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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Signal, 1899-3-16, Page 9NCH O eIls,Hlgnwulmuo By J0H11 IIBUZD, J� 'copyright. I,Ut, by the Author.! Aruoog the many odd trifles *blob 1 have brought home from my travels is a little gold bell, on tbe table before in, sow. 1t was given to me some years' ago as a souvenir by the only highway man it bas been my chance to meet, and often ethos thee 1 bale woudered what bad become of the interesting rascal to whom It belonged. A few days ago I received • letter kom • friend Is Mealoo telling of his death. How vividly 1t recalled our in terviewl In tbe spring of 1884 1 was obliged to take the tedious journey front Alamos to Mazatlan, in the traditional stagcoosoh—a picturesque experience to remember, but an agony of five night., and four days to endure. At the time 1 abated over the slow progress of our etvilisatldn which torosd me to travel in • restless, lin sheathed wooden box. but today the perspective has changed. and 1 look owe the geographical linii lotions of Yankee enterprise with a de tided feeling of sensfaotioa. There axe still sone 'binge to do that everybody has not done; some sights that cannot be bad for the price of a ticket; soma men to meet outside of officer rod clubs Kraal° Solis wad one of thew men He belonged to a species unknown to the railroad freighted Philistine who naively believes that he 1s traveling two generations; beam the race of such men as Eractio will be extinct. I had beard mocb about him, for in those years be was a more important factor In the government of northwest e rn Mexico than x11 the state governor. sombined. In spite of • detacbment of sevalry stationed to the neighborhood of Los Horolios, Eraolio held op every interests etageoo•ob within • mile, more or less, of the same plaoe. The 'soldiers always arrived upon the Borne a few minutes after his band bad dis- appeared, and whenever they esoorte,l the oo•ch it was sore to be attacked as moose as their protection was deemed no looger necessary. When he left Alamos. Ben Hill, the, gambler, called out to me as we drove peat bra boa's, "Here's good luck to Eraolio; tell him I'm all right," where- upon my neighbor naked if I were go ing beyond Foertis. I answered that 1 totended sea wed ?ken be erased tli• that 1 should certainly maks the bandit 's acquaintance, as this was the regular parked trip Sbortly after leaving Fantle my last companion got out, and 1 was left alone. The certainty of befog ' Sopped by the brigand had gradually grown upon me during the past 8e hours. and as 1 sat there sospioioosly scanning the cactus brush on either side of the coach, my rifle between my knees, sad my revolver reedy for Imme- diate use, 1 debated whit myeall_what_rrga oourse I ought to pursue Beyond my arms 1 had really notbiug to loge. and it seemed foolhardy to at- tempt to resist, aingle banded, the at- tacks of a band of trained highwaymen merely because my Anglo-Saxon preju dices forbade me to yield witboot a straggle. 1 did not wish to risk my life for the sake of • mere prejudice, but 1 rebelled at the Idea of bolding op my hands witboot making nee of tbem. While 1 was thus undecided, tbe driver settled the goestion by calling to me to take off my shooting irons and climb up beside him. "Don Juan," be said to me as 1 braced myself to the to" at bis gide, "you've got nerve enough. so I may as well tell yuo that Eraclio will stop us in • few minutes. When we reach the top of this grade, you will see the arroyo hoado, and on the rise beyond prnbably the horsemen, too, but perhaps only Eraolio himself. Now, for beitren'a sake, don't go 'booting. There will be 80 rine eight, leveled at us from behind the cactus bush, and the minute you poll the trigger we 'ball be rid died. "Did you ever bear how Ben Hill was tilled with lead? Well, I can tell you, for I was driving Kveollo appeal ed in the usual way. and I stopped. of course, as won as be waved his rifle. but Hill jumped out and fired. Whew! How the ballets began to oome in—a perfect bafletorm 1 Two minutes later it was all over. Three of the mules were dead beside the whipper and one of the peassngera As for Hill, be was lying on the road with six bullets ander bis skin—enough to kill any ordinary man but there be lay, firing away at the emotes, with the blood running down over hie forehead and se mad as though be had been eating p•pabes all the morning. Emetic. bad • bard time pre venting bis men from finishing him, bot the gambler was an old friend of his. and he kept the coyotes off. " 'Ben,' said be, 'why did you .boot! Are you drunk? "'tjoien saber the other answered I'm piokled now anyway. Look here. Eraolio, be generous with ma There are 6,000 pesos in my valise, and that ought to satisfy you. But there's my wife, she has all ber jewelry along, sod Slow that I am laid up I think you might look after her. Can't you take her down to Cullman? 