Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-11-03

began between them. The road was
fri htful.
At one side the rocks lowered above
them until it seemed rs though they
reached the sky; while, on the other
hand, Il hidcous, yawning barrancd, as
they call those strange c~revices in tho
Andes and their associate ranges. went
down sheer some six or seven hundred
feet.
More and more frightful became tho
pass until the young girl was forced to
cover her eyes with her hand, unable to
look out any longer. Long before Pablo
had taken her BRIDE rein, while Don
Enrique rode behind. The mules, with
the wonderful instinct which marks
them. stepped rs carefully rs cats, try
ing every stone before resting their
weight upon it. Suddenly Pablo stop
ped.
Get down hero. scnorita," ho said,
rs. lifting her from the saddle, his
placed her ON her feet. You too, senior
No one can ride here"
The ledge made n 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 TIM
other, telling the two to 20 ahead
Holding on TO the rough rocks, With
one arm around Mercedes, Don EnrA-
que moved inch by inch round thn
point. and rs they reached the othcf
Side sank down on the wide platform
where the mule was standing, fairy
faint with the reaction from the net-
yous strain, while Mercedes tainted out
right.
In the meantime Pablo had begun 70
cautiously drive the second mule rourxF
the turn. just rs the ANNA! w1I3
twisting itself round, 4 diabolical series
of Wells began up the pass, and the lf'
dams came running in. The mup
started, one .oot slipped, and after +
moments vain paving to ecovc ltS
footing. it launched ont into the air,
turning over and over. until il met IT,
death in the guilt below, smashed out Oh
shape on the pointed rocks. The mo
mcnt's hesitation which this gave tho
Indians enabled Pablo to slip round
the turn in safety. Roughly shaking
Don Enrique. he said significantly:
Now we fight, senor!'
Don Enrique sprang to his feet, and
with Pablo advanced to the edge; mono
too soon, however. A head, copperY-
brown in color, where the hidcous rA
ana black of the war-palnt did not hidp
it, was thrust around the rock only N
time TO get n cut from Pablo's nldchef,
or long knife. The next and the mex
and the next. seemingly urged on 1N
pressure from behind, Jared the sanH
way. Then came u pause. A momeTn
afterwards a cloud of little arrows
about eight inches long. each wraT-
ped with q tuft of cotton, flew through
the air, and then again there WIS
quiet !
Can they reach US from above,
Pablo?"
mo. senior dis only place" 4
Again the Indians tried to ste3f'
round. and again Pablo's machete feh'
But this time, what looked like II stuck
about three feet long had been turncoN
towards him by an Indian lying OF
his stomach, and MS the peon WIS
raising his arm to strike. he felt a iittR
prick like a pin in the J"g. The arroU
fell to the ground. but Pablo. glancinS
down. saw the end of % fine splinter I'm
the wound. Don Enrique ut once at
tempted TO dig this out, but both he and
the peon knew it was no use. The Gu
rare poison had touched the blood, and
in less time than it takes to tell it,
Pablo began to feel numb all over antf
sank to the ground, the girl wiping tho
cold p~erspiration from his forehead.
But while Don Enrique had been
busted with the peOn, two Of the In
dams had passed the point and II third
was following. His revolver settled OnG
of them, but he missed the second shot,
Catching up the heavy mdchete frOfS
where the peon had dropped it, he be-
gan II hand-to-hand fight. Feinting a
one over the head, he whirled the heax
weapon around and caught his foe nm
der the arm, almost cutting him in
two. Striding over the dead body, hp
met two of them at once. The one to
left he struck on the head, laying ttb
brain open; but Il glance showed hfrh
that the machete of the one TO right was
coming down. He just managed b
spring out Of the way, when n deafen-
ing report just by his ear. and the leap
Of the Indian into the air, told him thai
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 n sigh of relief, he rea-
lied that he nee 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 u head raised. and fired. killing
the last one of the party after him.
During this time Pablo had been gcs-
ting weaker and weaker. When Don
Enrique knelt beside him the peon was
almost gone, but he could murmur:
de children. senor?"
care mine always!'
Goodbye, senor!" rs the eyes, which
had been getting dullcr and duller, fin
ally closed, and Pablo was gone. /,
The broad road to Venezuela Was
traverscd slowly by Don Enrique arr
his promised bride, and at the first
town they came 10. Il very quiet aIi1
somewhat hurried wedding took plaaa
in the rude church OF palm. However,.
they reached the coast. and befoEp'
many weeks were safe in Franco. Nor
was it many years before another turn
in the political wheel brought back 70