Show TOW rif A tale ce 1 adventure in south 4 A america merica i I 1 T ft m w 7 7 77 Cow rigi t by by ort b fetor to r e es s k iu u 1 11 77 i borne some ten tell or fifteen yeats ago the republic of arg ntina was gas making very rapid strides in growth and p os perit the country was then enjoy ing a temporary boom which prom ased to bring that great country al at most on a parallel with that gr greatest calest of republics farther north every v here where railways were being conati act ed or extended I 1 was gas under contract with the octavia novita bieno ayres railway company as engineer of the construction between the towns of octav a and novita I 1 gained some ver valuable experience of railway work during th construction and a so which was vas perhaps not dot quite so u val bable a knowledge of the ways and character of the native or gaucho in the ordinary course of events I 1 had no occa occasion cion to come in coi contact atack with ith this brutto native it so happened however th it I 1 was traveling rg between tu two 0 stations in the brake van of a ma cerial train which was stopped to pick up the but buether her s gang now we made a point of never allowing thee men to travel in the van as it was the only part t the train in which the en ell ginders and assistants could travel with any degree of comfort on this occasion a as usual the natives were given a flat or open truck on chith to travel along with the newly killed be f there seemed to be some delav delay about gf gatt tt ng the gang on board and as we were all in a h irry to get back to camp I 1 stepped out to ascertain the cause of the delay on reaching the platform I 1 was as confronted by ignacio a r mifflan who v pushed past me in itter ing frig something to the effect that he wouida t travel como un perro like a and swaggered into the van I 1 took the guard aside and gave him certain instructions A grin of satis salts faction spread across that individual individuals s face as he went along to the engine driver to explain matters accompanied by my assistant I 1 be took myself to the front platform of X 11 the van where we were presently joined by the guard and the train once more proceeded the gaucho was now left in sell soli tary possession of the van the door of which at the end of the train was closed but not locked the guard now inserted the key as quietly as ble and locked the door of the van on nearing dearing the siding the train was c 0 ved down sufficiently to allow the fireman to run ahead and change the points and the train ro led into the siding we now passed from the plat form of the van to the truck directly in front of it and at a favorable mo ment when the train had reached the middle of the siding the coupling chain between the truck and the van was cast off a signal given to the we ahead leaving friend ignacio and the van in solitary grandeur ten kilometers from the next station tation and several leagues from any escando now for the sequel during several weeks thereafter my attention wis was fully oc with the work on hand then a report was given in by one of the engine drivers to the effect that a fencing post had been found lying across the line at kl kj ometer one hun dred and fifty but the cowcatcher for tuna tely cleared the line the post I 1 tho must have off the load brought out the previous da day y two days later however another ra rel I 1 ort was handed in stating that a steel sleeper had been found lying across the track a short distance from the spot where the post had been found on this occasion the driver was keeping a smart lookout ahead and he spotted the obstruction in time to stop the train thinking it was high time to make a move to prevent a serious derailment I 1 held a council of war in which several capalaces capata ces and train i bards took part one of 0 these men told me that there was a pulheria pulperia pul pulp peria erfa or drinking booth about a league distant from that point of the line and situated on the camp of don manuel rojas on the following day I 1 rode over to don banut janutis I 1 Is es tancia la estella 1 I found tl atiat at gentleman taking life with his customary ease I 1 was I 1 ie e calved with great co irtely and pr s antly lay on oil a deck chair along ti IL of my host while a good look took ng china pronouns unc d cheeda that Is half breed girl served the ible n die ate cigarettes were in full blut blast before I 1 ventured to inform don man cupl of the object of my visit and his ills indignation on hearing my con plaint was undoubtedly genuine lie vowed in strong language that he