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THE GONQOR KILLERS; gr,WILn ADVENTURES AT THE EquATnn.

BY T- C- HABBA U GZE-I,
401303 or “was SNOW-TRAIL," “ THE Boy EXILES or SIBERIA," “ SNOW-SHOE TOM,” “LOST BOY wamn,” mu, no.

I.

 

 

 

70‘?» 
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FOR A “OMEN! Bl SWUNG TEE STRANGE WEAPON IN A WIDE CIRCLE om HIS M, AND SUDDENLY SENT IT FORWARD:

 

 

2

The Condor Killers.

 

 

The Condor Killers;

Wild ’Adventures at the Equator.

BY T. C. HARBAUGH,
Jim-non or “ rain snow rant,” “ nor rims,"
“ snow-sacs: TOM," “ Losr nor WHALERS,”
“ran PAMPAS HUNTERS,” arc.

CHAPTER I.
m BULL-FIGHT—THE YOUNG ADVENTUBIBS—
moso. Tait CONDon—nunm.

Nm to Mexico, Lima, the ancient, is the
most a lendid city of Spanish America. Found
ed b rro, the most avaricious of the con-
qualadores, it has been the theater of exciting
scenes, and is to-day one of the great objective
points of the South American tom'ist. It stands
six miles tromthe coast, but has a port called
Callao, which is of itself a city of no mean pre-
tensions. On the streets of .Lima can be seen
people from almost every part of the Southern
continent. The motley population of Peru is
composed of S aniards or Creoles, Indians,
mixed races an ne roes. The tenant of the
Gran Chac'o .visits t e Peruvian ca ital occa-
sionally, and brushes the garments 0 his loftier
situated and lighter brother, the condor-hunter
of the Andes. A s rinkling of North Americans
ma be seen in ma; but they belong to the
Un ted States Legation, or, are adventurers, or
speculators. ' " ‘ ‘

With the Spaniard the bull fight came to
Lima; it flourishes there at this time, and al-
most every day, at certain seasons of the year,
the blood of the fearless matador and the life-
tide of the animal, as noble as himself, mingle
amid the dust of the public ring. These disé
gusting exhibitions follow Spanish conquest,
and sometimes thrive long after the conquerors
have taken their final de arture.

If our young reader he found himself in the
Peruvian capital one rare day in October, 1875,
he might have been invited to a famous bull—
fight given in honor of the betrothal of the
Governor’s daughter to a young prince of blue
blood. I say “might have been invited,” for, if
he were not connected with the American Le-
gation, or ssessed no influential friends, the
rich invitation card, printed in the purest Ces-
tilian, would have proven no “open sesame”

 

for him. The streets began to swarm with peom

pic at an early hour; the gaud dresses-of the
pretty Spanish girls were visi le everywhere,
and the native and Castilian beaux continually
discussed, not the occasion which, they were
called together to celebrate, but the, merits of
Elbe chosen bulls, or the ancestry of the mata—

01'8. , . .-
Among the lucky holders of invitation tickets
were two American boys who left the legation
building with an admonitory “Jake care of

ourselves” ringing in theirears. ' They were

right-eged, strong and healthy youths of six:
teen, an more than once laughed merrily at
the many ludicrous sights thg'flested them on
the narrow streets.  ’ t *

Nicholas Andrews and Johu.MOi-ton were old
friends. The uncle of the former, at the time
of which we write, held a responsible position
at Lima under the United States Government,
while the latter had been permitted to accom-

any his young friend on a visit to the city of

'zarro and the province of Peru. They had
been playmates from babyhood, and were every-
where known as “Jack and Nick.” Intelligent,
fond of adventure and fun, fearless and always
good-natured, they had already been voted
great favorites at the litigation; and the uncle
had taken great pleasure in getting them ad-
mitted to the seats that overlooked the arena.

'They were not alone. A Peruvian youth, named

Elgardo, accompanied them; ewasa rson of
“much culture, havingbe‘en _ , ted. 11 one of
the native colleges, and, 1:607 ~.=kuew the
flora and fauna ofthe ‘ V ' ‘ 
servation. He had several r' : f ._
Cordilleras, had hunted the ’ "'
dor, and was, in short, just ’
the American ho s. .9  ~ 
The trio foun many-people already assem—
bled at the lace designated by their cards of
invitation. he arena, situated in onfioffihbim-
ing uares of the city, resembled the Old
man oliseum; it w s not roofed, and above
the circle of boxes an r benches was the calm
blue 3kg. ' .
The otley crowd that is usually found at o:-
hibitions of this kind was missing here; the
wealth, beauty and nobilitgof Peru were pre-
sent; but not its poverty. verywhere the two

    

     
  

5.

cent specimenof his species.

 

friends saw rich mantles and laughing faces;
the Governor‘s station was conspicuous over all;
it contained his immediate family, including
the fair-skinn' ed girl whose troth had just been
plighted to the rk—faced, though handsome
prince at her side. The rin was formed; the
spectators amply protected mm the charges of
t e infuriated animals, and a shout burst from
thousands of throats as, at a signal from his ex—
cellency, the bull-fl hters entered the tin .
There were three of t em, handsome, well-b ' t
fellows, with piercing eyes and glittering
swords. Bowing first to, the Governor’s house-
hold, and then to the vast crowds on every side,
the announced themselves ready, and the first
bul rushed into the arena. He was a king of
his kind, and excited universal admiration; but
the es ado—the leadingJ bull-fl hter—proved
more ban a match for im, an , after being
unhorsed, had the pleasure—for it was out
pleasuretohim——-to hold his victorious bade,
reddened with the heart-blood of the bull, up to
the Governor.

For two hours the cruel sport went on, and
when a poor matador was borne from the arena
with a' great gaping wound in his side, and
death on his face Jack turned to the guide.

“Come, Elgar, 0, let, us leave,” he said. “I
am not surprised that an exhibition of this kind
once disgusted Lord Egon. I trust I shall nev-
er witness another ll-flght.
ready to go, Nick?"

“Not only ready, but eager!” was the reply.
“I have been hopin that the, last hull wou d
slay' the espada— iguel the killer—but the
animal is waved; he has lost his coura e.”

“ Wait, senors!” said Elgardo, wit a smile.
“Wait and see the condor and the bull.”

“A condor?” cried Jack. “A real live con-
dor, Elgardo?”

“Si, senor."

“We will wait for him. I have longed to see
that kin of the Andes; yes, Elgardo, we will
wait for is entrance.”

The last words, uttered with the utmost im-
patience, had scarcely left Jack’s lips when the
gate that led to the corral, or stables, was
thrown open and with a bellow that seemed to
shake the solid earth, a bull sprung into the
arena.

