THE SMUGGLER'S CAPTIVE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 17, 21 January 1897, Page 10

THE SMUGGLER'S CAPTIVE.

XT SEWARD W. HOPKINS.

Author ef "• Emmefet. Girl,' «The Piiibuebers

of Venezuela,'etc.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

PON ANTONIO TAKES A HANU

It did nob bake them long to reach the bouse of Balvaz. ' Holy saints !' exclaimed the farmer, when he saw Hermanico. ' You home I' 'I am home, Balvaz,' replied Hermanico ; ' and it is a sorry borne to which I have reburned.' • Whab has happened .' asked Balvaz, seeing ab once that eome.hing was wrong. 'My uncle is murdered and the two young American ladies are stolen.' §aid Hermanico. • Good gracious ! Ib waa thab accursed engineer,' exclaimed Balvaz. ' I suspected that scoundrel. Why did he want to go there ab night? Ib waa all a blind, thab wanting to go to Lisbon.1 •No,'said Hermanico, • I think not. I do nob know whab you mean by wanting to go bo Lisbon. Bub bhe engineer was with my uncle. He shob Momez.' 1 Whab! Momez shob 1 Momez was on this very road yesterday,' •Ah 1 Then the gang came from near here. Did you see any of them V • No, I saw no one. I hear bhat Momez was seen talking wibh Father Cordota. ' My uncle's enemy.' ' A rascal. He has been ab bhe bottom of this.'' ' Tell me all you know,' said Hermanico, • I know nothing—only this : The man Andreas Wigg was tbe guest of Cordova. Ho remained there weeks without showing any impatience to getaway. Then suddenly, the day after the steamer sailed, he musb go to Lisbon, and Momez took him in his fishing schooner. Now Momez is back. Where is Andreaß Wigg . ' Thab we will learn,' said Hermanico. Then bo Sinclair and Turner he Baid : ' I learn from my friend, Balvaz, that Andreas Wigg lefb bhe island aboub a week ago for Lisbon, on bhe fishing vessel of bhe fellow you saw wibh his face shob away. Momez ia his name. Momez had always a bad reputabion, and my uncle believed bhat be was a pirabe. Bub law is lax here, and the people ignorant. There is more wrong than right in Taleredo.' i A pleasant place, truly,' eaid Turner. ' A good place to turn a few Gatling guns loose in.' ' If your friend Balvaz can be depended npon, perhaps he can help us,' said Sinclair. Hermanico shook his head. 'That he is faithful and trustworthy is as certain as thab we aro here bhia minute. Bub Ido nob bhink he can help us. There is nonhing he can do. He does not know the island or bbc people any better bhan I do myself. If ib came to a matter of numbers—if we needed a large force to fight these rascals—Balvaz will make one, and a good one. Beyond that he canaob go.' •Then we musb drop him and follow bhe priesb. If Bumpo Wigg goes bo this Cordova, and they go to meet Andreas, we can, by following bhem, brace the girls. Ib seems our only hope, and I confess ib ia a slightone.', ..,._ V • ThW, trouble is.,' said Hermanico, ' that we do nob know how '-strong the enemy is. We three mighb successfully follow the priesb and Bumpo Wigg and walk straight inbp a trap where''we's____Sdfe no better off than the young ladies. •We should in all probability meet the same fate that overcame my unfortunate uncle, Father Manuel.' ' We must guard againab bhat,' said Sinclair. ' I have been in their hands bwice. I might nob escape the third time.' 'Let me think,' said Hermanico. 'Is there any person ab Mantitta or Moneiro who can and will help ua ? I can recall no one. If Don Antonio de Taleredo were the right kind of man he could do ib, bub he baa never seemed to trouble himself with what goes on in hia domain so long as he gets his taxes and rents. And I do not know even if ho is home.' Turning to Balvaz, who had been standiag idly by while the conversation in English was going on, Hermanico said : ' Balvaz, one mighb almosb hope that in co serious and outrageous an affair as this Don Antonio could be roused into anger. Do you know if he is ab bhe castle ?' • Yes,' replied Balvaz. ' Don Antonio has been ab bhe castle for three days, feasting and drinking. His private yacht anchored off bhe west coasb bhree days ago. But he mighb nob listen, for he has many guests with bim.' 'He never visits hia island without gneßts,' replied Hermanico. * Yeb he might pause in bis entertaining to help save two American ladies. And he was my uncle's friend, as you know. His death mighb stir Don Anbonio. 5 •lb might—it might,' said Balvaz. ' Ah, if be would.' Even as they spoke tbero came to their ears tbe tramping of many horses' hoofs. Louder they became, until tie approaching cavalcade was ob the door of the cottage of Balvaz. Then a loud voice comjnanded : • Halt!' • Balvaz ! Balvaz !' shouted the same voice, imperatively. 'Saints!' exclaimed Balvaz. 'It is Don Anto .iff himself.' He rushed to the door, followed by the ahree friends. A strange sight meb them. The cavalcade consisted of nearly a dozen met. most of them young, all mounted on eplo-did horses from Don Antonio's stabl.B. Ab their head was Don Antonio himself, on a powerful white horse—a striking figure, that caused Sinclair and Turner to look at him with admiration and hope. Don Antonio was a tall, resolute-looking man. of about, fifty yeara of age. He wore a pure white uniform, which fitted him neatly, and sec off his lithe and elegant figure bo advantage. The brappings of hia J_orae were rich, and ho wore a eword. Balvaz and Hermanico stared in utter amazement. It was the firsb time since Don Antonio had become bhe owner of the ialand of Taleredo that bis people had seen him in military garb. There was no sign of bhe bacchanalian in Don Antonio. His face was, indeed, somewhat flushed, as if he had drunk considerable wine and feasted on rich foods, bub ib waa stern and angry. •Ab ! What! Hermanico, you here ?' be said, in English. •I have returned for a time, Don Antonio,'

