The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-01

which, while little thicker than string
was amply strong enough to support the
weight of the lariat. Four or five bull
let's had been sewn up in piece of skin
and attached to one end. strap was
fastened to each pole so that these could
be slung behind him, so permitting him
the free use of both hands where it was
not needful to use them.
The saints watch over you, senior, An
tonic whispered as VIII prepared to start
and he and Sancho gave him a lent grip
of the hand, while the Ind an chief laid
his hand or his shoulder and muttered,
Ugh, heap brave"
For short distance the ascent was
comparatively easy. Then he arrived al
the first Of the lodges he had noticed. 1t
was some ten inches wide, and, keeping
his face to the wall and using his hands
to grip the most trhing irregularfty, or
to get a hold in small crevices, he made
his way along until he arrived at pro-
jeclion which barred further progress.
Slipping one of the sings from his Shout
der, he reached up until the-hook reach
ed the next ledge and obtained a good
hold there. He then climbed the pole
until his fingers got a grip of the ledge,
when he hauled himself up TO it. 1t was
some fifteen inches wide here, and with
out difficulty he obtained footing, again
slung the pole on his shoulder and went
on. The ledge narrowed rapidly, and he
was now at one of the points which ap-
peared to him the most difficult, for from
where he had been lying the ledge seem
ed almost to cease while the next ledge
above it was also so narrow that he
knew he could not obtain standing room
upon it.
AS he approached the narrow path he
took the poles, one in each hand, and
obtained a grip of the upper ledge. He
now made his way along on tip-toe, hav-
ing his weight almost entirely on the
poles, shifting them alterna tely. To
landsman this would have been an extra
ordinary feat, but accustomed to hang to
the ropes by enc hand it was not so diff
cult for him, especially as he obtained
some slight support from his feet. With
out the poles it would have been impos-
BILE for him 10 have passed, as the ledge
in some places was only three inches
wide. At the end of some thirty feet it
again widened, the next forty or fifty feet
upward were comparatively easy, for the
rock sloped to some extent inward, and
there were many assures in which he was
enabled get firm grip with his fingers.
Then came several difficult places, but he
was confident now in the hold the hooks
had on the rocks, and always working
his hands, sometimes the poles, he reached
the top in half an hour after starting.
He threw himself down on the platform,
which was entirely deserted, and lay
there for five minutes, then he unwound
the coil of leather thong. and threw the
weighted end over. He knew that he had
allowed ample length, and drew it in I'M
til he felt a slight strain, then came three
jerks. The party below had hold of the
+lf1 = hid
fastened the end of the lariat to it; in
couple of minutes it was in his hands;
there was a parapas some eighteen inches
high along the edge of the platform, in
tended doubtless to prevent the children
from falling over. Seeing no place 10
which he could fasten the lariat. he tie
il round the middle of the two poles, laid
these on the ground close to the parapet,
put his feet upon them and then leaned
over. Two pulls on the lariat told him
that the next man was tied on, and he be-
gan at once to haul upon it. He found
the weight much less than he had expect
ed not only was the vaquero short and
wiry, but he was using both his hands and
feet with such effect that in five minutes
he stood beside VIII.
The work went on quickly now. One
after another the men were pulled up and
in less than an hour all were ass ambed
on the platform. where, save three en-
gagged in pulling their comrades UP, they
had laid down as soon as they reached it,
Will had been glad 10 relinquish the work
TO others, for his hands were cut and
bleeding He had crawled along, keep
ing by the point where the bulge or bend
in the face of the cliff enabled him to see
TO the other end of the platform. To his
surprise not soul was visible but peer
ing over the parapet he saw four figures
standing as sentnels at the points where
there were breaks in the path and the
moon light enabled him to make out that
the ladders had been pulled up and laid
beside them.
He could hear confused hum of voices
from the principal cave, but though most
anxious TO know what was going on there
he dared not venture further until all the
men were up, as any one coming out of
the cave would at once see him. He there
fore rejoined the others. Each man as
he came up gave him silent grip of The
hand, and the Indian chief muttered some
thing which Sancho whispered meant
heap great brave" AS soon as the last
man was up they moved silently forward
Every man knew the part he had to play
Sancho, with three others, crept forward
on their hands and knees, under shelter
of the parapet, to the other end of the
platform where they were to await the
signal, the others hating a the front of
the main entrance to the cave.
Here a sight met their eyes that filled
them with horror. The entrance opened
into a wide hall which was lighted by
a dozen torches. AT the further end
was a hideous idol carved from solid
rock; in front of this was a sort of
altar, upon which lay a figure, which
they at once recognized as that of Don
ma Clara Beside her stood two men max
ed 10 the waist, with their bodies paint
ed with strange figures. They had knives
in their hands, and rocking themselves
to and fro were uttering some sort Of
prayer or incarnation.
You take the fellow to the Left, An
tonic. l will take the other
The shots rang out together the dis
stance was but sixteen or seventeen yards
and without cry the two priests or exc
cutioneers fell dead. A terrible cry of
astonishment and dismay broke from the
crowd but before they could recover
from their surprise, vaqueros and the
two Indians, headed by viii, burst their
way through them. VIII had given strict
orders that here was to be no general
firing, as men, women and children were
likely TO be mixed up together but as
they entered they caught the sound of
four rifles outside, and knew that the
sentries had been disposed of. Will caught
up the girl, who was evidently insensi-
| BILE, and threw her over his shoulder and.
surrounded by his men, made his way
! outside the cave. Here he handed her
| over to Antonio, who was very power
| fullv huilt man and the latter without n