Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-15

by exposure, showed that he had told the
truth as to his descent. notwithstanding
the amazing daubs on his face, His hair,
stiffened with black grease. STOOD out all
around mis- head. and the same oily com
position had been used to biacken his
forehead. neck and hands.
Some brandy and hot water. combined
with the warmth of the saloon, soon re-
vived him. He ate a quantity of bread
with the eagerness of a man suffering
from starvation but he could not endure
the heated atmosphere. although the tenn
perature was barely sufficient to guard
the injured occupants from the outer cold.
When offered an overcoat, he refused it
at first, saying:
Il do not need so much clothing. It
will make me ill., l only felt cold in the
water because it is mostly melted ice.
He was so grateful to his rescuers how
them when he saw they were incredulous.
Christobal brought him to the chart
house, where mostof the others were as
sembled, and there questioned him.
1t was most astonishing story which
Francisco Suarez, gold miner and pros
pector, laid before an exceedingly at
tentive audience. AS the man spoke. so
did he recover the freer usage of civ
Mzed tongue. At first his words had
hoarse, cultural sound, but DR.. Christie
balls questions seemed to awaken dor
mant memories, and every one noticed,
not least those who had small knowledge
of Spanish that he had practically re-
covered command of the language at the
end of half an hour.
And this was what he told them He
with three partners and few Indians
from the Pampas, had set out on gold
prospecting expedition on the head waters
Of the Gallegos river. They were disap-
pointed in their search until they crossed
the Cordillera, and sighted the gloomy
shores of Last Hope inlet, leading into
Smyth channel. They there found allu-
vial sand and gold-bearing quartz, yield
ing but poor results. Unfortunately. some
natives assured them that the metal they
sought abOunded in Hanover Island They
obtained canoes, voyaged down the long
inlet. crossed the straits, and struck in
land toward the unknown mountains be-
yond the swamps of Ellen bay.
After enduring all the hardships en-
tailed by life in such a wild country, they
Numbered into gully where a brief
analysis of the detritus gave result per
ton which was not to be measured by
ounces, but by pounds.
Virgin! What place that waS,' ex-
claimed Suarez, his dark eyes sparkling
even yet with the recollection of il. In
one day we secured more gold than we
could carry. We threw away food to
make room for 1t, and then threw away
gold to secure the food again. We called
it the Golden valley. When weary of
digging, we would spin coins to see VINO
drew corner lots in the town We had
mapped out on a level piece of land"
White men and Indians alike caught
the fever. They accumulated useless
hoard, having no means of transport
other than their own backs. and then. all
precautions being relaxed, the nomad In
dams, whom they despised. rushed the
camp when they were sleeping. They
were nearly all killed by stones shot from
Sings Suarez was only stunned, and he
and a Spaniard, with two Indians. were
reserved for future slaughter. ----'
The others were eaten.'' he said, land
their bones We're used for making fires
I saw my friend, Gacomo, felled like a
bullock, and the Indians as well. By
chance, l was the last. l had no hope of
escape. l was too downcaSt even to make
fight of it. when, at the eleventh hour
the mad idea seized me that I might
please and astonish my captorS by per-
forming a few sleight-of-hand tricks. 1
began by throwing stones in the air pre-
tending to swallow them and causing
them to disappear otherwise. but finding
them again in the heel of my boot or
hidden beneath any object which hap
pened to be near When the Indians saw
what 1 was doing they gathered in a
circle. I ate some fire. and took small
w
they gaped. They had never seen the
like. All the tribe was summoned to
watch me-
Then the poor fellow began to cry.
Holy Mother. Think of me playing the
fool before those brutes. | became their
medicine man. l fought and killed my
only rival, and, since then. l have doc
tored few OF the chief men among
them. so they took me into the tribe. and
always managed to procure me such
I aaf how
and dried meat when they themselves
We're living on putrid blubber, or worse
because they kill all the old women as
soon as famine threatens. The women
are devoured long before the dogs: dogs
catch offers. but old women cannot. In
winter, when a long storm renders 1t i'm
possible to obtain shellfsh. any woman
who is feeble will steal off and hide in
the mountains But the men track her
and bring her back. They hold her over
the smoke of a fire until she is choked
All! God in heaven. l have seen such
sights during those five years.
Elsie, of course, understood all of this
When Christobal put it into literal Eng
lsh. Courtenay looked at her She smiled
at his unspoken thought
Il am already aware of most of what
he is telling us she said. 1T is very
dreadful that such people should exist
but one does not fall in afaint merely be-
cause they cumber the earth. Perhaps
you will not send me away next time il
they try to board the ship again. | can
use revolver quite well enough to count
as one for the defense.
You are henceforth enrolled as maid
alarms. Miss MAXWELL said the captain
lightly. He was by no means surprised
at the GOODNESS she displayed in the face
Of the new terror. She had given SO
many proofs of her natural courage that
it must be equal to even so affrighting
test as the near presence of the Alaculof
Indians. But he broke in on the Span
iard's recital with a question Of direct
interest.
ASK him. Christobal why he said those
devils would come again by daylight
ITO be Continued Tomorrow