* T R A I L
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v
-AAA-
C H A P T E R I.
Toward the end of June, 1854, a well
mounted traveler, carefully wrapped up
In the thick folds of a sarape, raised to
hit eyes, was following one of the most
precipitous slopes o f the Sierra of the
WiDd river, at no great distance from the
source o f the Green river, that great
western Colorado which pours its waters
into the Gulf of California.
It was about seven in the evening; the
traveler fodv along, shivering from the
effects o f an icy wind which whistled
mournfully through the canyons.
All
around had assumed a saddening aspect
in the vacillating moonbeams, lie rode
on without bearing the footfall of his
horse, as it fell on the winding sheet of
enow that covered the landscape; at times
the capricious windings of the track he
was following compelled him to puss
, - through Buckets, whose branches, bent
by the gfnlght o f snow, steod out before
him like E g a n tic skeletons, and struck
each other after he had passed with a
sullen m ap
The traveler continued his journey,
looking anxiously on both sides of him.
Ills horse, fatigued by a long ride, stum
bled at every step, and In spite of the
repeated encouragement of its rider seem
ed determlri'1 to stop short, when, after
turning an angle in the track, it suddenly
entered a large clearing, where the close
growing grass formed a circle about forty
} arda In dlauu-ter and the verdure formed
a cheery contrast with the whiteness that
surrounded It.
“ Heaven be praised 1” the traveler ex
claimed in excellent French, “ here is a
spot where I can camp for to-night with
out any ¿h a ssive inconvenience."
While thus speaking the traveler had
stopped his horse and dismounted. His
first attention was paid to his horse, from
which he removed the saddle and bridle,
and which he covered with his sarape, ap-
’ pearing to attach no Importance to the
cold, which was, however, extremely se
vere In these elevated regions. So soon
as It was free the animal. In spite of Its
fatigue began browsing heartily on the
grass, and thus reassured about his com
panion, the traveler began thinking about
making arranv ■ . nts for the night.
It was no easy task to find dry firewood
at a spot almost denuded of trees, and
whose solUp covered with snow, except
In the clearing, allowed nothing to be
distinguished; but the traveler was pa
tient, he would not be beaten, and within
an hour ha had collected sufficient wood
to feed through the night two such fires
as he proposed kindling.
“ Ah I ah,” said the traveler, “ the fire
will do, so now for supper.”
Then fnmbling j the double pockets,
which travelers always carry fastened to
Che saddle, he took from them all the re
quisite elements o f a frugal meal ; that Is
to say, pemmlcan und tassajo, or meat
dried in the sun. At the moment when,
after shutting up his alforgas, the trav
eler raised his head to lay his meat on
ths embers to broil, he stopped motion
less, with widely opened mouth, and it
was only througn a mighty strength o f
will that he suppressed a cry of surprise
and possibly of terror. Although no sound
had revealed his presence, a man, leaning
on a long rifle, was standing motionless
before him and gazing at him with pro
found attention.
At once mastering the emotion he felt,
tbe traveler carefully laid the tassajo on
the embers, and then without removing his
sye from this strange visitor, he stretched
•ut his arm to grasp bis rifle, while say-
Ing in a tone of the most perfect indif
ference ;
"W hether friend or foe, you are wel
come, mate. “Tis a bitter night, to if you
ars cold, warm yourself, and If you are
hungry, eat. When your nerves have re
gained their elasticity and your body its
usual strength we will bare a frank ex-
plsnation, such as men of honor ought to
The stranger remained silent for some
seconds ; then, after shaking hi» head sev
eral times, »aid in a low and melancholy
voice, as if speaking to himself:
“ Can any human being really exist in
Whose
heart a feeling of pity still re
whi
in s?”
- j Make tbe trial, mate,” the traveler an
swered, "by accepting without hesitation
my hearty offer. Tw o men who meet in
the desert must be friends, unless private
reasons make them Implacable enemies.
Bit down and eat.”
This dialogue had been held In Spanish,
a language the stranger spoke with a
facility that proved his Mexican origin.
H e seemed to reflect for s moment and
than Instant ! \ made up bis mind.
