TROPIC EXPERIENCE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12825, 8 June 1907, Page 11

TROPIC EXPERIENCE.

Bt Aiu-a***-*' i-T.K Two mon were riding along the dark- . iwo "■»".. tra jj 1U hctiat.br. Ihe drippeu » bl . lK . nt h and sent water across theji ailonna th oi 1. 1° ia of an hour bcloro, blotting 2t I I nlaPO aa completely us il t£ riders were journeying into the 8 _iio tall man-tho American—rode _ra_rd as if he bad not a responsi- & in life with head down nnd rein Ws lack At least, so thought the tfoiaS who r,,11 ° ,logg(: * l i y 1,e,,,,,d hfin bit ho could not see tho expru. Tn'on tho Americans face as he pus h- $ his burro through tho gloom, with his band on his revolver, Momentarily Krt for the attack which ho hud exoectwl for the pnst four hours. P ''lf," murmured tho American, if RiDtiste were not it 'yellow belly, 1 could confide in him. but whnts.t lie naP Ho would either dio of fright or turn tail and run for the nearest wimp, ntid this money must bo riolirored to-morrow. The Jamaicans are nlready on a striko in somo of tlio Mjnp*. brcansa tho pay car did not thornp last month, aud I'vo got to (fcli«r tl.o goods, that's all. , Hero his reverie was broken off by the Spaniard, who shivered us fho plaintive cry of a wildcat fell on tlio art-and ho said: "It is necessaire to ,«_!» much carefulness, Senor Hill, IXTO no mncho four for tho inula sees ill right." "Hint up, " Baptiste,' Browled Paul Hill, "d'ye want everybody to know wo are on tho trail.-' ~ His companion mado no repiy, out ho miffed under his breath, 'Tig of America p." , ~ . Hnd he known that the American tarried 30.000 dollars in his saddle ' Uja and that this knowledge wns shared oy three desperadoes, ho would have -followed somewhat distant from Iho piymaater's heels, a fact that Paul Hill ■fee* only, too well, and, theroforo, kept ifes confidence to himself. "Tho"? wero noaring tho little camp whare the railroad touches the rivor before climbing tho long ascent through ttis'Andes, and Hill's faco lighted with ;•. r»li*f to ho saw a light gleaming in tlu <l«i_tr> shanty that served as commi. «iry and post office, and general Iriiucing headquarters. A few minutes later, the.eonmi of>gn!loping hoofs throuah the muddy trail, .decreased to a wslk, then silence. I HUI: 'leaned forward and list«JHd Intently to the noißO of half clrnt\ken, roices that camo from the honi*,,;hU,h6ad tilted to ono sielo to ! cstch ih«filnte«t sound beforo bo hau- . V» "HollOfttho houso," without dis- - ..ißonqtiirtg.';>.; In a moment there was a snd a tall, wiry Jamaican $imt shuffling out of tho houso.. but ho MfJ7'tHrt* speak until he reached tho gM«riOftn_ aide. Thon, stroking tho im\ pinto'a mano, ho (mid signifioant- , |P;"Thero nro two frosh ponies over ktfjhe corral, and yon had better go iPK. fiht through to-night on tho uppor imfl. . ' . §Pl_B7 travellers slowly rode over lo jflfiawrral, nnd Baptieto" mod© off to tlio |j';tifatina for his favourite drink of maiiftni, and then Benigno, the mulero, |/th»parcd as ho cincbed tho eaddle, ysß*ra>is a letter that the padre left flWiftin about half an hour ago, but pbn'i try to read it hero in camp." gft'Hill grabbod tho letter, and called to iwaiSpaniard, ".aminos, BaptL-te." the open window thero came iKutHii. reply, ''I wait for manana, Se§S.