The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-06-20

then the thunder and lightning. Our
mules broke into a gallop. We enVei-
oped ourselves in the folds OF our great
wrappers, called tapaearas. lifting our
| heads once in q while to see where we
were going. Next we were treateo 70
shower of hailstones. Fortunately tney
were not very large bit we were ratner
severely thumped with them. Inc poor
animals Jared the worst.
"And then came the snow. Inc arc
tic regions could not furnish better e1.
ample of a snowstorm than this tropical
place! It fell so thick and fast we could
not see twenty steps in advance. my
heart failed me then Thought we were
lost, and would be buried in snowdrlfts.
"But just then dark object doomed up
before Us. AN Indian lodgeP l cried IN
joy.
THE guide said nothing but rode on
before me, and called to me 10 dismount'
was glad enough to do this, and he
pointed to the open doorway ofthe build
ING. 1t was so low | had to crawl
through it, but | was thankful to get IN
IN any fashion.
81 wonder, father, that you, were not
afraid of finding something dreadful IN
there"
81 did not stop to think abo the matter.
And then l knew there was something
dreadful outside. SO in | went, and
found the place entirely empty. The
guide followed me as S on as he had COW
cred the mules, and made them IS COM
Portable as he could" .,
at was deserted house, SUPPOSE"
"No; it was a tomb"
"a tombl Out in that lonely placer
eyes, but then the place had not al
WAYS peen lonely. l found out after
wards that that region was once inhablt-
ed by tribe of Indians. They all per-
ished before this country was discovered
by Europeans bat some OF their dwell.
inps and many of their tombs remained.
These tombs we're large stone buildings,
with one room, lighted by single win
dow. This room was capable of holding
ten or twelve dead bodies, placed IN sit.
ting posture. These bodies were first
embsimed made into what we call
nummies. When the tomb was full the
the door was sealed up. The Europeans
opened these sepulchres that had been
sealed up for centuries, and carried the
mummes away to put into museums.
THE tomb in which we had taken rel.
uge had been despoiled of It's mummies
long before. The room inside was about
ten feet square. 1t was of very large
stones, and had slopiDg walls. 1t was
cherries place enough, but seemed
sumptuous TO us, after what we bad pass
ed through.
ain half an hour the storm ceased and
we proceeded on our journey, hoping to
recover the read. But we could not for
night was approaching, WI h no prospect
Of shelter. So we retraced our steps TO
the sepulchre once more, lighted fire
within, consumed the last of our provi-
SONS, gave the mules what was left OF
their provender, and slept soundly all
night"
"Were you not afraid of wild beasts?'
"Thore were none in that region, or at
least the guide knew OF none. There
were too many settlements among The
mountains And the guide still insisted
upon it that we had not wandered tar
from the regular route. | had my doubts
on the subject, but they did not prevent
me from sleeping soundly, tor was very
tired.
The next morning was bright, and
we started of in better spirits, and with
renewed hope, though rather hungry.
Our hunger became so great after time
that it quite conquered our spirits. and
we stumbled about the rocks, sick and
dispiri.ed. We spared our mules all we
could, for the poor beast were nearly
worn out and half starved If they
failed us, we would indeed be in bad
plight.
"Finally, utterly exhausted, we all laid
down, beasts and men together, TO keep
warm, and to rest. | was just dropping
into n doze wien | heard the sound oil
music. The guide heard it, also, and we
both started up, and felt new life IN our
VEINS. So suddenly did hope spring up
in our hearts that ali fatigue dropped
from us as if by magic. The mules, too,
pricked up their ears at the srund. We
sprang upon their backs ard were soon
travelling towards the point from whence
the music came. 1t was not long before
we came upon the musician.
"a re.legged Indian, IN gay
striped cloak and broad Panama hat,
was running along at rapid pace, and
playing upon mou,h-organ. He led II
bony horse which trotted gently after
him Across it's back was leathern
bag.
@rhis man was mail carrier, and
was ON his way from the ses-cosst to
some mountain town. SO It turned out
that the guide was right, and we had
not been at any great distance from the
settlements nevertheless, had it not been
for the music of this poor little mouth
organ, we might have wandered OIL in a
contrary direction from the highway, and
have los. ourselves in the forest and per-
ished there. Indeed, We might never
have awakened from the sleep into which
we were falling when we heard the strain
OF music
"Did you so with the mail carrier,
father2'
mo. He was not going to the place
for which we were bound. But he told
us that just behind the spur of the noun
tain we would find an Indian village
And there we rested for a day and re.
freshed ourselves. and filled our pro-
vision bags, and procured guide to the
road we wished 10 take. The rest of my
Journey was made in safety
But, father, | don't think that was
tropical snow storm, when it happened
in SO cold place | always think OF
trop.c a. meaning hot
1T was a tropical snow storm, George,
certainly, for We were in the tropics, o. ly
few degrees south OF the equator. The
weather was cold because we were so
high in the sir.'-Frank b, !&ocktons
Tales ont Of School.