1 can scrape up a coupl. of thousand more wben I get home, .0d 1f you'll do tbat I'll sand them to you and welcome. le it • bargain?' " 'Bah 1" the other answered, laugh Ing 'Friend Ben, between thieves the shortest accounts are best. I'll take your money for the men, but the senora shall reach Culiacan safely 1'1l gee to that myself.' Aod be did It, Don Juan He put three of his men Weide, made res do the whipping and drove himself right up to tbe hotel. though be knew well enough that there Wass nig placard nn the door—'Two thousand (9,000) pesos for the body of Ersolio Solis dead or alive.' "You never sew him? Well, ,snort., he'. • cabalism, you will see, and I any we ought to have just inch a man for governor He knows what the poor pen le need and what 1s good for them ala. if be wwe.geverpor tot only we of Ise. ailed Raz grew-oolumag lbws or four busaards perched wutiunlse. Ott the right by the roadside lay odd look ing pans of runty minks tatlobiaery. relies of some abandoned enterprise, and far, ter away, above the fatuity purpie level of dry bosh, the blue sierra stretched along the borlaoo. While I sat there, waiting and won dories wherein lay the undeniable charm of this dreary leedsoape, a horse mac rode up, tied his animal So one of the posts and started to enter the house. but cateblug sight of me be stopped, touched his bat and Dame toward me Smiling. "Don Joao of the Roubin mine?" he asked pleasantly. 1 rose, answered that "Dow Juan of the Rochtn ,a1 nA" he asked pleoeundy. I was Don Joan, but tbe man's face we. totally unfamiltar to me, and my perplexity was evident, for be said: "You are wondering wbo I am, Don Joan? It is true, we have not met be- fore, yet we are hardly strangers." He drew • abate up to the table and said: "I am Eracllo, the outlaw." "Eraolio I" "At your service, senor," be an towered, amazed at my a.tonisbment "Yoe expected to meet me yonder on the road, yes? But really It would not have bean worth while. I knew that you were the only passenger and tbat you do not travel with more than a few dollars In your pocket Or.oia's draft as efasatemeteat toe M'e'1e me, fee tern ' fortunately circumstances do not allow me to go then. As for your rifle and your pistol—you might have been tempt ed to use them, ■nd—I bear you no ill will. But, carambat Why don't they bring us something toast?" and 'prime, tog up with an cath be went to Hoe hone. and gave some orders, wbiob were obeyed with eager alacrity. As be stood by the door. one of his men came up and spoke to him, • swaggering deap.rado, and 1t aw lighted me to note the superiority of the graceful, agile and youthful cap- tain over his bulky lieutenant. Eractio looked so simple and thoroughbred be- side the melodramatic bandit—he was s imistakably'tbe oommaoder. When be came back, he unbuckled Ms pistol belt and threw ft dowu on the bench between u., so se to be mach nearer me than him, and as he did a t. be looked at me meaningly. It might have been seemly. a_ trick. and so I pro dently..lrata&l`.`"fossa Qollowiug her ezample, though 1 liked the nine's lip pear.nre, and instinctively felt that' bad nothing to fear. He noticed try hesitation at once, and said. with u abort, hard laugh: "Io you distrust me, Don Juan? Well, I don't wonder! 1 have • bad name, and perhaps if you knew as much about me au 1 do layeelf you would tram me . till leg. It is not altogetber my fault, thongh." Then changing the subject suddenly. be oontiuoed: "I suppose you keep pretty well armed op at tbe Rocklin mine? Ub, don't fancy I am trying to get any information. I know you keep a large amount of silver there and have about 20 -white men on whom you can depend. Now, "appose I were to pay yon a visit—bow would you receive me?" "Why, about as roughly as we know bow I" "Even if I bad 60 men behind me?' "Unless you came with a whole army behind you," 1 answered. "I don't know that the Dumber would make mocb difference If you attacked the lochin mine, we should defend it" "Good 1 That is one thing I like about Fmglieb and Americans. Odds don't frighten them. Now • little while since I went op to tbe Rosario sod had so interview with Schmidt, their .uperin tendent 'How many are you?' I asked 'Oh,' be anawer•ed, 'I have only 94, en walk in and help yourselves.' Schmidt 1s not a coward, but once he was au officer in the German army, and there be learned tb•t two men always beat one. Two units always beat one, that's tree, and in large armies the average manliness teat its lowest. However, I'II g et even with him," be added with a . omewbst cynical laugh. "I shall take good care to have fewer men then he and force • fight, for I don't like rob bing without some danger or ezcitemeut 11 is too mocb like tbleving." "You draw rather nice distinctions.' I said. He frowned, and for a moment seemed annoyed/ thou be went on. "Oh, let us talk of something else; ft i. "o rare nowadays out here thine.