The Ladysmith news and Ingram news. [volume] (Ladysmith, Wis.) 1905-1906, 1906-05-12

was, Dut uOL d. sigh VI Iu0u COulu nC
see.
Thus it may well be understood how
difficult it was for William to restrain
his mirth when his master uttered his
his companions, with their guides,
were lost
Now it SO happened that Sir Gallop-
ing Grace and George, Viscount Els
mere, who were next of Importance in
the Cheerway's party to Lord Chug-
mough himself, grew pale with appre-
hension when their host failed to ap-
pear after several hours absence.
They knew he had started in norther-
ly direction, but no one had ever yet
known Lord Chugmough to keep in
one direction very long, and it was
highly probable that if a search-party
was sent off to the north Lord Chug-
mough would calmly walk into camp
from the south, and then it would be
necessary to send out another party
to recover the first one.
So they waited, and continued to
wait until it became the unanimous
opinion OF the party that Lord Chug-
mough and William had been killed or
lost their way, and the indecision of
Sir Galloping Grace and George, Wis
count Elsmere, gave way to firm de-
termination to go in search of their
companion. But this resolve was multi
fed by the refusal of the guides to go
a step.
mo senior" said one of them, sit
would be dangerous. See there!'
Sir Galloping followed the index
finger of the guide with his glance,
and at once began to fear, not only for
Lord Chugmough's safety, but for his
own and everybody's.
For the guide was not without rea-
son in refusing to go farther into
danger.
The sky, which had SO far been de-
cent enough, clear now and then, with
intermittent rain clouds, was now
frightful to behold
Great banks of hideous blackness
were rolling and tumbling toward
them, and the wind, which had sud-
denly risen, increased to the force of
a tempest.
''To shelter,'' cried one of the guides,
"Francisco's house is not far away.
Follow me-
Forgetting Lord Chugmough and ev-
erything else save their own impend-
ing danger, they mounted their plung-
ing, snorting horses and followed their
fleeing guides over the long grass, now
fiattened to the ground by the wind,
to a large two-story structure Of wood
and cement, where Pedro Francisco
had his home.
Pedro. as We know, was away from
home, but his house-servants well
coined the Englishmen and gave them
shelter. and it was not moment too
soon that they reached the friendly
roof
The wind increased in fury, the
clouds grew blacker and thicker and
overspread the sky and then there
came a dOwnpour of rain such as
Venezuela had never known before.
The tiny streams in the mountains
swelled to the dimensions of rivers.
The ripping brooks became roaring,
rushing torrents. The streams that
flowed north into the Orinoco tumbled
and roared and dashed their banks, and
then rushed over them on the fiat
lands. The streams flowing into the
Orinoco from the north copied after
those on the south until the great
river itself was dashed to fury never
seen on it's broad bosom before, and
up, up its angry waters came until
even the hog-back was covered, the
Turtle was torn from her moorings
and carried out to sea, and the people
of Bolivar were compelled to seek
higher ground to save themselves from
the overwhelming flood.
1t was an occasion to wiring the souls
of men, to destroy hope, to plunge hui
mainly into despair.
It even elected from Lord Chug-
mough, as he watched the roaring.
seething torrents about him, the re-
mark to William:
William, this is quite a--quite a
shower, don't you know"