Year: 1870

attention behind the position which We


occupied There, within dozen feet OF


us, in easy range of the sound of our
voices, was Stombard, busily engaged
in packing and strapping together the
! leather pouches which contained his
clothing and other personal baggage.
The movement was regarded as some
thing rather singular, by the purser, con-
sidering all that had passed; but the
thought occurred to me at the time that
something connected with my visit there
had decided Stombard to 60 ashore at
once. | was further confirmed in this
opinion, when, some few minutes later,
the fellow shouldered his luggage and
hastily crossed the plank, without a word
or look bestowed on any one aboard


On my way back to San Tonic my
thoughts would dwell with painful in
tensity upon this subject And for many
subsequent days it would obtrude itself
upon my mind too frequently to be agree
able. But / saw nothing of Stombard in
the meantime, and never heard the men
ton of his name,


"The December rains, which had set
in soon after my coming to San Tonic,
were now long past, and every prepara-
tion was completed for the commence
ment of my overland journey My SER
want, Luis Rimaco, whom you might
have taken for naturalized plantation
negro, slightly bleached, but for his
Haunting chincarero toggery, had every
thing in keeping with the necessities Of
the ocsasion, and proved his claim to the
title of an excellent guide, even before
we had set out.


con one point only did we disagree.
1t was customary in such cases to with
hold the servant wages until the through
journey had been completed, at least, as
a surety for his good behavior, But Luis
had the hardihood to ask that payments
be made at stated times during his brief
term of service. But | fancied | could
perceive possibilities in the case, and
the more he urged the point the more
firmly became fixed in my determina-
ton not to yield


He acquiesced at length, fearing per
haps to arouse my suspicion, and the
point was settled by the payment of
small sum before setting out-the amount
of his earnings for the first few days of
preparatory work.


"At the foot of spur of the Brazil
ian Andes we passed the extreme west
ern limits of the frontier, and caught the
last sight of anything like civilization,
We had been four days out to this point.
The distance was about two hundred
miles west from Asuncion. Here Luis
surprised and displeased me by bringing
into camp in the evening, from balache
in the neighborhood, stout, ferce-look-
ing woman whom he claimed as his wife,
and who was to accompany us on the
journey.


! made some objection, on account Of
the difficulty providing food for third
mule in the mountain districts. But
Luis explained away this objection.
And after l had partaken of repast
provided by the stately chicarerd, | no
longer demurred to her making one of
the party. The Macoa range was
passed, and the broad fertile valleys be-
yond. An easy seven days journey had
brought us to the foot of the Andes
proper. The time of the entire passage
from Rosario TO Valparaiso was set down
at twelve days, but preferred to con-
sumo about eighteen days in making the
same journey.


ave camped early on the seventh day,
on the eastern slope of the mountains,
and attended to the comfort of both man
and beast. Here was good water and
plenty of grass. 1t was thirty miles to
another such place before us, and re
quired three days of hard labor, with
much wearisome climbing to reach it,
Bahia Pass divided this distance. There
was water midway of the pass, the first
that could be reached before sometime
during the second day, but no grass for
our animals, and very little of any sort |
Of browse. .r.. .rA l !