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Show l.V TllE AKDES. OltUSSIXU A SWOLLEN rtlVEIt IN THE JIOCNTAINS. After cxarrniilngtliCM-oiks of the liae lit the vlcidlty of Pdnla-ci;ra, where I overtook the paymaster, Dan Carlos, I started off In his comjetny to the next camp of VermeJIto, which ! 2100 meters above the level of the sea. Hero we spent the nii;ht; and the next morning, after admiring admir-ing the grand black basaltic rocks that render thesnefy In tlieSC parts all tile Uiore diimlly Impressive, we started, together with two of tbe engineers of the camp, who volunteered volun-teered to see us safely acrost the Rio Blanco, which was reported re-ported to be dangerously swollen. When we reached the bottom of the deep ravine through which this torrent tor-rent flows, we found the report to oc only too true. The water, whiU as milk, was foaming and dashing over a part of the uarrow plank, which had been anchored across the stream below the bet fordlng-place. After woiklngan hour at the risk ol their lives, the two engineers, who wero as agile as goata one was a Swede aud the other an Italiau '. succeeded In raising one of the planks a fool, so tliat If. could be crosed with comparative safity. the dah of the water over u remaining re-maining only about six Inches. The Human elementof the party then felt reassured; hut how would the mules get over? The "arrieros" were In a state of great agitation, and the paymaster was anxious about the thousands of dollars that be had In hU money bags. However, How-ever, every man lent a hand. The mules were unloaded, and, wltn uie aid of cries and whirling lassos, they were driven into the turbulent torrent, and waded or swam across i.it- nna onlv trettlnir carried away tor a few minutes, and losing a big pi" of hl9 flrth Ka,DS, n sharp boulder. The next thing was to carry over the baggage and saddles. sad-dles. A lasso was flung across tbe stream and held by one side by tho two engineers, and on the other by the "vigilante," or gendarme, who accompanied the paymarier, "to prevent him runnlngaway with the company'" money," as we ued laughingly to tell hira. This taunt cord served as a hand rail along the narrow plank, and by means of repeated re-peated Journeys, and with Incessant risk, the baggage was finally all carried over, the mules laaded and saddled, and the Journey resumed, Don Carlos and his party leaving me behind, fr they were well mounted on strong horses. llarp-ar't llarp-ar't JJasaanc |