooked enough. One
'needed to be familiar with the passage
to find his way.
Medworth and Tempest were at least
two hundred feet from the true pas-
sage, and were going round and round,
following upon their own footsteps.
"We shall die here," said Medworth.
"We have no food."
"Don't weaken," said Tempest.
"Keep a stiff upper lip and perservere
in the search."
Again they tried to find the entrance,
but did not succeed.
Meanwhile, what of Salvarez?
When he retreated from the Zambos
he picked up his wife and daughter,
officers, he left his wife and Jacinta
with the army, and stealthily made his
way toward the castle.
"General," said one of his compan-
ions, "you have a plan."
"Yes," he said, a desperate one. One
that grieves me, but which seems
necessary. I am convinced that we
cannot recapture the castle."
"Then what do you propose?"
"To blow it up. Under the castle is
a powder magazine. :No one but my-
self, my wife and daughter know of
its existence. There is a way to reach
it that I alone know. There is a secret
passage to my castle from the river.
We will enter here and lay a powder
train, and blow the enemies of the
republic oft the earth."
Silently they worked their way
along, keeping a sharp lookout for the
sentinels of the enemy.
They carried lanterns, but these
were not lighted. They were for use
in the secret passage.
Salvarez succeeded in guiding his
men to the entrance. They entered.
"Look," said Medwo~h, clutching
Tempest's arm. "A light!"
What he saw was the gleaming,
dancing reflections of a lantern on the
walls near him.
"Some one is coming," said Tem-
pest; "keep quiet."
They heard the sound of footsteps,
then of voices.
"Come," said Medworth, in a whis-
per, "let ws see if they are enemies or
friends."
Following the light, it was not diffi-
cult for them to find Salvarez and his
companions.
"Do not get too near," said Med-
worth.
"It is Salvarez," said Tempest.
"Never mind if it is," replied Med-
worth, whose mind was acute and alert
again.
"By keeping in the. shadow we can
easily watch them, and we may learn
something that will prove to be an ad-
vantage."
Tempest knew what was in his com-
panion's mind, and subzided. They
stealthily followed Salvarez and his
officers, keeping always in the darkest
shadow. As there was no light ex-
cept from the lanterns the officers car-
ried, they could not, of course, see
anything beyond the range of their
rays, while the Americans, standing
out of reach of the dull flame, could
easily discern every move the Vene-
zuelans made.
Salvarez led the way direct to where
a wall of masonry seemed to effectu-
ally obstruct the passage.
But the general, after feeling around
a moment, found a loose stone and re-
moved it. It' was then easy to make
an opening large enough for a man to
enter.
Salvarez led the way. The others
followed close after him.
Medworth and Tempest remained at
the Wall, peering through the opening
to see what the others were doing.
Salvarez led the way straight to a
round powder magazine made of ce-
ment.
The Americans did not know what
this was, and the Venezuelans spoke
in so low a tone that nothing could be
gained from their conversation.
But Medworth and his companion
were not left long in ignorance of the
errand that had brought Salvarez un-
der the walls of his castle.
"They are going to fire the maga-
zine," said Medworth. "That's pow-
der."
The officers worked a while at the
magazine, making a connection. Then
they carefully laid a train of powder
from it toward the hole they had made
in the foundation wall.
Medworth and Tempest kept back in
the shadows and let them complete
their arrangements.
"It is ready," said Salvarez at last.
"Much as I love my home, I love my
country more. I sacrifice my castle
that the enemies of the republic shall
be destroyed. Tonto and Adda, when
we are safely away, touch a match to
the powder and flee for your lives out
of the passage. Come, you others, let
Us hurry, so that the work of ven-
geance may not long be delayed."
He, with four of his companions,
started away, leaving the other two to
obey his orders.
"Now!" said one of'these, after a
few minutes spent in waiting.
"Now!" said Medworth, aloud.
The Americans made a rush. The
two officers found themselves seized in
the iron grasp of men more powerful
than they.
"Take the lantern! Take the
matches!" said Medworth.
One of the officers had taken a
metallic match-box from his pocket.
Medworth seized this. Tempest grasped
one of their lanterns, leaving them one
to light their way out of the passage.
"Now go," said Medworth to the
officers. "Tell General Salvarez that
his plot has been discovered. Tell him
not to try this game again."
Released from the hands of the
Americans, the two officers fled from
the place.
"Wel,'!" said Tempest, wiping the
perspiration from his face, "that was
done very neatly, but why it ,yes done
and withdrew to a safe distance from I haven't yet got through my skull.
the castle to allow his soldiers time Why didn't you let them blow the
to recuperate, castle to pieces? What do you care
He remained here ,mtll nightfall; for tnat gang of loons?"
~- I I I[ I II illlll 1 II III I IIIIIIIII II II I II
"Nothing," said Medworth. "~lut [
Lola Garza is in that castle. Would /
i
you have her blown to pieces with
the rest?"
"By Jove!" said Tempest, soberly. "I
never thougi~t of that!"
CHAPTER VIIi.
At the Cartb's Hut.