put a stop to such practices in his neigh borbo d me estrado it purples sur ples es mel he exclaimed that such a thing should have happened on my carlp As ou know don carlos he contin continued aed I 1 am juez judge of this thir district and carrabba car it I 1 can lai hinds hands on the animal who has done chiq he will ill pay dearly clearly tor for it on S inday next there will be races at the pulheria pulperia pul peria perta you must meet me there at ay fo r 0 clock in the af I 1 and never fear but that I 1 will arreg lar far este ignacio I 1 pint pioL iced led to do as he d and after many assurances ot of good will and EO so on I 1 was permitted tj take rn in departure depar tuie As a result of the arjang ment on the following sunday afternoon after Doon I 1 can over to the pulheria pulperia pul peria perla shortly after four clock fully expecting to III d don minuet there I 1 rode up to 4 the neared gaucho and asked Is 1 don alan maniel lei I 1 I 1 the pul perla 9 t sl si senor gringo contemptuous 4 nane dan e app led fed to foreigners the na tivo ed with a drunk n swagger 4 on pushing open the door of the hut a roar of laughter greeted me fol lowed by a dead silence as the prints pants of the room saw I 1 had enteric only when my eyes became accas tomed to the sirol e laden atmosphere aoud cou d I 1 dasting the crowd of rut ruf flanly faces A mon ent later I 1 saw the b eyes of ignacio blazing into mine he had evidently I 1 een dri 31 ahing hard in fact the whole cr v wen merc in fn more wore or less advanced stages of L t toxic atlon evidently rojas had not arrived carrabba Car se senores norest habalar lei diablo speak of the devil were ere the arst words to break the silence ignacio spoke and hia his A span pani h version of the well I 1 down proverb way was evidently connected with t my appearance I 1 saw his hand loosen in its sheath the silver gilver handled facon or long double edged knife with which he was armed then I 1 put my fingers into my right hand waistcoat pocket where 1 I ca ried tied a derringer pistol the two barrels loaded with the usual heavy ball cartridges I 1 thanked my stars fa that I 1 it d taken the precaution to put I 1 the small but effective weapon there beffie starting however er ignacio evid jtb had no intention of attack ing ling ae tie without having duly enjoyed the situation Itu atlon S nores he cried all this Is the same gringo of whom I 1 have just told you who left me plant ed in n iddle camp on foot five leagues from my house si st senores h continued with a drunken and dia oath so you can imagine with what pleasure I 1 shall shake hands with him As he spoke he advanced a grimy paw as though to clasp mine I 1 saw his ruse however A vision of my severed hand lying on the floor warned me to grip the butt of my der ringer you refuse me your hand you gringo he yelled yo ie Is en senare teach you he panted as he drew his facon ignacio with murder ln in his he ye urt and in his this bloodshot eyes stood in the addle n of the room his finger feel ing the point of the knife the sliver silver handle gripped by his sinewy right hand the onlookers had withdrawn to the sides of the room and out of the line of fire in case I 1 should prove to be armed and I 1 am sate safe in saying that the same lust for blood which en cour j a the torturing and final slaughter of a helpless bull in the ring was in the heart of each they were on the tiptoe of expectation and no doubt already pictured me lying bleeding on the floor ho hot ho hot he cried maliciously bod wonder who it Is that Is trying to smash up your engines 7 well well this Is going to be better sport than derailing trains he balanced the knife in his hand r as it if to throw it but his jaw dropped as I 1 covered him with my derringer and there was a movement amongst hose blocking the doorway and the jingle of a spurred heel alto altol half halt the one harsh word burst into the strained siance sll nee with an incredible shock every eye in the room was flashed in the direction whence it came there stood the commanding figure of don manuel rojas his hand holding his rev enque or short whip pointing in our direction seize that man he commanded in di cating ignacio as two soldiers pushed their way into the room luckily dan manuel had overheard the words in ili which ignacio confessed himself to be the perpetrator of the attempts to wreck our trains and sub a local paper announced that the gaucho had been con damned to undergo five years impels 0 ament which I 1 sincerely hope ma have a salutary lary effect on his revenge ful disposition |