Shouts of “the condor!” rung from every
side, and our young friends almost leaped to
their feet at sight of the huge bird perched upon
the animal’s back. The cruelty of the Spaniard
is well exhibited in the scene before us. For
the purpose of enraging the bull beyond endu-
rance acondor is half—starved for a week he-
foret ecombat. Just before the animal’s ens
trance into the rin his back is laid bare with a
lance, and the famished king of the upper air is
bound upon it. Then into the arena rushes the
hull with the mad bird tearing the quivering
flesh, and affording amusement for thousands of
spectators. -

It was such a sight that ted the eyes of
our young adventurers. e condor—the first
live one they had ever beheld—was a ma nifl—
He would ave
measured nine feet from tip to tip. His glossy
black body Was tinged With a dirty gray, the
greater wing coverts were mostly white; his
neck boasted of a white ruff of down, and the
head—that hideous head once seen never forgot-
ten—wore ith dull reddish color. The brutal
keepers had starved the condor well; and more
than one Spanish maiden held her breath as
the mad anix'nal dashed toward her favorite
matador. , , r

“ What a’magniflcent bird l” exclaimed Jack.
“ He is what they have called him—the king of
the Cordilleras. What a monarch he must be
at homel I say, Nick, I’d rather hunt .thegmn—
forfihan seek the striped tiger, iughls jungle
air. - '

Are you not

“ Ay, and so would 1, Jack l” responded Nick}

Andrews, sh ' the boyish enthusiasm of his
Companion. “ nk of pursuin the condor
among the he ofthe Andes! here is some-
thing gran or about that than about tiger-hunt-

in . . . ‘
El:‘What I:ay $31; ytoung Amerlfialno‘p‘f embed
ardo t e e, urning uic I on is
onngfriends. u"Mamie! t   like to

hunt he blhck king ditho“ ies’l” _ ‘ .
“Trying!” re nded Jack, “we‘are‘nct- JOk»
ing now, Elgar o.” - ~
“ If the senor—”

“Oh, never bother, mamas 'uii'cié“

Blake; he’ll let us go condor-hunting if we go

.inmgoodoampany,” interrupted Jack; f‘ and Tam
sure that a portion of . that" good cplnpany, will
beyond-self. ’  .w'w—J  \ ~‘ 

‘ Elgar-do will go,” was the reply; “but-we
must see Alboso." . .

“Alboso! Who is he!”

" Where have the Americanos been that the
have not heard of Alboso, the condor—killer? 0
has just left the man; he does not believe in
that work out there.” ' '

‘ ‘ Neither do Ii" said J ack.
seek this Alboso."

The trio left the box which they had oc-
cugiled, just as the audience was applauding one
of iguel’s wonderful strokes, an sought the
streets.

Elgar-do, the young Peruvian, was eager to
introduce them to the famous man whom he
had deg-gamed as the condor-killer.

The 0 were not long finding this individual.
He was discovered lighting a cigarette at one of
the stalls in the square, an the boys could hard:
1y repress a cry of admiration as he turned up-
on them. ,

Elgardo spoke of their newly-expressed de-
sire, and the condor-killer listened, his iercing
e as fixed upon them. They saw the file that
g owad there before he opened his li ; and, when
he spoke his vorce was rich and fullNOf enthusi-
asm. ’

He was a condor—hunter; his father had been
one before him; he could boast that he knew

the Cordilleras from their base to the highest
pinnacles of snow; not only did he know the
ome of the condor, but he knew the lair of the
jaguar, and the trails of the llama. To him the
Andes were, as a well-read book._ Added to
this, he was aboutto return to the wilds of. the
mountains and to his chosen occupation. He

would gladly guide the would-be-hunters.

It is needless to say that the mug Americans
were delighted. But Alboso nféi‘rupted their
expressions of joy by picturing the perils of
condor—hunting; lie to] of terrible mountain
storms of a thousand dangers. of death on
every hand- but failed to daunt' his listeners.

Jack and Nick led the famous mountaineer to
the building of the le ation, where “ uncle
Blake” was interviews on the subject. At
first that individual was inclined to say “no;”
but Alboso romised to bring the young hunters
back in sa ety, and leave to hunt the condor
was granzed.

But alas! for that promise.
kept.

“Let us go and

It was never

 

CHAPTER II.

THE START—A SHOT FROM THE BLOWVPIPE.

PREPARATIONS for departure 'were,.sp§edily
mader Our youthful Nimrods, after providing
themselves with the best of firearms and a
bountiful supply of ammunition, left everything
else to Alboso and the boy, Elgai'do. The Peru-
vian youth purchased four docile and strong-
limhed mules, with funds supplied b the at:
taches of the American Legation, whi e Alboso
laid in a stock of necessar knick—knacks which
the ca ital afforded. Un known to the con-
dor—kiler, Jack had purchaseda very fine horse
for the arduous journey- but he was obliged to
relinquish him when to d that the mule was
much the Better animal for travel among the
mountains. Hegel's along in the rarefied air of
the elevated regions better than the horse which
is almost certain to be attacked by the veto—a
troublesome disease of the pum, or “uninhab-
ited lands” of the upper Cordilleras. Nicholas
careful of his health, wished to lay in a stock 0
medicines, and consulted Alboso on the‘subject.
But the Peruvian shook his head with a smile,
and told him that they would, have access to the
greatest pharmac that Nature owned. '

Everything be rig ready, the “ good byes ”
were said, and the ittle band set out fer the
mountains. Not «long after leaving Lima, the
lofty peaks of the‘Cordilleras came plainly into
view, and the hearts of the boys beat fast as
thegl thought of the exciting sports that await-

d t em far above the arid plains lying between
the coast and their baSes. ack, in the enthusi-
asm ‘of the moment promised himself an ex-
cursion into the valley of the Amazon, which
lay just .beyond the eastern side of the sriOwy
range; but belittle dreamed then that he would
have cause to re rct that promise.

The condor-Iii er had assured the boys that
the wouldbe welcome at his home, which, he
said: was erected on one .of the most beautiful
table-lands in t , entire range. A home among
the Cordillerain the land of the condor, and
the country oft ferocious puma!
w.i0ur young coy ‘msexperienceda feeling of

relief when they 1 the plains andvbegan to as
.censl the- mountain; It was the v morn of a

beautiful day: the skies‘ov'e‘thead were mellow
(and blue; but a 0601 Wind blew into their faces.
It came from the colder re 'ons show tll(‘lll—”
from the gorges where the so itary condor hi!" :1

    
  
  

 

nothing to appease his appetite. The jam :1 y

The Condor Killers.

3:

 

the wmnow te toilsome; but it was
3% bqulhe varied scenery; the
groves of graceful palms, forests covered with
sipos, or hanging vines, clumps of bananas,

ya and. mandioc. Above these spoil. which.

some ed so muchof the Wins, the boys knew
they would find barren tablelands and rocky
caverns—the home at the beer, and the condor
ails well as the abode of the llama, Vienna and
a pace.

