Part 36 (1/2)
”Feller-citizens,--For since I tuk up yur cause, I reck'n you'll gi'eto this chile to think he'll soon hev a bit o' fightin' An' 'specially as it's to be agin ole Santy, the durned skunk By the juin, as he war on't San Jacinty, there wan't be no more meercy for the cussed tyrant, same as, like a set of fools, we Texans showed him thar an' then Tell them what I sayed, Cap”
With which abrupt wind-up he dropped back upon his seat, gulping down a tuh it were table-beer
Kearney did tell the his comrade's speech faithfully as the _patois_ would per to their feet, rushi+ng round the table, and, Mexican fashi+on, enfolding the _Tejano_ in friendly e at an end, there was yet another toast to follow, the same which alound up the festivals of the ”Free Lances,” whatever the occasion Their leader, as often before, now again pronounced it--
”_Patria y Libertad_”
And never before did it have h the old convent, louder than any laughter of monks who may have ever , the door of the Refectory was suddenly pushed open, and aout--
”_Traicion_!”
”Treason!” echoed fifty voices as one, all again starting to their feet, and turning faces towards the alarmist The major-domo it ho, as the other _mozos_, was half equipped for a journey
”What orio?” demanded his master
”There's one can tell you better than I, Don Ruperto”
”Who? Where is he?”
”Outside, Senor A ustin”
”But how has he passed our sentry”
”Ah! _capitano_; I'd rather he told you himself”
Mysterious speech on the part of theit ”Call hi was needed; the person spoken of being in the environ close by; and Gregorio, again opening the door, drew him inside
”The _cochero_!” mentally exclai eyes on hih they knew not his na more of him than what they had learned in that note of the Condesa's, saying that he could be trusted, and their brief association with hiave them proof that he could
As he presented hi for breath, and really was He had only just arrived up the steep clied hardly half a dozen words with the major-domo, who had er, neither the Captain of the Free Lances nor Florence Kearney needed telling who sent him A sweet intuition told them that Rivas but asked--
”How have you found the way up here?”
”_Por Dios_! Senor, I've been here before-- these mountains--am well acquainted with all the paths everywhere around”
”But the sentry belo did you get past hin!”
”He wouldn't have heard it if I had, Senor _Pobre_! he'll never hear countersign again--nor anything else”