Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 150 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

See a ee ee El] Rubio Bravo, King of the Swordsmen. Ie eeaiee “bat wetven;' ie "the :ebanpbesd **Tnel g our wives,” was the com answer of the Dane. Doctor Charley shrugged his shoulders. ‘‘And what shall we do with them? They can’t stand hardship.” ‘“They will come with us if they love us,” said the swordmaster obstinately. Doetor Charley shook his head. ‘*T shall not ask Pepita to ride off with me on any such wild goose chase. Where do you pro- pose to go to?” ‘* To Guatemala,” ** And ey Guartiola sends after us?” ‘* He will not. We shall have enough men to sto janine ‘* And where will you get them?” Olaf smiled. + dear friend, you do not know that I plenty of pupils since I have been ** Inclu here.” “Yes. Ido. Lord knows you’ve made noise — teaching them. I’ve heard you shout- ing for hours at a time.” ‘‘Very well. All these men adore me and among them are twenty Indians whom [ have taught how to use a lance as they never did before. They have all promised to follow me to the death. Blo you e “To take them with me and strike through the forest into the State of Guatemala where I have received offers of a place worth tbree times as much asthis. Isit not worth the ex- periment?’ ea were interrupted by the sound of fire- arms in the plaza. Doctor Charley jumped up and ran to the window where he watched a moment, then shouted excitedly: ** By Jove, another revolution!” CHAPTER X. | THE REVOLUTION, Tue two friends hurried to call their ser- vants, arm all hands and saddle up; for in Cen- tral American revolutions the rule is, every one’ for himself, the only point of union being that of opposition to the government. The whole of Guartiola’s army had turned out, tothe number of about a hundred men; and a general free fusilade was going on at the opposite side of the plaza. n a very short time the whole town was aroused and had taken sides, and a man on a came tearing across to the quarters of El Rubio Bravo, imploring him to come to the rescue of the ident, and ‘‘cut down the insolent rebels.” Olaf by that time was all ready, and he mounted his horse and called to the doctor. As they rode out into the plaza there arose a neral shout for “‘“El Rub eee and the bullets began to patter roun im—not very thickly because fire-arms were not plentiful, but enough’to show that he was marked by one party or the other. A moment later came a clattering and shouting, as a whole troop of cavalry, armed in all sorts of ways, came gal- loping into the plaza yelling: “Vira Don Ramon! Abajo Guartiola! Muerta! > Muerta a Guartiola!” [Long live Ramon! Down with Guartiola! Death! Death to Guartiola !] : The cry was Soe ee till it swelled into a mighty chorus and r Charley observed to Olaf in his sagacious way: “The jig’s a ! Guartiola’s chances are not worth a rap. We must run for it. Old Ra- mon’s at the head of the move, and we'll be killed if we stay.” | Just as he spoke they heard a shouting and rumbling, and into the plaza rattled two brass guns at full gallop. ‘‘That’s. Ortega’s battery,” observed Olaf. ‘* He’ll scatter the rebels.” ‘Wait a bit and see!” quoth Charley. And lo and behold! ' Instead of firing at the rebels Ortega ee off his horse, unlimbered one gun with bis own hands, and sent a round of grape crashing into the ranks of Guartiola’s supporters, who incon- e the whole mob ace and the firing was tant shouts of the victors. ‘* Now, colonel,” quoth the Briton, “take my advice, The quicker we’re out of this, the bet- ter. They have a t little habit of mas- sacring prisoners here, and we belong to the losing pee The looked sullenly at the other side of the plaza and ground his teeth. “| wish my twenty Indians were here instead of on Don Y Remwered, hacienda,” he growled. ‘‘ I'd like to try one charge on that scum.” ++ But they not being here, I’m going,” quoth the doctor, and he a Olaf hesitated a moment, and then followed his example, for he was all alone save for his three a aan servants, who had eo y loaded werhey Goto’ slowly ont of cigalpa on the westward side, and Brown remarked: | ** Only six months in this blooming coun and one practice broken up already, I wonder . how long they ‘ll let us stay in the next place lonel co . “I don’t know and I don’t care,” said Olaf in a savage way. ‘All I regret is that I