Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1908-09-11


of the Andes to the eastern pampas.
The happenings of every day-yes,
every hour-such as creeping along
the verge of a precipice on a trail
scarce wider than his two hands, OF
leading his burro over hairlike swing
ing bridges, with the earth few thou
sand feet below-he had come to re-
gard as 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 9th
ers 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
captors and doubted if five more repul-
slve or even equally villainous looking
rascals could be assembled.
When at the close of their repast
they had taken a few puffs from
Rouse's 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
opportunity, Rouse quietly asked for
one of his own Perfectos. The man
ed 1t to him, said:
Enjoy it, senor, for you'll have to
walk straight this afternoon"
Can you walk straight?" continued
the joker, and the laughter ceased.
Morally, can; but physically not
at ali-for 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?"
We'll. physically, senior; and it's
pretty important for you"
In a 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 moth
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
rifle, the PROSTATE 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
to walk straight ahead.
Whatever the game might be, it was
soon 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
his 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 their saddles. If they let the
guide go far enough he might make a
break for the mountains, and
A 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
perceptibly to the left. The next in
,stant he had disappeared!
There, on the level plain, he had
gone from sight in flash.
That was the fateful moment for
Grafton Rouse. 1t 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. 1t was evi-
IDENTIFY 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 a
crack in the pavement with his eyes
shut. till he could beat any symmetri.
cal boy of his acquaintance II he
could but recall the trick-for 1t was
k-fo