* jflißlfiho mulero had boon impreesed |:M,|li7pa<h*o'a cal) and urged, "Don CBlStute, this is a fine riding animal, Will not bo hero in tho morning, |7ffesJ» foromnn from 'Mile 23' tole- ? "OTtied for a frosh pony to bo hold in 7 tjWJWfbr him," !Mk»TO . waste any more breath on fgttlj'+Boniirno," sneoi-cd Hill, na he iwMfchia bnok upon the valley, and iflwttMs* started up tho canyon, ap:.&t\ _,the epure until ho hnd rounded 7w?;€ttiryp. and shut out' tho view of 7si ( !»nlp, then halted suddenly, struck ■"'J&lfte. and read the note. >"i|Q_vrj<lo—A friend will meet you on ■'■:%..ti»i]l.„ Listen for tho lark's call '»Mfanswer it, but don't fire.—PaiMPaillllill turned in his saddle, and ,;.Wlo"l*l)fick across the canyon, a look jf|&Jt'|ilftxity on his face. AVas this a -|fffl"7; .No, no," ho said, aloud, "for fMWWitl'O Pacjuita'a writing. Bat |lflj| tvm she mean ?" Mjgll.taind leaped to the hacionda, distant, whero hi* fiancee, 'ijNntta Arias, lived surrounded by all caro that an over fond iaJP.; COllld give, and protected by a IJsHftttft of servants, tho chief of whom '- r * n «ian woman lam>, tho faith)j;fSMat«Mog of hor privacy. 1 ___IV. ef-V eonhl sho know of tlm f'J?j™*wi»ed attack," ho said to hinvolf. ■ __I* -j? °* 6t ' ca( !y riding on frcdh ";WW* & apt to change cconery and ''fiw'' ' n0 co,, ' ltl >* y- 1 " § nM ;B**eater vniietv of views than in ttwintains of Ecuadar. Tho cl<>;e trail had widened to the :;]JW| «* uplands of the Andes, and ''•mi i_f "" 16 no ' v ' ay <0 a " ?no ' c >' IJRWIow him as daylight began to ■ : *__ . _ r craOT alxive. "And still ffi?? 3 "P." ho s7iid to hinWlf; lww\jWi ha glanced with the monntninocr'a f__t at every proje<-ting rock ac :{|2s"2- of the trail nnd thanked his '"J3__- * n0 n<,xt rnnl P n,,< l bro.i!;ttr_!_. <Jin " y two hours away. Only monntJiineer, familiar tW the trick of potting the best Isffi * ut cf tJl ° annual over a dangf™«i;and uneven trail, could have WJJTfld.tho trail that Hill did in the *_?i_* c,> ,of tiino - Ho niadc no:id " __ H hia tnotfnluces. Now ho apFWO the spurs; now ho reiiwd in to - wnlk, and then again to a jWWMJ standstill. But always wi£h l-l*j* n « % <'nd in view, to get to tho end r T_r journey as quirkiv n« ptssibtc. P»»o beforo he roalbod it he wae in HRJ «f the mountain metrojxila*. a Pamaent of abodes and straw-thatched SS*** ajooping in tho cuplike dcp.rca&S_'^ n .- f <li,irn of tho tro P sc9 nwl 3j* a "J stirred the inlvabitante to noho had no sooner dropp«.:d Wiwidle f TT)m t __, B 0 f hie po"? of tho general storo than he Sp 0 * awaro that some exciteJP* hovered over tho camp. eW front; of tho cuartel there was a WjWtt cvowd of hangers-on and tho lwn« voieea of tho men on guard EfflWied him before he had crossed tlio ■2d_f' c caught n jest and the Iffiw chuckling laugh that attended IraPnd then beforo ho could enquire ffiH&Wio prLsoners wero .the foreman 0 -bridge gans cried out, "Hay,

