The Mountain Park Lance. (Mountain Park, Okla.), Vol. 2, No. 3, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 2, 1905 Page: 4 of 6
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Copyright, IS'.iT. I>.v K. Tennyson N'-oly.
CHAPTER XI—Continued.
"Walt; you may change your mind.
Senor Jack," says the agent, dellb-
erately.
"Suppose Rohlado, bent nju>n such
A dangerous mission, should fall into
the hands of the enemy. They would
perhaps feed him to the wild beasts.
If you have any such in the Cuban
chupurral. unci possibly the dashing
Colonel Spencer would share ills fate;
but I cun see no reason why 1 should
mourn under such conditions."
"Unfortunately It is not such clear
sailing. The senor Intends taking ids
daughters with him upon the expedi-
tion."
"Monstrous! The old wretch! it
must not be allowed!” cries Jack.
“You are powerless to prevent It.
Up has a design behind it all. and
hopes bv the presence of (he girls to
avoid suspicion. A very shrewd old
fellow, this Kohlado, and as calculat-
ing and cold-blooded as you find
them. But, Senor Jack, thut Is not
all."
"Tlf douce, you say! Still worse
coming! Well. 1 am prepared for it.
Fire away!”
"Remember, this Is In confidence.
You must swear that through you not
a whisper of It shall ever reach the
ears of the authorities."
"Oh, i give you my solemn prom-
ise. And what I say I always do; you
know that,” replies Travers.
“I learned that It was the senor’s
intention to take a train from Havana
that would bring him in the vicinity
of Gomez' main camp.
"Well. I have It on pretty good au-
thority that the rebels intend to dyna-
mite that train, and the chances are
that not a soul on board will escape
to tell the story.”
CHAPTER XII.
Just Five Minutes Too Late.
Smlthers' intelligence causes a grit-
ting of teeth on the part of ills audit-
or. The possibility of such a fate
overtaking Jessie Cameron Is quite
enough to unnerve him.
"A diabolical way of striking a blow
for liberty. We could not sanction it
in our countries, Smlthers. But that
Is not to the point. The question Is
*‘Tho rebels intend to dynamite that
♦rain!”
how to save the girls. As to the men.
I have no Interest In their lives. They
can take pot lurk."
"Your promise, Mr. Travers?”
**I had not forgotten. Thut ties my
pands so far as Informing the author-
ities Is concerned."
"Good.”
"On my part I woe <1 snv ’bad.' for
pew you ill I ntpi " girls.
Copyright. 1M». by Sliv.-t and Smith.
1 uni determined on that, even though
1 have to start upon the doomed train
myself. ”
"We must plan quickly, then, sir.”
"How so? Is there something more
you have not told me?”
"You see the day is declining.”
"Ye^—yes.”
"And this train will leave Havana
at about nightfall, I understand.”
"But such a move Is contrary to the
usual rules governing railroad travel
in these parts. All trains run by day-
light. so thut the danger may be less
marked.”
"Just so, and the rebels knowing
tills will not be on the lookout. It is
supposed, and the extra train, or spe
dal, can go on unmolested.”
"Ah, 1 see. Quite a clever piece of
engineering, though the secret must
have slipped through in some way,
since as you declare a scheme Is on
foot to blow the traiu up with Yankee
dynamite. Our time may be short.
We must think and act quickly.”
‘ Our only hope would be to separ-
ate the ludies from the rest of the
party, perhaps at the last minute be-
fore the trulu started.”
"I grasp your meaning. Continue."
"Roblado and his companion would
be powerless to accomplish anything.
They dare not keep the train waiting,
and should they fail to be on It when
the signal Is given to start, the iron
hand of the Captain-General would
close upon them in a grasp that could
only be cut loose before a corporal's
guard at the dead-line. What do you
think of the idea?”
“Wei!, you understand I must not
appear in the matter. My promise to
Jessie forbids.”