said Hermanico. 'There have been Bad doings here since I wenb away.' * 1 know whab you mean. Your uncle's deabh. The news of ib reached my ears bhis morning, and ib is on thab mabber thab lam here. Your uncle was the worthiest priest thab Taleredo ever had. Though he was so good, and 1 so far from it, 1 loved old Manuel, and when I heard thab he had been cruelly murdered, I swore that the crime should meet with bhe punishment it deserved. I did nob know that you had returned. I had come to learn from Balvaz, who was your uncle's friend, what he knew of the murder.' •Alas! Don Antonio, Balvaz knows no more than I do,' said Hermanico. 'If you will listen, I will tell you all I know.' •Tell on,' said Don Antonio. *I am impatient.' ' Leb me tell you, then, aa a beginning, genor, bhab these two gentlemen with me are Americans. They are here in search of two young ladies who were stolen from America by two of the greatest villains that ever lived. The way we knew these young ladioa were here was this : When I wenb to bhe great ciby of New York, in America, I chanced to take lodgings in the same house where these gentlemen lived, and there they became my friends, and I learned wbab bad happened. In writing to uy uncle, I spoke of this, and he ab once wrobe back that the young ladies were in his house. They had boen taken away in a yacht belonging to one Andreas Wigg, and the yachs was wrecked off Moneiro. The young ladies were saved, and Andreas also. Another was saved—the engineer of bhe yacht. My uncle stood bebween bhe young ladies and all harm, while Father Cordova became the friend of Andreas Wigg. A week ago Andreas Wigg left Moneiro on the fishing - schooner of Momez for Lisbon. Father Manuel then thought all danger was pasb, and the girls would be safe when their friends came for them. When we arrived we found my uncle dead and bho engineer wounded in his bouse. Momez and two ot his ruffians lay dead, showing whab a gallant fight my old uncle made. The young ladies were gone. The engineer told us thab he had chanced to be ab hand in time to assist my uncle, and ib was he who killed Momez. We came here on the same errand as you, to learn what Balvaz knew. He knows nothing more than whab 1 have told you. ' On the same ship that brought ua from Lisbon came the brother ot Andreas Wigg, a small, evil-looking man, who has now gone toward Moneiro. From whab we already know, we believe ho has gone to Father Cordova, and we were thinking of watching them secretly to see if they joinod Andreas.' «I will attend to that,'said Don Antonio. • Leb us now go to your uncle's houße. I would see this wounded engineer.' At the rear of the cavalcade was a man in plain clothes, with a face as expressionless aa the side of a pumpkin. Don Antonio called him. j •It is your duby,' said Don Antonio, 'to i ksep a "watch on tho priesb Cordova in Moneiro. See if he has a guesb. If they leave Moneiro, follow them, and return to tell us where they wenb. Do nob leb them leave the island without notifying me in bimo to follow them. Do you understand ?' A nod waa the reply. 'Then go.' • Now,' said Don Antonio, when his messenger had gone, ' let us go to your uncle's house. Get horses of Balvaz thab you may keep up with us.' ' Balvaz,' said Hermanico, • Don Antonio is investigating my uncle's deabh and will punish bhe murderers. Leb us have bhree horses that we may ride wibh them.' . In a ehorb time three saddled horses from the farm of Balvaz were brought out Tho three friends mounted, and rode with Don Antonio. 