“ I accept.” he said, “ for your voice Is
too sympathizing and your glance too
frank to deceive.”
“ That Is the way to speak,” the trav
eler said gaily. “ Sit down and eat with-
*ut fnrth, - delay.”
T h J fc m n g e r smiled sadly. The two
men then attacked with no ordinary vigor
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ■ l o n s placed before them. The
«ppearanee o f ths stranger was
mom wre bed and his ragged clothes
scarce cr ered his bony, fleshless b o d y ;
while bis pale
;
and sickly features were
more sad and gloomy by s thick,
heard that fell on his chest,
inflamed by fever and sur-
by black circles, glistened with a
^ ^ ^ I f i r e . His weapons were In as bad
a conBtlon as his clothes, yet there was
h l M l something grand and sympathetic
which!aroused not only pity but also
rsnp*« for torture so proudly hidden and
•• ■•fcl.r endured. This man. In short,
•cs he 'ell so low, must ha vs been great,
•ftherlln virtue or In vice; but aseuredly
thers iwas nothing common about him
^ ^ ^ ^ p ilg h ty heart beat In his bosom.
I was a rather long silence, during
the two men Indulged lu thought.
th e K i n 1 howled fiercely over their beads.
^Bdyiug snow was piling up around
|*nd the eeboee o f the canyons eeem-
[ utter notes of com plaint It was a
night
Beyond the circle of
produced by tbe flickering flame of
r .
tch Are ail was buried la dense
>w that the ice la broken beti
us.” the traveler said in a friendly voice,
“ for we have been sitting at the same
fire and have eaten together— the moment
has arrived, 1 fancy, for us to become
thoroughly acquainted.”
The stranger nodded his head silently.
It was a gesture that could be inter
preted affirmatively
or negatively, at
pleasure.
"F or twenty years I have been trav
ersing the prairies and great savannahs
In every direction, and I shall probably
continue to do so till an Indian bullet
comes from some thicket to stop my wan
derings forever. Towns are hateful to
me. And now, mate, you know me as
well as I do myself. I will merely add,
in conclusion, that my name among the
white men, my countrymen. Is Valentina
Guillois, and among the redskins, my
adopted fathers, Koutenepi.”
The speech, which the hunter had com
menced In that clear voice and with that
careless accent habitual to him, terminat
ed involuntarily, under the pressure of the
flood of saddened memories that rose from
his heart, and when he concluded he let
his head fall sadly on his chest with a
sigh that resembled a sob. The stranger
regarded him for a moment with an ex
pression o f gentle commiseration.
"Y ou have suffered,” he said; “ suf
fered in your love, suffered In your friend
ship. Your history is that of all men In
this w orld; who of us but at a given
hour has felt his courage yield beneath
the weight of grief?
You are alone,
friendless, abandoned by all, a voluntary
exile, far from the men who only inspire
you with hatred and contem pt; you prefer
the society of wild beasts less ferocious
than they, but at any rate you live, while
I am a dead m a n !”
The hunter started and
looked
In
amazement at the speaker.
" I suppose you think me mad?” he con
tinued with a melancholy sm ile; “ reas
sure yourself. It is not so. I am In full
possession o f my senses, and my thoughts
are clear and lucid. For all that, though,
I repeat to you, I am dead, dead In the
sight o f my relations and friends, dead to
the whole world in fine.
Mine Is a
strange story, and one that you would
recognize through one word, were you a
Mexican or had traveled in certain re
gions of Mexico.”
"D id 1 not tell you that for twenty
years I have been traveling over every
part o f Am erica?” the traveler replied.
“ What is the word? Can you tell It m e?"
“ Why not? I am alluding to the name
I bore while I was still a living man.”
"W hat is that name?”
"It had acquired a certain celebrity,
but I doubt whether It has remained In
your memory.
“ Who knows? Perhaps you are mis
taken.”
“ Well, since yon insist, learn, then,
that I was called Martial el Tigrero.”
“ Y ou?” the astonished hunter exclaim
ed. "W hy, that Is Impossible 1”
“ O f course so, since I am dead,” the
stranger answered, bitterly.
C H A P T E R II.
