The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-07-23

breast high on his horse, and places to
be climbed and descended more like pre-
cipitous stairways than road. Now
and then he saw some mild Indian Daph-
mis- minding cattle, or peasant coming
down the trail, bending low under the
heavy burdens for the market.
He turned off to the right, by con-
Meeting trail, and reached his place after
about half Il days journey. He raised
some stock and coffee there, it appeared,
but there were no great signs of life
about it. However. it was not his in
tent to remain; he ordered a servant,
named Pablo, to collect u few articles he
had need of and prepare to accompany
him.
The man started back in energetic re-
fusal when the object was made known.
and it was only after the most positive
injunctions were laid upon him that he
submitted-and then in only Il sulky
way-tO go along.
They passed through the little hamlet
of Ell Jasmin, where hermitage stood,
and where the inhabitants were found
weaving fabrics Of coarse blue stuff and
making red earthenware pottery. Some
of the jars were large enough to have
held Aladdins forty thieves. Then they
reached Huetongo, a hamlet of much
more gloomy aspect, the rendezvous OF
a sparse population of charcoal burners.
Here was found, in fact. ''Cafe and
Cantina of the Yellow Snake" a dark,
forlorn little interior, with but few Gus
toners at that time of day. 1t was the
most promising place for negotiations
however. and Don Walter left the horses
there, and, with great difficulty, secured
guide. A second was afterwards en-
ployed in addition to the first, who pro-
fessed to have no great confidence in his
ability to point out the way, after all.
"You say neither Of you has ever real
ly been in the canyon, and you cannot
mention person who has actually seen
the Yellow Snake; then how do you
know there is one?" said Walter, argu-
ing in IL scofing way with these men,
when they stated their apprehensions
"How do you know it isn't a green
dragon or a blue monkey. instead of a
yellow snake?'
"No, senior, it is yellow snake" an
swered one of them, mournfully.
lis it the centoatl, that shines in the
dark? is it the saltillo, that leaps at You
all of IL sudden? VIII it devour a man!
Come, tell us all about it..
mo. senor," in a tone of panied re-
proach at this bold skepticism, "it runs
away before man. They say it's home
is on rock, and whenever it sees any
one coming it glides swiftly into boil
ing hot fountain"
- Pretty tough. isn't it, to stand that!
And now, if it runs away, why are you
afraid of it?'
1T is very bad luck to see it, my Pat
ron; that is we'll known"
"Oh, there you go again; always the
same old story of bad luck. Well, l ven
ture to say we shall not have any"
But with this he dismissed the contro-
versy, which was apparently having a
still further demoralizing effect on Pablo.
The way abounded in scenes Of wild
grandeur. These grew more savage as
they progressed, till the mind was divided
between admiration and fear. They
reached certain notable cave, and
paused there briefly Though but q
hundred feet from the path. it might
have been passed undetected. Within it
were an ancient platform and Il heather
altar and image. So noiseless, as it hap
pened. was their approach that they were