Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-10-28

low GOWN hHh'uth the hrlhhtA we NN
Ridden up-lay the great lone Pnmpa'
81 Patagonia. IN front Of ~ uufus
the vast snow-clld barrier Of the Fftn
Andes chaln-thr CordliicraH- Whil'
deep down beneath yawned enormous
forost-clad vallcys. silent and uncx
piOfod.
For weeks we had been living the No,
u the breezy plain. hunting the Ostrich
and guanaco that foamcd thereon. vie.
iting the rowing fndlana-thosc FAR.
famed Fiants of old-ln their toidcrlns
Joining IN their hunting expeditions and
dong a modest trade now and again
whenever a deal wac possible. We had
drlfted az Lac, across the forbidden bor-
der, and entered not the Promised
Land. but one fun of hidden myatcr.ci,
and wealth which hitherto the Andes
range on one side. ana the lonely far.
stretching pamp1s on the other have
kept concealed from the eyes OF men.
and may they long do soi
Here, under the greenwood tree. we
had rested ourselves awhile. while our
ostrich dlecovery, az least. portions
thereof had honuda backed In genial
run and our trouplElia OF horrea
hrowHcd mcrrly and cuntontndly la tho
green and fertile vallpya denied the
nampaa rcvelinF In their change Of
fare and Surroundings aa unexpected as
they wcro delightful.
Hut after come days Of rest. the
dolce far niento had bernfno oppressive.
and our party, consisting Of eiEht men
ana myself, had broken up and gone
forth on expeditions or come Of
~ had done 20. for there uill
remained In camp one, Arius BY
name, a nondcacrlpt 81 no natlonali-
~. GregOrlo, a half-hrcd Gaucho In
dian. and myself, who had remained
behind 10 write up my journals and
generally put matters strsiEht
However the restless NJ scizcd upon
me AZ II had done with the othcra. and
] too prepared 20 40 forth discovering.
urcgorio. who was ever wiling 20 70
whore Ia sonora led. wna summoned:
and 10 few hours all waa ready f0r
our expedition.
We took with W some stout iAzoa.
two rifles. ammunition FOR same and a
ie.borc gun. two blankets and an India
fubcr canoe, which could b. rolled up
and carried on a saddle 10 be- filled out
with air for nse az will. while Ia ntfr
belts We stuck strong hunting lSnivca.
ana 0rcgorlo carried with him a roll
OF black tobacco aud the Inevitable
mate pot Arlous. the non-dcscript-ho
was very like "a monkoy-wo let IA
chafge OF the camp.
Climbing some hills the day before.
] had caught slEht Of great winding
lake. cleaning ana Eilntlng through a
nnnkc-shaned valley miles away, and
u was this queer. lonesome tract OF
water mystery that | was now bent
on exploring. II sccmd TO fascinate
and lure me on. inviting me TO pcn-
euate into lie lonely Hecluelon aud
fathom the mysteries surrounding Il.
Many hours Of rough riding had we
20 undergo before we reached the shores
or the Serpent Lake; but richly repaid
one FELT ~ one stood upon these shores.
surrounded on all sides by scenes of
weird and mighty frahdeur To dea-
cribc them were weli-niEh impossible;
70 ierEet them; once having looked up
We dlsmounted. unloadcd. and hob
bled the horses. turning them loose TO
Craze. their services being Tor the time
no longer required. Then We filled out
tho canoe. placed our paddles therein,
lit a nm, made hot the mate. Toasted
on ith sustaining beverage, and after an
hours rest and light rrpaHt Of dried
ostrich steak. roasted on sticks, We got
into the canoe and launched forth into
tho unknown.
orcgora sang Spanish songs as he
sat In the bow % the canoe and pad
died !, half steering, half padding ro-
clined In the stern and ltatcncd to him
we scemcd 10 skim along at a great
pacei and Il was inconccivahle 10 me
how we could make such Roadway with
such ilght tackle.
Cease padding. Gregorio." I called
TO him after hiti there's some cur
rent taking w along assurcdly"
without doubt, sonora lhconically
rcpllod the Indian. na he obcycd me
Then he went on with his song.
tho shades OF evening had begun TO
fall, and l looked about me rather anx-
iously for a landing place. Tho lake
was not broad, more like a very wide
river; but on either side tnc shore land
had disappeared, and the Sides u the
rocks, over which bruahw0od aud
cteapera hung down TO the waters
edge The dark prlmevnl forest rose
up on either side and high above AN
lowered the snowy COrdllernH. the
crash OF whose avaianchca startled us
now and again as they poured their
heavy loads down from their ecrie fort
rcsscs on high. Occasionally as we
speed along. the forest opened out In
green glndel, wherein mllk-white cattle |
and beautiful specimen uf golden |
deer could be seen grazing; while. ever |
and anon, truupiglina OF wild horses |
would whlrl around In ring. startled |
~ wv AAhNA W wv NANNNf ANHN NNNNNNA 1
glances thereon, retrcating prccipitat. |
ely up rugged helghte which one would |
have Imagined II impossible Tor four |
footed animals 10 climb. but which they |
breasted with an alaority ana agility |
truly amazing.
And all the time the serpcnt Lake |
kept narrowing. and as Il did 30 the |
rocks rose higher and higher ON either |
Hldei and down their faces AT Intervals |
great cataracts came rushing. atrring |
The water through which we were GID |
INK into foam and covering us with |
spray and mist. Several times Orogo- |
no and ! tried TO arrest the progress |
N our light canoe but finding u impoa- |
aihle, We We're forced TO ship our pad |
dies and wait Tor the end whatever |
that might be-, I can not pretend that |
was not anxious. Tor l was, We were |
clearly In n dilemma.
However shall we get hnck2" / kept
repeating TO myself; and Gregorlo could |
not enlighten me, for when / put the |
question to him viva wood, he replied |
laconionllyi "Qulen aahe," which, |
translated into English, means who |
reply cmlnently reussurlnR |
and encouraging
Suddenly from above, high up amid !
the everlasting SHOWS that crown the
Andes range, rang forth the sound Of a
mystic bell. Its notes were clear and
distinct. and rcacmhled more than any
thing else the ringing Of the church bell |
ut tho great 81 bernard hospioe. which |
! had heard whom visiting the mon
astery tho previous year, What could
II be, and whence came ~ Spite of
oneself, u filled ono with awe. and II ~
a.. a H. De-