The Tigrero bad let his head fall on
his chest again, and seemed engaged with
gloomy thoughts. The hunter, somewhat
embarrassed by the turn the conversation
had taken, and anxious to continue it,
mechanically stirred up the fire.
“ Stay,” he said, presently, as he thrust
back with his foot a few embers that had
rolled o u t ; “ pardon me, sir, any Insult
which my exclamation may seem to have
contained. You have mistaken my mean
ing, although we have never met, we are
not such strangers as you suppose.
I
have known you for a long time.”
The Tigrero raised hie head and looked
at the hunter incredulously.
"Y o u ?” he muttered.
“ Yes, I, and it will not be difficult to
prove It to you."
“ What good will it do?” he murmured;
“ what Interest can I have in the fact of
your knowing me?”
Valentine reflected for a moment, and
then went on as follow s:
“ Some months ago. In consequence of
circumstances unnecessary to remind you
of, but which you doubtless bear In mind,
you met at the colony of Guetzalli a
Frenchman and a Canadian hunter, with
whom you eventually stood on most inti
mate terms.”
" I t Is true," the Tigrero replied, "the
Frenchman to whom you allude is the
Count de Preboil Cranee. Oh I I shall
never be able to discharge the debt o f
gratitude I have contracted with him.”
A sad smile curled the hunter's lip.
"Y ou no longer owe him anything,” be
said.
“ W hat do you mean?” the Tigrero ex
claimed eagerly; “ surely the count can
not be dead 1”
"II# is dead, Caballero. He was as
sassinated on the shores o f Guayamas.
Ills murderers laid him in his tomb, and
his blood, so treacherously shed, cries for
vengeance.”
The hnnter hurriedly wiped away the
tears he had been unable to repress while
speaking o f the count, and went on In
a voice choked by the Internal emotion
which he strove In vain to conquer:
“ But let us, for tbe present, leave this
rad reminiscence to slumber in oar hearts.
The count was my friend, my dearest
friend, more than s brother to m e , he
often spoke about you to me, and several
times told me your gloomy history, which
terminated In a frightful catastrophe.”
Ths Tigrero, In a few momenta, began
his narrative as follow s;
“ My friends must have fancied me
dead.
You are aware that I was at
tacked by Black Bear Just ss I believed
I had saved friends. W e fought on the
edge o f a pit and I was Just about to
finish him when the Comanche war cry
waa beard. Startled, I let the Indian go,
he rushed at Dona Anita, a member of
the party, who, however, repulsed hhn.
He fell backward In the direction o f the
pit, clutching me, and down we went to
gether."
“ Go on,” the hunter mid. ” 1 am listen
ing to you with the greatest attention.”
"T h e Indian was desperately wounded.
[ and U waa a corpse that dragged me
down. The chief was the first to reach
the bottom, and I fell upon his body,
which deadened my fall. I cannot say
bow long I remained In this state, but I
fancy my faint must have lasted two
hours. When I opened my eyes again, I
found myself in utter darkness.
That
did not trouble me greatly, as I had about
me everything necessary to light a fire.
Within a few moments I had a light, and
was enabled to look about me. I was
1} iug at the bottom of a species o f tun
nel, for the pit grew narrower in its de
scent. When I reached the floor of the
cavern, I lay for more than half an hour
C H A P T E R III.
on the sand, exhausted, panting, unable
Don Martial gazed at tbe hunter in
to make the slightest movement. Fortu
nately for me this terrible condition did amazement.
“ What do you moan?” he asked him.
not last long, for the refreshing air from i
without, reaching me through the passages “ I don’t understand you.”
"Y ou will soon do so, my friend,” said
of the cavern, recovered me. The ground j
“ How long have you been
around me was covered with dead bodies, Valentine.
and there had, doubtless, been a terrible roaming about?”
"Nearly two months.”
struggle. I sought in vain for the corpses
“ In that case you are well acquainted,
of Dona Anita and her father. I breath
ed again, and hope re-entered my heart. I presume, with these mountains?”
"There is not a tree or a rock whoso
Those for whom I had given my life were
saved. This thought restored my courage, exact position I cannot tell, nor a wild
and I felt quite a different man. I rose beast trail which I have not followed.”
