Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-07-11

LAF'AGU ST ARTING ON HIS MISSION
ical Darien to the icy regions of the
Antarctic sea. These are indeed still
lands of wild adventure, albeit its echoes
seldom reach to ears that are deafcned
by the din and turmoil of modern civ
ilization.
My own life, connected as it has
been with the carrying of civilization
into the penetralia of those distant
countries, has not been devoid of those
experiences on the plane of fact that
time and again discount the con-
ceptions of the f1ctionists, the cnly
difference being that the element of
romance" we know it in fiction, is
almost invariably conspicuous by its
absence. Of adventures, thrilling
enough in their way, my life has been
as full perhaps as that of any man liv
ing; but on one solitary occasion only
did the element of real romance, natur-
G1ly worked out to its denouement, add
its interest to the bald outward facts.
The story, both as a narrative of wild
life in South America and an illus
ration of romance in real life, is well
worth the telling. For obvious rea-
sons, however, fictitious names of per-
sons and places are substituted for the
real ones, the facts not being personal
to myself, but relating to parties who
still living.
To begin at the beginning, the story
/ am about to relate commences with
the arrival of Miss Eva Cunningham at
the Playa del Orc mine, in Peru, which
was chiefly owned by her father, Frank
Gum Cham, and, may well be sup
posed, the apparition of hearty and
withal beautiful young American girl
at that out-of-the-world spot created
quite comnnotion among the engineers
and other white employees at the .'dig-
gings.''
The time was not we'll chosen for
young girl TO travel through the inte-
rior of the republic. for the war with
Chill had not long been over, and the
country was oyerrun with bands of
brigands ha.ling from the disbanded
national army However, the party
arrived safely, and we gave them a righ1
hearty reception, little dreaming of the
tragedy thai was impending. So far
the bri gands had not molested any of
the mining settlements, confining their
attention TO travellers. Even Castro, an
old professional brigand, who had late
ly raised a gang and was then terroriz-
ing the country, had not attempted any
thing of the sort.
The discovery came upon us like a
bolt from the blue. therefore, when, on
the following morning, it was found
that during the night the house occu-
pied by MIR. and Miss Cunningham. and
which stood at some distance from the
quarters" had been quietly raided and
a bloody tragedy enacted. Mr.. Cum
ningham and his man-servant lay dead,
hacked to pieces with machetes, and
Miss Cunning hams maid was found
gagged and bound The young lady
herself had disappeared. The maids
story was short and tragic. Several
men, brigands, had broke into the house
in the dead o. night and attempted to
bind her master, but both he and his
man resisted so stoutly that at last they
were cut down where they stood and
the cords intended for the father were
bound about the daughter and ner
maid The young lady was then taken
away, and a message left with the maid
to the effect shat Castro had doue :he |
deed, and If a heavy ransom to oe de- |
manded in due course was not paid the |
young lady would be killed. The inten-
ton was to Lidnap the father. but he |
having met his death. the daughter was |
taken instead
We were all pretty well Paralyzed by |
the horror Of the incident. and quite |
bewildered as 10 what steps should be |
taken To follow the bandits Was I'm |,
practicable. Tor they were we'll enough |
Inoun led, while, although we had mules |