Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 104 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

O_o Pew. at Ss awe = ass To — =" 6 eeros returning to join their comrades who car- ried the wounded Governor. A short row and the boat touched at the cas- tle stairs; the party disembarked, and were met by a file of soldiers who marched them through a gateway near the bastions. ‘Captain of the guard, lead this prisoner to one of the deep sea cells, and, upon your life, see to it that fe escapes not,” said the Monte Prince, whose word was law even in that grim oid castle. ‘ The young officer addressed saluted politely, and replied: ‘Upon my life be it, senor. In the water dungeons, you say?” ~ Yes to one of those beneath the sea,” *“ And iron him, senor?’ “ Assuredly,” and the Monte Prince walked away, while Merle was led off to the lowest of the castle dungeons. Turning into a broad corridor the Monte Prince ascended a stone stairway until he came to a second hallway leading to the left, and this he followed, through innumerable turnings with which he seemed familiar, until he found himself still surrounded by stone walls; but where the gloom was banished by draperies of velvet and silken curtains whic but half concealed broad windows. At a massive mahogany doorway, studded with silver nails, he pulled a bell-cord, and a servant in livery bade him enter. “The Senora Guarena?” “Ts in her boudoir, senor,” replied the ser- vant. ‘*T will seek her there; now go with all haste and bid the surgeons of the castle to come hither; then bid the officers to allow no noises about the castle.” * Si, senor,” and the servant, who was a pure Mexican, not of Spanish descent, but one of the race of the Indian Montezumas, darted away upon his errand, while the Monte Prince crossed the ak rete Sy rag apartment, and knock- ed at an inner door that was ajar. No voice bade him enter, and he eee with- in the room, a. chamber used as half library, half sitting-room, and filled with a lavish play of creature comforts and luxuries. | room was vacant, but a sweet voice call- ed out from an adjoining cabinet-de-toilette : “ Vistal, is that you?” ** Lady Guarena, it is your very humble ser- vant, Don Felipe.” The next instant there swept into the room a vision of rare loveliness—a woman of eighteen, -_-—_——- SC . voluptuous in form, beautiful in face, and a dark olive skin tinted with carnation, and blue- black masses of hair coiled about her head. She was exquisitely dressed in canary silk, en train, and with a tight-fitting basquina that fitted her to perfection. In her hair was a comb of sapphires, and a necklace of like stones encircled her fair throat, while wide bands of rich yellow gold were upon her wrists. Two rings only were upon her hands—a band of gold on her wedding finger, and upon the finger of the same hand was the solitaire diamond—the one which the Monte Prince had taken from 4ulah—the mate of the stone Merle fy sent to Mildred Monteith by Merton Ains- é. At her wedding the Monte Prince had placed the rare gem upon her finger. Of course he had a motive, This beautiful creature was Senora Victorine Guarena—a three days’ bride—an_ imperial beauty—an heiress, and one who dearly loved the reckless, wild, unprincipled man she had married. “Don Felipe!” exclaimed the lovely woman, ss her e wpe rh gap the Monte Prince, a man whom she f et admired, was ever glad to see, ge always eld the wish that he had re- maine hh 2% His magnificent present to her, the night of her’ marriage, had surprised her beyond mea- gure, She had heard he was a professional gambler; that he played an unfair game, and had killed a man who cursed him after he had won bis last Os But he was ever courtly, ever brilliant in con- versation, and she admired him—nay, he fasci- nated her as a snake would a bird. ‘“‘Senora Victorine, I am here as the fore- runner of ill tidings. Come, sit down here, and let me tell you that which will pain your heart OT istalt t husband!” gasped the lovel my hus e love bride, sinking down into a fauteuil. . “Tt is of I would speak—he is wound- *““Wounded; Santissima Maria! Where is ne?” and the woman trembled violently. ** He will soon be here, and—” “Don Felipe, you say that my husband is wounded, but you did not say by whom?” and a vengeful flash came into eyes, | “Tt was in the duello; a stranger to Vera Cruz ran his sword through his side. e