“ G o o d ; are we far from a spot called
without any excessive difficulty, and, sup
porting myself on my rifle, went toward the 'Fort of the Chiehiineques?’ ”
the mouth of the cavern, after removing | “ I know the place to which you refer,
my stock of provision, and taking two and have often camped there on stormy
powder horns from stores I had previous- j nights, because there Is a deep cavern,
ly cached. No words can describe the excavated by human hands, and divided
emotion I felt when, after a painful walk 1 Into several passages, every turning of
through the grotto, I at length reached which I know.”
“ I was not aware o f the existence of
the river bank, and saw the sun once
this grotto,” the hunter said, with a glad
more.
“ An hour later, mounted on my good start, “ and I thank you for having told
horse, I bent my steps toward houses. me o f It. Are we any great distance
My journey was a long one, and when from this terrace?"
"I n a straight line, not more than five
I reached Sonora the news I heard al
most drove me mad.
Don Sylva de or six miles, and, if it were day, I could
Torres had been killed in the fight with «how it to you, but as we must ride round
the Apaches, as was probably hie daugh to reach the caravan road, we have about
ter. For a month I hovered between life three hours' ride before us.”
“ That is a trifle, for I was afraid I
and death. When hardly convalescent, I
dragged myself to the house o f the only had lost my way In these mountains,
man competent of giving me precise In which are strange to me.”
While saying this, Valentine had risen
formation. This man refused to recog
nize me, although I had been intimate to explore the clearing. The storm had
with him for many years. V 'h e n I told ceased, tbe wind had swept away the
him my name he laughed in my face, and clouds, the deep blue sky was studded
when I insisted, he had me expelled by with brilliant stars, and the moon pro
bis peons, telling me that I was mad, fusely shed its rays.
“ "Tis a magnificent night,” the hunter
that Don Martial was dead, and I an im
postor. I went away with rage and de said. “ It is [>ast midnight, and I feel no
spair in my heart.
A fter this all my Inclination to sleep. Are you fatigued?”
“ I am never so," the Tigrero answered
friends to whom I presented myself re
fused to recognize me, so thoroughly was with a smile.
the report of my death believed. All the
“ In that case, what do you think of a
efforts I attempted to
dissipate this ride In this magnificent moonlight?
alarming mistake and prove the falsehood B ra v o ! that Is what I call speaking. We
of the rumor w ire In vain, for too many will go, if you have no objection, as far
persons were interested in It being true, as the Fort of the Chichimeques.”
on account of my large estates ; and also,
“ I was about to propose I t ; and, as we
I suppose, through a fear of Injuring the ride along, you will tell me In your turn
man to whom I first applied— the only what motive compelled you to come to
living relation of the Torres family. What these unknowu regions.”
more need I tell you? Disgusted in every
“ As for that,” the hunter said, with a
way, heartbroken with grief, and recogniz «mile, “ I cannot satisfy you ; at any rate
ing the inutility of the efforts I had made, not for the present. But be easy, I will
I left the town, and, mounting my horse, not put your patience to too long a trial."
returned to the desert, seeking the most
“ This happy meeting has already made
unknown spots and the most desolate re a different man of me," the Tigrero said,
gions in which to hide myself.”
as he rose.
"Brother,” Valentine said, gently, “ yon
The hunter laid his hand on his shoul
have forgotten to tell me the name of that der. “ One moment,” he said to him ; “ be
influential person who had you turned out fore leaving this bivouac let us clearly
of his bouse, and treated you as an im agree as to our facts, so as to avoid any
postor.
future misunderstanding.”
“ That is true,” Don Martial answered.
“ Be It so,” Don Martial answered.
“ His name Is Don Sebastian Guerrero, “ Let us make a compact In the Indian
and he is military governor of the prov fashion.”
ince of Sonora."
“ Well said, my friend,” Valentine re
“ Don Martial,” cried the hunter, “ you
marked, as he drew his knife from his
may thank heaven for decreeing that we
belt. "H ere is my navaja, brother; may
should meet in the desert, in order that
It serve you as It has done me to avenge
the punishment o f this man should be
your wrongs and mine.”
complete.”
