The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-22

/ could feel that we were on the down
ward grade once more. Silently, but
momentarily faster l could feel that
the wheels were turning, though In the
clinging darkness I could see nothing
but the gray shadow of what / knew
must be the path. Darker, and darker
vet. The shadows crouched low and
black on either side, as IL preparing to
spring out upon me as / passed. felt
though / cannot say that / saw them
as 1 swept by. All. now i felt that /
was nearing the spot where the two
roads Joined. The cliff was rising higher
and higher on the right hand, throw
ing a still blacker shadow on the
road but I felt that 1 knew IL now and
IL was with a feeling of triumph that
bent forward and guided the machine
in it's free sweep round the wall of rock
and into the wider and clearer road.
I could see more clearly now. The
gray shadow Of the road was more dis
tinct, and / could even feel as IL the
trees that streatched their boughs over
the road made a sort of corduroy of
shadows on the track before me. But
what was that in front? Something
that glowed with a soft crimson halo
in the darkness and made the end of
the long vista down which I was look
ing seem like a cavern; something that
sparkled and cleaned, and flashed
with an intermittent light as / came
nearer. 1t was the glow of an unseen
fire. For a moment my heart grew
cold. Had l come so far only to fail?
l thought of the last sight / had
caught of the wagons just before the
shots were fired, and seemed to know
that this was the spot chosen for an
outpost of the enemy. 1t was beyond
| the bend of the road, and as thought
of It, the picture of that bend seemed
| to rise before me as l had seen the
place on the way up some days before.
| | could remember that the road swept
| round with a bold curve and fell to
| a long smooth descent like a great
| avenue between the trees. There was
no time to hesitate. Already, while
these thoughts were passing through
my mind. / was close to the spot.
| Already L could fancy / saw the fire
of the quick flashes of greater and les
ser light that streamed out into the
road by which l was silently approach
| ing. even thought L could hear
| strange voices, and catch the sounds
| of something like a laugh. 1t was now
or never. l gripped my revolver
tightly in my hand-I bent over my
wheel--with my lips pressed tight and
my teeth clenched 1 shot around the
bend and into the full glare of the fire.
light.
had not been mistaken. The wagons
were there. drawn to one side of the
road. and there, too, in the full light of
the blaze, were eight or ten dark tur-
baned figures, standing or lying, their
dark faces fixed in terrified astonish-
ment their white eyeballs cleaning
and startled at the apparation as l
swept out Of the shadow above and
| plunged into that below them. One
sharp, astonished cry, that sounded
like a wall, was all that 1 heard and
/ was past them and the road sped be
fore me like the entrance of some black
| cavern. For some moments / held my
breath, still expecting to feel the sting
of bullet or at least to hear the re-
port of a gun. / did neither. The glow
that followed me died away. 1 had
passed the outpost and was free.
1t had been q near thing and it was
| sometime before l had fully recovered
| myself BY the time could think
calmly once more of what lay before
| me l felt that l must have put several
miles between me and the spot. 1 had
made splendid progress, and now the
road was clearly visible in the new
white light that filled the eastern sky
the moon was rising. BY it's light
could see that the forest through whict
had been passing had changed its
character. The stately trees had fol
the most part given place to tai
clumps of bamboo. graceful, dropping
palms of dozen sorts, and great plu.
med masses of jungle grass that bent
and trembled in the scarcely percep.