The Argosy, Vol. XXV, No. 1 — page 55: what you’re looking at

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

A PERUVIAN PARADISE. : 55 clusion ; ‘‘ for these Indians set no watch except at the entrance to the val- ley. But I not find where you was lodged. Now that you haf escaped we will be off ver’ soon, and I, for one, hope nefer to see this place again.’’ But ’ow about that treasure?’’ suggested Fitch, leaning forward. ‘Ah, Senor Feetch, your experience haf not made you forget dat—eh, wha-at ?’’ : ‘“Hi should say not. I came out for it; Hi want to take some of it back to pay me for wot Hi’ve been through.” | ‘You shall haf your weesh, senor,’’ declared the Spaniard. ‘" But we can’t go without food,’’ said Ford. ‘“'True,’’ responded Keeth. ‘‘ And another supply of torches, eh, Jose?”’ ‘The senor speaks true. ‘Torches we must haf.’’ ‘“ But how will we get them ?”’ Do not these heathen gather in front of their temple to worship the sun as it rises ?”’ ‘They do.”’ . ‘“Then let us go at that time, enter some estado on the outskirts of the town and take what we need.’’ ‘“ When shall we do it?’’ ‘“Tonight,’’ replied Jose. “’ Anged if Hi believe Hi could squeeze through that place again,’’ said Fitch, nodding toward the narrow aperature by which they had gained en- trance to their present abode. ‘‘ Hi was so scared then that Hi felt small and slipped through easy.”’ ‘‘" Slipped through easy!’’’ exclaimed Ford, laughing. ‘If I hadn’t pulled like a yoke of steers, you’d be sticking there yet.” | ‘‘ We not all go,’’ said Jose. ‘‘ Two of us a plenty, eh, Senor Keeth? ” “Yes; you and I, if you think you can stand it.” “ Ver well. We will go. And now, senors, as we cannot eat, let us sleep,’’ and the Spaniard followed out his own philosophical suggestion by rolling up in the tattered blanket and dropping off at once. ‘The others did the same, and all four slept until late in the day. | When they awoke Keeth and Ford, with a flaming brand from the fire, went out through the narrow passage to the river. ‘The water had subsided and trickled peacefully along the rocky bed, falling over the first cascade with a pleasant roar. They could scarcely realize that it was the same stream that had threatened to overwhelm them early in the morning. They walked out to the end of the tunnel and looked into the valley. Nobody was in sight—not even the herdsmen. Of course their escape had been discovered, but if their recent captors suspected that they had entered the tunnel they doubtless believed that the sudden tempest which had broken over the valley had raised the river to such a height as to drown their prisoners, They went back to their comrades and waited in the side chamber, with such patience as they could command, for the time to come for the raid upon the stores of the Indians. Fitch dozed ; but the three younger men felt their situation too keenly to admit of that. They sat in silence, for the most part, (S@) Eomichook