The National tribune., 1893-01-26
ga H

GSICSTCp2Si 13[4 SASSS$NS CItep dioiAs, Sohy
GSSS3pSI l&yySN&$% by which water came
S}SlB3JfS5Sy|l J8SSSssA%$ ITO the township
EaGfeSS5 5JIs.sIiSSS3SyTIYAN later on he would be-
think him of that mar
row escape at the third doorway. Whist a
mans head in the road, and he bent down
once more behind the cartridge, and pushed
his way upstream with difficulty, showing as
little of himself as possible. 1t was an officer
coming into the town late, probably been at
some Indian hut in one of their villages near
by, too near the fort to dare vengeance Oh
Spanish gallantries. John Tisden had often
heard the Spaniards talk of the Indian girls
while he worked in the forts plaza
Very silently; the moonlight was trouble
some to one just escaping, but, praise the
Lord who watches over bold Englishmen, the
guard had not yet discovered their loss, and
the water was bearably cold Never return
thanks too soon! The officer felt a romantic
wish to look back on the spot where lately he
had satisfied his hearts latest desire. He
reined his horse on rising slope and turn
ing in his saddle, glanced back over the
shadow-dappled land so that his eye, running
up the shiny ribbon of stream, suddenly saw
the black dot laboring away against its cur
rent.
nerves of his hand he drew pistol and fired,
sending q splash of water over Johns head,
while the echoes snlote the fortress walls and
lost themselves in the woodland behind. A
low clamor rose out of San Jago; John rose
out of the stream and ran into the copses.
The Spaniard spurred after him with drawn
sword, eager for the pleasure of slicing him
when caught up. In few moments he was
al do hIrf hairo a Gh haIn SnOf
stayed his hand overhead till the stroke should
be sure. In that moment John doubled like
a hare and rushed desperately at the soldier,
who relied up all at once and brought down
his blade-vainly. For the cunning English
man ducked under the horses body, then
popped out, seized his foes leg and foot, and
with sudden fierce heave shot the so der
sideways out of his saddle and on to his head.
There he lay broken-necked, while the
victor grasped the bride, bent to earth and
snatchcd the sword, mounted the animal and
stuck the weapons point into its hanch; Off
shot the horse with snort of pain, while the
clatter of pursueRs arose behind, finally sink
ing away as the pine trees flew by. Then, as
the moon entered thick cloud bank, they
came to an open prairie, and onward into
darkness they went without more than the
slightest of stumbles Several miles the
horse began to breathe hard and sob, then
settled into a slow trot.s
More miles. The trot became a walk, and
the walk more difficult; more miles yet very
long ones, and the earth went up and down
as the darkness became gray-there were low
hills and shallow ravines, then came rocks
and ledges and cliffs; the gray speedily
thinned, the horse stopped at cliff wall.
TO the right, to the left, John looked for an
opening; there was none. He raised his
hands, licked finger Of the cleanest thought
he felt faint freshness On the left side oft and
so turned in that direction After some hun
dred yards he came to acrack in the wall; he
pushed into it. There was hardly room at
first, but it widened into chasm, and wound
along in darkness with band of light at the
top-then came sudden descent, and the
wearied creature he rode stumbled and threw
him into pool of water.
The shock of the plunge brought him to-
gether again. He struggled beneath the
water, came up at last, half checked, and
pulled himself upon rocky ledge with the
sword still hanging from his wrist. Looking
for the horse, he saw nothing but a violent
commotion on the water-snrface, which pres
emily ceased; a few air-bubbles came to the
top and broke; that was all; his rescuer had
ended it's life in the depths from which he
had escaped.
Then he sat for space and thought; he
could not stay there, they would track him to
the rock wall and cleft; was there another
way to the other side? The cold, shut-in
lake was quite still now, the cleft by which
he had come in was dimly visible across the
dark level; he stood up and looked behind
him; the cleft continued there like q narrow
road upward Then he knew that he had
come to the hidden source of the stream that
passed mysteriously underground, and came
to daylight in the country where the Span
iards had placed Fort San Jago He went
along the chasm, and after an hour or two
stood on the platform; bare rock and nothing
else; he went ON higher still, with hunger
asserting itself, miles and more miles yet
The sun came out and sent yellow rays across
the pinnacles, casting purple shadows as
queerly shaped as they He climbed the
highest of these rock-teeth and saw vast up
ward plain, with an orange-tinted rim; here
and there gray twists, where slight valley
came, and few lonely stones-really great
bolders of primeval sea. He looked behind
and only faint green tinge OH that horizon
indicated the grass country of San Jago, but
he felt that even now they might be at the
cleft in the rock-wall, those Spanards who
treated captives so hardly, so there was no
course but forward.
Forward then he went, and the sand be-
came thick and soft uDderfoot SO that he had
to use the long, Spanish blade to help him in
walking. At last even that became an en-
cumbrance, and he would have cast it away,
only the knot had become twisted and would
take little time to undo SO he kept it out of
Incidence and ebbing wits. Here and there
came harder surface which was restful to
the feet, and then heswould sink for space
and try to hope he might get across this
place; then he went OF, and on, with the glare
in his eyes from below and hot, gray sky
overhead.
The sun heated his wet rags; they became
burning moist; they blistered his back, sore
already from the payment of yesterdays
forced labor in the fortress; he had to turn
round at times and giye,his back relief by
being roasted in front.
At last the wholefplaee swan round him,
there came moments when he seemed tread
ing over crimson waste under vermilion
sky, and with the first pains of thirst deaden-
ing the ache of hunger he lay down in the
shadow of the first rock he reached There
he stauad till M shadow was left shr;nkinn