As the aseenteontinned Elgardo enlightened
his white friendsoll the geography of the won-

derful 0’. r knowledge, much
of which had by exterience, rendered
him Mimi mm o tutors. He de-

scribed. m and vegetable productions of
the Cordillera. and explained the name of the
‘ «fl thereader would sell from the At-
W'Wrmmmrnwiwu 2."
W an ar on u once on
—-he would pen a lldfiy headland of darkish
granite. This il Cape Horn. It is the southern-
most and of that wonderful chain of mountains
which, with a few interruptions stretch from
the snowy elevations of the Arctic circle to the
almost 1 cold limit at the South Ameri-
ean cont neng: This famous ran e skills the
coast; we know it under the gene title of the
Rock Mountains; its southern half ieususlly
es] the, Andes. Ibis of the latter division
that: we shall hereafter speak. The western
garden. of i. the range is properly called the Cor-
lllenr—that portion from the tops of which
the traveler can look down upon Limu and its
kindred cities, or far out to sea. The eastern,
which slopes toward the Brazil: and looks down
upon the beautiful but deadly Amazonian val-
ley, forms the true Andes. The tops of the
mountains are covered with perpetual snow;
volcanoes aboundalmig the range, and there are
peaks which the toot 01 men has never reached
-—peaks too ‘high for the daring condor-hunter
macme E] «i ’ h

'01:: - or gar osgeogra .

.Near, the close of the ninth a; ourhunters
reached a beautiful table-land blessed with a
good share of vegetation and found abut await-
ing,them.: A cry of joy from Alboso announced
that he had reached home.

f‘ I see no one,” whispered Jack Morton to his
friend. “He said we would be welcome—but
by whom?”

As if in answer to the young hunter‘s words,
Alhosoorew a» curiously-shaped whistle from
beneath his doublet of Vienna—skin and blew a
peculiar blast. Almost instantly a strange
sound came from: a dense little copse near bx,
and a. monster. uma sprung into view. t
sight at him J so who had. slid trom his mule,
Stepped mechanical] to .his rifle; but stopped
short when he saw annual lea joyously at
the condor—killer, to be fondledl e the hunter
fondles a favorite dog. > r V l .

“ I caught him Own there on a. floating
‘islendl!’ said, Alboso, pointing to the eastern
109$ tit-themountain. : .

‘ A; floating island 1” ejaculated the boys.
“ Do the June such thin s in this country?"

“‘Ayv’ answered El 0. .

r “ I would, like to see one-I long to ride down
flit 11 intth manner.” . ‘

“ All very good, if the Eororocea ate 5 away i"

The young native shco his headas e talked,
and the..boys knew that the pororccca—what-
ever, it two-ensue something to be dreaded:

Jac“ 0011:} V .n as someman-eatin animal
while Ric fihd’ught; it One of the wgilder no:
tives of thatcuriou; n, . ‘ '

Thermm:mmfletflends with the travel-
ers; theypettednhia Welsh, and that night
artook of .some ,- game which. Alboso
rough'b {town with “‘31 OHS-«bow; [They found
the interior Giulibp have; ' 'tahle museum of
weapons for takin animm. my found
there the tenants ., semywherev b
the South American; Indium: W yflie‘ blot;
shores of Pamflouifl $0.31” W Gains, and
the was of Yenmela; the lighter, whose
d only eflect we shall soon witness, and the
strange nets need for eukame turtles and
mm..rm.lst.ter told the, you: Adventurer;
t . sometimes descendedtotho stream.
“hi. 9"“ *4 he“ a =
,_i weapon $60,: \one
{whiohmonqand‘ed ithe imam. was. a
angiwdmd” 3W . W~ m
of arrows, 110: more than ton inches in’lfeingth.
3w

    

use We» reams
ca. Elg an .a in danish
. ‘ ‘ Mimi“ a 1
WWW" which b“ “he “gnaw

handledwoaabont ken mg... duitellghz.

e

 

.It was composed of stems of a little palm which
vary in size so much that one may be pushed
insidegthe other, The menu :- of the
blowopipe soon becomes an ads is at the busi-
ness, and turns out a. weapon 1: t. excites the
interest otall who handle it. Having fitted his
little stems ther, he removes the ith if he
has not done t is before, and spirally inde the
whole with the bark of a dark creeper which be
easily finds. A conical wooden mouthpiece has
already , sights have been fitted
along he barrel, and. armed with his tiny ar-
rows—made from the patawa and needle-
pointed—the huntsman, usually the maker of the
novel gun. sellies forth to try his luck. His
quiver of ta ir-eln'n is full of arrows; he carries
with him t indispensable piece of bone for
sharpening the delicate points, should they be-
come dull, and a basket for wild honey. Per-
haps the arrows have been dipped into the
deadly wcurali ison; if so, woe to the un-
luciléy animal which they wound.

, .hile Jack looked at the gun with much cu‘
riosity, he expressed a doubt of its efllciency.
Elgardo, over curing the remark, said a few
words in Portuguese to the condor-killer, who
whirled, and almost rudely snatched the wea-
pon from Nick’s hand. -

“ Americanos think the still gun cannot kill.
cmlllli“a and s‘eewtb i f th bl pi

sen gmg e 11 var mm 9 ow- pe
and takiggg two arro‘ivs therefrom, Alboso strode
trough the hut, followed by the wondering
you s.

“ It is gettilgg dark,” remarked Nicholas.
“ The, conuor- ‘ ler will find nothing to shoot
now.

_"I really doubt if he could kill a crow with
his big pop- a,” was Jack’s derisive answer.

“Stop. ackl Alboso is waving us back.
Look at those great birds circling over his head.
Condorsl”

There was no reply.

The can hunters were looking at the con-
dor-kil er, a ve whose head a score of gigantic
birds were describin aerial circles. The noise
of their wings was a most deafening; but they
were rising as if afraid of the man who was fit—
ting one of the tiny arrows to the. blow-pipe.

“ Look, senors I” said Elgardo. pointin to Al-
boso, and the next second a quick noise, fire the
report of a pc -gun, was heard. The condor-
ki ler was he ding one end of the blowpipe
against his lips; and his breath had sent the ar-
row out. ‘ .

The result was at once apparent, for one of
the birds whirled suddenly, and. shooting down-
ward like a rocket, fell at J ack’s very feet.
Through the beautifully-shaped neck, covered
withI glossy «black feathers, stuck the little ar-
row ' v -
' “ Blow-pi kill nothing?” sail Alboso, com-
m up wi triumph glittering in his eyes.
” hat say the Americanos now?” ,

_ “ I am convinced l” answered the young skep-
tic. “ But this bird is not a condor. ’

“ No! He is the great hawk of the skies. We
will hunt the condor tomorrow.”

