Montezuma's Mines

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume VIII, Issue 2346, 8 September 1908, Page 4

Montezuma's Mines

h Romance of Love and Adventure Under Mexican Skies.

By ST. GEORGE RATBBONI.

CHAPTER XXIXi ' .(Continiwa.) ; ■-, Sl» asked him to Bit beside iier, ami to bide the confusion that still betrayunusually lively St Bob wis abl© to'lgathbr his forces and await»favourable opportunity to throw tiimnrifl.upoirlier fcnuer mercies. , . whey'lie was oi the train.. :. Perhaps, woman-like, she entertain- ; prince ae- . counted! for .the sudden flittme, .of tho American from the capital yet she pretended to be surprised that he should 60011 frtm,.tlie faiscinationsiofj city: lite. ner, , toft as } ,t)u>ugli shis i felt her. own »udden departure needed an oxi)lanation, which, difficult to givo in a coherent way. t • . -,1,'1t is a mere matter of business with me. awWita. r Such pngs orop up occaswn'ally to 'interferey with.. the bestUid plans.': I.am free to confess.that I know,ydu, and your uncle were to leave the city) but I should; have.been compelled to make the trip at any rate." She looked puzzled. ' ■ /')iDo jou go far, Senor Bob? "Jtiit'toValdosta." '' " Whyj thatiis.where.we stop, senor." • BEdly.Jwith>Bigh. . •Again, she. turned and looked into his face, and Dob endeavoured to appear about r, aB • disconsolate 'as a wretched sinner might. , . <'py—you know—l meant to stop at Valdosta?" she asked, slowly,' in tones expresjivo of wonder. > ' Iwas • so • informed : : senorit'a, and yet .I repeat-that wero you ■ etill it tho Iturbe; I should just now bo on the road to that mountain town. " I—l do'not understand you," shaking her; pretty Head and Mailing. ' Bob groaned inwardly—he felt like a guilty wretch; doubtless that was the !# noileihe would ever see upon her charming face. These Southern women can hate , as ■ ■ well as love j-Tritness the vindictive Lo- . pe4, who sat in the other car, and schemed t6'fbi;k,.liinj'ill. . ■ —mi Doubtless your uncle .is better inand I am .at a loss to know how ' it is He, has not. aroused your suspicions, _ good reasons, I presume. 1 have i.eome; jnto, • ypur presence now to 7 tell you what a wretch I am, and to ask you-to forgive me/V ' " Wretch!—JouT-and. ask. my forgivonMi; jfSu'aro not in earnest, 'Burely/ .-You have never done nit harm—it; is utterly impossible." i The' girl was amazed—she trembled ,! like a'bird under the. fascination of i 1 serpent, though the comparison wai ' hardly suited to' the honest; fellow win \ thus abashed himself in .desire to dt what was right. j '! I would to heaven; it'were Bible. : If I have done you injury, ij was 'without any intention on my parti Senorita;l throw myself on your mercy I trust you will not find it in youi to utterly, condemn me because J believing I waa right, I have been bolt enough to stand up and meet all as saultß." . ! ; She could hot forget what sho bat seen, and here was the hero of the trail - ,attack,- the bull-fight and the duel, beer gihg her to deal lightly with him—fo; 'WhatpDray ?—because he had dared t< .' fall in love with her P As'yet no iiikliiij of tho truth seemed to dawn u| on her, : "You still speak in enigmas, Seno • Bob'. bo.ng ignor ant bf the faiiltf i Continue to enliglit-i me, therefore. 1 since, as you say., ax; uncle has neglected to do ?o. i -.-■■■ He swallowed a lump ut hii throat, • "I know whither you are going, sen . orita, and why you speed to Valdosta, 1 - "Ah I" . With a start she rcgardei him keenly. . r . "Yes/ move than that, a miserable freak of faoe lias thrown, my fortune into tho.same game, the fight for tin . Montezuma -mines, and I find myself , i Wretched luck, competing against you interests." ■ She regarded,him steadily for amo nient, as though endeavouijiiig to gras] tho situation. Then a faint smile broke over he . face.''*..',; v ■ . "It was, as : you say, poor taste oi ■ your part, senor, that led you to joii the forces of that detestable Don Bas tiano, who would rob me of the inhcri tance that comes dowii in a direct lin through my Montezuma ancestors, am glad your eyes , havo been opened evon ut the, eleventh hoiir. It is no yet too late to make full reparation ,■ senor." - '), . "Perhaps not," ; he muttered, stil Sighing. ; , ' / "You know we art oh our way t( occupy tho disputed'property. Ju'stici is on our side. We. hayo exhausted al diplomacy, and, seems powei'lesi t° assist us. Hence, as my old nnrrioi ; tinclo says, we must now resort (o arm • ed forQo to recover our own. It is aw- : ful tb "think-of sbcddiiig • blood ovoi such a thing;'but lie declares .the curse of'the Montczumas will come upon us if we allow, these sacred trusts to Ik torn from us now by an interloper, But, senor, you have seen the error of youi ay. Come, jo'iii our company—be one in heart, with us.. Then, indeed, the past will be forgotten, anil we may continue our friendship. ' Surely,- you do not- Avisli to take up arms against me I" God -forbid I Sooner would I welcome death in any form. But, senor|ta, it is your uncle and Ill's allies «hu . are recognised ,as . the opposition—against whom ovory legal force has bran applied.," ' •, ' m S ei .' or lioTij it is all the saniu. lliey work in my interesMf tliev lose, • , lam bankrupt.",; ' :• - . • >O," eagerly, "since a compromiso would give you half of the pro ... pcrty." ,; k'i? s ' lu °k head defian»ly, It must be all or none—uncle lias

so declared, and the mountains can be moved sooner than lie. But this lias nothing to do with your coming over, to us, senor. See, I entreat you—what can hindorP" < Her hand rested on his arm—the contact sent a bounding wave of electricity through his whole being—had he been threatened with an attack of chills and fever he could not have shiivered more perceptibly. "Nothing save ut vow to remain triio to my principles," he muttered. "A vow, sonor?'! she laughed. "Why, ivho ever heard of a man's vow that, was not so framed as to allow of a retreat? Surely, you do not wish me evil?" ■

"On the contrary, I wish you every good gift of-the angels—you know it, senorita," hotly. "All I then you are no. longer to be reckoned on the other side—you havo .decided to abandon to his fate that wrotch Don BastHano, and help me to .win my own." ;

; ■ "Alas I it-.' is impossible." . "What I does that ridiculous vow still stand in the way ? : Lot me absolve you, then."

"You make my task the harder, senortia," he,said, grimly. ' 'How can that be, pray ?!' ; "Because I would give half my life in order to do as you'suggest, yet cail- ! not—because I value your friendship, youresteem, above everything on earth, and yet 'my honour causes me to do that which, alas, I fear, will mako mo lose them.both." . ( ■ iter face expressed incredulity, amazement.' "You say this, senor, because—" | "Because I chance to be that wretched Don Hastiano himself; your rival claimant for the Montezuma mines I" To be anituneo)