The Argosy, Vol. XXV, No. 1 — page 11: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A PERUVIAN PARADISE, 11 Fitch, with satisfaction. ‘‘ The only thing is, you must be careful about getting water on your face; that ll have to be renewed every day or two.”’ ‘“ Well, let’s move on,’’ proposed Keeth. ‘‘How do you feel, Senor Rodriguez? Think you can get along by leaning on my arm?” ‘‘ I belief so,’’ replied the Spaniard. ‘‘ Let me try.’’ He got upon his feet and, although a bit wnsteady at first, managed to walk quite well with Keeth’s aid. ‘‘ Start up the leader, Mr: Kinsale,’’ said Fitch. ‘‘ Blow th’ hugly beast { Hi ’ope this ’1l be the last tradin’ trip Bob Fitch ever ’as to make.” ‘' Don’t conjure up Zoo rosy a prospect,’’ rejoined Ford, laughing. “‘’The disappointment, if we shouldn’t bring back the treasure, will be all the greater if you do.’’ ‘‘Don’t you worry, sir,’’ said the trader, with emphasis. ‘‘If there's gold in them ’ills yonder like that Senor Rodriguez showed us, Hi’m goin’ to ’ave my share, an’ don’t you forget it !’’ In a short time they got the llamas started up the trail, and with Fitch in the lead and the Spaniard, leaning on Keeth’s arm, hobbling. along in the rear, moved on Hualpa. The little mountain settlement was reached just at dusk. ‘Their entrance was scarcely noticed, and they smuggled Rodriguez into a back room of the hotel without attracting the least attention. They were anxious that their wounded acquaintance should not be recognized by any of the party of Indians who had attacked him, if they were lurking about the town. Fitch made a bargain with a returning trader, who happened to be at the posada, to take his whole stock, and got rid of his llamas as well. Through the same agent, Jose Rodriguez sold one of his bars of gold, with the pro-| ceeds of which he purchased an outfit for the proposed journey into the interior of the Sierras. The other bars he deposited with a fellow country- man living at Hualpa. Rodriguez’ wound having nearly healed at the end of a week, and he having recovered from the fatigues of his experience in the mountains, preparations were made for an immediate start wpon what they were careful to make public was a search for nitrate beds. Keeth, whose firm was well known in the town, took command and his presence gave color to the avowed intentions of the party. But it was left to Fitch to engage a guide, for he had had the longer experience in dealing with the Indians. And he found a man who more than satisfied Keeth and Ford Kinsale. Neither of them had ever seen such a big man among the Indians of the coast. Fitch declared him to be amember of an interior tribe—one which he had occasionally traded with—far superior in point of intelligence, as well as in form and feature, to the natives who made up the bulk of Hualpa’s popu- lation. Rodriguez expressed no opinion of the guide at all. In fact, he did not see him until the party were ready to leave the posada on the morning of departure. _ The Indian was known by the name of Manuel, he having probably been baptized into the Catholic church, by some wandering priest, when a child. Nominally all the native Peruvians are under priestly control, although their (©) CoOmcooolK<