* chance of passing an hone or two with a man of education that I meet make the most of it. Yco have been in Europe, of eonree? Well, then, let up get an far away from l.o. Hornitos as pnerible Ah, Don Joan, I bate this life." be added passionately, aed in an instant the whole expression of hie facie ob.uged Hie Acts were clutched oe the table be fore him, and his lips were drawn back over Ms teeth until he looked more like an animal shoat to spring forward than like the handsome, good humored yonng fellow he had hitherto seemed to be Hut this expression vanished again as quietly as it bad oome. He drank off e tamhlerfol of wine and lighted • cigar while I reflected on the '!anger of it rusting such • fearful temper. Fnr en !mor or two we chatted very pleeantly He waa especially interested in French affairs and begged me to give him • bundle of papers whinb 1 had jest been reviewing and happened to have with tart 1 had heard that he was of gal d.etion and that he hod tateled for • u. abe of years, but I was not pre pared to meet one so familiar with Frgma. English and even Genian books aa 160 enevereetion proved Solis to be. Selatually I expressed nay earprlss atithromosollowetIllimaadttiokoil roar, they would meths Alta president the next. The g,ssfal Men in Mezioo, ether, and they are �t�o 1111 him. ''Bat is *pita a Marga'. predietlnne and apparaetly meek 10 kis dl.ppofnt want we drove off enmolea1d across the arroyo hcado sad into Lee Bwraitas. The litee nnobo was crowded, and I ordered my dinner stirred carsick endow the porch, whets IMI dew slaw W waft The Oen trona err mal sass Irob de•ola1s wed depressing, lyplal ed our dreary lite week at the Marra Mudie. !'e the lett stood • braless son 01 law. dot him hew be waoeged to keep ip» w it iilforined out In the wilderues. "1)u you kuow anything of my poet Ws, Dun Juts?" he asked iu.saturn.._,. "Oracle has told' me something:" 1 animated, "but not inutile after e11. He waa friend of yours mice, waste' not?' "He is uow, for the matter of that,' Bolts auswered, "et least as far as Or cuwstanoes will allow him to be." For sone minutes the outlaw remain ed silent, looking blankly at the table before him, while his tbougbla were evidently far away. When be 'spoke agalu, he did so with anmistaksele di111 deuce and hesitation. "Our ootivereatiou hes mulled ley S tudent days—the beet period of say life —ea vividly—and the contrast between then and now." He did not finish the seolea0., and agate for some minute. he smoked on silently, while 1 ser equally silent and waiting. "Perhaps you do not know, senor,' be began presently "1 came of goo,) family. My ancestors Dams over fru., Spain •boat the beginning of the las. century, which may or may not be true At any rate my father was an 'unmet, friend 01 Urorrel Calzado, whom the Juarez government outlawed, and stem) the time 1 we. 10 year. old both were captured, executed side by side and all the property conHroated by the state Nothing except my mother's hacienda La Perla, was saved from ilbe wr','k and there 1 was allowed to grow toe without educatiuu or restraint of an kind. You know what life ie on a Mex loan rancho and what qualities of bo man nature are most likely to be devel oped to sect) an atmosphere. Well. a, a boy, I was perhaps worse than tb. average. 1 am extremely paseionat; e nd when I am aroused I lose all ooh trol over myself to snob an extent tie. I am not much better than • wild'ani mal. I ought to have beau ,bot cot of the way long ago, end sooner r later that is the fate I expect to meet "I we. only 17 when I had a quern with a friend over a girl we both rut Cited. We had • fight, of coarse, and killed him. I can't day that 1 felt mer. remoras at the time. On the ooatrary wee rather proud of my victory. No one bad seen us together, so I we. not •trent of it being discovered. My rival was out of the way, and 1 profited bj 1t Then a few days later, satiated mei die e nchanted, I realized what I had done So, between fear and remor.e an, theme. 1 determined to lave the teen: try - "Ah. Europel Don Joan, that was revelation w me. 1 bad never seen env thing of civilization. I saw it first Paris. For a few months 1 lived t' reckless, profitless life of most 8paui.l°' Americans abroad, tut at lot its chat lowness palled upon me. 1 saw the whenever our people came in total with intelligent foreigners oar luferioi lay was painfully evident and it mad me angry to be only second rats. TL leasedy was obvious. I made _up ai ▪ Ind to work unused of play. I wears, good as they, and if work oould prove 1t they sbould kuow it. I set my testi and I worked like a horse. Now au. then the wild anintal rn my biter. gal the better of me and 1 had to let bit. loose, but not se before, for educatie bad given moa ,iron;; bridle, and aft, - each outbreak 1 poled up sod wet back to my books with new ardor." jiraollo stopped, said for the first ten nce be began t.. talkies looked at we "You woeldu't own cap to all this would you? Would you bays estalogtrrr your virtue. a:,4 left oat the vice That is an Augl -Saxon trait and our the me:meet of its characteristics Yr.' ■ 11 think a tit,. t can't have his failure. known and .:, :1 be • mac. Hypocrites Shakespeare and Fielding painted the) moo naked, part good and part bad true human beings—their men will 1r. while all the 'sawdust Jnanikine yo. put up today will be forgotten tomorrow "1 have seen a good many Eagltsi and Americana, Don Juan, and if 1 bay. found them perhaps stronger and mot generous as a whole than men of other nationalities 1 have found them not whit less human The men in yon. newspapers and the men in your novel are not the same species. You smile Of onurse—of ooaree—the theories au. criticisms of a Mexican bandit are on( fit to be laughed at Bat yet you canne. honestly deny the troth of what 1 say However, that is neither here nor there So, senor, I worked hard and learur something. 1 traveled and studied bet in England and Germany; then one da, I awoke as from • dream, and I Dene home to Mezle°. "We love our country, Don Juan, 1. our unintelligent, passionate way, ■nn the jioo to me means perhaps even mer than the anion does to you. With m' knowledge, my fortune and my will felt strong. I felt that 1 should beaten. a great leader and ?bat my name wool.. be known and loved throughout m' soantry. On my way to Enrope I had pseud • few days in Oolomhia, visiting some relatives, and one nightoat on the plains, as we rat by the campfire, one of the older men spoke of Bolivar. Ino - bim now, Don Juan, standing in the glowing light, his deep voice trembling with emotion, thundering forth Bali ear's proclamation 0t independence Even then, Ignorant boy that I was, the some Impressed me profoundly, and the respect, the voneratfou of his listeners es the old man ended with the iovoea tion, 'Ab, Bolivar—liberator!'—I have never forgotten. Bolivar! Why not Solis? It is • great purpose that maker • great man, and I believed that my purpose was a great one. Throughout the land of Mexico, wide as it is from n orth to south, Eraclln Solis should be a bou,ebold word. Hat A. it bas he come Indeed. A honsebold word thmtrgbrmt the lend, quoted tis' 1he eft noel reports among the cursed of Mex too, on the same pages with yellow fe ver, famine and drought." Solis hod risen from his chair. Re wise mush exacted and spoke qulnkly, with passionate utterance and anconselons gesticulation. Though be was speaking So me, be bad about forgntten my prem ince, ernept ■s an impersonal recipient of his ennferainn, and i took oars not to interrupt him. Al he /topped, he mewed against one of the posts tit the vnrande witb his beck toward me, and for en,n., mtnntee Ioo[ke*t sway mer the plain When he carne bock to the table, he poured nut a tnmhlerfnl of wine and drank it down at one gill) "Ah, Don Joan, I am very tired of 11 all." he began again after a short pante. "There Is • reward M 1,000 peso. for bringing me to (lotions., dead cr alive, and .nme•timee I feel that the heat Wag I could do would be to short my. NU is the hawse of soil* poor devil who marls . , a s aq. 1 w1U Adl oa fiefertseenme NtttiU*ir-1 Mild -arae: •y , `•""'r - your. you tree beginning mod end of tar Mary but a good deal lies between. "When 1 came home from Europe, I wpplled twagnveesuninl peanuts. ag/t i was appointed private secretary to tbe- g overnor He was au able nnu, but bad—totally una rupuloue—the kind of wan 1'nigbi have become if 1 bad re malted aE home. He recognised the •d vautagea of his office, but not the obit gatione. He was ostensibly apatbetio— really one of the must violent nen I ever wet, es cruel and vindictive a vil lain es could be found in Mexico- It waa our joint misfortune to fall in love with tbe same woman—Mercedes, We &tektites. of old Homobono Poral. " 'You are married,' 1 said to him half joking, one day, 'and I am not 1 have the tight on my bidet' "'But might is err wine,' be answer, Id, smiling good naturedly, 'and you know that in this country might is right.' 'But it isnot love!' I retorted '1 bare my right and her love too So your euigbt will not help you mocb iu this caw'—fool that 1 wail "I remember the quick start that he gave, and his aaroastto emphasis as 8e said very quietly: "'Ab, Solis, you Mercedes' lover Thee, suddenly ohangiug the 0onveraa tion be asked for certain papers and gave me inetructfoas se to what answer.. I should mud. Then he left the roams After he had gone 1 eat down to write, but our oouversatiou had made too deep an iwpreaaion. I began to fear the con sequences. 1 wanted to tell Mercedes hermit, so 1 threw the paper. into ley desk, saddled a horse and rode off to Paral's ranch, 1t was nut • long ride, but before it was in sight suddenly my horse wet tripped. 1 was bound, gagged. and that uigbt 1 was carried to an out lying prison. where 1 passed the next eight mouths 1 was not ivacribed in say own name, so it will bene. be un known officially that Eraolio Solis lived behind Inc.