hadgiven him refuge from oppression.
But what was that? A call for help? _Whose voice was that?_
Riego plunged into the thick of the dust cloud toward the cry, anddropped by Pascual's side. How could he have known that his brotherwould ride that night with the invaders!
But Pascual was striving to speak. Riego leaned over him and caughtthe whisper:
"Lorente shot me down to get my horse and escape!"
And now the gringos were circling round the wounded one--they wouldbeat out his brains with their guns! But--but--why, they were liftinghim up, and _tenderly_! The Americans were lifting up his woundedbrother!
* * * * *
Many and bewildering were the things which happened to Riego in thenext few hours. First, he and the all-but-dead Pascual were carried bythe soldiers to the American camp. Then his brother was taken awayfrom him and borne into a closed tent.
The soldiers gathered around Riego and patted him on the shoulder.They gave him many things--things to eat and coins and pocket-knivesand tobacco-tags, all the while challenging him to smile--he whosecaptured brother was yonder!
Later the big captain sent for him and took him by the hand.
"Riego Yanez," he said, "I am proud to shake hands with an Americanhero!"
At length a tall soldier came to Riego and led him to the closed tent.But the tall soldier did not enter; he merely pushed the boy insidethe tent and dropped the khaki flap.
Riego blinked his eyes. Somebody was lying stretched out on a cot, andsomebody was fanning him--the Beautiful One and his brother! Riegocrept toward her suddenly outstretched hands.
Then he leaned over Pascual. But Pascual's eyes were closed and on hisface was a yellow pallor.
"The surgeon has taken out the ball," whispered the Beautiful One. "Hewill live, with good nursing, and I am on the job." She paused amoment, then asked, as she looked into his face with concern: "Aren'tyou happy, you tragic little soldier? Why don't you smile at the goodnews?"
"How--" began the child--and a strange, sick feeling swept overhim--"how long before he will be well enough to be stood against awall--and----"
"Why, you poor child!"--and the big tears sprang to the senorita'seyes--"your brother will not be stood against a wall and shot fortreason--never--_never_! And he's not going to be shut up in prison,either!"
"Riego Yanez," he said. "I am proud to shake hands withan American hero!"]
"But why, senorita? Why? The big captain knows that he was with Alva'smen."
"He is young--just a boy," and the senorita laid a tender hand uponthe head of the wounded lad. "He is the son of good parents andbrother to---- Oh, you tragic little soldier, can't you guess who itis has saved your brother?"
"_You_, senorita?"
"_Yourself_, Riego. Because you have been heroically loyal they are togive your brother another chance. We Americans, Riego"--and her whitehand closed upon his own to include him with her--"we Americans aregoing to nurse Pascual back to a better life and teach him how to befree!"
The sick lad stirred on his cot.
When the Beautiful One leaned over him in quick solicitude, hesmiled.
The Scribner Series of School Reading
A Uniform Series for Supplementary Reading in Schools. Each, 12mo, _net_, *$0.50.
Hero Tales Told in School. By JAMES BALDWIN. Illustrated.
Herakles, the Hero of Thebes, and Other Heroes of the Myth. By MARY E. BURT and ZENAIDE RAGEZIN. Illustrated.
Odysseus: The Hero of Ithaca. By MARY E. BURT. Illustrated.
The Boy General. By Mrs. GEORGE A. CUSTER and MARY E. BURT. Illustrated.
Don Quixote De La Mancha. By MIGUEL DE CERVANTES. From the translations of Duffield and Shelton. By MARY E. BURT and LUCY LEFFINGWELL CABLE.
The Cable Story Book. Selections for School Reading. By GEORGE W. CABLE. Edited by MARY E. BURT and LUCY L. CABLE. Illustrated.
The Hoosier School Boy. By EDWARD EGGLESTON. Illustrated.
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The Page Story Book. Selections for School Reading by THOMAS NELSON PAGE. Edited by FRANK E. SPALDING and CATHERINE T. BRYCE.
Poems of American Patriotism. Chosen by BRANDER MATTHEWS.
Some Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. By HOWARD PYLE. Illustrated by the Author.
The Roosevelt Book. Selections from the writings of Theodore Roosevelt, with an introduction by ROBERT BRIDGES. Illustrated.
A Child's Garden of Verses. By ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON. Illustrated.
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Fanciful Tales. By FRANK R. STOCKTON. Edited by JULIA E. LANGWORTHY. Illustrated.
Around the World in the Sloop Spray. By Captain JOSHUA SLOCUM. Illustrated.
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Children's Stories of American Literature, 1660-1860. By HENRIETTA CHRISTIAN WRIGHT.
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Children's Stories in American History. By HENRIETTA CHRISTIAN WRIGHT.
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Transcriber's Note
* Punctuation errors have been corrected.
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