” 1 receive it in the face o f that heaven
(T o be continued.)
which I call as witness of tbe purity of
my intentions. Take mine in exchange,
S aved th e S tam p.
and one-half my powder and bullets,
Congressman J. Van Veehten O lcott brother."
tells a story o f a m em ber o f the house
“ I accept it ae a thing belonging to
from M issouri w hose econom ical habits me, and here Is half my ammunition for
attracted some attention among
his y o u ; henceforth we cannot fire at one
colleagues. The M issourian Is serving another, all Is In common between us.
bis first term, and as he w as elected My horse is yours.”
“ Mine belongs to you, and In a few
as a Republican from a strongly D em
o cra tic district som e
of
his fellow moments I will place It at your service."
Then tbe two men, leaning shoulder to
m em bers w ere anxious to know how
shoulder, with clasped hands, eyes fixed
much his cam paign expenses were. He
on heaven, and outstretched arm, uttered
wns sw ept Into Congress on the R oose together the following words ;
velt tidal wave.
W hen the question
“ I take heaven to witnesa that o f my
w as put to him he satisfied the curious own free will, and without reservation, I
ones w ith the r e p ly :
take as my friend and brother the man
“ W ell, you can figure It out
for whose hand Is at this moment pressing
yourself.
The convention
nom inated mine. I will help him in everything he
another man first and he sent a letter asks of me, without hope o f reward, ready
o f declination. T h a t cost him a 2-cent by day and night to answer his first sig
nal, without hesitation, and without re
postage stamp. They then nom inated
proach, even if he asked for my life.”
me, and I did not m ail my a ccep t
There was something grand and solemn
ance.” — Philadelphia Ledger.
In this simple act, performed by these
two powerful men beneath the pallid
D id n 't W i s h to I n te r r u p t.
moonbeams, and in the heart o f the des
A husband w as being arraigned In ert, alone, far from all human society.
cou rt In a suit brought by his w ife A fter repeating the words of the oath
fo r cruelty.
they embraced and finally shook hands.
“ Now let us be off, brother,” Valen
“ I understand, sir,” said the Judge,
addressing the husband, “ tbnt one o f tine sa id ; “ I confide In you as In m y se lf;
the Indignities you have show ered upon we shall succeed in triumphing over our
enemies. By the bye, I must warn you,
you r w ife Is that you have not spoken
brother, that If you are not mistaken, and
to her for three years. Is that so?”
we are really following the road to the
“ It Is, you r honor,” q uickly answered Fort o f the Chichimeques, we shall prob
tbe husband.
ably meet several persons th ere; they are
"W ell, sir,” thundered
the Judge, friends o f mine, with whom I have an
“ w hy d id n 't you speak to her, may I appointment and I will introduce them to
you.
ask 7”
They set out again, still following the
“ Sim ply,” replied the husband, "b e
windings of the track, which gradually
cause I d id n 't w ant to Interrupt her.” grew steeper; and, after a very zigzag
course, reached the terrace half an hour
O ld A d n i e C o m e s U p .
later. .
C reditor (a n g r ily )— Say, when are
“ This Is certainly the place," the hunt
you goin g to pay the $50 you ow e m e? I er exclaimed.
D ebtor (c a lm ly )— T h a t query re
“ But your friends-------?” the Tigrero
m inds me o f tbe o ld adage.
asked.
The hunter without speaking discharged
C reditor— W h at old adage?
D ebtor— T h e on e about a fo o l’s abil his gun, snd st tbe sound three men ap
ity to ask questions that a wlae man la , pea red. though It was Impossible to say
whence they cam e They were Belbumeur,
unable to answer.
Black Elk and Eagle-bead.
C h urch
In
la c
l f0OO
Y ears.
T h e oldest building In England that
has been uninterruptedly
used
for
ch urch purposes Is S t M artin's Cathe
dral at Canterbury. T b e building was
origin a lly erected for a church and haa
been regularly used as a place fo r
religious gatherings
fo r
m ore than
1,500 year*.
A
M isn o m e r.
