The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-10-14
placed her on her feet. You too, senior.
No one can ride here"


[ No one can ride here"
The ledge made sharp turn to the
! right, and on the turn was not more
| than two feet wide. While Don Enri-
que held the girl in his arms, her head
buried in his shoulder, Pablo cautiously
led the mule she had been riding round
the turn. Then he returned to the
other, telling the two to go ahead.
Holding on to the rough rocks, with
one arm around Mercedes, Don Enri-
que moved inch by inch round the
point, and as they reached the other
side sank down on the WIDE platform
Where the mule was standing, fairly
faint with the reaction from the ner-
vous strain, while Mercedes tainted out
right
In the meantime Pablo had Degun to
cautiously drive the second mule round
the turn. just rs the animal was
twisting itself round, a diabolical series
of yells began up the pass, and the In
dians came running in. The mule
started, one foot slipped, and after a
moments vain paving to recover its
footing, it launched out into the air,
turning over and over. until it met its
death in the guilt below, smashed out of
shape on the pointed rocks. The mo-
ments hesitation which this gave the
Indians enabled Pablo to slip round
the turn in safety. Roughly shaking
Don Enrique. he said Significantly:
''NOw We fight, senorr'
Don Enrique sprang to his feet, and
with Pablo advanced to the edge; none
too soon, however. A head, coppery-
brown in color, where the hideous red
and black of the war-paint did not hide
it, was thrust around the rock only in
time to get cut from Pablo's nlachete,
or long knife. The next and the next,
and the next. seemingly urged on by
pressure from behind, Jared the same
way. Then came pause. A moment
afterwards a cloud of little arrows,
about eight inches long. each wrap
ped with tuft of cotton, flew through
the air, and then again there was
quiet.
Can they reach us from above,
Pablo?'
No. senior; dis only place.
Again the Indians tried to steal
round, and again Pablo's nadchete fell
But this time, what looked like stick
about three feet long had been turned
towards him. by an Indian living on
raising his arm to strike, he felt little
prick like pin in the leg. The arrow
fell to the ground, but Pablo, glancing
down, saw the end of fine splinter in
the wound. Don Enrique at once at
tempted to dig this out, but both he and
the peon knew it was no use. The cu-
rare poison had touched the blood, and
in less time than it takes to tell it,
20 70 faal
sank to the ground, the girl wiping the
cold perspiration from his forehead.
But while Don Enrique had been
busted with the peon, two of the In
dians had passed the point and third
was following. His revolver settled one
of them, but he missed the second shot
Catching up the heavy machete from
where the peOn had dropped it, he be-
gan hand-to-hand fight Feinting at
one over the head, he whirled the heavy
weapon around and caught his foe un-
der the arm, almost cutting him in
two Striding over the dead body, he
met two of them at once. The one to
left he struck on the head, laying the
brain open; but a glance showed him
that the mdchcte of the one to right was
coming down. He Just managed to
spring out of the way, when deafen-
ing report just by his ear, and the leap
of the Indian into the air, told him that
Mercedes had picked up the revolver
where he let it fall. To advance to the
corner and strike down the man COM
ing round was the work of moment,
and then, with sigh of relief, he rea-
liZed that he once more held the pass.
The rest was but for n moment though.
Taking the revolver from Mercedes,
and leaning cautiously round the rock,
he waited in silence. Before long he
saw a head raised, and fired, killing
the last one of the party after him.
During this time Pablo had been get
ting weaker and weaker. When Don
Enrique knelt beside him the peon was
almost gone, but he could murmur:
DE children, senor?"
care mine alwaysT
Goodbye, senorn' as the eyes, which
had been getting duller and duller, fin
ally closed and Pablo was gone
The broad road to Venezuela was
traversed slowly by Don Enrique and
his promised bride, and at the first
town they came to, very quiet and
somewhat hurried wedding took place
in the rude church of palm. However,
they reached the coast, and before
many weeks were safe in France. Nor
was it many years before another turn
in the political wheel brought back to
Columbia Don Enrique Gonzales and
his beautiful wife.