The Cecil Whig., 1865-05-20
zn a Tight Place.

IA, in Peru. About fifty yards from the
road that dips into thc northern end Of tie
gorge there crops out from the green sward a
rugged mass Of rock, which is i'll the form OF
II truncatcd cone, there stands a man in ar.
NOR.
lie has stood there for over two thousand
wears. 1t is natural. therefore. that his iron
clothes should be somewhat rusty which
they are. Through the grWe of his vizor
there CLEANS something that looks white
and dry. That is his skull j. has been
white and dry for over TIVE centuries. The
people of the country. few of whom ever
pass that way, have a superstition about
him. A kings ransom (whatcyer that may
be when reduced into currency would not
tempt one Of them to climb to the summit
of the rugged cone and inspect the Man in
Armor. | slept under his shadow, in peace,
for more than week, when my horse was
lame, and brigands were inicsting the neigh
horhood As Il patrolman. ] consider the
Man i'll Armour equivalent to about seven
members of Mayor Hcnry's admirable re-
serve police.
waved my hand TO the Man in Armor
one fine morning, and mounting my trusty
stved divcd into the valley at its northern
end. nor pulled brid,r until | had emerged
at the southern. There found IL posuda,
or, in plain English an inn. The daughter
of the hous was lovely, and her name was
Margarta. She shuddcred one day when
told her how had slept under the shadow
of the Man of Armor, and made as though
she preferred to decline conversation about
him but fastened her with my eye, and
she spoke nj last. though with pallor.
"Oncc.' quoth Mar.arita ''thc Man in
Armor was robhcr, known to the people
for miles around AS PaSqualc the brigand. --
lie kept II posada himself and was the invrn-
tor of the cinto." ''Ani what is the cinto,
rrithce, beautiful Margarita 2" "Whcn a
traveller stopped while at the posada, said
she girl, land didn't give the rascal who
kept it chance to rob and murder him. but
rode forward on his way, he generally found
his horse lame before he had gone any great
distance Then he would return to the po.
sada. where he would decide to pass the
night probably. unable-to discover the cause
rf his horse Iamencss. Next he would be
killed in the course of the night, and his re,
mains thrown into the cleft known to the
present day as the Rift Of Death. The horse
would be all right. One touch of a knife
would remove the thread Of strong w,,Ncd
silk tied so tight by the robhor just above
the animals paScrn. and concealed among
the hair. causing temporary lamencSs. That
lgaturc is what we call the cinto.' said Mar
garita. with nnivc;c charming in one So
we'll. never mind
Pasqualc prcspcrcd so greatly on his
murders and acquired such grand stud of
horses by means of the cnto. tlat, like all
shoddy men. he became very solicitous about
his life Once he caught Tartar in liv
cIer, who gave him the contents of his pistol
instead ci his purse. This warning the
wounded PasquaIe took seriously to heart.
lie FURNISHED up an old suit Of ancestral
armor PaSqualc maintained ancestors. and
in this he continued to pursue his unholy
yallng-an irOn.clad man from head to foot.
Better for Pasquale had he gone in brass.
There was Jesuit missionary in these
parts. well known and greatly esteemed as
The Padre Barolo. think there is a work
of his extant upon the geology of t dis
irict in which am supposed to be soouin
ing. The convent to which Barolo belonged
enjoyed Il reputation for wealth, and to de
sIol riat institution of its treasures had
Song been scheme that lay deeply crlcd
up in the robbcr Pasquale's heart. The willy
Jesuit was aware of this, He even got It'd
ings of certain time at which PaSqualc's
Ilan was to be put into execution. and he
resolved to Illustrate it after fashion of his
own. Pasquale had fifty brigands to back
him.
at was a beautiful morning as the Padre
Bartoo arrived at the head of the pass Of
Tnmara upon his mule. He was not startled
at the vision of an iron-clad warrior ON
horseback just emerging from the gorge. for
he knew Pasoualc well and had once under
taken to convert him. but II was not to be.
My son, said the Padre, mcn,laciously ad-
dressing the robber in his most dulcct tones.
Il pray for you daily. Just now cursed
YOU; however, | ,9iract. AS | arrived at
the high ground q Rilc behind me | observed
from ii that our convent is in flames, and
that there is wild hurrying to and fro. -
pasqunle has done this, said accurscd be
pasquale' Forgive nc. my son. ! spoke
in the heat of the moment. and my Heart
mcis toward you now that ! see you here.
Chamber to the summit Of that conical rock,
and thence you will dcscly the devastation
that the cv,doer8 have wrought upon her
holy shrincs. Bless you, son pasquale. !
will hold your horse
Stunned at being forestalled in his dar-
ling project, the unsuspecing rohbcr de-
sccnded from his horse, climbed up the fatal
rock with such agility as his iron trammels
would allow, and stood upright on the sum
nit of it.
''IIe has stood there ever since
'''Ihe willy Jesuit in the course of his geo
logical researches, had discovered that the
stone forming the apex of the strange rock
was a loadstonc of wonderful power. No
force could wrench iron from it. t''Blcss
YOU. my son ! cried he, as he rode away.
waving bis hand toward the miserable brig
and. Bless you, my son we will do what
we can for the repose Of your soul, hut |
have no fears. Do not struggle. Inevitable
destiny has at last fallen upon you, and your
hour is come. Spare your anathemas.-
There you are, while the iron lasts, specta-
Gle and warning for ages to the assassin
and the robber. Cursed be he who attempts
to remove you. These are the words Of Bar
tolo, and they shall be inscribed upon the
rock
''But why didn't the robber walk out OF
his iron clothes. Margarta, and vacate the
fatal formation?' q
"Because he was dead replied Margarita,
'IIe died of fright at the awfui words OF
Padre Bartolo, whose curse afterwards
craven upon the rock, though it is not dis
cernible now, being worn away by the hand
of time
And the Man in Armor stands on his rock
to the present day, probably, striking illus
tration of the right man in tight place.
ITzfhpp tttrM M1ln Is To knnN