"Excuse me, but if she fell over-
board in mid-ocean, would you feel
compelled to wait until she appealed
directly to you before leaping over
to her rescue? I know you better than
that. Squire John. First her life, then
her reproaches if she pleases to be so
contrary. That life is in deadly dan-
ger now. You expect to fly to her re-
lief. Already you are hampered by
enough promises. Then away with
the notion that you dare not come Into
her presence unless she calls for you.
How Is she otherwise to know you
are in Havana?"
Jack throws up his hands.
"Smlthers. you have won. I recog-
nize the folly of carrying that thing
out to the letter. If the occasion de-
mands such an exposure on my port,
I am ready to submit, even though
she scorns me for breaking my word."
"Scorn you—my dear sir, evidently
you have not studied the feminine
mind as much as the methods of min-
ing, or the necessities of a stock
ranch. Besides, unless all signs fall,
you may be In a position to save her
from a terrible fate, and the very op
portunlty you desire be granted.”
"I am convinced. Now tell me how
you would carry out such a schertie.”
Smlthers has evidently thought it
all out beforehand, as he unravels a
plan so well arranged that Jack can
hardly add anything to it.
Just previous to the time for the
train to go someone employed for that
purpose will draw the senor to the
end of the station platform on particu-
lar business—perhaps a few last ver-
bal directions from the Captain-Gen-
eral of n non-committal nature.
While he is away from the carriage
in which the ladies have taken up
their places, another messenger will
come to them, apparently from Don
Rafael, heurlng the information that
he hns given up the trip, and that
they will accompany the other in the
victoria back to the hotel, where the
•icnor will rejoin them.
How simple—how effective!
If no hitch occurs to mar the little
' 'Mv.c Seoul* PMblado will tuak>* a uiad
dash for his carriage as the signal to
start is given, and plunging in as the
train moves, discover it to be empty.
He may rave, he may bellow like a
mad bull, but that will not prevent
the special from leaving Havana and
plunging in among the hills back of
the Cubau capital. He dare not leave
the train, since Spain expects him to
do his duty, and auy defection on bis
part may bring Immediate ruin upon
his house.
Meanwhile, it will not be so diffi-
cult a feat for the driver of the veh-
icle to explain matters to the two
girls, and endeavor to gain their con-
sent to his driving them—not to the
hotel, but to the house under whose
roof Senor Jack has found such an
hospitable welcome.
“The rest I must leave to you, sir,
for 1 expect you to be with me on the
Something of a piratical look.
box of the vehicle. If you have never
kissed the Blarney stone, I imagine
you may at least be able to offer some
specious plea as to why they should
accept this hospitality.”
“And Lola will be there to greet
them,” adds Travers, mentally pictur-
ing the scene when these two come
together—the one so fair and winsome
a lassie, bred in the bonnie air of the
Scottish highlands, the other dark and
beautiful, like a tropical flower.
"Well—er—no, 1 hardly think Lola
will be at home. I gave her a note
from head—from some parties who
desire her presence, and unless I am
mistaken she has gone from here be-
fore now. But that will not matter.
The whole house Is at their disposal."
"I hope they will accept. What
comes after, we must leave to
chance,” and Jack smiles at the pleas-
ing prospect.
"At any rate, with the don out of
the gapie. there’s no reason why you
shouldn't advance your cause, my
friend.”
"H’m! Poor don. It is a terrible
fate, and I hate to think of it; but I
presume these people have been rend-
ered quite desperate by what they be-
lieve to bo their wrongs. At any rate,
I don't pretend to Judge Just how-
far they are Justified in such severe
actions. My whole concern is to save
my wife from such a fate into which
as an entirely innocent party she
seems in danger of being dragged."
"The wrongs of Cuba cry aloud to
Heaven for redress from every hill-
side—they have burned like smoulder-
ing fires for half a century, breaking
out now and again In such heroic
struggles as the Ten Years’ War. The
end is inevitable, and none but the
wilfully blind can fail to see the hand-
writing on the wall. Cuba must, and
shall he free.”
