The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-10-15

few of Walters wounded who had been
left behind.
He came up with the retreating party
anew at the borders Of the Barranca.
But, thanks to the stout defense at the
breastworks, the greater part of. the
treasure was already at the bottom of
the trail Again u skillful rear guard
holly contested the way. Here, too, a
new subterfuge was employed. Mules
with mock loads of treasure and loudly
tinkling bells were sent down by mis-
leading paths and also through the jun
gle along the edge or the chasm. These
were eagerly followed. and served to dis
tract attention from the real movements.
The valiant rear guard, directed by Wal
ter, having accomplished all that was
possible above, now. plunged down the
steep descent. They took refuge in
hooks and crannies, and, aided by skill
full sharpskooting from below, still fired
back with telling effect upon the agrees
ors Now and then one on each side
fell in his tracks. The enemy rolled
down huge fragments of rock, as in some
battle of the giants; but these, after all,
were more terrifying than dangerous.
The train was we'll on it's way again
along the bottom of the Barranca before
Corcovedos men fairly entered it. AS
they formed and began to press forward,
they we're startled and given pause for
while by dire explosion. Walter had
concentrated all his remaining explosives
at a single point, and now fired the
mine. Its effect was to remove the arti-
fetal dixie thrown up by the late earth
quake and allow the boiling stream to
rush in over it's old bed once more. The
accumulated treasure was now safely
hidden from every human eye. Up to
this last moment he had cherished a
lingering hope of being able to take out
still further amount.
Pablo, for his part, stared round the
canyon with greedy and fearful eye, but
nothing was as it had been on the occa-
sion of his visit with his master. The
superstition of the Yellow Snake still
was only with great difficulty that some
ofsthem were urged forward. Those
WHO had objected most strenuously were
joined to body,of reinforcementsW which
had come up and were sent to skirt along
the margin Of the Barranca. What
with the difficulties of the ground and
the caution inspired by the prowess of
the pursued, the advance below was
necessarily slow, but Corcovedo said.
with savage glee:
eve shall take them presently like
rats in trap"
He counted on pushing them from be-
hind while the cooperating force should
cut them off on their exit in front.
Walter, too, saw this danger, and he
began to be weighed down by heavy
depression. His men had effected prod
igies of valors but as likely as not defeat
and destruction finally awaited them.
Then, too, all these desperate deeds had
been done, these lives had been lost, and
he felt that the treasure, even if saved,
must be tinged for evermore as with the
lurid stain Of blood. But this mood was
not of long duration; his indomitable
courage reasserted itself There was
hope in the fact that the force above,
making their way by q route which they
opened for the first time, progressed at a
slower rate than his own. He urged on
his command yet faster, doubling, and
again TRIPPING their pay as an induce
ment; but after awhile the enemy above
disappeared from sight, and then the re-
suit was only matter of conjecture