The body of the dead bird was thrown away,
and the cum; Nimrods went back to the but to
dream 0 the promised sport. ,

 

. _ CHAPTER III. ,
THE FIRST CONDOB—A Titanium ADVENTURE.
, BRIGHT and'early on the following morning
the two boys Were astir, and saw the sun rise
among theCordilleras. Far above them tower-
ed the one peak of an melont volcano: they
could source y see the summit for the fleecy
cloud! that hovered around it;'but the rising
sun soondis'sipated‘them, and the glittering (if)
0! snow winch it perpetually wore became v' -
bier While thecomrades were gaming in my
ture upon‘thra awe-inspiring scene, theywere
whole“)! joined by the condor~bunter, whoee
keener eye, looking far he end the whitened
. , .eangan omelet which is youths could not

seem ~', EV: S - : i .
JackandNiokwmauddenly startled by _A1-
baeo’g voice. and turned tease the follow pont-
ingemoetdhteetlyoverhead. v , . i w
‘Yes; the white or the oldsvoleaao 1’! said
Nicholson -' v. I. i v ‘
“No! no! the Condor!”   u. r
“The condor?! echoedthe? youths, ile'ione
breath, and forthwith begun to strain their

-e farm Hm worth i' ,birdto-hnnt
Waugh)t Mieng “nng

y r ofttheeo Aquwtelrhfof the
Aguilar: (Legatienh 1.159% farhalow.  »
ut they Jotggfllingie «airflow the

 e .peak.  «condor»
killer exuded them wiga‘milet.‘ ,u'A - 1
“Waste nothing, Alboso,"eeid Jock, reluc.
tantly confessing to their short-sightean

 

“Can itbepossible that yousee a bird so far
above us?”

“ Wait and look 1” was the reply.

Presently Nicholas cried out that hediscerned
a dark speck beyBOHd the volcimt‘rpeaii2 and then
Jack saw it. at it appeared stationary—a
dark patch against the oemlean s _ .

Alboso assured them that it was condor at
home in the upper m of the air. He told
them that the great was fitted for lofty
flights, and surprised them by saying that he
once saw one more than a thousand feet above
Chimborano, which towers 21,420 feet above the
level of the sen. .

“ Humboldt records the same sight," said
Nicholas.

After a hearty meal of vicnna steaks. which
they found quite palatable, our young hunters

repered for a condor-hunt, and the quartette
eft the hut. Jack and Nick were armed with
light but serviceable rifles, but Alba-o carried
nothing but the long-bow. Elgardo brought up
the rear with the famous bolas.

The path of the condor'hunters led up the
mounlain; the table land was left behind, and
noon found them in a lofty altitude from which
Jack fancied he could see the tro ical country
of the Amalzotzil. bfitter}; :33] ti: on from 31m
mysterious i e gw 'c gardocan‘ted, e
journey was resumed, and at last the condor-
hunter cams to a halt. - _

High above them still towered the welcamc
peak, and Nicholas, ever an admirer of the sub-
lime, was about to give ventto hisfeelmgs when
a sign from Aiboso checked him.

The n ward glance or the condor: hunter
showed 1; boys a dark object perched upon a.
ragged clifl several hundred feet above them.
At first the twain were inclined to believe it a
part of the, rock, but saw from Aiboso’n look
that it was the condor. . A

At a sign from the mountaineer, Elgar-do un-
slung the long-bow and Alboso. threw himself
upon his back on the broad rock where they had
halted. In a moment a beautiful arrow was se-
lected from the llama—skin quiver. and fitted to
the bow. Then the Peruvian put his feetegainst
the weapon, and by stretching out his legs
brought the arrow to his head on the ground.
For a moment he appeared to regard the motion—
less condor far above, and then the sharp bow-
twang came. Instantly the boys looked up, but
the feathered shaft had disappeared, and the
next moment they saw a. bird fluttering as If
mortally wounded on the clifl.

All at once the condor disappeared and the
marksman rose. At once Jack and Nick an
to overwhelm him with co ratuletions; at
his manner told them that he aid not regard his
feat as being extraordinary. He told themvthat
the condor ad fallen into a deep valley which,
he said, the k overlooked, :and the party. at
once set of! o secure the'game. ~ .

The ascent to the pass which, leading through
the mountain, would take the adventurers to
the valley into which Alhoso said the condor
had fallen, was extremely difficult: . fieyeral
hours were consumed in reaching it, and: _
magma—es ' ly the boys—were. Welly

d to rest w en the found themselwwthere.

t this juncture Al so dived down in“ his
chuspa, or coca- , and broiuht up wmefight-
green leaves rese'm ling tee, which-be preflered
to his fatigued friends. The» were taken and
chewed, and in a short tune the feeling. at less:-
tnde .away and strength. manned»,
Niche as told Jack that they .wereiahewegthe
leaves of the coca-plant without which 90 one
can climb the diary bighte 'of-the columns.
or toilin the gloomy minesotPetona w! ~

The valley that lay below them was deep and
uninviting. « Beyond a few. stunted . no »
signs of vegetationlwera visible.~ light-was
now coming on; a dark clondresemblmg smoke
seemed tube tling over the top pt shawl-
cano, and a w nd ch ,.with-.dlsewnc&ble
odors was blowing from coast. '. V; _

Alboso, new in his elemenwleened-toihink
of nothing but the condor latelgegiierced by his
arrow, and when thegboys had a restored by
the wonderful coca-leaVesé‘he plunged into the
pass. Bourboth frien s h. glancedyatEl-
garlic at this moment, they mg is have seen the
. oration youth castoquick look “the stop of
thewleanqandvthentnmuputhu ‘
wfllmrgitf tab warshimsah enfmpuldd-

get. mast said O a; an
undershirt/into their!” sea-2%.: n ,

Suddenly the groundmh adv-tuners
trembled as “mama h “l;
ennui-210mm: r one-cc a gene a
was de; Albdeo,’ the condor-but”?
mt the mountain. Its peak wanew entirely

on by the smoky cloud, the heavens above

    

4

were growing dark, and thousands of * ebbles
shaken loose by the quaking of the cart were
descending the narrow pass which they were
traversing.

” Merciful heavens! we are lost!” cried Jack.
“ The volcano is not extinct. We shall be over-
whelmed by the burning lava!”

“ Courage! courage!” said Nicholas. “There
may be no eruption. The volcano is classed
among the extinct ones. Humboldt could not
be mistaken. He——"

“ Santissima I" fell from Alboso’s
“ Quick, senors! The rock is falling.

He gave our young friends no time to inquire
into the purport of is exclamation, but seized
them rudely and pushed them against the ri ht
hand wall of the pass which, at that place a it-
tle concave, afforded a shelter. The next in-
stant a terrific noise like the tending of a
mountain assailed their ears, and a huge mass,
almost as large as a cathedral, shot ‘past them
into the valley below. The peak from which
Alboso had shot the condor had fallen! It shot
past the quartette like a descending bomb: they
saw it but for a moment, but heard it rumbling
down the mountain side and crushing into the
darkened valley.

For a minute the danger seemed over, and
our Nimrods were congratulating themselves,
when another convulsion, greater than the pre-
vious one, shook the mountain; and they sprung
from their r.treat with wild cries, for the rocks
seemed about to fall upon them.

The face of the hardy condor-killer was al-
most white with fear. He was mystified and
could not keep his gaze from the crater which,
silent for half a century, was now sending forth
great volumes of smoke. To go back was not
to be thought of ; the pass was blocked by
masses of rock which appeared insurmountable.
Alboso pointed into the valley.

“ We must go down 1" he said.

“ Then let us hurry!” said Nicholas. “ I have
read enough of these eruptions to know that we
have no time to lose.”