—. remote satisfactioo, to be sure It was not until long after my kidnaping that my jailer told me I was accused of robbing the state treasure and the governor's private safe. My whereabouts were nukuown, but It we. supposed that 1 bad left the country with the money Finally 1 was tried et secret session of the court Of course 1 was found guilty. and as 1 sea eau fenced by default my mother's estates were confiscated to repay the governor Ireland tbestateafterward out of what 44. It all _mattered very est sl shsnhlerful o/ whim me, however, for wbile 1 was imprison:- ed mprison"ed my poor mother had died—of grip, 1 was told—Mercedes bad disappeared. n ot even Homobdno bad been able to find her I did not give up all hope of finding bey until • month later, but then I learned it was all over—she bad died, and insane." Eractio stopped abort, but his face expressed more than any word ooale] have done. It revealed such capacity for ' offering that I turned away. To watch his face seemed en impertioenoe. He lighted another cigar presently and said: "Senor, 1 wan alone in the world, poor, dishonored, without tieaor oblige tions of any kind, and 1 burned to re veuge myself, and I took for my motto, 'An eye for an eye and • tooth for a tooth.' "There was my weakness, senor A greater mac would even then have for g otten personal wrongs and remembered only nobler purposes, trot prison lite es eats the moat demoralizing influence A good mac may come out of it as e good mac still, but his goodness is n, longer a power It is merely a latent useless quality, not to say a weakens. Even that is the exception rather then the rule. A strong man mostly become. a bad mac, and a bad man grow' wore' Bo it was with me. My vitality, my en orgy and strength were neither broken nor Impaired, but with only bad halo enoes around me 1 became a leader at had men. Revenge was my only thought, my mill dream, my aim and purpose In life. In that prison I planned my snbeequent career and formed the nucleus of my present band of brigands "You may have beard of our escape'• It was dynamite—borrible—co bloodt that the people realised that • family of bunion tigers had broken loose, and that the public safety we. endangered Still, senor, it was some time before 1 began my work of revenge, for 1 did uot feel I could rely on my men ipso erne! gooey. As for myself, j was lacking 1.. coolness, nerve and' the praotioe of cruelty, which I knew I should mend t. the future. 8o for two year' I did n. more than rob caches, raid a ranch n1 two and fight the soldier' sant oar against us by my former chief. He we, =loam governor whoa be bawd a my escape, and knowing that he had a dangerous' foe in me he fled to the cap Ital. When 1 was ready—not so ver, long duce—i raided and destroyed hi- ranohes on,f after another and in so i. quick euoceseion that theca was no tint to prepare defense. I killed his men drays off hie cattle, burned his Me - sondes and wrecked big mines, until ne the versa of rein be was obliged to come bene himself and attempt the fee one of bis property. Then I tracked hin from place to place. Finally I capture', him at the Deseanten Foe years. Doo. Juan, 1 had eternised ■11 my ingenuity 1n planning new, unheard of, monseroee tortures for this Man. but when itr were alone faee to face to the big hall of the rancho bongo wawa otter all these years 1 saw his 1e my power - this man wham I bated with every tiler of my being—when it 8aaed neer me what I might have beim but for hi.,, what 1 waa became i him, by moor, 1 beret into tonna" '11111•01111SIeld11111411441111,11frini hl• bead .ver hie foegbeed-sbe bad been talking eekemeetly--bis faeawa quiv• eriug, bat almost immediately be stood up and said, "I shot 81m down like • elorr fie indeed sway to the Mod of the porch He stood there so long that 1 turned to see whether be bad gotta No. be was apparently watching the meu wbo were haruesaing the mules. Whet" he casae back, all traces of emotlou bad disappeared, but be looked •t me am it expecting me to say something 1 slit not know what to soy, and he sat dot% u agate opposite me. "Ab, Don Juan," be began ague. "lbat'swhat •brigand Is made of—ju.t, • man, wrongly developed. Some day- -who knows—you may bold me op Come uow, tell me honestly what do you think of me? A miserable rascal eb? An embarrassing question?" llrs margin was so narrow bitweeu good humor and the most violent passion thus I besitated at passing judgment upon tee sine animal before me. 1 oould only utt mire. "You have been very unfortanute Doo Reecho," I said finally "I beelie%s you might have been • great man er your 000utry. " And 1 pot oat my bap •5 Solis grasped it eagerly, and he fall: held it as he said: "I thank yon, Don Juan; 1 shall un; forget you. Will you take a little thing to remember me? My end is not far tiff senor 1 believe