The Washington times., 1903-01-25

3
Ford had ever experienced. but II told
the most upon the trader, whose figure
was too corpUIent to make walking q
/ pleasure. Poor Fitch fell asleep i'm
mediateIy after supper and slept right
on until nearly morning, when, in
/ common with the others, he was
awakened by an entirely unlocked for
incident.
When the party had sought their
blankets Uhe guide assured them
there was no necessity Of standing
watch), the stars were shining bright
lIy in an unlocked sky; but they awoke
just before sunrise in the midst Of a
mountain tempest The thunder was
roaring overhead and the lightning
cracking from peak to peak, Hlumin-
ating the gorge in which they were
encamped with an unearthly. flicker
ing light.
Then came the rain-not in drops,
OF in sheets, but simply pouring out
of the heart Of a cloud which had
torn its way across the face Of a
Eeighboring peak. It was a cloud
burst in earnest. and in an instant
they were all wet to the skin. There
was no shelter at hand from the
furious downfall, and ali they could
Go was to initiate Manuel He squat
ted upon his launches on the shelving
side Of the gorge and made a tent Of
his blanket. covering himself COM
pleteIy.
In a little while the tiny stream at
the bottom Of the gorge had become a
rushing, roaring torrent, sweeping
boulders, fallen timber, and all sorts
of debris down its course. But the
stream subsidized as fast as it had
gathered strength when the storm
ceased.
The rising sun found them in a
dreaTily saturated state. There was
no dry wood and every vestge Of their
fire had been swept away.
''Tassajo and left over cakes don't
make a very appetizing breakfast. do
they?' said Ford ruefully- But this
must be part Of the 'roughing it I
wanted. I suppose Then he looked
at Rodriguez and suddenly burst out
laughing.
What do you find to laugh at?"
demanded Keeth, who had been rum
maging over his pack to see that all
was right.
But Ford brought himself UP sud
denly in the middle Of his laugh and
glanced around at Manuel. the guide.
He stood a little way off with his
I eyes fixed intentIy upon Jose's IN
conscious face The sudden rainfall
had played sad havoc with the Span
iard's makeup" The grease paint
was washed completely of in streaks,
and the Cabaligtic mark upon his
cheek was plainly visible.
The instant the Indian saw Ford's
eyes turned upon his he withdrew his
own gaze from the Spaniard's face
and went about some unimportant
task as coolly as though he had seen
nothing But young Kinsale was con-
fdent that he had noted the tattoo
mark.
His thoughtless laughter had called
Keeth's attention to the havoc made
by the storm. and he pointed 1t out to
the trader.
"COnfound hit! I 'ope that bloomin'
Hinjun didn't notice it." muttered the
Englishman, snatching up his paints
and reckoning Jose TO 90 with him.
But he did" Ford declared to his
friend. IF there's any truth in the
yarn that all these Indians under
slant the meaning OF the mark. we'd
better keep a mighty sharp watch on
Manuel yonder."
But the guide seemed entirely OBJ
Iivious Of the accident When Jose
and Fitch returned, the former with
the damage repaired, the Indian did
not vouchsafe him a glance. But
Keeth took pains 10 place Rodrigues
on his guard.
'Eet ees a misfortune, but what can
enc do now-eh. wha-at?' he asked.
with a shrug Of his shoulders.
After their frugal meal they set of
on the blind trail, which Manuel
seemed to follow more by instinct
than by sight. If the first days jaunt
had been arduous this was doubly so.
They made scarcely ten miles from
sunrise to sunset. The grandeur Of
the scenery in these Peruvian Andes
cannot be surpassed even in the Him
aIayas; but grand scenery could not
make poor Fitch forget the tolls Of
the Journey
After the occurrence of the early
morning the white men watched their
guide very closely. They feared he
would play them some trick, and TO be
left alone in this wild region, with but
a fleeing remembrance of the path
over which they had come, was not a
pleasant possibility.
But how the dickens will we find
Our way back. anyway" demanded
Ford, aa they talked the matter over.
That is a risk we must run If we
would find the Incas' cave, I take it,
replied Keeth. But what do you
think, Senior Rodriguez Shouldn't we
have reached the three pines you