But they had already tarried too long, for
even while Nicholas yet spoke the volcano sent
forth a torrent of hot ashes, which, descending
in a mass u on the adventurers, covered them
in the twin ling of an eye.

At that same moment, as if to complete the
doom of the condor-killers, a violent volcanic
convulsion which seemed to rend the mountain
to its very base occurred, and all four were
jerked from their footing, and hurled down—
ward as if propelled from as many Catapults.

It was a moment of indeflnable terror!

For many minutes the volcano continued to
discharge its ashes, which covered nature with
a coating not unlike snow in color; but it was
hot, and disgusting to the taste; and when it
ceased, the cloud left the ang crater, and
myriads of stars studded the van t of the flrma—
men .

Astrange quiet hrooded over the little valley.
Where were our friends?

All at once a voice rose from the depths. It
called Nicholas Andrews.

“Here I am, J ack!” was the response.
“Thank Heaven you live! This is condor-kill-
ing with a veu ounce."

‘ It is indee . Nick. Where is Albosol"

“I know not. "

A moment's silence followed.

“ What! can it be that we have been left
alone among the Cordillerasl" exclaimed Jack.
‘  If we have been we must make the best of

t.
When the two friends met it was to take each
other’c hand in silence. The gravity of their
situation overwhelmed them.

“ Look yonder I” said Nicholas suddenlfl
pointing to 3. mg manyr feet above them. “

not that figure a man!
For a moment the twain led at the statue
eavens.
“ See!

lips.

outlined against the starry
“ Yes! yes! it is Album!" cried Jack.
he is shaking his list at the old volcano!”

CHAPTER IV.
nun amoso—rsann av ncoms—nn moan.

Ail-ran gazing for several minutes at the
figure abovs them, which could be no other
than the condor-hunter’s, Jack lifted his voice,
and ventured toeall him. Instantly the arm
lifted menacin ly at the volcano fell to its own-
er’s side, and t e boys fancied that Alboso was
trying to makeouttheir position.

“ We are down here—in this ashescovered
valley!" cried Nicholas. “Without your use
aistanoe we fear we can never got out. Come
down, Alboso, and lead us out. The air is full

 

The Condor Killers.

of stifling odors; one cannot remain here long
angulilae' aki h th figur

e oywas etspe ngw en a eon
the cliff suddeily disnppeared, and the two
companions were rejoiced to believe that their
guide was making his wa down to them.

“ If we could but find lgardo how happy we
would be once more," said Jack. “ The me-
phitic odors that prevail in this dreary place
arise from the uses that have escaped from the
volcano. My ungs are not so charged with
them just now. Thank fortune! Alboso will
soon join us, and we will leave this valley. But
I would not like to depart without Elgardo.”

Nicholas, who had formed a close attachment
toward the native youth, expressed himself as
being decidedly adverse to leaving the volcanic
region without Elgardo, or a knowledge of his
fate, and, after a brief consultation on the sub-
ject, they resolved to persuade Alboso into a
search for him when that worthy should join
them.

But an hour passed away without bringing
the condor-hunter. The full round moon came
over the peaks above, and flooded the valley
with her soft, silvery li ht. It caused the
ashes to look like snow; ut, best of all with
the beautiful luminary came'a refreshing reeze
which, to a great extent, dissipated the foul
odors and rendered res iration less difficult.
After another long wait icholas began to four
that Alboso, with all his Cordillera experience,
had lost his way, and began to think that, after
all, they would be compelled to pass the night
where they were. To their great pleasure they
found that in their forced flight into the strange
valley they had fortunately been deprived of
none of their fire-arms. Jack felt inhis little
chaspu and found some coca leaves which E!-
gardo had given him. These be divided with
Nicholas, and the chewing of a few strengthened
them and appeased an appetite.

“We must not attempt to pass the night
here,” said Jack. “ Back yonder in the forest
the trees stand close, and their topmost branches,
covered with a network of creepers, have kept
the ashes from the ground, so no unpleasant
odors can rise to stifle us. I have heard Elgar~
do say that among the trees of this region one
can find a comfortable bed.”

“ And a bed-fellow, too," said Nicholas.

“Of what sorti”

“Of the felis mwa.”

“Not the jaguar, Nick! He does not fre-
quent this elevated region. You forget that
we are thousands of feet above the level of the

“I do not for at that,” was the reply.
“ While his tigersh p does not f uent this al-
titude, he visits it nevertheless. e affects the
juicy flesh of the llama, and will even seek the
vicuna in the region of pa tual snow. But
the eru tion was enough to rive him toward
the val ey of the Amazon, even if he was here
at the time. So we will in all probability not
meet cl tigre in the wood.”

Without more ado the comrades were about
to seek the forest near at hand, when they were
surprised by a human voice, and, turning, they
beheld Elgardo. The meeting, as the reader
may readily imagine, was a happy one' but the
young Nimrods soon saw that the eruvian
you‘th had some startling communication to
ma 9.

“ To the woods!” cried Elgardo, pointing‘ to
the trees. “The little devils with the w ite
lips are abroad; they have folloGVed me."

Jack looked inquirineg and puzsled at Nicho-

las.

“By ‘little devils with the White li ’ Elgar-
do means the peccaries," explained t e young
student. “ Well, as they are not very danger-
ous, Jack, they will afford us some rare sport.
You did not see Alboso in (your run!”

This last sentence was is dressed to the native

y.

“Yes! yes! woe! woe!" was the reply, and
Elgardo sorrowfully drew his hand across his
forehead. “ Up there El rdo saw the condor-
hunter whirling around 1 e a top and laughin
at the volcano. Ah! his eye will never bun
the condor again. Alboso is out of his head."

“ Mad?” ejaculated the boys, in one breath.

“Mad 1” was the response.

“ Can we not do something for him i"

“No! Our people believe that we must not
touch a mad person at night. We must leave
him. Maybe, when the light comes, his mind
will come back. Now we must go to the woods.
The little white lips will soon come 1"

Not a little shocked by the terrible report
which Elgardo had brought of Alboso’s condi-
tion, our youthful adventurers, guided by their
new guide, set out for the forest. They now

 

felt that the condor-killer’s singular action err
the cliff was a part of his hallucination, and {are
vently prayed that it would soon pass away.

When they reached the forest they found it
to consist of gigantic trees covered with a net-
work of si , or wild vines, similar to those
that are to befound in the lower valle a. At
the edge of the wood the ashes ceased; at our
hunters knew that the tops of the trees were
coated with the disgusting substance. When
they halted Elgardo called their attention to n
series of sounds not unlike the grunt of a pork.
or; with these were mingled other noises, like
the clashing of tusks together.

“The peccary?” said Nicholas, looking into
Elgardo’s face, and the native boy nodded ap-
proval.

