The Green Forest tribune., 1908-09-11

COuiQ SHOW nm rom the western SlQe of the Andes to the eastern pampas. The happenings of every day-yes, every hour-such as creeping along the verge of precipice on a trail scarce wider than his two hands, or leading his burro over hairlike swing ing bridges, with the earth few thou sand feet below-he had come to re- gard 8s minor incidents.
 They had reached the point of great est altitude on their journey and were just entering, through cleft in the solid rock, an absolutely level plateau, covered with short grass. when five men, as though actuated by common spring, suddenly emerged in front.
 While two of the bandits kept them covered with their carbines, the oth- CTS bound them hand and foot and led them some distance toward the middle of the plateau, where they were dumped from their donkeys and robbed of everything of value.
 After that they were fed, which somewhat allayed the apprehensions of Rouse, who had been studying his
  sive or even equally villainous looking rascals could be assembled.
 When at the close of their repast they had taken a few puffs from Rouses best cigars, they appeared to expand with a feeling as near akin to good humor as anything of which they were capable. and seiZing this for one of his own Perfectos. The man who, gaping with astonishment, hand ed it to him. said:
 Enjoy it, senor, for you'll have to walk straight this afternoon"
 Gan you walk straight?" continued the joker, and the laughter ceased.
 Morally, l can; but physically not at all-for l limp"
 This seemed to be considered even more humorous than the bandits badinage, and sent the ruffians into roar of merriment
 Rouse thought that ominous. No thorough scoundrel laughs in that way without meaning harm to someone. But, as lightly as possible. he in- quired:
 Which kind of straight walking did you mean?"
 Well, physically, senor; and it's pretty important for you"
 In little while they unbound the guides feet, leaving his hands tied behind him and bandaged his eyes. One man lay down and gazed steadily across the plain. Rouse tried to fol low his glance, but could discern noth- ing but the unbroken plateau, extend ing for some miles to the next range of mountains. Stretching out an arm and sighting along it as one might rife, the prostrate man held it stead fly pointed at the object of his scru- tiny. The two men holding the guide faced him exactly in the direction in dicated and released him, telling him 70 walk straight ahead.
 Whatever the game might be, it was 1oon evident that the guide would not prove a success, for he was gradually veering to the left As this became more apparent, the laughter of the la drones rose higher and Rouse's uneasi- ness increased. A vague but powerful dread impressed him with sense of swiftly impending calamity. The next moment he almost laughed himself at hie indefinite fears. What harm could possibly befall a man on that level plain? If their captors meant to kill theM, why had they not already done so? They had made no movement to- ward their weapons, which lay stacked with <heir saddles. If they let the guid. go far enough he might make break for the mountains, and
 movement as of expectancy among the men at his side brought Rouse from his revery with a shudder and drew his wandering attention back to the guide, who was still drifting pereeptibly to the left. The next in- stant he had disappeared!
 There, on the level plain, he had gone from sight in a flash.
 That was the fateful moment for Grafton Rouse. It was then that his hard common sense and iron nerve struggled for mastery over the form less fear tearing at his soul-and won. The single second in which he knew that he was again master of his old self was the happiest of his life even if it were to be the last.
 Another moment was left him for swift and vigorous thought, while the murderers were still enjoying their ghastly entertainment. It was evi- dently vital that he should walk straight. But could he--and how? His active memory leaped back to child. hood days, when the human cubs with whom he sported mocked his slight infirmity, and with frank. boyish bru- tality nicknamed him "Gimpy." How he had set his teeth together. and, time and again, practiced walking crack in the pavement with his eyes shut, till he could beat any symmetri- cal boy of his acquaintance. If he could but recall the trick-for it was trick!
 There was stir among the robbers, who began to rise.
 Rouse thought intently. He remem- tered that. while almost everybody else veered to the left in walking. his tendency was in the opposite direction.
 An. Now the details came back to him. He had corrected the trend to the right by giving the left foot half shift outward at each third step! He would try 1t, and could only hope that increase of height and weight and age would not affect the result.
 Now his time had come. With many bad jokes at his expense they removed the gag and the rope about his legs,