There was trouble in the Castle o~
salvarez. WANTED TO KNOW, .~. ')ESPE~TE MA~.
The ba¢tie over, the victorious
troops had given themsel~c~ up to
feasting and drinking to celebrate the
defeat of Salvarez.
The coronation of Philip had been
postponed. The battle had interfered,
and the tlxmps were n~t now in a
eomMtion te realize" the~ glory of such
an event.
While ¢h$ eating and drinking,
smoking and the singing of Spanish
songs went on among the soldiers,
Philip sat alone in the library of Sal-
varez, now called the council room
of the king.
His reveries were interrupted by the
entrance of Don Juan, who burst in
upon him like a whirlwind.
"I am undone!" he cried. "There is
an enemy among us."
Philip, seeing the frenzied look on
Garza's face, started to his feet.
"What do you mean, Garza? Speak!
What has happened?"
"hole, my daughter!" gasped Don
Juan, unable to say more.
"What of her?" demanded Philip,
placing his hand on the hilt of his
sword.
"She is gone from the castle!" Don
Juan walked back and forth nervous-
ly. "I went to her room a moment
ago. I found her door ajar. She was
not there. I sought her everywhere in
the castle. She is not here. Now that
I think of it, I have not seen her since
the battle."
"Nor I," said Philip, turning pale.
"What do you think has become of
her?"
"I think--I am sure--some one lies
taken her away. My fears were not
groundless, as yon see."
"You susp~ct--Gomez."
"I can suspect no one else. I have
already spoken to you about my sus-
picion of him."
"I know. Where is Gomez now?"
"I do not know. I have not seen
him."
"Send for him. Let us see what he
has to say. If Gomez has taken her
away, he must die."
"Yes--he must die--by my hand,"
said Don Juan.
An orderly was salted.
"Request General Gomez to come
here at once," said Philip. I
The orderly saluted. [
"General Gomez is not in the castle, I
your majesty," he said. [
A quick look of intelligence flashed l
between Don Juan and Philip. [
i
"Do you know where he has gone?"[
"No, you majesty. He left someI
time ago. He ordered his horse, andI
said nothing about his destination orI
the time of his return. [
"Did he go alone?" ' I
"He went alone."
'Very well. You may go."
The orderly withdrew.
"What shall we do?" asked Philip.
"I mus~ follow Gomez," said Don
Juan. "I would advise that you re-
main here, and act as if nothing
had happened. If you should leave
the castle, the alarm would in some
way reach Gomez. I shall ride out and
find him."
"Go, then, and if you find he has
been a traitor, shoot him."
Don Juan left the castle.
"Bring me a horse at once," he said
to the orderly.
The horse was brought.
"Do you know which way Generall
Gomez went from here " asked DonI
Juan.
"He started toward the south,' was
the reply.
(To be continued.)
WASPS BENEFIT THE FIGS.
Inseetl Are Nece~mary to the Fruit*s
Snce¢~asful Ctllt Ivatlon.
The long-continued effort to produce
the Smyrna fig of commerce in Cali-
fornia has been crowned with success.
The history of the experiment is in-
teresting. It began over twenty years
ago with importation of cuttings from
Asia Minor. Figs have been produced
from these and other imported cut-
tings, but they were not the famous
white fig of commerce. The credit of
producing the latter in California be-
longs to George C. Roeding of Fresno.
Until-this summer every true Smyrna l
fig tree planted in California which l
bore fruit failed to mature it; the figsI
were unfertilized and withered and i
dropped. It was finally discovered that
the fertilization of this fig depended
upon the service of the blastophaga
wasp, whose habitat is in the capri,
or wild fig. The latter was imported
and thrived amazingly, but the balsto-
phaga did not accompany,it. Special
importations of the wasp followed, but
it thrived only for a season on the
capri fig and then disappeared. It was
assumed that it could not survive our
winters. Last year the department of
agriculture took the matter in hand.
A fresh consignment was imported and
its' care intrusted to Mr. Roeding. Last
April the young insect colony emerged
in full force from the first capri cot,
entered the second, emerged again, and
f
"No, Gladys McGoogie," he said i~
his deep and earnest voice, "life with-
out you would be of little use to me."
"Do you mean you would take the
suicide route to escape it.." the fair girt
murmured.
"'Yes," he answered, "you hay.9
guessed it."
"Revolver or rope?"
"Neither."
"Gas. then, or poison?"
He shook his auburn locks ~nd
smiled at her baffled air.
"What, then, would you do?"
"Gladys," he slowly answered~ "if
you refuse my love I will take no
chance of failure, I have determined
to let a malarious mosquito bite me."
--That fetched her.--Cleveland 'Plain
T)ealer.
]~MPARTIAI,.
Tess--"I never see Miss Spinner out
wheeling that Mr. Wheeler and Mr.
Sprockett are not wittl her."
"Jess--"Ye~, she's got them both on
her string. The girls are calling her
'Miss Tandem.' .... But she~ rides an
individual wheel." "Yes, bat she's a
Soker--I never take a drink during business hours. 'bicycle maid for two.' "--Philadelphia
Toper--How long have you been out of work? Press.
