El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-10-14

ing to find that his horse disappeared
and he went along for a time upon
foot.
After a while we got the horse and
started on again, finally reaching
path on the edge Of the woods after
many climbs over logs. The wind had
now died away and the guide used
candle. by which he finally brought US
through gullies to a shed known as
the Lecheriar perhaps two hours from
the crater.
1t was now daybreak, but the clouds
were thick on the volcano and the mist
fell in drops like rain 1t is strange
how ones mind works at such times.
Ny memory went back to the lessons
of nv boyhOOd. the committing OF
which one of my ancestors, a sainted
United Presbyterian doctor Of dlVin-
ity enforced upon his children to the
second and third generation, and L
found myself rehearsing parts of the
Twenty third Psalm, Rouse's version.
You may remember the verse:
Yes, though I walk through Deaths
dark vale,
Yet shall 1 fear no i'll!
For thou art with me, and thy rod
And staff me comfort still!'
also hummed that other fine
psalm, which seemed to just fit the
occasion:
'I to the hills viii lift mine eyes.
From whence doth come mine aid
Ny safety cOmeth from the Lord,
Who heaven and earth hath made
Thy foot he'll not let slide,
Nor will he slumber that thee keeps.
The Lord that keepeth Israel
He slumbers not nor sleeps
Indeed, it would need the Lord TO
keep any mans foot on the mountain
of POas, if he had not one of the little
Costa Rican ponies to lift him up and
down.
A Ride Which Would Surprise ROOse-
welt.
should like to see Theodore ROOse-
welt try that ride. l am accustomed to
the saddle and usually make an ag-
gregate of a thousand or fifteen hum
dred miles every winter over the bride
paths about Washington or in the
mountains of Virginia. They are the
smOOthesu Of polo grounds compared
to our scramble up this volcano The
ride by daylight was even worse than
that in the dark, for here we could
was far rOugher. 1t was right
through the mighty woods, and the
greater part Of it consisted Of steps
cut out Of the precipitous hills, so slip
times put their feet together and Slid
going down them. No American
horse would have risked it, but these
Costa Rican ponies are like goats and
they seem to use their heads in their
climbing. I verify believe, with the
aid Of Bedouin guides. that they could
easily make their way up the pyTa-
mids, and F1ocSher, who has never
ridden before, says that he will bet
money he could ride his horse up the
steps inside the Washington mOnu-
ment or go on the trot down those Of
h. % # "a
could. In some places the steps up
and down are Of the height of a table
and often they equaled that Of a chair.
At the Crater.
Nevertheless, the only time the
horses held back was when we came
near the crater. The air there was fun
Of birthstone and they objected TO the
sulphurOus fumes. Many people do
not ride near the crater for that rea-
son, but we kept on the edge Of the
abyss and made our way along it over
a path covered with white volcanic
ash AT the same time a strong wind
was blowing from the lake of sui
our faces, and it was only our rain
coats that kept US from being drenched
by it
Indeed, we did not have the best
view Of the crater. and there was no
eruption during ol5E stay. The crater
is about 1000 feet deep. as we could
see when the clouds lifted. Its walls
are steep, ragged and scanned At our
first coming ii was one great bed of
clouds. a little later we could see the
gOrges in the sides covered with
pumice and volcanic ash. and could
make out the lake Of sulphurOus acid
lying below This lake is yellow at
the edges and a yeuowish green scum
covers the center. There is always
some smoke coming out Of its sur
face. and in an eruption from near the