The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-04-24
hatcnet, az instrument not usually worl
by guides

| Il nave also pIStoi--lOokH'
He took out from his pocket a short
double barreled pistol and gave it to me-
I warning me that it was loaded.
was tempted to keep it.
In the Alps no one goes about armed
| pistols are implements Of luxury, intended
to be fired on joyful occasions such Us mar
riages.
But / thought that if he had intended to
make bad use Of it be would not have
shown it to NE. / returned it to him with
| cut speaking.
After walking quarter of an hour he
| said:
Excuse me. will return Immediately
| You go on. | wiz rejoin you in two min
utes"
And down the side Of the mountain he
went. Hardly had he left the path when
I followed him. / saw him run to heap of
! great rocks about ten yards off. He bent
down, moved two or three great stones,
! searching ON the ground and then turned
! around When he saw that | stood watch
| ing him he frowned, his eyes glittered, but
! he smoothed his forehead IN a moment
Il want to get this piece of bread and
| cheese that / hid here yesterday. l often
| 90 around the mountains and place food
| here and there"
He looked III my eyes and said:
Don't you believe it,"
NO" / did not believe it. l had seen
him take his bread out of his pocket, and
his confusion at being surprised must have
had reason. | began to feel greatly dis
| quoted. He perceived it and Immediately
became jovial and laxative He knew
me, he said: he asked the landlord about
me; he knew that was a writer, jour
| nalist in fact; it must be fine trade for
making money By the bagful. He knew
city life and always read the papers. He
knew also that had written operas for the
theater, another gold mine.
If had been willing to pay attention to
him he would have told me stories about
rogues.
All, you gentlemen come here Just fer
the fun of knowing what fatigue is. II
you only knew what il Was and how much
piece Of bread costs! And there are peo-
pie that would like to steal it from us!
They have here judges, jury, sheriffs and
detectives, all the bad things OF the earth,
and il they wish to come, let them come,
they will find me!'
Then he touched the pistol in his pocket
He was eloquent and excitable. like man
believing himself TO be followed ND by a
constant persecution. He spoke by Jerks,
and jumped from one subject to another
as If forced by tumultuous current of
ideas, and afraid OF losing them by taking
He certainly had some bitter enemy that
mysteriously Influenced all the acts of his
life. All his talk had reference to him; he
burst forth IN vague threats, uttered laugh
ing with set teeth; teeth white and firm.
capable of breaking a crown piece. Never
theless, in the depths of his eyes appeared
a tinlid and humble uneasiness contrast
ing with his violent words, which finally
treasured me completely. He understood
this also, and when offered him a cigar
said:
''You have thought evil of me- am not
a rogue. Come here and you will under.
stand everything" We had lately had
our first snowstorm, the path had broad
ened and not a blade of grass was to be
seen.
The whole mountain was a mass of gil
gantic rocks, half buried in the sand, soft
and moist from the recently melted snow
and the draining of the ice.
He led me by the hand in the labyrinth
until we arrived at kind of grotto formed
by two rocks lying against each other
lie entered OH hands and knees. and came
out with package OF a few pounds weight
wrapped in rags He unbound it and took
out cigars and tobacco. He was snug
gler.
Coming from Switzerland he scattered
his merchandise in many hiding places, in
order that it might not all fall into the
hands Of the officers.
When he had done up the package he re-
placed ii again in the cavity and turned to
me with a trustful face. Now that he had
himself told me his secret he no longer
feared me.
This is the safest storehouse," said ne.
''The custom house officers never come up
as far as here They know that at such
a height there are no shepherds to act as
witnesses Here | am master, and this is
my aid-de-camp," he added. taking out
from a crevice near by d custom house Off
GERS musket
A peasant cannot understand that SNUG
Cling is a guilty action; his moral sense
does not comprehend the notion of the
artificial rights of the state. He knows
that robbing and assaulting ones neigh
Dor are dishororable actions, but he does
not believe it to be dishonorable to buy an
object where he can get it cheapest and to
sell it where he can get the most for it.
To prohibit a traffic so natural seems to
him an intolerable imposition, against
which it is not only lawful bat meritorious
to rebel. Hence n violent hatred against
the custom house officers, and the firm in
tention to shoot them in cold blood if rec
essary.
The officers know this. and often when
they meet smuggler in rough and desert
place, ii they are not numerous enough to
overpower him, and il they do not think
the merchandise has special value, they
pretend not to see him and pass on looking
the other way.
1t is easy To shoot, and at those heights
body may easily De carried long distance
without detection. The officer does not re-
turn, suspicious fall on the true murderer,
patrols start out searching Tor the dead
man through the detiles Of the mountains,
but no one obtains sure proofs.
Ny guide had once found himself I'M
armed within range of two officers, and he
had escaped by a miracle. Al another
time, unseen. he had rolled down from the
cliff a quantity ot stones On the heads Of
two officers who were climbing up the
slope, and one of them. while endeaVoring
To escape, lost his musket.
That was the musket I showed you"
auutu JACQUES WIN iEluHt fHduJ at.
But what a horrible life: and the profit is
little You know"
He related 70 me his nocturnal trips in
winter alone over the deadly glaciers
loaded like a mule. Fogs Scset hirn and
kept him plotionless in a corner under \
rocky cave, afraid Of succum bling TO the
treacherous sleep of the moUntain-the icy
sleep, the inviRcible precursor Of death
He knew tbo~r raSSa~..s stem f-r s-a- ba