The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-06-12


He hesitated whether to run up the
ledge or bolt into the cave. He shout
ed something. He was not answered,
but the yelling and firing ceased sud-
denly, as IL the LugarenCs had given
up and taken to their heels. I became
aware of sort of increasing throb-
bling sound that seemed to come from
behind me, out of the cave; then, as
Manuel lifted his foot hastily to step
over the sill 1 jumped up deliriously
and with outStretched hands lurched
forward at the flask in his fingers.
l believe 1 laughed at him in an inn
ebcile manner. Somebody laughed;
and / remember the superior smile on
his face passing into a CHASTITY grin,
that disappeared slowly, while his as
tonished eyes. glazing at that gaunt
and disheveled apparition rising be-
fore him in the dusk of the passage
seemed to grow to an enormous size
He drew back his foot, as though it
had been burnt, and in a panic
stricken impulse he flung the flask
straight into my face and staggered
away from the SILL
made catch of 1t with scream of
triumph, whose unearthly sound
brought me back to my senses.
IN the name of God, retire" he,
cried, as though 1 had been an appari-
ton from another world.
What took place afterwards happen
ed with an uncomfortable rapidity, in
less time than it takes to draw breath.
He never recognized me. l saw the
glare of incredulous awe change sud
denly to horror and despair. He had
felt himself losing his balance.
He had stepped too far back. He
tried to recover himself, but it was
too late He hung for a moment in his
backward fall; his arms beat the air,
his body curled upon itself with an
awful striving. All at once he went
limp all over, and, with the sunlight
full upon his upturned face, vanished
doWnwards from my sight.
But at the last moment he managed
to clutch the blight of the hanging
rope. The end of it must have been
lying quite loose on the ground above,
for l saw its whole length go whizzing
after him in the twinkling of an eye
l pressed the flask f1ercely to my
breast, raging with the thought that
he could yet tear it out of my hands;
but by the time the strain came his
falling body had acquired such a
velocity that didn't feel the slightest
jerk when the green cord snapped-nO
more than if it had been the thread of
a cobweb.
Tears, tears Of gratitude, were run
ming down my face. My limbs trem-
bled. But I was sane enough not to
think of myself any more.
Drink! Drink" stammered, rails
ing Seraphina's head on my shoulder,
while the galloping horses of the poems
in hot pursuit passed with a thunder
ing rumble above us. Then all was
still.
Our getting out of the cave was
matter of unremitting toll, through
what might have been year of time
Our unsteady feet crushed at last
the black embers of the fires scattered
1x1f 1a hnnfc Of hnrCoc nj n1aiY
appeared immense to our weakness,
swept of shadows by the high sun,
lonely and desolate as the sea. We
looked at the litter of the Lugarenos
camp rags on the trodden grass, cou-
pie of abandoned blankets, a musket
thrown away in the panic, a dirty red
sash lying on a heap of sticks, wood
en- bucket from the schooner, smashed
water gourdS. A scaffolding of poles,
for drying strips of meat, had been
knocked over; I found nothing there
except bits of hairy hide; but Jumps
of scorched flesh adhered to the white
bones scattered amongst the ashes of
the camp-and thanked God for them.
We averted our eyes from our faces
in very love, and We did not speak
from pity for each other.
We walked away from the spot, as
If our feet had been Shod in lead; and
we Rugged the edge of the cruel raVine
From our first step downwards the
hard, rafting noise of the stones ac-
companied our descent, growing in
volume, bewildering our minds. We
had missed the indistinct beginning of
the trail on the side of the ravine and
had to follow the course of the stream.
We pushed on through the punches
of tough twigs; the massive powders
closed the view on every side; and
Seraphina followed me with her hands
on my shoulders. This was the best
way in which l could help her descent
till the declivity became less steep;
and then I went ahead, forcing a path
for her. Often we had to walk into
the bed of the stream. It was icy cold.
Some strange beast, perhaps bird, in
visible somewhere emitted from time
to time faint and lamentable Shrek.
Then, as 1 stepped round a large
fragment of rock, my eyes fell on a
young vaquero. He had taken off his
hat before something and made a per-
functory sign of the cross. He looked
up and down the lofty wall, as if it
could give him the word of that riddle.
Twice his spurs clashed softly, and,
with one hand grasping the rope, he
stopped low in the twilight over
body.
1--WE looked for this Lugareno," he
said, replacing his hat on his head
careleSsly. HE was a mad singer, and
/ saw him once kill one of US very
swiftly. They used to call him in jest
Ell Demonio. All! But you
But YOU
His wonder overcame him. His be-
wildered eyes glimmered, staring at us
in the deepening dusk.
Speak, hombre.'' he cried. 'Who
are you and who is she? Whence came
you? Where are you going with this
wOman3 ="
CHAPTER XII
Not a soul stirred In the one long
street of the negro village. We enter
ed Seraphina's hacienda. The high
walls inclosed a square court deep as
the yard of prison, with f1at-roofed
buildings all around. 1t rang with