The peccary of the Cordillera forests is very
like a small hog3 It is truculent and ag ressive,
and is feared { the natives as muc as the-
aguar or boa. here are several s ies of this
iii;ng animal, but the~délcjotglfles 'biagus. or
w ite-1i pe ccary, is e argest an most
ferocious. His);6 com t form is covered with
dark bristles, save t e 10wer_ part of the bod ,
which is almost entirely destitute of them. 0
boasts of a large head, a short snout and very
homely features; his tusks, sharp as lancets, in—
flict deadly wounds. The pecarr goes in troops,
makes war on the snake and he Jaguar, and,
when ferocious, does not hesitate to attack the
native of his habitat. When the Indian of the-
Cordilleras hears the clashing of: his tusks, he
does not stand upon the order of his going, but
de arts immediately.

8hr adventurers, assisted by the sipos, drew."
themselves among the heavy branches and
awaited the approach of the swinish band-
Nor had they ong to wait, for across the
whitened ground, directly on their track, like-
trained bloodhounds, came a troop of not less
than five hundred peccaries. In less than a
minute, as it seemed, the tree in which the trio
had taken shelter was surrounded, and the little
animals elevated their fiery eyes and clashed.
their tasks disappointedly.

“The senors can enjoy themselves,” said El»
gardo; and the boys, understanding his words,
uuslung their guns.

The next moment Jack, takingiaim at the

I

largest of the troop, discharged 3 piece, and
stretched him dead on the round.
“Hurrah I” shouted Nic olas. “It is jolly

fun when the besieged can assume the offensive.
’We’ll straw the ground with cary slain, and
soggy ourselves after all in the gloom; valley."

saying, the young student tri his aim,
and ha the satisfaction of stretchin one of
their assailants beside the victim of J ac ’s shot.
After the first several shots the peccaries re-
tired a few paces, but soon returned to the
trees, only to be met by more leaden pellets
that were the means of thinning their num-

rs.

El rdo, who had no fire-arms and could not
use is bolas, looked on a provingly, and
smiled to see his new-found riends enjoying
themselves. After awhile the com ions rest-
ed; but their little foes beneath d' not remain.
as quiet. They continued to run around the
tree with shouts upturned, and grunting fierce—

ly.

“ One could. shoot away a ton of ammuni~
ton !” said Jack. “ But we must harbor. ours,
for who knows what will befall us before-wages.
back to Alboso’s but and our magazine?"

“ Kee powder and ball,” said Elgardo,
“ The w ite li cannot hurt us new."
The ground low was strewn with dead pec—

caries: but their living companions troo -d
around the tree as ferocious as ever. '1' ey
even caught the sipos between their tasks, and
pulled vigorously, as if they would clamber up
to their adversaries.

lmWearie‘g at last, til}; bo s f‘enlll aileep, leavg’zg

gal-do keep . at e eruvian y
was as tired as hgsucompanions. and it was_not
lOng before he, too, had yielded to the woomgs
of the somnoleut god.

How long Nicholas slept he did not know.
He woke suddenly from an un leasant dream,
and saw two fiery balls looking wnu n him.
At first he was inclined to think at they
burned in the head of the of hisdreem;
but the state of excitement at aided the
tireless peecary ranks soon dimpa this opin-

ion.

As he looked he saw more than the flashi$_
eyes—a great summon}, a monster body, a
a tail that moved 9 1y to and fro.

Although Nicholas had encountered this new
enetn for the first time, he knew him—the
dreaded jaguar of South America. The excite-
ment among the peocarles was now explained:

 

 

The Condor Killers.

5 .

 

._r

they, too, had-sighted the spotted menster, and
were eager'to rend him with their keen tusks.

For a moment the sightfaralyaed Nicholas;
the jaguar appeared ready ora spring. What
was to be done?

The horrified boy looked at his companions.
Jack was fast asleep. and El 0—- .

At that moment there rose from the lips of
the Peruvian boy the terrible cry of:

i " El tiara z“

 

CHAPTER V.
A narrna Win: a JAGUAR—Immo’s con-

Don-rm.

“ El tigre I” ‘

It was the cry that from time immemorial
has frightened the lndians of the Cordilleras
and the natives of the Amazonian valley—a cry
that has palad many a swarthy cheek, and ter-
rified the boldest condor-hunter.

It roused the sleeping Jack, and, starting up
with eyes wide open in a. moment, he saw the
terrible creature crouched overhead on a strong
bough, and in a patch of moonlight which a
lack of sipos admitted.

Elgardo, who, in his journeys among the
mountains and lower lands of that latitude, had
encountered more than One jaguar, would have
declared,iif questioned, that the one so near was
a king of the "es. The Jaguar of Peru is
often not :much larger than a wolf; but some—
times he attains a size that makes him a rival of
the tiger of the Indian jumgles: hence the name
sign which we have heard applied to him. His
stren th and ferocit make him a dreaded mon-
ster; e is the foe 0 every living inhabitant of
themene; he even {invades the rivers and catches
and destroys the unwieldy manatne.

.Asliack was startled from his slumhers a hor-
vrid roar burst from the throat of the jaguar.
.It threw the peccaries below into a state of .m-
[creased excitement, and their tusks clashed like
the spears of a Meadow 9 But .9!
mgr: did not see the food that so eagerly await-
cd him at the foot of the toes; his rollin ' eyes

‘ that seemed toemit spike of fire were aston-
ed on the'trio dinsctl before him.

Besides h'u belas fifth was armed with a
kven bladed knife, we as is used by the hunter
of the Cordilleras. This he'guietlydrow‘ with-
.out. taking his eyes from the beast above.

" Be quiet!" he'saidriu a law whisper to his
«companions. “Mic vines beneath on are
:strong; they will catch and hold you s a net.
.Do not be afraid to drop.”

But the youths, having had but little expe-
118an with the ii of a Peruvian forest, were
inclinodto take Endive words with a grain
of allowance inasmuch as a fall to the ground
:23; lastl- i’ ‘ighemmidet of hugodreds of end-

peccar as. t satin v repeate
his declu'aficn, accompanying it with a com-
mud to dmp at once from their rch.

“ Here goes, Jack!” said Nicho . resolving
to trustthek guide. “ We drew ourselves into
this tree by the sipos; they ought not to desert
sis now.”

Boss ‘ , the young student released him~

if a ttle reluctantlv, we must admit, and

‘fell, to be caught in the network of vines that

hung beneath the boughi. J uck was not a

minute in following his example, and had the

satisfaction of landing safely at his side. Their
mes hung from limbs overhead, for they had
secured them in that manner previous to drop
ping to sleep, and Elgardo had cautioned them
not to attempt their recovery for fear of pre-
cipitating the leap of the tiger, and rendering

it successful. .

Tho Peruvian youth was thus left alone to
contend With the jaguar, nor was be inclined to
shirk the combat.

- "It cl ti e should leap upon us we shall go
down wit him among the wild hogs!” Said
Jack.

“Ah! never cross the river till you get to it,”
was Nick's od—natured reply. "1 have much
confidence in Elgafdo; he has faced el tiara be-
fore; once on a swmging bridge, snd——”

The roar that precedes the 'sguar’s spring
broke the boy’s sentence. and i .V 58W cl ti re

leave his perch. Like a cannon-hall he ot
straight. at El ardo, and the occupants of the
net of wines h (1 their breath at their games
J11, fiut they saw the lithe body of the young

Etna shtink suddenly to one side. and the keen
ife has ed for a moment are it was plunged

beneath the creature’s striped hide!

