The Argosy, August 1905 — page 36: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE ARGOSY. jon were approaching in order to enter ---—-Ohaleo, the pivot of the second par- . allel. _ Presently they passed a group of eampfires around which a_ brawling company of infantry were eating supper. No one paid the slightest atten- tion to them. Horsemen were con- stantly passing over the road, and the soldiers had become used to the sound of hoof-beats. As the town grew nearer these groups of campfires increased—some quite close to the road, but the majority . a little distance back in the fields. Once ' thete was a clatter of hoofs to the right, and the Americans’ hearts beat more rapidly, for they expected nothing less than to be surrounded by another detachment of cavalry. It was only, however,a bunch of rider- ‘ less horses being driven to water at a ii ereek on the farther side of the road. . The half-dozen soldiers who were ful- \e filing this duty were smoking and ‘+ laughing boisterously. One swore i roundly as the first of the horses shied : at the two riders, but nothing more serious happened. Perhaps two miles from Chaleo the highroad swept in a great curve between two ranges of low hills. This part of the way, for three hundred yards or so, was quite deserted, and, moreover, gloomy by reason of the failing light. Not a sound except the noise made by the horses’ feet upon the roadbed, ; and such tumult as came from the dis- a. tant campfires, broke the silence of the : early night. Haddon aroused himself from the lethargy into which he had fallen since : his last words with his companion. All a his mental energies had been concen- trated in seeking for some plan which promised even a chance of success in liberating the condemned prisoner. | “Tf Iam not mistaken, we shall reach ___ the town presently, and from this point on the groups of fires and soldiers will become more numerous.” _ As he was speaking something gaunt ack loomed up suddenly beside the FE Paks a gigantic cross, such ses denly that the animal almost rose upon its haunches. At the foot of the eross a dark shape was stretched upon the ground. The Virginian bent down and exam- ined more closely what this thing might be. When he straightened himself in the saddle he made a quick and compre- hensive gesture to his companion. The silent form upon the ground at the base of the cross was the body of a Mexican priest, clad in the loose brown robe of his order. CHAPTER VII. TO DIE AT SUNRISE. For several moments Lieutenant Haddon and the Texan gazed down upon the man at the foot of the cross. Then the former slid gently from his saddle. Approaching noiselessly the figure of the priest, he bent over him, re- mained motionless for several seconds, then returned quietly to his companion. “The man is not dead, but sleeping soundly,” said he in a whisper. The Texan nodded. He was waiting for Haddon to resume the saddle. “Dismount quietly,” whispered the heutenant. Sergeant Bradley obeyed without hesitation, though it was plain he felt surprise. Haddon led him a little way across the road. “Fortune is certainly kind to us to- night, but we must work carefully and take no risks. I think I can see a way,” said he gravely. “To rescue the prisoner?” asked Bradley bluntly. “ Yes; it is a desperate chance at the best, but one must take desperate chances under such eonditions. Our first care must be to prevent the priest from making an outcry when he awakes,” = “The priest ? question him ? ” _“ No; but through him it may be ae a rescue the prisoner, or at least to effect his escape from the stone } ’ in Cee 4 ee we “Tt is an old trick, but frequei Are you going to 9 ’ i 4 comicbooks.com —