didn’t cut my way through them, and carry off Car- melita.” Brown laughed. ‘* And where should we be now, with a wo- man in our party? Give the devil his due; these creoles never hurt women. I believe they inherit that much chivalry from the old Con- quistadores. Your = and mine are both safe, and by this time old Guartiola’s dead, so he can’t marry Carmelita. As for my girl, you’ve just laid out her intended, Bragamonte; for which, by -the-by, I’m very much obliged, old fellow.” They rode quietly on, no man offering to pur- sue them, and began to ascend the side of the mountains. The higher they went the cooler it became, till, by the time it was hot, sweltering noon in Tegucigalpa, below them, the air about them was cool and bracing, while over their heads they could see the edge of the stow line, and the condors were wheeling about on a level with their horses’ feet, The view around them was one full of the most picturesque sublimity; for they had come to aridge whence they could see on one side the waters of the Carribean sea and on the other the dim distant line of the broad Pacific ocean, while a wilderness of mountain and forest, lake and savanna, spread on either side from sea to sea, And, —_a town of Tegucigalpa, in all that ex ey could see no sign’ of human habitation, save that they were on a sort of track marked by mules’ feet, and to be traced ahead by the white ‘* blaze” on the trees. ‘““This is the road to old Guatemala,” said the doctor. ‘It passes to the south of Comayagua and runs into the Lost People Road, further.” Olaf looked surprised. . ‘*The Lost People Road! what's that?” ‘Well, it’s pretty hard to say. You know the Indians round here are queer people and the whites don’t know the languageof half of them. It’s called Maya.” ‘*So I’ve heard. Heré’s Maso, my horse-boy, is a Maya, by-the-by. But what of it?’ ‘** Well, you see, I believe they are a supersti- tious lot of fellows, you know.’ ‘** 1 know that too.” ‘And they have a tradition among them that, somewhere in these mountains, there ex- ists a lost city, inhabited by a lot of ancient Mexicans, who ran away when Cortez took the country, found a place where no one can get at them, and are —— to-day in just the same style as that in which their ancestors did in the days of Moctezuma.” he Dane looked very much interested. ‘“*T never heard of that before; but it sounds as - it, were reasonable. Let usgoand find this ce. Brown shook his head. ‘‘No use; noone ever got there and came back alive.” ‘* Perhaps no one ever tried very hard.” ** Perhaps not. These Greasers are brutes, not worth licking, and the Indians, if they have ever been there and come back, won’t tell a soul. But lve heard of at least two white men who went in search of the Lost. City and never were heard of again.” Olaf pulled his long mustache in a meditative manner, — ‘* And where is this Lost City supposed to be?” ‘‘Somewhere beyond Si seemeekn, on the road to Chiapas and Tabasco.” ‘* My friend,” said Olaf enthusiastically, ‘‘ let us go there. These Greasers are not Norsemen. Our race goes anywhere and everywhere, We will find the Lost City or die in the attempt.” Brown sbru his shoulders. ‘It may be all a sell, you know?” ‘* How a sell?’ * Well, vou know, the whole country is full of these ruined cities, that some people think are many thousands of years old, while others are just as sure that they are remnants of the same cities that Cortez found, full of Mexicans.” ‘* Well, what of that?’ ‘Well, you know, this may only be another of them, colonel.” ‘‘ Another what?’ ‘* Another ruin. You see no white man has ever been there, and it’s surrounded by dense forests, but so are Uxmaland Palenque and the other ruins I’m told old Padre Gil Perez has seen something he thinks is the town on a clear morning from the mountains, but after all it may only be another ruin.” ‘* Ruin or town,” returned Olaf obstinately, “I’m going to try and get there.” _ The doctor made no reply and they rode on along the trail till the blazed line crossed a rid and plunged downward into adense sea of dank: green foliage. e on, the atmosphere becoming by slow warmer as they descended till sun- set ised them in the midst of great groves of India-rubber trees with their broad leathery leaves, their trunks half strangled by leaves and vines, while troops of nee ig Geagroonat 9 bee gan to make night hideous and