that 1 am on the *myo grade. So far revenge waa my right, bat that is past uow, and for the future what cao 1 do? 1 am not • brigand by nature. if I bad something to live opo. 1 should probably turn to my book. again, for of course 1 can never be u public man now Bat as it is 1 dun 1 own 10 pesos in the world; besides I have er duly toward my men. I must stand by them. se they have stood e.) ma" "I suppose you mast, Don F.raclio unless you •vera to leave the conutry Wouldn't you do that?" 1 suggested "Impossible!" be said. "No, uo, 1 can't do that" -e but be did not explain We sat awkwardly for • few moweut• after our oonvereation. Any other tope seemed out of place—yet dlenoe was embarrassing, so it was a relief to see the horses Doming ready to start 1 rose tightened my scrape, and Esodic asked "You are golog home, Don Juan?" "Yea, by • roundabout route, but I shall come back here." "1 with 1 were going, too," be said. 'but where? If yon oome back, et toast nia•i aeaia.... Xaa .mel A04.. sera better man—or, if not, • far wore,. Vaya I" he cried, pulling himself to 'ether soddenly. "Today I am at the zenith of my power. Come, drink au other glue with me—a big glass th)- time—here's to lock!" At the stage we shook bands again and the mules started on a gallop • • • • The remembrance Knoello gave me was the little gold bell—thus if came into my possession. Sub.aqueot 'events proved that Eraclio's presentiments were well founded. His day was over and from that day forward bis esietenc. became more and more precarious. He men felt be had lost bis grip, and the) in turn lost their unbounded oonfldeu • in him One day the troops surrounded their camp, and though' the majority of the bandits cat their way through tbe sec tae thicket Eractio remained behin.l When the soldiers came upon bine h. was seated on a bowider beside tb bodies of two of bis men Cautioned:, `the soldiers clued stowed the 11tnetto' outlaw, but be neither moved nor no "Brac44o Solis, 1st the name of the wallow you are my prisoner!" trod them Now that escape we. Im possible, many a man among his captors wished 1t were otherwise, for Erode, we. • popular hero, an ideal to many it ilexinan heart. He had often defeud,•d them •garnet the law, when it Was an justly applied, he bad been kind to the poor, and they loved bis. Not a few in the line of troopers owed him thanks for some good deed or timely belp But It waa ton late A young officer stepped forward sod, covering him with his revolver, ;ailed out: "Ersclin Solis. In eke name of the nation, you are my prisoner!' The highwayman raised hie head. gauged his captor, end smiled Then he looked around at the circle of soldlere drew himself op and without paying any further attention to the Hestenant be spoke to them "Friends," he said gently, yet firm ly, "the time has minis, and i am more g lad than sorry Perhaps more glad than any unan here Try henceforth to remember whatever gond I have dorm yen and to forget the harm Yon are all eons of Mexico. and I charge von let that he ever uppermost In ynnr thoughts Became, I forgot the linty rev ery man owes to his flag, I stand before yon now an enemy of my nonntry which no men ever loved more than 1 Many of you are my friends. yet I an, your common enemy The gond of the country requires that 1 should die 1:o let It be More, at none and at vont bands. 1 do not yield 1 oonsmand Bale=r, and ;on, the fire nest, step for ward! Are yeti ready? Goodl Now when I drop my arm elm low and steady. Thin le my last request " Erectile looked op at the pale, bard sky overhead and anrna the ragged lith elf mote. brach, so typical of big open try Above in the nvenlike dome a bus N erd, the eagle of Merica, etched slowly round and round. He followed 11 with Ida qua, natil it .11b g tuna ?►air by IlCvyond eh+r ple and Idle and white, erewtsed sea berisoa. e we while he eased with • faraway look over their heads the wen leaued ou their carbiues and waited Then tba outlaw rallied hie_ hat_ and Ow loeke clicked --a moment -lair the siwulta ueous bark of the its carbine■ eraahed through the siletica Eraealo fell Salazar alone bad understood. The other the with mistaken generosity bad shot wild. • Turkish Press able. The oeusorehlp to so strictly applied to the Torkirb prow that 11 way forbid den to give any account of the murder of the Empress Elizabeth at all resew bring the truth According to the ac ooaute that were allowed to appear. see wise taking ■ walk and was suddenly seized with tliues Elbe fell to the ground, got op again, and agate fell un conscious. In half an hour she we. dead. The urea the words anarobist, nihil 1st, etc., I. forbidden, so the uewspapera have been saying "disturbers of the peace," "lawless element," etc.. but now the censorabip has forbidden even these and has required the eubdtituttou of "Utopians" and "Utopiautsm la order to arenas/ft the fiction ?bat all north and central Africa, so far as 1t is