The Meeker herald., 1904-05-21

2Ex&k&A8 curing tnc recent ihsuie'-
non OF tie Liberals.
Il started" he said, ITO go up the
River Magdalcna in small river
steamer. There was only one other
passcngcr--a quiet, amiuble young
man, who nfterward turned out TO be
IL Liberal leader in disguise.
when we had gone two days up
stream we found that trouble was
brewing. Every one on the banks had
taken up arms on one side or the other
and was stealing his neislbor's cat
tie and horses for the good OF the
cnuse. We heard that in IL town just
ahead the Liberals had risen in obedi-
encc to pronunclamcnto and had
seized six steamers and gone up
stream.
Our skipper was an American and
wanted peace. but that commodity
seemed just as unlikely to be found
down stream as up. so we kept on
our course. The result was that ut
noon next day we fell into the hands
of three revolutionist steamers which
were ambushed round bend of the
river.
Their crews swurmel aboard and
invited us with rifles to join them.
We Joined and had three days of ma
val maneuvres. which consisted of
piilnge am sorry l had no camera
the scenes were so Interesting.
After three days we, having the
fastest steamer. lodged around an
other branch of the river and escaped;
and when we tied up for the night we
thought we We're safe. Our delight
did not last long. for my aminble
young fellow passenger. who had as
sumed command of our captors. came
after us with thirty truculent bandits
in canoes and rctook our ship during
the night.
"At my own request. he kindly put
me ashore Mt wOodpile i'll the lonely
forest; ut least it was lonely except
for two elderly cOlOred ladies, who
owned the woodpile.
1.-The ship, with lights out, dropped
down the river to join the rest of the
fleet, having left me rations for a cou-
pie of days-two tins of lobster. two
of sardines, "A pound of bread and hail
pound of chocolate.
After they had gone an Indian
sneaked ont of the bush, and / man.
ngetl to bribe him to put me across the
river to n village where many canoes
were kept. There hired two. loaded
my traps into them, and, with five
men, fed all that night in pouring rain
and all the next day under II blazing
sky to Puerto Benjo, the nearest place
where food WINS Obtainable
"The officer In command of the Gov
eminent troops there, when he heard
my piteous tale. fitted out an expe-
dltion, converting some river steamers
into armed cruisers by the use OF rail-
way metal for armor plates. With
these he went down the river to meet
the enemy. who by that time had
gathered eleven steamers.
Those eleven We're not enough.
There was regular Trafalgar, and the
revolutionists got the worst of It,
"All their boats were sunk or cap
tured. and they lost over 80 men.
My nimable fellow passenger got Il
bullet through his brain. and our skip
per. who took no part in the affair.
hut went down MS Il passenger, got
TWO through MS arm us ne WIS quitti!
reading Under Two Flags. which l
had lent him, in his cabin. York
Sun.
ENCOUNTER WITH SEA SERPENT
The GlenSrant, of Fraserburgh, has
returned to port fromthe fishing grounds
in the North Sea. and the captain
and crew, numbering in all ten men.
report II terrific encounter with the sea
serpent In the North Sea. They We're
some eighty miles from land on Tues