'Forward!' said Don Antonio, and the Cavalcade moved toward Mantitta. 'You are surprised to ccc me in this uniform, said Don Antonio to Hermanico. 'I will isplain. I have, received a high appointment at the court. I am now an officer, not only of the army, but. of the Royal Household troops. Bub before I could have bhis fine commission I was compelled bo give the Queen Regenb a .promise. As you know, this island has been semewhat lawless. . It has come to the ears of Her Majesty that a band of pirates are preying upon the ships along bhe coast, and that they have their lair on Taleredo. She did nob ask me any questions, thereby withholding any opportunity or tempbabion for me to lie bo her. She simply commanded me, if I wished to remain in bhe royal favour, to exterminate these pirates. These men riding with me a8 my guests, are officers of the army, here to assist me in the work of getting rid of the pirates. I have been, perhaps, wofully lax in the past, but Her Majesty's commands are to be obeyed. In truth, I do nob know, as a mabter of fact, that those pirateß are here. Bub if they are, they shall be driven oub. My poaibioa ab bhe court mußb be maintained.' ' I am glad to hear you say so,' replied Hermanico. • I have nob yeb spoken to your friends,' said Don Antonio. Then, turning to Sinclair and Turner, he said : * I welcome you both to Taleredo. Consider yourselves, as well as my young friend Hermanico, my guests, and my castle as your home as long as you remain on my island. Things have gone wrong here, but they shall be made right. If the young ladies are on Taleredo they shall be returned to you, and the men who havo commibbed bhis outrage shall be severely punished.' •Thank you. We are grateful to you for your assistance,' replied Sinclair. When they reached the houae of Father Manuel, Don Antonio leaped from his horse and entered the door, leading the way. • This has been a bloody affair,' he said. • Ha! Here is Momez, wibh part of his face shot away, laid oub for burial, with a care greatly beyond hia desert. And here —ah !my poor friend, old Manuel. God rest his soul. He died in the performance of bis duty. He haa ever been right, and, though he pleaded wibh me, I have been deaf to his teachings, until now he is gone and will not see the beginning 4i right in Taleredo. Where is thab engineer ?' Morgan lay on his couch, much easier than he had beon before, for Hermanico's orders pertaining to hia comfort had been obeyed. 'This is Don Antonio de Taleredo,' said Hermanico, ' the owner of the island. He wishes to know all you have to tell concerning this affair.' -.' Leb him listen,* said Morgan. ' I will spin my yarn.' Don Antonio listened while Morgan rehearsed tbe events thab had occurred from tho time of the wreck up to the attack. Don Antonio's head was bowed when the engineer had finished. • This—this on my island !' be said * I musb have been blind. Bub ib shall be ended now. Let us return to my castle, to prepare a plan of attack. My scout may be there with news of Cordova. The man i. a false priest and a scoundrol. He shall be dealt with aa he deserves.' He led tho way out, remounted his horse, and, followed by the others, rode | quickly toward the castle. 'Good,'he said, as they approached the great .tone building. ' I see his ho-so standing in the court. The scout has returned with news of Cordova. Our revenge shall be quick, and ib *hall be terrible; Ride on. lam eager to begin.'