Mohammedan, is subject to the sul tan of Turkey, it is forbidden to men Mon the English advance in the Sudan 1f anytbtug is wild, the Dame" of places matt be changed, for the Sudan, Kongo. for Lake Tcbad, the lake of Kiska, and tax Erythrea, Scboa The rurtsa• Teller. "It'd wonderful,' said the credulous man, "steeply marvelous. " "Have you been to pee that fortune topes again"' • "Yea." "Don't you think most of those peo pie are animated by purely mercenary motives?" "Thio one isn't Just think of his being willing to go on telling fortunes at $1 •place when be could give him salt • tip on • borne race or ■ lottery drawing and get everlastingly riots in aide of 94 boars!" Washington Star Papp.rslat o■ a Sewage raves. A modern application of Samson's parable, "Out of the strong came forth sweetness," is provided by the district elranoll of Sutton, to the (minty of Sur bey, England. That body oanise ou a singular industry 1t grows peppermint on its sewage farm and manufactures peppsrmlbt till... *Vont tont .lid a half sores of the farm are given up to the cultivation of peppermint plants, and grow luxuriant crops. The yield of oil Is nearly $160 per acre, and the pries last realized we. $6. 12 per pound. As Aelborler• Willie—Mamma, what does making a bad break mean? "You'd better mak your father, WU Ua " -Detroit hep Press t tadlte 1e. C.natpaelle■ sad abort. armies. et Utah Ceara. A late novelty 1' a ohalnless tandem propelled by five cogwheels varying In size from 8 Inches to 13;5 Inches. Great things in the matter of speed and durabil- ity are claimed for it. Another new Idea is a wheel constructed on the cantalever principle. "In the cue of • hlcyole geared to 90 inches, weight 28 prnuids, 9 Inch cranks," 'aye an English cyclist, "the most pro- nounced short"oi Ings were the inability to keep the chain line straight and the length of time taken before the dead cen- ter M parsed when golnv et • sped of ten miles an hour, and when err ountering an obstruction on the dead 'scour the Inabil- ity to push tours one's front wheel to rock In an alarming manner. Down hill 1t 1. Impossible to go fast, while the long cranks up hill give one a lurching pro- pensity imp wtible to avoid. In mud or over bad reds it 1. herder to push a 90 thch gear with a 9 Inch crank than tt 1. to push a heavy bicycle geared to 68 inches and a 855 Inch crank. All round this fast. 1. to be oondemned, but at the same time the action of many English makers le to be oomineud,•d, for they announce that they are willing to build machines to or- der, eine it Ie the Iri:lloire of the British waa' to havewhut it want.. 'Iiacir.g men on the path ,i.'• hSg gears and rather abnormal crank. I.cauw there are facIlltles offered th.•rt 5.r peon by means of siwclally prepared track surfaces and pacing Inetrumente. Still, the racing man of the path is not the model upon which 96 per cent of the cycling commu- n ity should bene their claims to cyeltng proflcl'ncy. The object of the racing man hi to get over a certain amount of ground in the shortest possible time, while the object of the man who rides for pleasure 1s to get the greatest amount of ogee out of the bicycle. The latter individual does not pretend to train. He books upon his bicycle as an instrument of speed and CANTAI.IVIR WHaab speed only. What a wide margin of differ- ence there 1s here and what a pity It is that there am people In the world who will commend to the large majority of eyco'ete Mg gears and long cranks, things applica- ble only to tun',peed merchant, but snares to the road rider.'• Albert McDonald, an Aoetrallan wheel - man, recently covered the 2,080 miles be- tween Port Ilarwin nn the north coast and Adelaide on the mouth scent et! Australia in the notable time of 118 daye 5% hours. The beet time previonaly made over the same dlfcnit route was 8:t dept. Me lon- ald le a t.•h•greph operator In Port Dar- win ile 1s 27 v'are old end weighed 118 pounds when he 'started on his ride. At its conelneinn be weighed 126 pound., having gained flesh during him trying journey. 111. longest previous tingle ride had been only 90 mile*. For the first 1,000 mitre of the ren the mute were gwld and the onuntr•y fairly level, enabling Mn - Minsk' to average 04 miles s day. The next 850 mils led over Candy hills, in• volving new i00 collet of walking. The rift of the journey was so sway that Mc. Donald wan enahled Io bring the dally aversive tor the entire trip np to 784 mlkm He carrier to p)nnde of ingrame on 81s wheel and rainpqred.A nut ten nights While on the trip. The interest 'tingle day'. sidewise the les/ of the nndertakins, whoa McI)onsid sods tette 189 miles twamk"Wflrtfaghia awl AAtla►)ekSwam fe 1 DR.WAODS NORWAY PINE SYRUP HEALS AND SOOTHES LAGS BRONCHIAL TU. CURES COUGHS COLDS. QUICKER ANY REMEDY KNOWN. ALL i . • • M*OHANICI• INNHTITVTi. GODERICH MECHAbIC8' IN*TITUWB LIHItAItY CND KgAD1N0 ROOM, erg. of Rut street and Sauer. (upstairs). Open