The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-06-23

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was led to tent, in which I found
fatigue of the journey. In an hour
messenger said:
"'Y You will go to the tent of Ell Pad
ron Joaquin
1T was then midnight. On entering
the tent / saw the same man who had
accosted me on the shore at Rio.
IS You have Gomez
"'I promised
ssLsten. I am Joaquin, the con-
traba'e dfer en- dianea'ats. The people
whom you have seen are my friends and
my soldiers. This camp is guarded like
a fort. 1t cannot be surprised. My
people obey my orders, whatever they
may be. I have paid their part of our
gains out of my own share. I have for
years put apart the most valuable jewels.
The vigilance of the Government renders
it impossible for me to send them away
To be found in possession of diamond,
without satisfactory explanation, is death.
These diamonds are of no value to me-
If in Europe, they would be fortune.
Not a fortune as you French deem,
few thousand francs, but fortune for
me, joaquin, upon which would live in
Europe like prince
"tDo you fear?'
sT felt the peril. On one hand it was
to die. On the other, to return to
France. AVec de quoi vivre de mes
rentes. I repeated that was ready.
ga strong mule stood ready with
guide at its side. I received from the
hands of Joaquin small sack of leather,
which was concealed under my cloak
after had mounted. The man gave me
large knife with a pistolet, and purse
of money. The purse was made of the
fbres of the country. I have it yet.
with the knife. The pistolet was lost
by the gunsmith.
sFrenchmanp said the Indian, take
this sack and defend it as your life. 1t
is the same thing as your life. If cap
tr1red with the sack you will not have
more than an Ave between you and
eternity. When you shall have travelled
two days and a half the guide will return.
Change clothes with him. Buy carga
of charcoal. Disguise yourself as much
like charbonero as you can, and place
this sack under the charcoal. When you
shall have hidden the sack securely in
Rio, resume your name and employ
ment. Wait in Rio one year. If you
do not see me in that time you will re-
turn to Europe with the sack. I shall
be dead. The sack will be yours.
81 offered to give him my name and
the place in which I might be heard of.
He had already obtained both from the
colonial agency suppose. was then
blindfolded and carried beyond the
limits of the camp.
cit was the rule of the band with all
strangers. In the morning the bandage
was taken off by the guide, who had
walked at my side, and with whom I
did not exchange word except to invite
him to take part of my food and wine,
which he did, sparingly. Arriving at
the point indicated, the guide stopped
I obeyed the command to exchange
clothing, in which, indeed, I received
a very poor equivalent. The hat of
coarse fibre, the shirt of cotton, the
pantaloons of the same material, which
came no lower than my knees, with
coarse sandals, completed the attire
The guide produced a small gourd con-
tanning the juice of plant which gave
brown coloring to the skin. My hair,
which was long and black, was made
straight, and with the slouched hat, gave
me an intermediate air as something be-
tween Iadroaee and a muleteer; good
deal of coal dust grimed around my neck,
face and eyes, completed the disguise.
The guide applied all this himself, step
ping back and regarding me from time
to time as an artist would have done his
work. He then took the saddle and
furniture from off the mule and led him
away into the forest In due time he
returned with three large sacks of char
coal bound upon the animal, and gave
me some instructions as to the measures
and prices at which the coal was to be
sold I knew well enough the money
and measures of the country. The guide
took final look at me. I offered him
money, which he declined by gesture.
He then turned into the forest, and I
was left with my mule and his precious
burden.
81 was within three leagues of Rio and
advanced driving the mule before me.
I met many of the stolid people who
made signs of salutation with more or
less curiosity. Some seemed to think
I was a new naercha,ad du charbOn, but
none seemed to doubt my nationality.
OF course / kept the mule between my
self and these passengers as much as
possible. 1 began to think it would do.
My thoughts had indeed escaped from
the peril of my situation and I was
beginning to think once more of Paris
and the Rio Guingette wherein two years
before I had left little girl who l had
thought to marry so soon as I should
have acquired the means to do So A
prospect was now apparent. I began
to retrace her features. 1t occurred to
my mind that in returning to France as
a millionaire I should embarrass the poor
girl greatly by elevating her to a social
class SO far above her own. In justice
to her, then, I would not complicate her,
or myself. In thus meditating was
startled by person who stood in front
of my mule. To my surprise it was the
guide, accoutred just as he had been
before our exchange of habiliments.
"'Senor,' said he, the road is guarded
by soldiers. They have heard that
large value (nauchos reales) has been
taken from the mines, and they await
the bearer. Buenos dios Senor.' And,
this impassive messenger turned and
disappeared.
ut was certainly unnecessary for him
to advise me. I turned my mule from
the pathway into the forest, took the
leather sack of diamonds on my shoulder
and proceeded to conceal it in some
place in which no one would be apt to
find it but myself 1 had nothing but
knife with which to make an excava-
ton. worked for several hours, and
having food for myself, led my mule to
water and tethered him to some shrubs
which he seemed to like, and toiled until
late in the night. When the day ap-
peared 1 marked the way from the path
way in the most prudent manner possi-
BILE, and taking my mule and its cargo,
somewhat diminished in value by the
deposit, resumed my road to market.
About IL o'clock I was halted by a picket
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