, 1886-08-10
WORTH 5000 In GOLD.

WeuI up Jus 4htAlCdu Codotr Y 40
about three weeks. The accommodations
were miserable for a man with his health
knocked to pieces, but, through the cour-
tesy of an American named Barlow, who
was in business in the God-forsaken place,
l finally secured pretty fair quarters with
a native widow. l had a good room, a
good bed, and the dusky woman put her
self out to tempt my poor appetite with
her cookery. l had $500 in gold with me,
and Of this sun l placed t450 in Barlow's
hands for safe keeping. / had been told
that the natives had no scruples against
thieving and robbery, and 1 soon had
proofs of the fact. had not been in the
place four days when my room was raided
and a lot OF clothing carried of. 1 had a
trunk with a patent lock, and as the thief
could not get into 1t he would nave carried
1t of on his back had he not been inter
rupted.
After about a week my health began to
mend, and Barlow recommended to me a
native whom l could trust. / wanted to
ramble around, and felt that it would not
be safe without some one with me, not
only on account OF being seized at inter
walls with palpltation and fainting spells,
but 1t was stated That the neighborhood
was infested by a very rough class. l had
an American shotgun and revolver with
me, and, after getting a little strength in
my legs, | began rambling around The
name Of my man was Yu, and he could
speak only n few words OF English. We
went up and down the shore ut first, and
/ had pretty good luck shooting small
birds. On the third or fourth day we went
toward the hills. Yu carrying my gun
and a basket containing lun heon. Bar
low had told me hat there were some old
ruins worth seeing about four Lilies from
the suburbs, and 1 meant to take things
easy, and be gone all day. We pursued a
rough highway toward the hills, and
stopped about every half mile to
rest. 1t must have been fully loon
when we arrived at n place In the hills
where a tempe ha once stood. A good
deal OF the material had been carried of,
but there were many broken col
umns and blocks of stone lying around,
and a considerable amount OF masonry
was yet standing.
l was seated on a great block of stone
eating luncheon, while Yu was 10O feet
away trying to uncover a small animal
which had logged into II pile OF rubbish,
when l was suddenly confronted by five
as ~hard-looking cutthroa,s as any traveller
ever saw They were armed with mus
kets, single barrelled pistols, and murder
ous-lookinx knives. Owing to my posi-
ton they had to approach me in front,
and | had no sooner caught signt OF them
than l sprang W, revolver in hand, AMI
in one breath called to Yu and in the
next demanded their business. The
leader, as | was soon made aware, couli
speak English. At a sign from him five
muskets covered me at short range, and
he called upon me to surrender. Yu was
standing on a block with my gun in his
hands. They had given him no attention,
and II he had had the nerve TO open fire
at their backs 1 believe / could have
driven them off. However, when he saw
my fix he laid down the gun and TOOK a
run for IL, n was out OF sight in a mo-
ment. When | saw this / la d down my
revolver. and the men approached and
took possession of 1t. l knew them to be
robbers or worse, but / was not a bit rat
tied. Indeed. everything had happened
so swiftly that l had not had time To get
of my nerve. The leader spoke in a mon
grel dialect, half Spanish and half Eng
lish, which | will render all English for
the benefit of the reader.
"Does the gentleman surrenderin be
asked as they came forward.
"Yes. You intend to rob me, | pre-
sumef"
THE gentleman will not be treateo
hnrshly unless he resists us. You are M
Americani"
"Yes.p
"You were put ashore a week agof"
Dyes
"Mr. Barlow Is your friendf"
ayes"
"That is all. You will come with u.s."
II refuse to go. You nave my weapons,
and l have n watch and a small sum of
money which you may take, II robbery is
your object"
"Unless the gentleman goes with us we
shall leave him dead behind u.s."
Three of the men presented their cooked
muskets at my breast, with the muzzles
only two feet away, and waited for the
signal to shoot. l stepped down beside the
leader. he took my arm and we
started of into the hills without a word.
When l turned around, after going about
half a mile, i saw that two of the five
were missing. We had gone another half
mile, when they joined us, and they had Yu
with them. 1t eemed he had hidden him
self to see how affairs would turn and they
had discovered him. The man was dreal-
fully frightened, crying and wringlng his
hands, but instead OF offering him any vio-
lence they rather sought to cheer him up.
At the end Of two miles, which now made
us about six from the town, we turned
aside into a rocky path which twisted and
turned up a rough hill, and after n climb
which badly used me up we reached a
cave. l had my eyes open to note every
thing, and I made up my mind hat this
cave could only be reached from this
path. and three or four men could defend
the path against a hundred. The entrance
TO the cave was high enough and wide
enough to admit two men abreast. The
interior was one large, dry room, about
forty feet square, with plenty Of evidences
that II had been occupied for months or
years. There was n guard g. lie cave
when we arr.y:1, making the sixth man
of the band. This fellow was the tough
est man OF the lot, but had a wooden leg
and was forced to remain at home while
the others made their forays. He seemed
greatly excited over my capture. and
would have laid violent hands upon me
but for the commands Of the leader.
/ was conducted to the back end of the
cave, AMI mo. Toned to a seat on a pile OF
skins, and va WAS permitted to sit near
me. As soon as the robbers had with
drawn to the entrance for consultation,
the man drew his finger across his throat
as a sign TO me that we were to be muir
dered, and he then covered his face with
his hands and rocked his body to and fro
as II he had surrendered his last hope. !
did not believe the situation so very des-
perate. That they were brigands who
had captured me in the hope of a ransom,
/ had no doubt; but my mind was made
up that they SHOULD not get a cent except
as the final resort. After about a half an
hour the leader came to me and said !
must pay them 5000 in gold rs the price
Of my liberty. / had determined on a line
of conduct. and l laughed In his face. l
wa an American invalid who had sold all
his possessions to try asea voyage, and
had barely money enough to reside In this