The Argosy, Vol. XXV, No. 1 — page 54: what you’re looking at

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

54 A PERUVIAN PARADISE. ' We're hall in the same box,’”’ grunted Fitch, stretching his bare legs out toward the fire. ‘True, Senor Feetch,’’ said Jose, with another broad smile. ‘‘I did not know you all in dose raiments—eh, wha-at? Isee you going into the mout’ of the tunnel yonder, but I not be quite sure it you.’’ ‘Then you were the man we saw flitting about the entrance of the pas- sage ?’’ interjected Keeth. ‘‘ We feared it was one of the Indians.’’ ‘‘I haf been out into de valley many nights,’’ said Jose. ‘‘I haf try to learn if you be captive among these people. ‘That I not able to learn for sure, though I know they haf somebody.’’ ’ ‘Come, tell us your story,’’ said Keeth. The Spaniard stretched himself upon a ragged bit of blanket beside the fire, and with many gesticulations and ‘‘ Eh, wha-ats?’’ related his terrible experience. He had fallen unhurt over the cliff in the desperate embrace of the treacherous savage, but fortunately when they struck the water the In- dian was underneath. The contact with the cold water loosed the guide’s hold ; they sank together, but Jose alone rose. He was greatly weakened by his struggle, and the swift current swept him down stream and around the bend in the river in a very few moments. He did not get to the bank until he had been carried quite two miles below the bridge, and then he was so exhausted that he could scarcely crawl out of the water. He lay there by the river for most of that day, but before dark climbed to the summit of the cliff. He had a little food and his blanket. He cleaned his revolvers and found plenty of ammunition for them in the waterproof compartments of his belt. At sunrise the next morning he started in search of his companions. He discovered the place where they had descended to the shore of the river and saw the effects of the landslide which had shut off their retreat to the top of the cliff. Knowing that they could not go down the river, he followed along the stream, hoping to overtake them at some point higher up. But he was a few hours behind them, and although he reached the ruined and abandoned settlement of the Indians in time to see the party who had captured his friends entering the forest, he was not quite positive that Keeth and his companions were with them. But as the white men did not appear at any point along the river shore, he believed they fad been taken prisoners, or that the Indians had massacred them. Alone though he was, he determined not to return to Hualpa without as- suring himself on this point. He believed that he alone knew the secret en- trance to the Indians’ valley, by which he had made his escape before. Therefore he ventured into the labyrinth of subterranean galleries to the tunnel through which flowed the little river which watered the inclosed val- ley. In these galleries he had lurked all these weeks, hoping to obtain an opportunity of speaking with the prisoners. But Keeth and his friends had not been treated as he had been when he wasa captive. ‘The Indians had shown him little mercy, as he was a Spaniard. He had been made to herd the llamas and goats, and work with the women in the fields. “‘T haf been as far as the town at night, senors,’’ declared Jose, in con- Gomicbooks (S@)