The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1916-02-12
Concluded from page 81

gan our march toward the sen follow.
ing range of mountains. over the si1ts
mile trail 10 the capital. Our sinai
arms and provisions were laden oa.
pack mules. Twenty men harnesSed t..
each Calling gun rolled them snlo1thl.
along the Hat, alluyial loWlandS. ON
troops. well shod md well fed. moved
with a~lacrity and heartiness. and
my three lieutenants were mounted Oh
the tough mountain ponies of the II
try.
"A mile out of camp one of the pack
mules. becoming stubborn. broke away
from the train and plunged from the
path into the thicket. The alert Kear
ny spurred quickly after it and inter.
cepted its flight. Rising in 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 it 1t walled its
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 suerte! When
you take away from al Esperandon
his coffee you abstract his patriotism
and 80 per cent of his value as a sol
der. The men began to rake up the
precious stuff, but [ beckoned Kearny
back along the trail where they would
not hear. The limit had been reached.
Il took from my pocket a wallet of
money and drew out some bills.
"'Mr. Kearny,' said l, here are some
funds belonging to Don Rafael Waldo
via, which | am expanding in his
cause. | 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 on a leaf torn from my book
and placed it and the money in Kear-
ny's hand.
"'Goodby,' l said, extending my own
TT is not that | am displeased with
you, but there is no place in this eX-
petition for-let us say, the Senorita
Phoebe | said this with a smile.
trying to smooth the thing for linn.
May you have better luck, compa-
nero
"Kearny took the none and the pa
per.
at was just a 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 a powder
puff. 1t was my luck. Well, captain.
| would nave liked to be in that little
fight with you over in Aguas Frias.
Success to the Adiosr
HE turned around and set off down
the trail without looking back. The
unfortunate mules pack saddle was
transferred to Kearny's pony, and we
again took up the march.
-Four days we journeyed owe the
foothills and mountains. fording icy
torrents, winding around the crumbling
brows Of ragged peaks, creeping along
rocky flanges that overlooked awful
precipices. crawling b%reathlessly over
tottering bridges that crossed bottom
less chaSms.
ION the evening of the nth we camp
ed by a 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
cloudless sky, giving the heavens their
proper aspect of illimitable depth and
distance when viewed from the vague
darkness of the blotted earth. Almost
at its zenith was the planet Saturn.
and with a half smile l observed the
sinister red sparkle of his malignant
attendant-the demon star of Kearny's
Ill luck. And then my thoughts stray
ed across the hills to the scene of our
coming triumph. where the heroic and
noble Don Rafael awaited Il coming
to set ii new and shining star in the
armament of nations.
Il heard Il slight r~ustling in the deep
grass to my right. turned and saw
Kearny coming toward me. He was
ragged and dew drenched and limping.
His hat and one boot were gone. About
one foot he had tied some makeshift
of cloth and grass. But his I'M rs
he approached was that of a man who
knows his own virtues well enough to
be superior to rebulfs.
"'Well. sir | said. staring at him
coldly. if there is anything in persist
ence I see no reason why you should
not succeed in wrecking and ruinina
us yet
"T kept half a days journey behind.
said Kearny. fishing out n stone from
the covering of his lame foot, so the