the occasional 9 roar of a jaguar showed them that the South American animals had spread into their vi- y. It was but a cheerless place to camp, for every- thing was damp round them and they had »o food with them, but they were soon cheered as they rode along by the gleam of a light in the darkefeneet ahead of them, and coming up to it, discovered the hut of a native ladiecubleen gatherer who was clipping away at some new troughs for his next ’s work. He was an Indian of the Maya family like most of the laborers in that region; but he un- derstood ish and talked it in a broken fashion that was not unpleasing. _ His name was Lupo, he said, and he made his living by carrying India-rubber to the coast traders when he wanted money. ‘‘I don’t want much, senores. It is only for tobacco and coca, and one trip a year gives me enough of that.” ‘‘ And have you any neighbors?’ asked Olaf. The Indian smiled. f ‘* Listen, senor, and you will hear them.” It was not necessary to listen, for the loud chorus of monkeys, frogs; alligators and other animals from the neighboring swamps, forced itself on the ear all — long. : By day the silence had been oppressive, but the night seemed to be given over to revelry among the animals which swarmed in the forest, and the sharp buzz of millions of mus- ketoes, which drove them to the lee of a smoky fire, where they had to sit Sag ng ‘That is the way, senores. To do my work here we must follow nature and do our in the daytime, for the night is the same al the year round. If we don’t have a visit from the jaguars before morning, I shall be much surprised.” And Lupo was right, for the scent of the horses and mules proved so attractive that the whole party was compelled to turn out before dawn and o fire on a’ of eons jaguars, one of which was ki and other sent limping away. In the dawn they saddled up and proceeded on qa journey toward the State of Guate- ma : CHAPTER XL BON JOSE. OvT in the upper valleys of the Cordilleras between the States of Guatemala and Chiapas, one of the provinces of Mexico, a stout and handsome man in the uniform of a Mexican general was riding at the head of a party of some fifty lancers, when he suddenly gave the order for his men to halt as he espied a figure on the ridge that divided him from the low countries, The party was in the midst of a grove of — whose spiky foliage concealed them rom view, and the figure above was clearly outlined against the blue sky, so that they could see it to be an armed horsemian. | The officer held his horse’ reined in and watched. Presently another figure came in — and then another till they had counted six, mounted and coming down into the valley in which they were. The officer called up one of his followers. ‘*Captain Robaldo, igo have a glass. Can you see who those people are?” The captain—a taney ok handsome fellow— nodded as he offered glass to his com- Lig IO EE " ve seen them eady, The dre Yanquis atom anes and all well armed. y see rifles and revolvers; but only one wears a sword. He isa Rubio like y eneral,” Indeed the general, though evidently of pure Spanish blood, had fair hair and blue eyes. ies senior officer reflected a moment and then Sal * ‘*Let the men dismount. These people may be friends after all. In our State any one who is not an enemy is welcome.” | The men obeyed orders and tied their horses to the palm trees while the two officers rode out to meet the coming party which had been, when first seen, about two miles off. nag Ae 5 among the trees so as not to be seen finall j J y came out into a pretty little | meadow surrounded by forest where they could see the other pate advancing. Captain Robaldo here ventured to say: _ “Is it quite prudent to go any further! These people may attempt—” e general waved his hand. — ‘‘ They are Americans and I fear nothing. If they were our own countrymen, now, you might talk, Robaldo.” ‘* But we do not know them and they might shoot at us for fun.” ‘‘Not they, captain. They see that we are not handling our weapons.” They rode on accordingly and as came nearer the other party saw that it was headed by two men whose light hair and oe ap- pearance showed them to be probably Ameri- ca ns, One of them was slim and military looking, the other large and burly; but both had piste out in their hands and looked suspicious. Presently they came within hailing distance, Gomicbooks (E() ~*~