If the boy antici ting the plunge had avoid-
ed it his stroke d as surely chan ed the
a. course. For the impetus. if in when.
We d have carried him clear over the heads of
the American he s, as well as far beyond the
outer ranks of t a pecearies; but, on the con-

 

 

trary, the knife checked his course, and to their
horror the comrades saw the huge body do-
scending upon them!

“ Heaven protect us!" ejaculated the com-
rades in one breath, involuntarily shrinking
from the descendin mass.

But nothing con d prevent the contact. It
was in vain that Elgardo asped the beautful
tail as it flashed across 5 face, for it was
whisked throu h his hands, burning the skin;
neither could t e sipos check the jaguar, and he
fell heavily into the wild net which a few mo-
ments before had considerately caught the
youthful Nimrodsl

Although his beastship fell from the insignifi-
cant hight of ten feet he came into the net with
crushing force, tearing the sipos apart and
bringing cries of terror from the throats of
Nicholas and Jack.

In a word be demolished the network of
vines, and a. moment later the two boys found
themselves swingiilisg over the upturned snouts
of the peccaries. ear them el tigre, evidently
in his death-agony, was hanging like them-
selves, and trying to reascend to the boughs, as
if to renew the battle with Elgardo.

“ Caramba 1” they heard the youth hiss,
fiercely, and then they saw him lean toward the
slruggling brute, knife in hand.

El tigre put forth strenuous exertions to
reach the dark-skinned slayer; but the sinuous
arm avoided his claws, and once more sent the
knife beneath his beautiful jacket.

With a howl which speedil concentrated the
peccaries cxpectantly beneat him, the king of
mountain and valley relinquished his hold and
fell among his inveterate foes.

Our young friends clinging for their lives to
the vines saw the fierce attack that greeted the
helpless ja r, and con ratulated themselves
that he an not they be fallen to the ground.

In the twinkling 0 an eye the she tasks of
the little hogs penetrated the skin 0 cl tiara.
and he was torn piecomeal before the sight of
the boys. A moment later Edgardo leaned over
them with the flash of victory in his dark eyes,
and his hands soon draw them safely up among
the strong boughs.

“Such  shaves are not wanted!”.cried
Jack, looking into the little 'Peruvisn’s face,
which at once became broadened by a smile.

“ Sipos break when cl time comes, eh i" laugh-

Elan-do.

“ Break? Look down and see for yourself 1”

was the reply. “ Our descent must havo weak-
ened in.”
“No! cl tigre’s clawa cut like knives,” sn-
swered Elgai'do, quickly. “ W'hen . they get
dull he sharpens them entrees, as senor-s would
see if they were down in the valley.”

“ Such a sight would prove far more agree
able than another such experience with the

as we have had to-night.”
, ensconced in the tree, the three young
friends watched’the work of the peccaries be-
low. But their did not enjoy it until Elgfirdo
had mine the monarch of the tablaL nd',
and made sure that no more jaguars had taken
refuge among its branches ‘

The attack upon the carcass of the jaguar was
not relinquished until nothing remained but the
cleanly-picked bones.

Daylight was now breaking, and with their
peculiar cries the swinish troo made off.

“ Good by l” shouted Nicho as, after the re-
treating band. “While the sipos gave you one
meal tn—ni ht, they also cheated you out of
another dis which your palates would have
relished. Ho! ho! bon jour! ms amis! good—
 fiiends.” l disa red

e peccaries prompt ' ppea save
one sleek— coking fellow, who lingered over a.
poorly~picked bone.
_ “ Ah! :1 good breakfast I" cried Elgardo, seiz-
mg Jack’s rifle, and the next moment the linger-
er lay dead.

.Theu Elgar-do slid to the ground, out spor-
tion of flash from the lower part of the pec-
cary’s back, and tossed it far away. his
actionexcited the attention of the boys, and the
Peruvmn explained that the peccary is remark-
able for a glandular orifice at the spot where he
had cut out theflssh. Fron this gland a stron -
scented fluid exudes, so that, to save the fles
which soon becomes imbued with it, it is neces-
sar to cutit out as soon as the animal is killed.

iii» the first time in their lives. the American
boys tasted ccary steaks. roasted to a turn by
El rdo. boy found the meat somewhat dry
an insilpid, but, being hungry, it proved quite
D‘Iatab .

Day was not for advanced when the trio left
the scene of their interesting adventures. Their
him now was to find their way back to Alboso's

 

hut, situated, as Elgar 0 said, thousands of
feet above them. They o d, too, toflnd the
poor condor-hunter comp etely restored; but
when Jack expressed this desire, Elgardo shook
his head moumfully, but did not reply.

The journey up the mountain was very diffi—
cult, and noon found them on a punt: where
they came upon afoor cow that was dying from.
an injury receive in a fall over a cliff. She

ad wandered far from the herd, and the trio
tried to relieve her injuries, but she speedily ex-
pired before their eyes.

Life had hardly left the animal’s body before
Elgardo began to strip off the skin. This pro-
cedure puzzled Jack and Nick, as they knew
that the m at was not eatable, and they won-
dered what the boy wanted with the skin of a

cow.

“ Ah! the senors shall see Elgardo catch a
condor I" said the boy.

“ What!” exclaimed Nicholas. “Catch a con-
dor with a cow-skin?”

” Si, senors.”

Our young Nimrods felt inclined to burst into
alaugh of derision; but, knowing the Peruvian’s
ingenuity, they withheld it. '

CHAPTER VI.
THE STRANGE was? is BPRUNG—JACK'S msr
CONDOR.

HAVING divested the cow’s carcass of the
skin, Elgardo cut out some great hunks of
flesh which he covered with his cloak and the,
assisted by the boy Nimrods, who were still at
a loss to conjecture how he was going to catch
a condor, he rolled the body to a clifl near at
hand and dropped it into a valley for below.
This valley was covered with a §owth of

 

prickly bushes into whose de tbs e condor
would not venture after the '. ti t morsel;
and the Peruvian boy, smiling at the wonder-
ment de icted upon the faces 0 his companions,
return, to the ids.

As he did so,,hs looked up, and with a ongof
“cl eondor"startled our young friends. ut
strain their eyes as the would, . could use
nothing but thesarsne of skies. t, a cloud

was in t, much lessthedark pinion: of the

"£22? “handball: audit  m
, s , 0

carried t hide int: c l   To

the fleshy side be fastened e_ pieces of meat
With cords made fromthe sinews oft llama
and huanucu, and having concealed i
and Jack ata spot from which they co“, sea
the trap and not be seen in returuby thepeer:
big eyes of the condor, the .
back to the devioqand wi a mfleof ,-
Iatlsfactlou, mpt under the skin!

“Catching a condor with a. cow-skin will
prove as successful as catching a sly old bird
with chad,” said a incredulous Jack, in low
tones to his com on.

