The Motor Scout

with the Mollendists was not known, Pardo, if he came on the scene, would not hesitate to trump up a charge against him. So he hung about

d by selling lottery tickets and doing any odd jobs that came his way. No one in San Rosario had known him in his official career; none would have suspected that the thin, shabby, down-at-heel old man who haunted the street-corners, pestering folks to buy his grimy lottery

ere Roma?a sought a temporary lodging. Galdos already had some news for him. Mr.

ppress an Inglés; the British Government would say hard things at Lima, and the Prefect might find himself in hot water. He is a hotheaded, reckless imbecile; but some of his supporters are more prudent, and they would hesitate to provoke the anger of the government. But here, in this out-of-the-way town, many thin

refect do with h

caballero was arrested, they marched to the house and threatened mischief to the gendarmes. It was only the intervention of the se?ora that

one. If the worst happens he must take refuge with Se?or Mollendo until we

wondering how far the Prefect's tyranny might go, and taking a good deal of unnecessary blame to himself for having wished for a motor-bicycle. The machine, of course, was no more the cause of recent events than a ball of worsted is the cause of a kitten's playfuln

m's heaviness. Mr. O'Hagan was closely confined; gendarmes were flocking into the town, to overaw

the prisoner was to be tried by court-martial. The ordinary process of law was evidently too slow for the dictator; it left, perhaps, t

ry a civilian by court-martial

," said Roma?a. "He has procla

ondemned; what will the

ne, however large; nor with a term of imprisonment, however long. Nor would he even stop at confiscating Mr. O'Hagan's property, and let him go. There is only one safe way in

might be construed as treasonable by prejudiced minds. He swore, falsely, that he had heard his master declare that he would not pay the taxes, which were mere extortion. He declared that the ￡250 which Mr. O'Hagan had sent to Mollendo was not a ransom, but a contribution to the brigands'

iting his return in the cavern. But there was no help for it.

d as this. When his stupor passed, he cried out that he must go to his mother; that he would himself seek t

ed; you might suffer the same fate; then the gracious lady would be doubly bereav

y. "Suppose it were your father! Won't your Mollendists do something? There's a lot

wn is full of gendarmes. I don't know the caballero

nce on solitary travellers like t

s enough; they are ill-armed. There are a crowd of gendarmes and several troops of mercenaries already i

to join. They would fight

haps the Prefect will think better of it. No doubt he is uneasy at not having captured you; he will n

ce of all that Roma?a had said, and his ow

n. Roma?a was about to go again into the wood a few miles nearer the t

her, and bring word how

ck in the direction of the town. A mounted party of four was approaching, t

N ON TH

ter me!" sai

behind the screen of foliage, through which

Roma?a presently. "The

it is! And, Roma?a, look; I believe

ght! It is the se?or himself. He has escaped! Prais