A lady w ith a very Inharm onious
voles attem pted to sing a piece called
'T h e T e m p e s t”
A sea captain
re
m arked : “ D on 't be a la rm e d ; It is not
a tem p est It's only a «quail, and w ill
soon be over.”
G erm any h as 264.000 acres o f land
devoted to grape cultures
C H A P T E R IV.
About five or six leagues at the moat
from ths spot where Valentine and tbe
Tigrero met, a caravan, composed of some
ten persons, had halted on the same night
■ ad almost st the same moment as the
hunter In ■ narrow valley.
The caravan was lodged on the bank o f
a running stream, tbe mules had been un
loaded. a tent raised, firee lighted, and
when the animals were hobbled, the trar-
tlere began to make preparations for their
■upper.
| One o f the trarelera appeared to belong
to the bigbeet class The reet were only
•errant« or Indian peons. Still ths dress
ef this person was most simple, but hie
■tiff m innir, his Imposing demeanor and
haughty air, evidenced the man long ac-
rostomed to give orders without admitting
refuaei. Lie bed passed his fiftieth y e a r;
I
he was tall, well built, and his movements
■vere extremely elegant. His broad fore
head, bis black eyes large and dashing,
his long gray moustaches, and his short
hair, gave him a military appearance,
which his harsh, quick way o f speaking
lid not contradict.
Among the peons two men more espe
cially attracted attention. One was a
redskin, the other a half-breed, with a
crafty, leering manner, who, for some
reason or another, stood on most familiar
terms with his m aster; his comrades call
ed him No Carnero, and at times gave
him tbe title of Capataz.
No Carnero was the wit o f the cara
van, the funny fellow —ever ready to
laugh and joke. The redskin was a tall,
thin, dry man, with angular features and
gloomy and sad face, illumined by two
black eyes deeply set in their orbit. Like
most Indians, it was impossible to form
any opinion as to his age, for his hair
was black as the raven's wing, and his
parchment skin had not a single wrinkle.
He had engaged at Santa Fe to act as
guide to the caravan, and, with the excep
tion o f his obstinate silence, there was
every reason to be satisfied with him.
The peons called him The Indian, or
sometimes Jose— a mocking term, employ
ed in Mexico to designate the Indios man
tes ; but the redskin appeared as insensi
ble to compliments as to jokes, and con
tinued coldly to carry out the task he had
imposed od himself. When supper was
ended the master turned to the capataz.
“ Carnero,” he said to him, "though In
these remote regions, we have but little
to fear, still do not fail to place sen
tries.”
“ I have warned two men, ml amo,”
the capataz replied; "moreover, I Intend
to make my rounds to-night; eh, Jose,”
he added, “ are you certain you are not
mistaken, and that you really lifted a
trail? D o you know to what nation the
sign you discovered belongs?”
“ Crow,” the redskin answered hoarse
ly-
“ Carai !” the master exclaimed, “ if
they are Crows we shall do well to be
on our guard.”
“ Nonsense I” Carnero remarked with a
grin o f derision. “ Indians tell as many
lies as old women.”
The Indian's eyes flashed; without
deigning to reply he drew a moccasin from
his breast, and threw It so adroitly at
the capataz us to strike him across the
face. Furious at the Insult so suddenly
offered by a man whom he always consid
ered Inoffensive, the half-breed uttered a
yell o f rage, and rushed knife in haifd on
tho Indian.
But the latter had not taken his eye off
him, and by a slight movement he avoided
the desperate attack o f the capataz; then,
drawing himself up, he caught him round
the waist, raised him from the ground as
easily as he would have done a child,
and hurled him Into the fire, where he
writhed for a moment with cries o f pain
and Impotent passion. When he at length
got out o f the fire, half scorched, he did
not think o f renewing the attack, but ant
down, directing savage glances at his
adversary, like a turnspit punished by a
mastiff.
a monkey, he commenced literally hopping
from one tree to another, hanging by his
arms, and clinging to the creepers, wak
ing up, as be passed, the birds, which
flew away in alarm.
