The Argosy, Vol. XXV, No. 1 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

24 A PERUVIAN PARADISE. of the country thereabout, and that the white men were trespassers. Pos- sibly he was inquiring as to their business in the mountains. So, as best he could, Keeth replied in Spanish, hoping that the old fellow could understand his very pacific speech. But if he did, he gave no sign. Instead, he uttered another lony harangue, and Keeth began to feel that | they might stand there for a week and talk without understanding each other. But here the girl came to the rescue. When the old man ceased she looked to him for permission, and as he gravely bowed, she tripped timidly to Keeth’s side. She laid her hand upon his rifle and pointed to the guns of his companions. ‘Then waving her hand for the waiting Indians to ap- proach she showed that he and his friends were to give up their rifles and go with her people. ‘They want to disarm us; evidently they know something about the destructive power of these guns,’’ said “Keeth, speaking to his comrades. ‘What do you think about it?’’ ‘“ Hi say don’t give hup the guns,’’ exclaimed Fitch. ‘‘ Hif they know hennything about ’em they’Il shoot us, if they get ’em in their ’ands.”’ ‘“Not if we unload them and keep the ammunition,’’ returned Keeth. ‘‘ It’s very necessary that we should not arouse theiranger. Itis likely that there are plenty more of them not far from here.> We do not know this country and they do. We are ina ticklish position.’’ ‘“Can’t we make a break for it, beat them off for a while, and get to that bridge after dark ?’’ asked Ford. ‘‘Ouce across that, we could cut the log off, and then they, nor nobody else, could follow us.’’ ‘‘ Well, Kinsale, if we tried to use our guns, how long do you suppose it would be before we were spitted on some of those ugly looking spears? I, for one, don’t wish to attempt it,’’ Keeth declared. ‘‘ But it hain’t sense for us to give hup the guns,’’ cried Fitch. ‘* Well, we’ve got our revolvers. I don’t believe they know that these little things in our belts are dangerous. ‘Their primitive knowledge of fire- arms was probably handed down to them from their forefathers. ‘The mak- ing of firearms was not a fine art in the days of Pizzaro and his brave coz- guestadors. ULet’s slip the cartridges out of the magazines and let ’em have the guns. What say?’’ ‘‘Well, you’re the captain,’’ said Ford slowly. ‘‘ Pocahontas yonder seems to have taken a fancy to you, and maybe she’ll see that the old graven image, nor her bare legged countrymen, don’t hurt us. Here goes!”’ He removed the cartridges from his rifle and held it out toward the savages. One of them stepped gravely forward and received it. Keeth followed suit ; but Fitch gave up his very unwillingly. “Hi tell you we’ll see the time we’ll wish we ’adn’t done it,’’ he growled. When the rifles were in their hands, the Indians fell in behind the three white men, whom the old man beckoned to follow him. The girl walked by his side. They marched into the forest which covered the mountain side. ‘There was a broad path cut through the timber, leading straight up the slope. For Eomichbooks (S@)