Smlthers has unconsciously be-
trayed himself. He realizes that his
enthusiasm has carried him beyond
the line of prudence. Hia face pales,
and he immediately places his hand
on Jack's arm.
"Forget what 1 have said, I beg of
you. sir.”
"No, I could not if I would, and 1
would not If I could. My heart Is in
sympathy with the movement to free
thin Island from her vnke If not
surprise me that you are interested In
the desperate struggle—many brave
Englishmen are. Nothing surprises
me in connection with this country.
I honor you for the stand you have
taken. Your secret is aafe with me.
Smlthers. Now 1 can give a guess
why you hesitated to come back to
Havana. But, since we understand
each other, let us talk of our plans for
saving the girls.”
Jack readily admits that he can
think of no positive Improvement In
connection with the Idea so clearly
suggested by the keen-sighted agent,
and which appears to quite cover the
ground.
“How much time have we to make
ready?” he asks.
Smlthers consults his chronometer.
"It is now a quarter to five—the
train is appointed to leave at six-thir-
ty.” ho says.
"An hour and three-quarters. Ample
time to accomplish wonders, my dear
fellow. I’ve seen occasions when tlie
world was apparently turned topsy-
turvy in far less.”
“1 don't doubt it. You fellows in
the Wild West live fast. 1 know
something about it myself, sir.”
"You’ve seen our country, then?”
"That Is a fact, sir."
"Been in the Colorado mlues—
looked on a Texas ranch, perhaps?'
"Never shall forget It.”
"And possibly visited some of our
Spanlsh-American cities down near
the border of Mexico—Santa Fe, for
Instance?"
"Again I admit the soft Impeach-
ment.” returns Smlthers, a little un-
easily. an if he realizes what Jack is
driving at.
“Ah!”
That Is all Travers says, but there
Is a world of significance in his man-
ner of uttering the one word. He un-
derstands now that it must have been
while in the New Mexican capital this
English agent met Lola. The rela-
tions between them are beyond his
present ken, but by degrees it appears
as though the curtain will rise.
Smlthers prepares to bolt.
"I shall be back here with a veh-
icle by six o'clock. Meanwhile, alter
your looks a little so as to seem more
of a native. You will find certain
things in your upartment that will aid
you. As to Ah Sin, shall we take him
with us?”
"He may prove valuable. I have
found him so on many occasions.”
"Very well. He goes along. I’m
off, sir.”
Jack watches the other's vanishing
form until it is swallowed up amid
the luxuriant flower bushes. Then he
seeks solace In a cigar, and passes
through the court to the suite of
rooms assigned him.
Remembering Smlthers' injunction,
he tries his hand at darkening his
skin a little and in various ways alter-
ing his appearance, so that when suc-
cess follows his efforts he Is con-
strained to believe ho presents some-
thing of a piratical look, and experi-
ences a feeling of dismal dismay at
the prospect of her eyes being turned
upon hltn.
(To be continued.)
Horrible to Think Of.
Church—“In some of the Hindoo
temples an elephant takes up the col-
lection. It goes round with a basket
extended from its trunk.”
Gotham—“What do you suppose
would happen if some thoughtless
man dropped a peanut In the basket
some Sunday morning?”
She Was Cornered.
Mother—Why have you taken all of
the chairs out of the parlor, dear?
Daughter—Because George is so
fearfully bashful, I’m not progressing
at all. Now there is nothing left In
the room but a tete-a-tete and he’s got
to sit near me!—Detroit Free Press
Tholr Smilt Cam# Off.
Maud—I always like to stand be-
tween a couple of brawuy football
players.
Both (pleased)—Aw! why, now?
Maud—Their hideous appearaneg
sets off s tfirl's Uuika to.
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Everton, H. G. The Mountain Park Lance. (Mountain Park, Okla.), Vol. 2, No. 3, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 2, 1905, newspaper, February 2, 1905; Mountain Park, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc853588/m1/4/: accessed April 23, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.