The Arkansaw traveler., 1882-12-03

surface to our view for miles around. We saw nothing afar. but al our feet something that stayed us. It was dark line, apparently crack in the | plain. In depth and width it was no, more than an ordinary ditch; but as the eye followed its course it appeared to ge, deeper and wider.
 Dismount your soldiers ? said the vo- man in whisper. Let them leave their horses here they will be better without them"
 did as directed. without a word. ex- cept that commanding my men to get afoot. 4 few took charge of the horses i; the rest stood in readiness for wha; was to follow-whaterer this should be.
 It was soon made known by the guide dropping down into the dark cleft, where she was almost hidden from our view The mystery of her former disappearance. as well as appearapee-the strange sud denness of both-were now made known to me. We were at the entrance of l barraHca-one of those singular chasrls peculiar to the Mexican tableland. stretch ing miles across the plains. yawning deep into the earth. unseen. till you stand upon the very edge of its esoarpment. They begin in mere crack. or .,trdyo. the conduit of rains: growing deeper and wider zs they descend towards some elf enclosed stream.
 l. was into this the woman had dropped, as into a trap on the stage of a theatre
 After me-" she said on descending keep close: tread lightly: and dont speak word to one another. Make the ss,yh,es, noise. d-the spirits of the prairie may be reused. Ii so, then Hush. come on.
 As she finished speaking her head sank below the level of the prairie. and l sas she was keeping along the cleft. in the direction towards which |, deepened
 Letting myself down as she had done, commanded my men to follow me.
 Soon we fell into single file: so de- soending through a gap that gradually grew deeper. without becoming much wider. Its jaws on each side rose precip- itous above our heads. until we saw but a streak of sky diInly discemible by the light of the moon.
 For several hundred yards we cont.n- ued to descend. Then the chasm opened our path debouching into a ravine ct greater width. with torrent rushing along its bed. Into this we turned and followed our guide. who again cautioned us to s,- lence.
 The rasine soon became a valley with an open neadow-like expanse. and trees growing around it. On its edge the WIG man stopped, and pointed to a spot over shadowed by the preoipiee rising above them.
 :. Now, Senor captain" she said. ..yon see those white spots under the shadow of the cliff! They are teats In one of them IS Senorita Sacramento Zavala. t5e on. and rescue her.
 was aware of what the woman mean. On the way she had told me ali.
 With stealth we advanced upon the tents. Inside we found men-more than a dozen-and in one of them q woman. IL was Sacramento she was safe.
 Among the men was Ramon" the chief of the robber band-whi,e men and Mexicans-who. in the guise of Indian had been accustomed to make descent, upon the settlements of TeNas. The friendship of fosier-s;ster saved my Sac ramenta. for in this relation stood thu. " "Apparition of the Prairie" No douot other motives had to do with it: as she herself admitted. jealousy and revenge The robber chief was becoming too fond of his captive. Fear alone had nhindered him from accomplishing her ruin: fear of the strange woman who led us 10 theii lair.
 The drama had it's ,feaeH.4staf in some wholesale hanging. We earned the bng ands back. and delivered them over 10 justice. With the.r crimes already re corded, 1t was short shrift for them and all ended their career upon the scaffoiG -Esekange.