The Jasper weekly courier., 1892-07-15

sneaker was Mai. Archibald Wendell
and one Of the hcst-known clubs IN the
city was entertaining him. lie was
we'll known as a man OF adventure. and
MS story was eagerly demanded. ~
was in Rio Janeiro. he continued. ne
first month after my arrival ! met an
old acquaintance Of mine Jack Dorne,
= harun-scarum sort OF chap. VINO had
se.n nearly everything and been nearly
where. from BOSTON TO Singapore
~, had not met in three years, and
shere never was anything more IN
likely than our meeting in that out-of-
fhc-way place: and yet. III give You
NV word that ns l sauntered up the
shady side Of the street and met HIM
sanntcrng down the shady si'ie we
looked up. recognized each other
.na Iacis cried. as coolly as though we
A,d parted not an hour ago: Hello
Arrh, Want to 20 up into the mines
Lots II fun and good hunting
THAT Jack was funny fellow.
lie had got . phil with some
man that was making loads o'
money in tie mines, and he was at that
-;me bnsilv engaged in LAYING up fcr a
rainy dav. He showed me his bank
t..,oi-. with some very handsome ngurrs
~ III credit. Well. nothing suited me
b,.,.sr than 70 see the interior of the
r,rntrv little. and the end of u wa'
mat IN ten minutes had promised =
90. and in less than three hours "'
were On the way and were rapidly ieas
no TIC city behind MS We had fin'
horses. Jack knew every foot of IN
,v.y and was friends with good man
people along the road and We coni'
afford to take our time and travel
slowly or as rapidly as we felt incl'nco
Jack had stopping places staked ont.
liz said. and knew quite well every "a
where we were going " spend ~
n;ybt. Jack kept telling stories of u
sun a the mines and Of the chance
for good hunting Of all kinds there, an
~ got along very clcvcrly. Bnt on n
fourth day. a. we logged along, an y
cident happened which upset Jack
~.a,.ulatious for that day Ny hor'
r,,,t his foot into hole and fell. lamin
himself 50 badly that haG TO walk m
lead him. For several hours We ma
bnt little headway. and dark came 90"
and found rs ten good miles snort
the place where Jack had expected
.,tnp. This don't look very pFomisinl
said Jack, dubiously. trying 70 rs
ahead into the gathering shadow
-Th.re's nasty creek bottu
ah.aa. and / hate like smoke
- through Il after dark. caug
= glimpse Of q snake as lo
~ thc Atlantic cable in that boti'
once. and haven't got through ~
ming vet Isut the next moment
cried: why. what was ] thinking I
There's a little hut just in the edge
the bottom on this side: an Old hf
wathcrcr lives there. Why. Of cour
vel spend the night right there 4
hurryin0 On we found the little hut
miserable place enough. thatched v
leaves and with a great hole broken
one corner Of the roof. but shelter
any rate.
.sThc old herb gathercr was nv
from home, but we look posseSsi
lighted a candle. helped ourselves
some food we found in the great cor
cupboard and stretched ourselves on
bed u sleep. We left the candle br
inv for fear ~ the ghosts Jack .
aud remember looking The room 9
slcepily by its dim light. ~nd seeing
tall. gaunt cupboard, whose door
had left open. and the dark hole IN
corner u the roof. The last thing
occurred to me was that ] couls
two ficry eyes cleaning out Of the y
ness through that hole, and then !
% sleep. had dream that was
of Snakes and era ling things.