Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-05-28

ear and covering cyelids. nose ant
lips. was upturned to the watcher:
from the deck. The colors were vivlt
enough Notwithstanding the sheets Of
rain which blew in gusts against the
ships side. dimming the dull light O,
a storm proof lamp, to convey a mos
%uncanny effect. Nor did Courtenay re
move either his eyes or the revolver
while he said to Christobal:
ASK him who he is and what he
wants.
The answer was ineligible enough:
Il am Il miner from Argentina.
have heen among these Indians 1--WE
years. When their attack failed
thought there was n chance Of escape
Fol- PHYS sake. senior, help me instant
~ or I shall die from the cold"
Have the Indians gomez" asked
C%hristobal.
Yes. They thought to surprise you
When they come again II will be by
daylight. as they are afraid Of the
dark. But be quick, l implore you. My
hands are numb"
There was no resisting the mans ap
peal. A rope ladder was lowered. and
a Chilean sailor went down in ODE
Hence to the captains order, though
he disliked the job and crossed him
self before descending. He passed q
rope under the fugitive's armpits nnd
with mid from the deck hoisted him
aboard. The unfortunate miner gave
proof Of hts wretched state by prompt
ly collapsing in n faint. with a sigh OF
"Madre de Dios.'
His only garments were a species OF
waistcoat and rough trousers Of un.
tanned guanaco hide. The white skin
OF his breast and legs. though darken-
ed by exposure, showed that he had
old the truth as 10 his descent. not.
outstanding the amazing daubs on his
face. His hair, stiffened with black
grease. stood out all around his head
and the same oily composition had
been used 10 blacken his forehead
neck and hands.
Som brandy and hot water. com
bined with the warmth of the salon
soon revived him. He ate a quantity
of bread with the eagerness Of a mar
suffering from starvation.
Christobal brought him to the chart
house, where most of the others were
assembled. and there questioned him.
1t was a most astonishing story
which Francisco Suarez, gold miner
and prospector. laid before an exceed.
ingly attentive audien. e. AS the man
spoke 80 did he recover tn. freer usage
OF a civilized tongue. At first his
words had n hoarse. cultural sound,
bus Dr.. Christobal's questions seemed
to awaken dormant memories. and ev.
cry one noticed. not least those who
had small knowledge Of Spanish. that
he had practically recovered command
of the language at the end Of half an
hour.
And this vas what he told them
he, with three partners and Il few In
dams from the pamPas. had set out on
a gold prospecting expedition on the
headwaters of the Gallegos river.
They were disappointed in their search
until they crossed the cordllera and
sighted the gloomy shores Of Last
Hope inlet, leading into Smyth chan
mel. There they found ~alluvial sand
md gold bearing quartz, yielding hut
poor results. Unfortunately some ma.
tives assured them that the metal they
sought abounded In Hanover island.
They obtained canoes. voyaged down
the long inlet, crossed the strait and
struck inland toward the unknown
~, ~, y 80 I~,4~l ~ rr, ~
len bay.
After enduring all the hardships en-
tailed by life in such a wild country
they Numbered into a gully where a
brief analysis of the detritus gave a
result per ton which was not to be
measured by ounces. but by pounds.
White men and Indians alike caught
the fever. They accumulated a use
less hoard, having 10 means to trans
port other than their W backs, and
then, all precautions being relaxed. the
nomad Indians, whom they despised,
rushed the camp when they We're sleep
Ing, They were nearly all killed by
stones shot from sings. Suarez was
only stunned, and he and a Spaniard,
Win TWO lnuidHs, were TfSeTNeu IOT
future slaughter.
The others were eaten" he said,
and their bones were used for max
ing fires. saw my friend Giacomo
felled like a bullock. and the Indians as
we'll. BY chance l was the last. I
had no hope Of escape. | was too
downcast even to make a fight Of It
when. at the eleventh hour, the mad
idea seized me that I might please and
astonish my captors by performing a
few sleight Of hand tricks. Dios, how
they CAPPED! They had never seer 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! l he
came their medicine man. fought
and killed my only rival, and since
then / nave doctored a few OF the chief
men among them, so they ook me into
the tribe and always managed to pro-
cure me such food as ! could eat.
They rave me roots and dried meat
when they themselves were living on
putrid blubber or worse, because they
kill all the old women as soon as fam
Inc threatens"
Courtenay broke In on the Span
iard's recital with q question OF direct
interest.
"Asr him ChyistnhaI u,bv ha sold