from 1 to t r.a , and from 71010 La ABI)UT 2(58,) VO:.'S IN LIBRARY. Leading Da11) Weekly said IRustratmd noon. Maap gazines. at, on T,le. MEJIBERSIIIP TICKET ET ONLY 91.00 Granting free use of Library and Brading Ru•.,. Application for m•mbereklp received by LI to ree- H.ODL1at„ENE. t.IAMII.TON, Secreted. Librarian. Genericb. March n use. WALKING EXERCISE. s••s at A11 le Ton• Up tb• br•t•>• sot D•r•lep Muscular Vigor. There le nothing like walking to lone up the ayetem and to develop muscular vigor. Dumb -bells and Indian clubs are good for the arms, chest and shoulders; rowing develops the back and lions; sparring cultivates agility, but aa an all- round exercise, cheap, within reach at all, requiring neither apparatus nor in- struotor, and may to be regulated to any degree of strength, there L nothing like walking. It puts all the muscles of the 'WAIF in pitry: ft entargnl'tfariobge' tat makes theme strong; It expand' the chest; it rounds out the calf, develops the thigh, straightens the back, and gives size and suppleness' and "spring" to every muscle la the body. Not dawdling along with • limp In your step, stopping to lean agalnat every tree in the sun, lingering to look at the dl.play In shop windows; neither In minctng along at • short, dainty gait, as though your toe -weights were overheavy and your dignity hung en a hair, but real walking, with a full, stride, the body but sightly fur - ward, arms swinging free, the weight falling lightly on the ball of the foot, and rebounding with • forward spring full of grace and power. Walking l• the natural and normal exercise, and hurts no woman who rightly vets about It. A woman who U unaccustomed to vigorous walking, in order to become a good psientrian, should look Met to her shoe. These roust be broad •oeota the forward part of the foot, offering not the Least obstruction to the free movement of the toes. The heel. should be low and broad; and the shoe must alt rather snugly about the heel and Instep. The toll dress equipment WK'bald weigh not more than two and: • half or thea pounds, and must hang from the shoulders without any band. pinned, or buttoned, about the waist. Tho walker moat be comfortable enough to be unconscious of her attire. A hat that shades the eyes is In order. So prepared?, try any distance, that does not prove fatiguing a. an Initial expasi- ment It _will probably be trent • mile and a half to two miles, and must be walked at • brisk pane, three miles and a half an hour being a good limit. When this can be done without baekeche or toot wearints. Increase the distance. nCltl "111. 1,11•1 1,46.•• 11TAND, a•1•see • Semi. R. WIte••sod a. tet R Why U. a•eas• • aro. 1811loni•t. Rndyard Kipling says that one nights in a concert hall, he saw two young men ply two girls with liquor until they were drunk. They then led them, etaggering, down a dark street. The rest of the story we give 1n Mr. Hlpling'a own words. "Then," he says, 'recanting previous opinions, I became a prohibltlonbst. Flat- ten. It is that • man should go without his beer In public places, and oontent himself with wearing at the narrow- mindedness of the majority; better it is to poison the inside with very vile tent:" peranoe drinks, and to buy lager furtive- ly at back doors, than 56 bring tempta- tion to the ripe of young fools such ea the four I had seen. I nnderetand now why the presehers rage against drink. I have said: 'There Is no harm In 1t, taken moderately,' and yet my own de- mand o-mand for beer help4d directly to send these two girls reeling down the dark atr.rt to —(Gal alone knows what end. If liquor IR worth drinking, it Is worth taking a little trouble to eome at—such trouble as a mac will undergo to compos. his own desires. It 5. not good that we should lot 11 Ile before the eyes 01 children, and I have been • fool in writing to the con- trary.' This is important testimony. Reidyarfl Kipling le no unknown person. No one can amen him of intolerance or fanatic- ism. No one can Lunt him with liveor- anoe of life. mlyd■ aha •saute. "There's something wrong with 181a OS," dill erg pause married man to the milliner who has lmpnrted Parisian pekoes an well se style's. "It 1s correct In every Item;p soler look- ing It over. " Eight dollars for that,. bled, no big♦se. .., �,._. than Tny fist. " 'Yes, sir, and cheap at that ' "All right, madam, I'll settle, hut It'. robbery We bed our first ieloilenreary yesterday, and I bought a tan ) ,end tur- key for 11.211_' A new anus*. Card games are Intcremtlng. Some Of theme are elan called "round" games be- cause they are not invariably "on the squire. " Thenen fs one called "speck.." I have often played 1l Briefly, It 1e this: I take the black cards. You take the end. Theo lay out e)tesnwtely, and the Abet that tuner np the are of spades wins 1ta nherm Iles to atm simplicity—and the Mus. person's. --Moonshine. ttl°AIijjy Pon VAIOADDRittraPtE1 DOS Dr. Ward's Blood aed Nerve Plat',