Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-10-02
CHAPTER XIV Continued

- u-,c ,ho frst-and probaI ly tho last
,h.t Miranda could count himself a
cCnaueror on the field OF pal,'c' ~ i, had
,ion' however, was short-hNeo' N.Y. o,"s nnd
~ 70 bewail the loss OF Herran' a soou
nc ~ . hraye leader, but the odds in the COM
10. hafore him were going so unhlistaN,oS
AGAINST Anitoo and his men, the nShtns To- 10
become so widespread ana DESPERATE .n"' .0
.arot, of the explorers seemed every NO
ment more and more a matter oil mltHc'e9,
A.. notbinc further could be done WIN W.
onntv revolver, Miranda shrugged MS snou.-
doris. threw away his now harmleSs Me'lo"
and. turning hastily 10 MS cohlpahionT' d. W
darod them to put out their torches' ran il"t
80 ,hoir faces where they stood and 10 stay
r,o,ionless in that position until the iortunes
Of the battle were decided. rms tney All uu'
uoue with an almost inconcelvapie pIompl-
noss-and to any one who might be lookihs
:, MS, have appeared that the enemy had
ovorthrown this little group OF people peioic
rom with one well-directed discharge Oh theH
weapons.
To tho kind OF warfare that now was raging
Anltoo's avemen on account OF lhelr IaeN
numbers and deficient training were un-
,,,astionably getting the worst of IT.. Tnelr
uuhitc togas and the flashing lights that they
wore made their escape dihlcu't opN,ous's a
,,ould have Jared badly for them II they nau
hoon left TO fight their battle out alone But
Anitoo was taking no unnecessary chanceS'
rearing for his own men from the very nrst'
| be had dispatched a messenger INTO the I'M
known region OF the cave lying beyond me
condor Gate. There was more, indeed, than
,ha fate of his own men at stake lie Knew
mo, ,he majority of the enemy were of his
own race. and that with them were ascot
ated two or three men from the OUTSIDE world
whose presence there under such circum-
stances proved the existence OF a formidable
Sonsniracv against that subterranean realm.
~ which he had spoken vaguely to the eX-
| nlorers. and to which he belonged Inc cave
naen he had with him., although brave
49, --.Als~ aH1 II
tary experience. They could make but a poor
,a,o,eo against an attack directed by leaders
trained in the rough school or the guerilla,
All this Anitoo knew, and the reinforcements
| for which he had sent arrived barely IN time
20 save his party from being completely
lined out. But, fortunately for him, they
did arrive in time.
with a confused din Of war cries and
trumpetinss, a fash of mysterious torches,
waving of banners, brandishing OF pipes and
blowguns, a body of men, suddenly appeaT-
inc out of the dim recesses of the cave and
nmsbnd several hundred strong. upon the en-"
circ,ine throng of invaders, The result was
decisive. The rebels, with victory almost in
their grasp, were quickly surrounded, many
of them killed, while the few who failed to
- their escape were taken prisoners.
Among the latter was one VINO had played
IaaSinr part in the attack. He was un-
armed. his clothes were torn an ugly thrust
from a pike had slashed across his face.
| Pit his DedTlnk a N"N }
lion OF the vanquished was lacking in the
comnosure with which he regarded Anitoo.
Ssfore whom his captors led him.
"vyell?" he asked scornfIlly.
.I exnected you, Don Raoul,' said Anitoo.
The other laughed contemptuously.
.yvhv are YOU here2" demanded Anitoo.
.srhat is a long story. For one thing,
neople are tired of living like bats in
you' ark With the help of Rafael Segurra,
your one. great man. l promised to free
them"
prisoner" ooded rabhle b.,o ,m
htm have they? But where are my Amer
sriands? he asked abruptly.
.arhav are here. one of them. I think
nos Killed, But he was a Bogotano."
II don't see them
FOR the first time Anitoo showed amaze
uant He called 10 his men he looked in
Very nossible and impossible place. The ex.
niorers were nowhere to be seen. Their dis
paarance. moreover, was complicated by the
80 mat after the retreat of Anitoo's men,
Inc great portal under the Sign of the Condor
had been closed. BY this means the outer
region of the cave had been shut on. thus
nrsyenting the escape of any of the com.
r.,ants 4. that direction. As the Americans
were not now Ia sight, 1t seemed, probable
that they were on the other side Of tho stone
sateway-although there was a faint ressi'