The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-01

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! possible to distinguish them apart The
rest with the children, were forced 10
| descend the steps. The ladders had been
replaced by Sancho and his party. who.
! having finished their work, had run off
at once to bring up the horses.
Clara was still unconscious when they
returned VIII mounted and Antonio
handed her to him. Sancho and two of
the men accompanied him, while the rest
in charge of the captives followed more
slowly. Fires were blazing high at the
Moqus village, and 1t was evident that
the attack had been eagerly watched,
and that the firing on the platform had
shown that the caves had been taken,
for on the still night air came the sound
of horses, drums and loud shouting. VIII
at once urged his horse into the water,
his companions swimming by their horses
close to him 50 as to render assistance.
if necessary, but the distance was short,
and il was not long before the horse felt
the bottom again The sudden chill OF
the water had reused the girl from her
faint.
Where am ~" she murmured.
You are safe IN my arms" VIII said.
I'VE have got you safely out of the hands
of those wretches. All danger Is over"
us it WILL" she asked, "or am
dreaming?"
'It is l, sure enough. Clara" he said,
and l am glad that for once you have
dropped the don. l followed you with
Antonio and Saneho and thirteen other
vaquerors. We were Joined by the Gent
gueh chief, Teczuma. and one of his
tribe, who have been invaluable in follow
ing your track"
Holy Virgin, I thank you" the girl
murmured and then lay silent for
time.
Where are you going now?" she asked
presently.
ITO the Moquis village, where you will
be most kindly received. and where we
shall stay till you have got your
strength again."
'Zona, my gallant IONA! Is she safe?"
Yes. She seemed pretty nearly recov-
cred from her fatigue when we found
her this morning. and will be ready to
carry you back again"
AS they approached the Hill they saw
number of people coming down the zig
gag patch with torches, who welcomed
win on his arrival with loud cries of
triumph. The horses could go no farther,
as the path like that up to the caverns,
was at several points cut away, the
breaks being in the daytime filled with
long planks. AS the girl was altogether
unable to walk, some of the boys ran up
the hill, and in quarter of an hour re-
turned with some poles, with which lit
ter was speedily improvised. In this she
was laid, and four Moquis carried her up
the hill, Will walking beside her and
holding her hand. The whole of the VII
layers We're assembled on the top of the
hill, shouting and dancing with joy at
the destruction of their enemies. for
Sancho had already made the chiefs
aware that all the men had been killed
and the women and the children were be-
ing brought In as prisoners.
The Moquis houses surprised Will, as
they had neither windows nor doors on
the ground floor and entrance was only
obtainable by ladder to the upper story.
Clara was here handed over to the care
of the principal women of the village. Half
an hour later the rest of the party came
up with the prisoners. These were for the
time confined in one of the houses, two
armed Moquis keeping guard over them.
The women would, Sancho explained to
VIII. be used as servants and to fetch
water from the springs at the foot of the
hill. The children would probably be
adopted into the tribe.
1t was ten days before Clara was strong
enough to think of starting. She had for
twenty-four hours been in a high fever,
but the care lavished upon her fine con-
stitution speedily brought her through
this. and two days later she was able to
see viii.
Tell me all that has happened" she
said. 81 feel sure that mother has been
killed, for the valley was full of Indians
and l know that there were but few men
at home'
Il am afraid that there is no doubt
about that" VIII said gently. I'VE may
be thankful. Clara, that your father and
Juan were both away or they, too, might
have fallen.
Then he related very briefly how those
by the river had been saved, how they had
learned from Sancho that she had been
away at the end of the valley and how
they had started in chase and then In a
few words told how he had scaled the face
of the cliff, had assisted his followers up
and had arrived just in time.
Il will tell you about my journey an
other time" she said IT do not like to
think of the last part of it, how we we're
both worn out, Zona and l. and if we
had not come down upon the river we
should both have died. took a long
drink and then fell down and went to
sleep. I was awakened by being lifted up
and found that was being carried by two
Indians, and that others were all round
me- was too weak even to struggle. but
l remember being carried I'D a very steep
path on the face of the cliff AS soon as
I was laid down l went to Sleep and I
suppose slept all night In the morning
they gave me food and water but left me
alone till 1t was dark again. then thew
led me into large cave lit up by torches
with horrible idol at the end. They laid
me down on a great stone in front of II
and two men with knives came beside me
Then | suppose l tainted, and remember
nothing more till l woke up feeling
strangely cold as we were swimming that
river"
Almost the whole OF the inhabitants of
the village paid a visit to the cave on
he morning after the fight, and when
shown the ropes still hanging by which
The party had been drawn up could at
first hardly believe Sancho and the two
Indians who assured him that VIII had
climbed up there unaided. After Clara's
illness had taken a turn and there was
no longer cause for anxiety about her.
VIII was greatly interested in the Modui
village. He was taken into one of the
underground rooms that served as tenn
pies, and was Mortified at finding that
hundreds of rattlesnakes and other yeDo-
nous serpents were kept there and still
more astonished when he saw the priests
handle them carelessly and take them in
their mouths, and could not believe that
they had not been rendered harmless until
shown that they still retained their poison
fangs. He was old that once a year there
was a great festival in which all the men
Y~YTI