The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-06-24

the mines worked in that neighborhood.
| was led to tent, in which [ found
food, wine and water for repairing the
fatigue of the journey. In an hour a
messenger said:
"'Y You will ge to the tent of Ell Pad
ron Joaquin
''It was then midnight. On entering
the tent l saw the same man who had
accosted me on the shore Mt Rio.
." You have Gomez
"' promised
Listen. 1 am Joaquin, the CON
trabGn diey' en- diamants. The people
| whom you have seen are my friends and
my soldiers. This camp is guarded like
fort. 1t cannot be surprised. Nv
people obey my orders, whatever they
may be. i have paid their part of our
| gains ont of my own share. l 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 a diamond,
without satisfactory explanation, is DEATH
| These diamonds are of no value to me.
If in Europe, they would be fortune
Not fortune as you French deem, n
few thousand francs, but a fortune for
me, joaquin, upon which would live in
Europe like prince.
DO you fear 2
II felt the peril. On one hand it was
to die. On the other, TO return to
France AUec dc q,tOi UiUrG de mes
| rcntcs. 1 repeated that 1 was ready.
"A strong mule stood ready with n
| guide at its side. 1 received from the
hands of Joaquin small sack of leather,
which was concealed under my cloak
/ IL
n large knife with pistolet, and purse
! of money. The purse was made of the
/ tibres of the country. l have it yet.
with the knife. The pistolet was lost
| by the gunsmith.
." Frenchmanr said the Indian. take
| this sack and defend it as your life. 1t
| is the same thing as your life. If cap
tured with the sack you will not have
more than an Ave between you and
eternity. When You shall have travelled
two days and half the guide will return.
| Change clothes with him. Buy a carga
of charcoal. Disguise yourself as much
like a 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. / shall
/ be dead The sack will be yours.
II offered to give him my name and
the place in which l might be heard of
He had already obtained both from the
colonial agency I suppose. | was then
blindfolded and carried beyond the
limits of the camp.
''It was the rule of the band with all
strangers. In the morning the handage
was taken off by the guide, who had
walked at my side, and with whom /
did not exchange a word except to invite
him 10 take part of my food and wine,
which he did, sparingly. Arriving at
the point indicated, the guide stopped
dloahfhEge.d M the le2mmfiapeal mfipelao to exchange
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 n small gourd con
tanning the Juice OF n plant which gave
brown coloring 10 the skin. My halr,
which was long aud black, was made
straight. and with the slouched hat, gave
me an intermediate air rs something be
tween a iddrOHc and muletcer; q good
deal of coal dust grimed around nay 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
I =. i. Il. q, IL
sold. I knew well enough the money
and measures of the country. The guide
took final look ut me. | offered him
money. which he declined by gesture
He then turned into the forest, and |
was left with my mule and his precious
burden.
81 was within three leagues of Rio and
advanced driving the mule before me.
met many of the stolid people who
made signs of salutation with more or
less curiosity Some seemed to think
I was new merchond ou charlton, but
none seemed TO doubt my nationality.
OF course / kept the mule between my
self and these passengers as much as
possible. / began to think it would do
Ny thoughts had indeed escaped from
the peril of my situation and | was
beginning to think once more of Paris
and the Rio Guingette wherein two years
before had left little girl who [ had
thought to marry so soon as / should
have acquired the means to do so. A
prospect was now apparent. began
| to retrace her features. It occurred to
my mind that in returning to France as
a millionaireG should embarrass the poor
| girl greatly by elevating her to a social
! class so far above her own. In justice
/ to her, then, would not complicate her,
or myself In thus meditating I was
startled by a 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.
' Senior, said he, the road is guarded
by soldiers. They have heard that a
large value (r,uchos reales) has been
taken from the mines, and they await
| the bearer. Buenos dios Senor And,
| this impassive messenger turned and
disappeared.
''It was certainly unnecessary for him
to advise me. 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. / had nothing but
a knife with which to make an excava-
/ tion. | 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 j marked the way from the path
/ way in the most prudent manner posi-