In the Far West.
"How do you feel?" asked the lead-
er of the mob. after the tar and feathers
had been applied in liberal doses.
"'Oh, I feel like a bird!" smiled the
barnstormer, glancing at the feathers.
For such wit they allowed him to ~ ~"~: ""
write home and tell the folks he was
leaving town by the all-rail route.
QUICK WORK.
"You," said the angry cnstomer to
the clerk. "said this cloth was fast
color, and it faded out within two
months after it was made zip."
"Well, madam," replied the clerk, "I
don't think you ought to have expected
tt to fade any faster than that."--
Pittsburg Chronicle-Telegraph.
Great ]'vosperity.
Stranger--"Are the farmers thrifty ~, ,) }
down here?" *~'~)'~
Crawfoot--"Tbrlfty ain't no name ~
for it! Why, they put their scare-
erows on the railroad track, swear
they are hired men an' then recover ~'nthia--Thet must be a dirty college our boy Jim is attending. He sea
damages for loss of service." in htu letter here thet lie won in a scratch race.
AS HE LIKED IT, F.,, ,,t Ne,,,~,-~
~Arlzona Pete--What play is on tonight?
Ticket Agent--"As You Like It."
Arizona Pete--Well, give t~s either de "Black Crook" er sumpthin with a
train robbery in it.
Char~le (owner of the Blue Devll)~
"Bah Jove! Seems as though every-
one in Newport is going to own an
automobile."
Willie (owner of the Black Ghost)-.-
"Yeas, deah boy, they are spoiling the
fun,'~
Charlie--"How so?"
Willie--"Why, aftali while there
won't be any horses to scare."
Very Suspicious.
Young x, Vife--"How strange it is
when a man gets married all his
friends become Invalids."
Young Hubby--"I don't understand.
There are none of my friends inva-
lids."
Young Wife---"Then how it is you
have to sit up with a sick one every
night?"
Careless John.
"I brought this milk back," said the
angry patron to the m~k dealer. "It's
three-fourths water."
"John," said the milknmn, sternly,
to his son, who was standing near,
"aid you give the cows a drink before
you milked 'em this morning?"--Ohlo
State Journal.
HE "tUBBED" HIS HONEY.
It is not often that a fond young ~ ~,
couple will repeatedly expose them-
selves to the ridicule of hundreds of
people for the pleasure of a kiss, but
such is the case with a young man
and a young woman who part a few
moments before 7 o'clock each morn-
i lng at Randolph street and Columbia " "
avenue, say~ the Philadelphia Record.
The young man is a tall, handsome
fellow, who seems to think there is
no prize in the world half so fine as
the little woman ,who clings affection-
ately to his side.
They invariably stop at the corner ~,~
for a few moments, chat before part- ~" ~/'~.'-'~-----
ing, and the sad look on both faces is
almost enough to break the Ice man's
heart. When it~is nearly time for the
whistle to blow the young man takes
his darling tenderly in his arms and
plants on her pretty lips a long, lin-
gering kiss.
Numerous remarks, such as "Oh,
baby," and "Does you lub your hon-
ey?" are east at the couple from the ~" b~.~,,y¢~..~
mill windows, but do not seem to af- "
feet the young man's nerve in the "What's de mattah wif yo' head?"
least. The crowd which assembles to "I fell often de roof las" week."
watch the occurence grows larger each "Do any damage?"
day. "Yessindeed. Smashed a chicken coop an' killed two pullets."
SHABBY TREATMENT.
then took pos.~ession of the Smyrna] "So your country relatives didn't
fig trees, the fruit on which was ready1 treat you well when you went there
for fertilization. Mr. Roeding reports this summer?"
that this experiment has been perfectly "No, indeed. It was shabby--per-
successful. A ton of the fruit has al-} fectly shabby! Why, we had to come
ready been picked from his trees and ~ home in two weeks, instead of staying
the entire crop will yield five or six i six or eight as we intended."
tons more. Mr. Roeding believes thati "You don't say!"
the blastophaga has come to stay and
he expects that California will be en-t "Yes. Why, they had their farm
riched soon with another industry.~ house so full of summer boarders that
Chicago News. t Frankie and Gracie and Hamie and
Willie and I had to go to another place
and pay board."--Boston Traveler.
A Pig.
Willie ~Villiams--"Mamma ?"
His Moiher--"Well, Willie?"
Willie Williams--"Sister Harriet is
a pig! She wants the biggest peach of
those two yol~ "gave us, and I want that
for myself! "--Brooklyn Eagle.
Quick Sales Expected.
Stubb--"I see the Younger brothers
are going to sell tombstones."
Penn--"Hope to goodness Fm not
around when they start to create a
market."
Natural ][ufereuce.
Stubb--"0ur foreign cousin is get-
ting more Americanized every day."
Penn--"Ah ?"
Stubb--"Yes; every time he passed
a well-paved block in Chicago he asked
which city alderman lived there.--Ex.
Credit Where Due.
"You have been very successful this
year," said the theatrical manager's
friend.
"Yes," replied the manager. ~i
thank my lucky star~ for that,", '~,~.