This strange journey lasted about three-
quarters o f an hour. At length the guide
stopped, looked attentively around him,
and gliding down the trunk, reached the
ground. The spot where he now found
himself was a rather spacious clearing. In
the center of which blazed an enormous
fire, serving to warm forty or fifty red
skins, completely armed and equipped for
war.
This detachment of redskins was cer
tainly on the war trail, or at any rate on
a serious expedition, for they had with
them neither dogs nor squaws. In spite
of the slight care with which tbe Indiana
were wont to guard themselves at night,
the free und deliberate manner In which
the guide entered their encampment prov
ed that be was expected by these warriors,
who evinced no surprise at seeing him,
but, on the contrary, invited him with
hospitable gestures to take a seat at their
fire.
The guide sat down silently, the
chief standing by his side. This chief
was still a youug man, his marked fea
tures displaying tbe utmost craft and
boldness. A fter a rather lengthened In
terval, doubtless expressly granted the
visitor to let him draw breath and warm
himself, the young chief bowed to him
and addressed him deferentially:
“ My father Is welcome among his so n s;
they were Impatiently awaiting his ar
rival.”
The guide responded to this compli
ment with a grimace.
“ Our scouts,” the
chief
continued,
"have carefully examined the encampment
of the Yoris, and the warriors o f the
Jester are ready.
Is my father Cunt-
milla satisfied?”
Curumilla laid his right hand on his
chest and uttered with a guttural accent,
“ I'gh 1“ which was with him a mark o f
the greatest Joy.
The Jester and his warriors had been
too long acquainted with Curumilla for
hts silence to seem strange; hence they
yielded to bis mania, and giving up the
hope o f getting a syllable out o f his closed
lips, began n conversation in signs.
The redskins have two languages, the
written and the sign language. The lat
ter which has attained high perfection,
and which all understand, Is usually em
ployed when hunting, or on expeditions,
when a word pronounced even la a low
voice may reveal the presence of an am
buscade to the enemy, whether men or
beasts.
It would have been interesting for any
stranger who had been present at this
Interview to see with what rapidity tho
gestures and signs were exchanged be
tween these men, so strangely lit up by
the ruddy glow o f the fire, and who re
sembled with their strange movements,
their stern faces and singular attitudes a
council o f demons. A t times the Jester
with his body bent forward and emphatlo
gestures, held a dumb speech, which his
comrades followed with the inont sun-
tained attention, and which they answer
ed with a rapidity that words themselves
could not have surpassed.
At length this silent council terminated.
Curumilla raised his hand to heaven, and
pointed to the stars, which were begin
ning to grow dim, and then left the cir
cle
The redskins respectfully followed
him to the foot of the tree by the aid of
which he had entered their camp. When
he reached It he turned round.
“ May the Wacondah protect my fath
e r !” the Jester then said.
“ Ills sons
have thoroughly understood his Inten
tions, and will follow them literally. The
great pale hunter will have joined his
friends by this hour and be Is doubtless
awaiting us.”
“ It is good,” Curumilla answered, and
saluting for the last time the warriors,
who bowed respectfully before him, the
chief seized the creeping plants, and rale-
lug himself hy the streuglb o f his wrlsta,
in a second he reached the branches and
disappeared.
The Journey the Indian had mads was
very Important and needed to be so for
him to run such great risks In order to
have an Interview at this hour o f the
night with the redekins.
The chief recommenced his aerial trip
with the same lightness and the same
good fortune. After a lapse of time com
paratively much shorter thnn that which
he had previously employed, he reached
the camp o f the white men. The same
silence prevailed in its interior; the sen
tinels were still motionless at their post
and the watch fires were beginning to ex
pire.
The chief assured himself that no eye
was fixed on him— that no spy was on
the w atch; and, feeling certain of not
being perceived, he slid silently down the
tree and resumed the place beneath the
buffalo robe which he was supposed not
to have left during the night.
At the moment when, after taking a
final glance around, the Indinn chief dis
appeared beneath hia robe, the capataa,
who was lying athwart the entrance of
the hut, gently raised his head and look
ed with strange fixity o f glance at tbe
place occupied by the redskin.
(T o be continued.)
