San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-06-28

mist hung for a while over etesTthin
which was a fortunate circtmstanc
Walter recalled the voyagersl shut
amid the ice foes Of the Arcic. Ta
boat was surrounded on three saes, NJ
on the other were floating islads ar
irregular tongues and fragments Sytic
though numerous, still afforded pospec
of escape. The men were got "a and
put in kind of towing harness and
mule also was landed, for the Mace
was sometimes strong enough e' to
support grazing cattle and the I've
huts. But these assistants fiouA IA
painfully along-one of the men IVA
only saved from sinking out OF Sgs
the personal bravery of Walters
very slow progress was made.
Meantime, the boats had been pei
as good state of defense as posaA
Suddenly the fog lifted and showed Ssx
this was precaution by no Mans
thrown away, for the enemy were ap
preaching. They had by some mean
secured three bateaux of their own, BE-
sides number Of small boat,. Thsr
large craft could not approach closely,H
is true, for the same reason that preve1t
ed Walters progress, but no such limits
ton hindered the light proas and cha
lupas; these darted hither and thither a
will.
Corcovedo disembarked on the chin
ampa large force, in charge of expes1
fenced guides. His men avoided thu
N
tall rushes, and, when they had comd
within range, even crawled on thei
| hands and knees. Don Walters fore}
most boat, making a desperate push
under dread of impending capture, final
| ly broke through her embarrassments and
escaped into ne open lake. He signaleX
| her not to attempt to render him assis
ance, but to look out for her own safe1
The combat could have only one poI
| sible issue Adversaries swarmed o
| nearly all sides in the light boats, an
those on the land presently sprang y
and charged with fierce yells. They e
| tered at the bow, the stern and ami
ships, all at the same moment. If throw
| back, they were driven on again by TIL
swords of their leaders, whom a tast
of the treasure had made like raveniItI
wolves. So this strange combat ragged IA
the marshes, and many men fell in death
among the fragrant flowers through
which they had crawled in their eDelS
| of pursuit. Don Walter reCogR>s IS
some of the very men Of the Third bat
talon of the line who had made the in
solent fOray into the garden the day he
was with Amy. Pablo drew himself
stealthlly to his feet among the bodies
on the deck and attempted to stab him.
but was cut down in the act, and thus
that revengeful servitor finally met hi
end.
When the young commander saw that
no further shred of hope remained, he
caused a white flag to be raised on =
oar from behind portion Of the cad
which he had kept clear as last refuget
Having taken this step in the hope N
preventing the effusion Of more blood,
he himself, las III supreme despair, plungsf
overheard,
The vlctors waited for him to COM
|
to fire. But he did not reappear at all
and they made up their minds that id
the disappointment of his utter over
throw he had put an end to himself
Don Walter, however, "a powerful swim
mer, having dived beneath the surface,
had remained there 50 long a time that
he was all but bursting. and then came
up among the sedges on the border of a
piece of the terra infrma many rod,
away He presented but the merest frac-
ton of his visage to the upper air, and
even then shots were being fired in his
direction in an experimental way.
| When his lungs were full once more,
he dived again, this time with an origi-
nal, almost incredible, plan. 1t was his
purpose to swim directly beneath the
chinampa, as legend related that bandits
had sometimes done when pursued after
! their attacks on commerce in simila<
| lakes.
1t was naturally an undertaking
of great peril. He propelled him
swiftly through the dark and mu
waters; vine like tendrils and ro
reaching nearly to the bottom eau
him and impeded his progress; alb,
could be dimly made out convolu
masses like the Gorgeous snaky loo
On first rising he had miscalculated
distance, his head touched somethi
viscid and trammeling. Consciousne
grew vague; surely now the end Id
come-and so he had ended thus! Il