The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-07-09

arrived at the breach Alfonso, who had
been tagging behind, drew close TO tho
opening and then let himself roll down
TO the bottom of the ramparts. The half
caste and the soldiers with him, hear
ing the noise. feared the approach of
some wild beast and set off running 10
the guardhouse, where they called the
roll one man missing. There were sew
eral opinions ON the matter. One said
he had seen jaguar carry him OF down
s--- breach, another declared that ii
was an alligator. while q third insisted
that he had heard the cry of boa con-
strictor, which resembles nothing 40
much as saw cutting rotten wood.
Anyhow this was sufficient to make the
soldiers barricade the guardhouse so well
that not single soldier was relieved
until daylight
We can tell what took place after
ward. The escape was discovered at
O'Clock. The soldier who was found in
the cell sleeping himself sober was con-
demned to q months imprisonment.
The half caste guessed well enough what
had caused the noise at the side Of the
breach, but kept his thoughts to him
self, and it was settled that after the
siesta-that is to say, at the hour when
the human brain cannot support the
heat OF the equatorial sun--40 or 80
men should set of with arms and bag
gage and explore the forest, where they
would be forced to camp out during the
whole of the expedition.
The fugitive, we may as well say at
once. was long way off. His volunta.
ny fall had taken place under most ia
vorable circumstances Some brambles,
tall grass and yielding brushwood had
broken the shock. and although, after
having rolled down for some seconds,
he perceived a depth below him-for he
had fallen from IA height of several
yards-still he had nothing worse to
complain Of than some severe bruises.
The dizziness which had arisen from
his giddy descent having passed away,
Alfonso rose and directed his steps to
the north. This was not the direction
he intended to take afterward, bat the
village lay to the east of the fort, and
he did not wish to be seen by any one
who could give the least indication as
to the course he had taken.
What has been already related was
necessary for the proper understanding
OF the tale, but the sad story begins
from this point. Two days ago this man
had seen his brother fall down dead un-
der the influence of the most terrible
poison in the world. Without having
had time to lament him, he had listened
to his own death sentence. He had suffer
ID the most poignant anguish during the
night that should have preceded his own
execution. BY his own presence of
mind, in the midst of a thousand
alarms, he had escaped an ignominious
ieath. He was saved, and yet this was
Ill as nothing compared with the alarm,
he anguish and the torture which this
unhappy man was about to encounter
while making his escape. True, there
lid not seem much chance Of his being
etaken. He plunged into the forest as
Don as he had skirted the village of !
salem. The paths Of the negroes and
he Indians were familiar to him up to |
certain distance. So far as he could |
udge, he directed his course toward the |
asst His intention was to get as far as !
'ossible from the seacoast, to cross the /
and then to come down to Para.
AS Alfonso had been more than
ear at Salem, he knew perfectly well
hat this was one Of the virgin forests
the equator, and If he ventured him
ELF into this wooded desert it was only
ecause no other path was open to him.
le walked vigorously forward till day
ght by track that he knew perfectly
'ell Still he was often obliged to stop
nd hide himself in a thicket or climb
p tree in order to allow a jaguar to
ass him in pursuit of its prey, or TO
void some other wild beast.
At 9 o'clock the sun suddenly ap-
cared above the horizon. Alfonso
'oked around him The part of the for