“T he Indian Is right,” said the mastet
coldly, “ this moccasin bears the mark of
the Crow nation. My poor Carnero, you
must put up with it, for though the pun
ishment you received was severe, I am
forced to allow that it was deserved.”
“ The dog will pay me for it with his
traitor face,” the capltaz growled.
“I
am no man if I do not leave his body as
food for the crows he discovers so clev
erly.”
“ My poor lad,” his master continued,
with a Jeer, “ you had better forget this
affair, which I allow might be disagreeable
to your self-esteem ! for I fancy you would
not be tbe gainer by recommencing the
quarrel.”
The capataz did not answer, but looked
round to select one on whom he could
vent his spite, without Incurring risk ;
but the peons were on their guard, and
offered him no chance. He then made
a signal to two men to follow him, and
left the elrrle grumbling.
The head o f the caravan remained for
a few momenta plunged In serious
thought; he then withdrew beneath his
tent, the curtain o f which fell behind
h im ; and the peons lay down on the
ground, one after the other, with their
feet to the fire, carefully wrapped up in
their aarapea, and fell asleep.
The Indian then looked aenrchlngly
around him, and, rising negligently, went
slowly to crouch at the foot o f a tree,
though not before he had taken the pre
caution of wrapping himself in hia buffale
robe.
Ere long, with the exception o f the sen
C n b ellev a h le
fa rt.
tries leaning on their guns and motion
H e— D o you believe I d fortu n e tell
less as statues, all the travelers were
ing?
plunged In deep sleep.
She— O nly In part.
I had my for
An hour elapsed ere anything disturb
ed the silence that prevailed In the camp. tune told one d a y Inst week and tbe
All at once a singular thing happened. w om an said I’d be m arried shortly. I
The buffalo robe, under which the Indian believe t h a t
was sheltered, gently rose with an almost
He— W h a t d id she tell you that you
impercaptible movement, and the red d o n ot believe?
skin's face appeared, darting glances o f
She— She said I'd be mnrrled to ■
fire Into the gloom.
In a moment the
poor man.
guide raised himself slowly along the
trunk of the tree against which he bad
K i p « n a l v e l.liif* .
been lying, embraced it with bis feet and
T h e persistent poet hud been hauled
hands, and with undulating movements re
up fo r reciting his effusions on tbs
sembling those o f reptiles, left the ground,
snd raised himself to the first branches, h ighw ay and obstru cting traffic.
“ W h o can say poetry doesn't pay?”
among which he disappeared.
This ascent was executed with such w hispered the Judge, ns he rnked In the
well calculated slowness that It had not fine. "W h y , here Is where It pays $10
produced the slightest sound. Moreover, tow ard better roads.”
the buffalo robe left at the foot o f the
I 'c r lfn c n t Q a e r f.
tree so well retained its primitive folds,
She— There w asn't a dry eye In thn
that It was Impossible to discover, with
out touching It, that the man It sheltered room when I finished my pathetic reci
had left It.
tation last evening.
Before selecting as his resting place the
H e— Indeed !
D id everybody lesv*
foot o f the tree In which h* was now b efore you got through?
concealed, the guide bad assured himself
The Porch««*"* A ffnl,
that this tree, which was very high and
“ D a d ,” asked Bobby, “ what Is bi
leafy, was joined at about two-thirds o f
its height by other trees.
ology V
.
After a few minutes’ hesitation, the
"G o ask you r mother,” replied da<J
guide drew In hie belt, placed hie knife curtly. “ She «i>cu«I* tbe most m oney."
betwnen hie teeth, and with a lightness of
— H arper's Weekly.
movement that would base done h o n o r to
OTES.
ent delega-
on Congress
ed by Gov-
president of
: them will
>n Irrigation
September
Oregon is
ition.
All
address at
g, Scpien -
m. where
:opie. His
le largest in
I
prizes for
l, and this
newspapers
and Wash-
citizen of
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i to win.
but there
inderstand-
the letters
s advertis-
will be in
ise of this
; never be-
itates.
New York
tgue wertj _
icago that
Association
ynist rates
d to con-
io that the
:e the most
tv of the
)regon in
activities^,
hroughqpt
t h i i s
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s of co!o-
home in
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■ery neat
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