but you aro lucky, Hill, they've ooppcrfd your road agent." "What"*- that?'' answered Hill in an incredulous voice. •Th" _>iiii_t capture you ever saw," tho tor'-in-m continued. '"And a woii.ila, too. nnd a young Spanish girl did the job as neat as you please. Talk aboat your grit, what do you think cf that?' For a miiiuto Hill's heart stood still and he g..zod spo!ll>,ui:d and unable to stir. This, thon, was tho meaning of Piiqaiias nolo that tho padro <kiiveii _. "Tho senorita belongs to tho quality,'' the i<;t'en.aji r.ildod, -and the old v.oinnr. who was witii her is bor body i.civaut, iiii-d they <an;e ail tho way trom hor l'.aher's hacienda, up near tiinto. tracking theiu bandits. Aiui the way it was do.no. Goo, they could give . .larloik Hohii-.s cards and spades. ,it seems, that tho Indian woman has btoii visiting ono oi tna-« holy (tens whero tho natives m;_e onto a year to be cured oi n;tNnnat;.»iii, and oiie civci Hoard theso lcilows t.UKing ah/tit holi.ii..g the paymu.>U'r up oil lm next trip. 'ilkv wi-ie two vaqtioios who worked at tho hacienda, and it boramo an ea.-iy matter fur Leo to watch tlieir ivspc.ially after confining to her inibtri66 who rc-kmsed her from all her household dutic-s tor that purpose. The old girl was out early and lite, «nui ono niyht &he carric<l concealed bcnoatli her robwo a jug of ruin pape, uhich they drank to tucir un-tloing. Ju.>t beforo she 6turtcd lor tho houso they made her promL-o to bring them eonio moro tlio next that thi;y "i.cro [.oing down to Guayaquil, ami would lotcli hor some jc-,\el-K.-ry when thoy i-iuuo back. That very ii.oi'iiiiig ono of the pulrcs started uiivn tlio traii, and the benorita sho sent you a warning letter." Uo on and try to talk l.u-tcr, it wont hurt you. Cut ont the opera and give im> tlio finale," fciid Hill impatiently.

"Well, to make it .vh<ut, tin- young lady sneaked away with tho Indian woman when it came timo to st.irt ou their trail, and they caiiipeel out day and always within tight of tho dtspcruilocs, waiting liko tho geiierais that thoy proved thomsclvos, until thoy would stri;;o an Auk..-ican camp bi-ioic isiiowing thoir hair;.. i_iiL nigut about X> t1a.".0 lcilows rode up to tbo cantina and wero drinking at tho bar when tho Indian woman 10..0 up at a furioue gallop, lollowty.l jit a distunco by <i idcudcr, dark-haired girl. Tho boys were all fitting around the placo smoking and tinging, and as soon a.s* they saw that old girl ride, up in that la-hiou thoy kaow that Eomeiiiing Wiis de>ing and they had their hands ou thedr KU'is pronto when she called out sharply in '-Anest thcee men, they aro bandidos, and aro going to rob tho paymaster." Tho vaqueros whirled around from the doorway, but 1 guess thero we 10 about seven guns covering them bcloro thoy could f*iy Jack Itobinson, and wo marched thorn over to tho Cuartel for sale keeping." "But where aro they now?" Hill ueked anxiously. "In tho Cuartel." "Good God, you don't tell mc that you vo imprisoned tho women, too?" xiill exclaimed. "Well, of all the idiots, tho women nro now asleep ot tho •Sisters' school, and tho fr'.nor.ta left word for you to call there just as soon as you arrived." The foreman stopped, and, noting the eager expression on his face, said: "By Jove, I did hoar that you were engaged to a Spanish girl, and I wojuk.- if "this is t<h© lady?" Hill did not answer him, but mounteel his pony and started across the plaza for tho old convent, whose tile roof pooped over tho high adclbe walls. A moment later ho was standing in the reception-room talking to tho Sister and thanki'rig her for her care of tho courageous guest. And then Paqurtn crrmo iruto the room. Her evra fell beftwc his, ami ho was speechless with aelmiration. "Will you," lie said, "tell mo why you did it. ParjuitaP" ''I—l did it for you, Pablo," sho faltered. .