The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-10-16


riding since two hours before dawn,
going all day without stopping, save
for a brief noor,tide halt During the
afternoon of vest erday their track had
lain across an utterly desolate pampa,
therefore they had pushed. on to reach
cultivated country again, and water
before nightfall. Now, toward evening
they found themselves near a long
lake, bordered with reeds, the haunt of
numberless wild fowl.
A small rocky valley, down which
the active Chilian ponies weariedly
scrambled, grew greener toward the
lake shore, where a stream which the
travellers had followed for some time
widened into a V-shaDed marsh.
1T is near sunset, Pedro. Let us
camp here for the night" said Ramsay,
shivering slightly; for the fever had
taken him two days ago. own the
truth. man! You have lost your bear
ings, and don't know whether we are
nine miles or nine leagues from the sill
yer mine. Besides, the horses, poor
beasts, will be dead beat
"Of what good is a horse that can
not do his 80 miles when asked?' re-
turned the Chilian guide. But. truly.
the devil seems to have been driving
round on these hills, changing their
shapes since ! came this way"
He gazed with discomfort deepening
on his swarthy fea lures at the hills be-
hind hiding the sandy desert, far be-
yond which rose the mighty range of
the Andes, still veiled in rosy haze this
hot December evening. Then, in sudden
recollection
There is a rich Englshman who
lives near lake in this neighbour God.
He has smelling works and large es
tate. The house may be close at
hand"
cor 1t may be on the opposite shore"
said Ramsay. wearily dismounting
"Hobble the horses. and let us go up
to yonder hilly ground jutting into the
lake
Then if you can see signs of a.
hacienda, We'll make a last push for it,
If not, l rest"
why not patron?" said the huaso,
using the almost invariable courteous
Gillian assent to assertions or re-
quests.
Up among rocks and brushwood
master and man climbed, till, advanc-
ing to the far crest of the hillock, they
scanned the lake shores attentively
Northwards, at a miles distance, a
wooded headland arrested their vision;
south and west there was no human
habitation in sight though the ground
here and there showed signs of cult
walton and the pasture was good.
Right across the lake the sun was
sinking gloriously red, against a back
ground of the pale olive green and lilac
hues seen so often in a Southern Pacific
Clr hA1 H. ~
say sat down on a rock to rest and
smoke; and with Indian impassibility
Pedro did the same. All gringos were
mad, he knew; if this one liked staring
at nothing, he was more easily pleased
than some of the foreign lunatcs. But
presently Pedro became aware that
there was something to he seen among
the rocks below. Signing to Ramsay,
both men peered stealthily past screen
ing myrtle bushes and witnessed an
evening domestic scene in animal life.
The ground rose in two broken lodges
from the marsh, and on the upper one
dog-fox and vixen were playing with
their cubs near some crannies where
"as doubtless their home Presently
Inc mother left the rest, and stretched
herself sleepily in the evening sun
light midway on the grass ledge. One
cub followed to bite her neck, but, on
being repulsed, returned to gambol
with his brothers. AS he watched
them, Ramsay also noticed vaguely a
low Withered tree, standing in the
marsh 20 yards below, alone, and partly
submerged, with 2 hollow cleft in its
side.
All at once the peon touched his mas
ter's arm and pointed open-mouthed
towards the vixen. She had risen as
If in terror, both her head and brush
curved towards the ledge. Then while
her four paws seemed firmly planted
gripping the turf she was drawn
broadside some yards towards the edge
by invisible means. The other foxes
old and young, meantime disappeared
in the twinkling of an eye into the rock
crevices.
As both men eagerly gazed, the vix-
ems tension relaxed. On the brink she
recovered herself and standing still for
three or four seconds, as If dazed after
deadly effort, she turned tail and dart
ed towards her lair. Two springs only
--on the third she paused in mid-flight!
Once more she resisted, but was
dragged back towards the edge, this
time tail foremost. At the same time
rush of wind sounded like a sh-h in
the stiffness. Ramsay knew now he
had heard the same sound two minutes
before, but had fancied it a light breeze
among the leaves. Craning his neck
forward, Jock believed he could see ar
agonized expression in the creatures
eyes, as against her will she slid inch
by inch-over!
The fall was not great. A lower gras.
sy terrace surmounted the marsh. Ever
as they whispered, the watchers saw
the victim rise. A second time-but
feebly, like a mouse released from
the deadly grip of a cat--the poor she.
fox crawled away with dropping brush
towards the sheltering rocks. Ramsay
searched the marsh with sportsman's
keen glance, to discover whether tn,
creature had been lassoed by some in.
visible means, and where was the ma.
tive hunter Then he bounded to hi.
feet and pointing toward the withereC
tree, his arm stiffened with amazement
exclaimed. Look"
The cleft in the tree trunk was visi
bly, widening. and gaping, till it looked