glorious dark “His sword! ° y the Governor, Guarena, was the best swordsman in Mexieo!” said the lady, proudly. | eee eee Montezuma, th e Merciles “Don Merlino, a Ranchero from Corpus Christi, proved to the contrary, lady; but you must be calm, for it will need all your strength to nurse him back to life.” ‘*He is dangerously wounded, then, senor? Why did you not tell me this at once?’ and the face grew paler. | ‘**He is dangerously wounded, senora; but he will soon be brought here. Hold! I have made every arrangement for his reception, and the surgeons are summoned, and I would suggest tha Aci change your foilette to receive him.” ‘‘ Jesu! what care I for dress where life is at stake, and his life, senor?’ ‘* He is here,” said the Monte Prince, as voices were heard, and he placed’ his hand upon the arm of the woman to restrain her impulse to rush forward and throw herself down. beside her wounded husband. fatal to him,” he said, calmly, and she obeyed, The Lanceros marched into the room, still bearing their burden, and he was placed upon a cot, while the surgeons gathered around him, The young bride gazed down into the white face, and her own was nearly as white; but she uttered no cry, as she sunk down upon her ae beside the cot and lightly kissed ead. ‘* Senor!” and she looked imploringly up into the face of the chief surgeon. **T will soon tell you, lady Guarena, if there is hope,” responded the surgeon, understanding her glance, and he set to work with his assist- ants to discover whether the Castle de Uloa would soon be without a Governor. “Ttisa most ugly wound, gy through and through his body, and he has lost much blood. He may live—he may die; the chances are he wili—live.” “Holy Mary, I thank thee,” breathed the young wife and she glided from the room. Still the Monte Prince remained, and one by one the attendants eo oe away, until only the second surgeon, who. had been appointed. to watch beside the wounded Governor, and Don eis remained. ‘Senor Mejia, you were to have paid me two thousand pesos, last night,” said the Monte Prince quietly, turning upon the assistant-sur- geon of the castle. ‘* Si, senor ; but it was impossible, Oh, senor, I am ruined, for I have not a peso in the world, and my pay is hypothecated to Moncardo, the Jew. Senor Don Felipe, J am ruéned,” and the Mexican groaned in bitter anguish. ‘You should not gamble, Senor Mejia. You la badly, and have no nerve; what will you pd Die !? The Mexican hised out the word, savagely. “Doubtless you know the easiést and pleasan- test method, being an alchemist; but living is preferable to dying, senor.” ‘“* T dare not, Don Felipe.” ‘*Let me see, Mejia, you owe me two thou- sand pesos ; how much more?” , ‘All I have is pledged, senor, and I am in debt a thousand pesos besides,” groaned the debt- crushed man. “Tn all, how much, I ask?” “Four thousand pesos would clear me, se- nor,” “That amount would save your life, you mean?” “Si, Senor Don Felipe.” . Well, here is your due-bill to me, and here are three thousand pesos, “You need owe noth- ing now, Senor Mejia, and yet have a good sum over. The Mexican stood aghast. What did this kindness mean on the part of the Monte Prince, Approaching nearer and lowering his tone, Don Felipe resumed: ‘‘Senor Mejia, his Hweellen«a, Guarena, will live, I believe?” “Si, senor ; with care the chances are in his favor, bad as seems the wound,” ‘* No fear of internal hemorrhages?” ‘Yes, senor, there is danger, but—” ‘‘ Suppose one were to cecur, it would prove fatal, doubtless” “Yes, senor, I fear so.” ‘“‘Andif a second one were to occur it would te prove fatal?” “Without any doubt, Don Felipe.” “ Senor Mejia,” and the Monte Prince bent over the wounded man. ** Si, senor.” ‘‘- You will have to stop this bleeding. See, the Governor bleeds bg As he spoke the Monte Prince passed his hand + aad over the wound, and the red stream of e burst forth. Aghast, the Mexican surgeon started back, a cry upon his lips; but the calm voiee of the Monte Prince recalled him to himself. “ Be quick, Senor Mejia, or the Governor may ae to death. Perhaps this may stanch the ood. A roll of notes were in the outstretched pend, e fore- Governor _and Benito Mejia saw at a glance they double | | il the amount just given him, and a gleam of dev- ilish joy flashed over his face as he thrust them into is bosom, while he called outs “Ring fee my. eles, gener!” a EE S. ‘* Be calm, or your excitement might prove . ———_——— ~~ ores : * -~ oe Eee The Monte Prince ordered a serwant tn the ante-room to call the chief surgeon, and them came back again to the side of the wounded man. ‘1 * ehis hemorrhage can be stopped, Sener Me ia?” “Yes, Don Felipe.” ‘* But a second one, say ina day or two, would prove fatal?’ . a ** Yes, Don Felipe,” Maier will be constantly in attendance, Semex ejia ** Si, senor.” “Then I leave the case in your hands; you will see to tt?” ‘Yes, Don Felipe,” replied Benito Mejia, ina hoarse voice, while he turned deadly pale; but he held his blood-money and could not recede from the step he had taken. CHAPTER VIL. THE MEXICAN JUNTA. In the grand old city of Mexico, where the Montezumas once ruled in barbaric maguifi- cence, and where the ‘‘ Children of the Sun ” fell before their Spanish conquerors, a body of men sat in capdlays within the walls of the Mexican capital. t was the second day following the duel be- tween Merle and the Governor of the Castle San Juan de Uloa, and those gathered in coun- cil were the Mexican Junta, the men who held in their grasp much of the governmental power of that unfortunate war-ridden land. News had been brought to them of the duel, and that the castle was in danger of being with- out a Governor, and they were discussing the merits and influence of a number of distinguish- personages, soldiers and statesmen, for the suc- cessor of Vistal Guarena, should he die, The discussion was not a calm one, either, for the armed sentinels at the outer doors occasion- ally heard some voice raised in angry denuneia- tion, and echoing through the gilded rooms with threatening ring. And such denunciation was hurled upon his fellow-members of the Junta py one who held no fear for himself, whose life was sans re proche, and whose acts had been open and above-board as soldier and statesman. He had cried down the injury done great men, by the appointment of Vistal Guarena te be Governor of that famous old pile, the Sa» Juan de Uloa, ae “The Guarenas are Mexicans, and true ones they have wealth, and their name is well known affixed to military titles, while they are t warm supporters of the Government in power, he thundered forth, in ringing tones. “But, for a wise body of men to place oves the Iron Gate of Mexico, to give the key of ow sunny land into the keeping of a mere boy though that boy be a Guarena,is a symptom idiotey I did not think this honorable Junta would be guilty of, and I glory in the thought that I was not present to a my signALOTY te the order, which was a slight upon the famous chieftains of our nation—men who have bled on a hundred fields of battle and grown gray in the harness of a soldier. ‘‘A good youth poodgh, and a dashing gol- dier; but one who should hide his diminished head in the very presence of, those whom the imbecility of this au; body placed him over, ‘‘Out upon such ingratitude to the men of Mexico, when a boy, under the basilisk eye of a ambler, can rule the holy castle of the San uan de Uloa,.” ‘The senor Governor may be even now dead, and the words of the Senor Rozales ma hurled at a corpse,” said one of the Junta, aris- ing, and interrupting the fiery orator. | ‘So be it; so much greater the honor to the old castle not to be ruled by a boy. | ‘And ye sit here, senors, to place in his shees a man of no more renown—the Capitan Santa Anna.* ‘“Has Mexico so fallen that beardless boys must be given the power that only heroes should: hold? “You say that. Don Felipe Cosala asked the mf pbs tecpy of Vistal Guarena to be governor of the castle? And who is Don Felipe Cosalaf I willanswer for you—an adventurer—an un- known—a gambler—a professional duelist—a secret agent of the Government, called by the Americanos a spy. ‘Are your secret lives such, senors, that a spy can make demands that you must granté ‘And who is the friend of the Capitan Banta Anna?” ‘His own sword,” cried a voice, “Then he has my voice in his fayor, when older men with swords as keen, refuse the ' tle’s governorship. What is it, Senor Abello? ‘“A messenger from Vera Cruz has fust ar- rived, bearing important tidings.” “Bid him enter. The Boy overnor is doubt- less dead; if so, he has solved the riddle of death, and is wiser than any of us,” scornfully said the Senor Jose es. A moment after, and through the massive period referred to above Sanim Jama way EORMICLOOOKS * At a VOry y be co