Evening star., 1921-06-05

of an army's refuse. over which lazy.
on widespread wings. Cammarillo
had passed. going toward Concordia.
Now and again. in the absolute
silence of night. Pug and Gonelli
heard voices and saw stealthy figures
hurrying along the trail. their lean.
muffled bodies and tall sombreros sill
houetted against a sky blazing with
stars.
They were the stragglers of that
army of looting vagabonds-plains
men who fought for the love of fight.
ing, Indians attracted by the legend
of Cammarillo's success, thieves. ad-
venturers. They travelled after dark.
leading pack mules. and many of
them carried longbarreled Winches-
ters slung over their shoulders.
They, followed cautiously. taking
gagged across the arid face of that
lava-tossed land of miniature craters
and fantastic hills. There was little
! water: the sky was hot, quivering
and deadwhite. Before them the
folded fanks Of the Concordian Alps
retreated like devilish mirage
each day they plodded forward: each
night found the mountains stationary
delectable dream of deep valleys,
cool streams and snowy peaks. mys-
terious and elusive. They found a
dead man half way across that parched
/ waste. He was lying in pitiful at
titude of sleep. his bare feet upturned.
his arms across his face. When they
turned him over they saw a dozen
bullet holes in his back.
ca "A deserter." desc ter, Gonelii explained.
Disciplined by Cammarillo."
That night they entered a deep
gorge. pie slice in the precipitous
slopes of the single chain of noun
tains between Magella and Gen. Gras-
SOS country. 1t was bitter cold. and
Pug shivered in his poncho. Both
men were dirty and tired They lay
down side by side and drank from
a pool of clear, cold water that bub-
bled out of fissure in the black
rock.
"Cammarillo is above u.s." Gonelli
said. lifting his head and wiping his
mouth with the back Of his hand. I'VE
must follow him into the lowlands
again before We can pass his army.
Then we must take our chances in the
(, forest. Grasso is waiting on the
frontier"
Pug's face was still flush with the
surface of the pool. He spoke in a
| hushed. strained voice. Don't move.
men behind that buttressed rock over
there"
A sudden, sharp whine. A ping
acute and thin. like mosquito. A
rattle Of small stones; little squirt
Goneiii sat motionless. Only his
eyes turned, with a flash between the
| half-closed lids. He saw two men
looked down the barrels Of the rides
| they pointed straight at his heart.
''Cammarillo's men," he whispered.
Suddenly he relaxed, smiled, and said
in Spanish: Watch out. hombrss
Long live the liberator Of Magella!"
| r =
THE two men grunted and lowered
i! their rifles with a shamefaced
grin. Pardon, senor tiente. We are
| guarding the pass. One Of US will
take you forward to camp"
There are no royalfsts this side Of
the Christmas" Gonelli said, calmly.
The fellow laughed. 'How's every
thing in Magella. mi tiente?"
'Magella waits for the iberator.
There is enough gold there to make
all of US rich. There are enough
women to make all of US happy. Love,
wine and loot. Viva Cammarillo!"
Gonelli arose. beckoned to Pug. and
turned toward the steep. shadowy
trail. Il want no one with me. I
travel faster alone. Where is the
liberator?"
I ''Over the mountain. senior. Adios."
Gonelli nodded and walked quickly
| ing like a tattered and subservient
peon. his head bent. his feet dragging
heavily. The two nationalists gaxed
! after them moment: then they shrug-
Eed, tipped their hats over their eyes.
and sat down again behind the but
tressing wall of black rock, their
rifles on their knees. -
That night Pug and Gonelli slept
| just beneath the crest Of the mountain
/ in a stone hut left by the passing
army 1t was bitter cold, and a
mournfui wind howled in the fan
the rigging of a ship. Dawn came.
primrose and pearl, with a sea of
fleecy clouds filing the valley below.
At noon the vapors lifted and, stand
ing on a ledge halfway down the
mountain, Pug and Gonelli saw the
the forests of Concordia- The sun.
striking down between riffs in the
clouds, gilded the smooth surface of
a river that wound across the plain
on it's way to the sea- Travelling
parallel with the stream; they saw
| army on the march-men, wagons. a
multitude of pack mules. and. far In
advance, the single figure Of a man
mounted on a white horse.
Gonei froansdt the Tee s9,nes Late! o, They sss
forest. There Is only one trail
through that impenetrable jungler'
Tho italian raised both hands over
his head, drew in his breath. and
Missed: "Maledettat We are-what do
you say-stung, signor Pugr
Pug laughed. "If can't tIs7sl te
Concordia ahead Of CammArino. he
said, 'Tll travel with him. Listen,
Goneli! You and are the hottest
little bandits in Magella-paprika.
havoured. all-wooi, a yard wide and and
from Chile. We've been burning the
plains for ten days, hell-bent to join
our idol: Why, look here. Gonelli-
your own mother wouldn't recognize
you. You look like q hungry wolf
And what about met II your friend
iCammarillo 10 looking for bandtts-
we are 1t! Lead on, you fire-eatinE
] jpatriot---we1l Join the Eangr'
|. 1nna1at SixhaA s60AR - -