The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1916-03-16

putin INTO the tn1cket. The alert kear-
ny spurred quickly after it and inter-
cepted its flight. Rising I'm his stirrups,
he released one foot and bestowed upon
the mutinous animal a hearty kick.
THE mule tottered and fell with a
crash broadside upon the ground. AS
We gathered around 1t 1t walled it's
great eyes almost humanity toward
Kearny and expired. That was bad,
but worse to our minds was the con-
comitant disaster. Part of the mules
burden had been 100 pounds Of the
finest coffee to be had in the tropics
The bag burst and spilled the priceless
brown mass of the ground berries
among the dense vines and weeds Of
the swampy land. Mala sucrte! When
you take away from an Esperandon
his coffee you abstract his patriotism
and 80 per cent of his value as Il sol
dier. The men began to rake up the
precious stuff, but l beckoned Kearny
back along the trail where they would
not hear. The limit had been reached
Il took from my pocket wallet of
money and drew out some bills.
"'Mr. Kearny,' said /. here are some
funds belonging to Don Rafael Valde-
via. which l am eXpending in his
cause. l know of no better service it
can buy for him than this. Here is
500. Luck or no luck, we part com
pany here. Star or no star, calamity
seems to travel by your side. You will
return to the steamer. She touches at
AmOtapa to discharge her lumber and
iron and then puts back to New Or
leans. Hand this note to the sailing
master, who will give you passage /
wrote OH II leaf torn from my book
and placed it and the money in Kear-
ny's hand.
'Goodby,' said, extending my own.
1T is not that 1 am dspleased with
you, but there is no place in this OK
petition for-lct us say, the Senorita
Phoebe said this with n smile.
trying to smooth the thing for him.
May you have better luck, compa-
nero
"Kearny took the money and the pa
per.
"'It was just little touch, said he.
Just a little lift with the toe of my
boot. But what's the odds? That
blamed mule would have died If had
only busted his ribs with powder
puff. 1t was my luck. Well, captain.
/ would have liked to be in that little
fight with you over in Aguas Frias.
Success to the cause. Adios"
"IIe turned around and set off down
the trail without looking back. The
unfortunate mules pack saddle was
transferred to Kcarny's pony, and we
again took up the march.
-Four days we journeyed over the
foothills and mountains. fording icy
torrents, winding around the crumbling
brows of ragged peaks. creeping alon.,
rocky flangcs that overlooked awful
precipiccs, crawling brcathlessly over
totterng bridges that crossed bottom
less chaSmS.
"On the evening of the 18th we camp
ed by little stream on the bare hills
five miles from Aguas Frias. At day
break we were to take up march again
AT midnight | was standing outside
my tent inhaling the fresh cold air.
The stars were shining bright in the
cloudlcss sky, giving the heavens their
proper aspect OF illimitable depth and
distance when viewed from the vague
darkness Of the blottcd earth. Almost
at its zenith was the planet Saturn
and with half smile l observed the
sinister red sparkle of his malignant
attendant-the demon star of Kcarny's
i'll luck. And then my thoughts stray
ed across the hills to the scene of our
AT,
noble Don Rafael awaited our coming
to set new and shining star In the
armament of nations
Il heard slight rustling in the deep
grass to my right. l turned and saw
kcnrny coming toward me. He was
ragged and dew drenched and limpinc
His hat and one boot were gone. About
one foot he had tied some makeshift
of cloth and grass. But his manner as
he approached was that OF man who
knows his own virtues well enough TO
be superior to rcbuffs.
".Wcll. SIR / said. staring at him
coldly, If there is anything in persist
ence | see no reason why you should
not succeed in wrecking and running
us yet
81 kept half II days journey behind"
said Kearny. fishing out stone from
the covering of his lame foot, so the
bad luck wouldn't touch you. I
couldn't help 1t, captain. l wanted to
be I'm on this game. 1t was pretty
tough trip, especially In the depart
ment of the commissary. In the low
grounds there were always bananas
and oranges. Higher up it was worse.
but your men left q good deal of goat
meat hanging on the bushes in the
camps. Here's your 500. You're nearly
there now, captain. Let me in on the
scrapping tomorrow
"'Not for n hundred times Il hundred
would ! have the tiniest thing 90
wrong with my plans now said.
whether caused by evil planets or the
blunders OF mere man. But yonder is
Aguas Frias, five miles away and a
clear road. | am Of the mind to defy
Saturn and all his satellites to spoil