“Iain notw foconflrm your judgment,
Jack,” was the rep . '

“You‘ll confirm it presently and help me
laugh at Elgardo’s wild scheme. A fellow who
would stick to a tree and grapple with a jaguar
single-handed would be theyery chap to at-
tempt to catch a gigantic bird,and one of the
shrewdest of the eathered family, with such a
ludicrous device as he has fixad up.”

Nicholas, the student, did not reply. He had
more confidence in Elgardo’s condor-trap,
thou h he could not see how the boy would se-
cure is rice.

In sec ing food the condord nds almost
entirely upon his keenness of vsion. From
his station in mid-air, even beyond the sight of
the Cordillerean hunter, he notes a carcass and
at once descende His stance 0:91:1de isvery
peonapeceo rawmea wrap ma or
and placed before him will not attract brisgt-
tention.

Our impatient friends did not have to wait
long for the appearance of the great bird of
prey. A fin er laid on Jack’s arm told him
that the quic e e of Nicholas had detected the
condor, and a g ance upward showed him the
great bird descending slowly. N aerer and
nearer, in concentric Circles, came th‘ condor,
and at last his talons sunk into the dcshthat
crowned the hide. Then he fell at once to
gorging himself, tearing the meat and devour-
ing it with d' ’ng rapidity until Jack ex-
pressed his wo erment at do’s inactivity.

“ Ha! ha!” laughed the y. “My little
Peruvian is t in his own trap. He is
afraid of the b' be has called from the skies.
The condor has caught the boy, not the boy the
condor. There is the best shot I shall ever at
at the air-king!” and the speaker seized is
rifle; ilint the hand of his companion was laid
upon

    

6

The Condor Killers.

 

“No, Jack. We must not offend El ardo.
You forget that we owe him our lives. hink
of the jaguar last night. My word for it that
he is not lying inactive beneath the skin, for a
minute since saw a hand rise from beneath it,
and it held a rope.”

“A rope? I did not see it. What can the
boy he doing?”

‘We must wait. What! another condor?
'fl'haig is one more than the boy has bargained
or.

Sure enough a second condor pounced upon
the meat, and s edil fell to devouring it. he
twain did not fight for the spoils; but side by
side tore the flesh which alreadybeneath the
warm rays of the sun was becoming putrid.
To our youn adventurers the sight before
them was exmtin . and it was with difficulty,
notwithstanding is i ate words, that Nicholas
could prevent his young friend from firing at
the birds.

But a new scene was about to burst upon their
vision.

The trap was about to be sprung; and all at
once Elgardo shot from beneath the skin with a
loud cry, and turning toward our friends called
them forth.

The eager boys did not waste time in obeying
the summons, and as the leaped from the re—
treat, the condors attemp to escape.

But in vain!

Jack now saw that Elgardo had not remained
idle during his sojourn under the skin, nor had
he wished to leave it before he did.

The birds, uttering their peculiar cries, not
unlike the hissing vowe of the goose, continued
to attempt flight; but a number of strong cords
had been tied about their legs while they were
gorging themselves. These cords were also

astened to the heavy and unwieldy hide,
which they could not, tied as they were, carry
a o t.

For many momenm the trio en oyed, to a

gagin degree, the struggles of t e gigantic

“ Cow-skin catch condor after all, eh?” cried
Elgardo, turning a look of triumph upon Jack.
“ In this way the Cordillera her sman catches
many hundreds in a year. Sometimes, when
he wants to 1d]! many at once, he kills a mule
and puts the carcass on the edge of a nit, so
balanced that it will easil fall ovar. Pretty
soon the sky is black with be great birds, and
down they pounce u n it- Then by fightin
over the meat they raw it over the edge an
it falls down into the pit. Not willing to lose
it the follow it down and gorge themselves so
that t e cannot n's'e. Then come the epic,
and wit stones and clubs they put the birds to
death. 50, tenors, you see we have many traps
for the condor. This is but one of them. Now
I will bola one.” .

So sayin , Elgardo drew forth his bolas—that
indis nsa le companion of the Indian of Peru
—an took the lighter ball in his hand. Then
for a moment he swung the other two in a wide
circle over his head, and suddenly sent the
strange weapon forward. A moment later the
aim told for the weapon encompassed the neck
of one of the condbrs, and after a few struggles
the great wings grew still, and the bird dropped
upon the hide. I

“Now, my boy,” said Elgardo, turning to
Jae “ you'shall slay your first condor."

“lint I’d rather not shoot a. captive. Can't
you unloose him?”

The Peruvian boy smiled.

“ We’ll see,‘ .ittle senor,” he said, and draw-
his knife, he stepped toward the remaining

bl .

When at a distance of twenty feet from him,
Elgardo halted, and seizing the glittering blade
at the point drew his ri ht arm back.

d “Ready?” he said, ancing over his shoul-

er.
Jack cocked his rifle and fixed his sparkling
eyes on the monarch of the mountains.

Elgardo stood for a moment with the knife
drawn oack, and then sent it whing forward.
A 10" .4. shout of a lame from Nicholas attested
the success of the row. The North American
Indian could not have thrown his tomahawk
with renter precision, for the knife had cut the
cord t at revented the condor’s flight, and as
it was the ant bird to the feast, and consequent
ly not so gorged as its companion, it rose at
once into t a air.

Up, a ' went the condor! Jack, though cover-
ing t, id not fire.

‘Quiokl” cried Nicholas, sharing the excite-
ment of the moment.
“ Quick, senor, or at condor will escape.

But the Kenn hunter did not touch the trig— '

geruntilt one is bird had been given a fair

 

chance for life. Then aloud report burst upon
the ears of all, and the vulture-king fell over
and began to descend.

“ Hurrah i” shouted Nicholas, carried away
with enthusiasm. “ Ashot good enough to in-
voke a Berdan’s envy.”

“I hit him in the head: wait and see!” replied
Jack, in calm triumph.

A moment later the condor reached the
ground, and El ardo and Nicholas were sur-

rised to see t e boy's words confirmed: the
ullet had passed through the brain of the bird!

Not a little pleased with their adventure, the
trio left the spot and continued their journey
toward Alboso’s hut. Jack carried away sev—
eral win feathers of the bird as souvenirs of his
first con or.

By El ardo’s guidance the but was reached
at the c 059 of day; but not a living object
greeted them. The absence of the at puma
was remarked by the Peruvian boy; ut a. sur-
prise greater than that awaited them.

Upon entering the hut, they found everything
that belonged to Jack and Nicholas standing in
the center of the room.

“ Some one has been here!” cried Nicholas.

“ Albosoi” said Elgardo. “ See! he has taken
only his own property. If the volcano has un-
settled his mind, it has also frightened him from
this country. He will never return. We will
find his mule gone.”

An examination revealed this: the condor-
hunter’s beast was missing while those belong-
ingto the trio remained be ind:

f or a minute the three gazed into each other’s
aces.

“ What is to be done nOW, sewers?” asked
Elgardo. “ I know the paths that lead to
Lima," and the Peruvian boy executed a cour-
teous bow.

“ To Lima!” echoed Jack. “Who wants to
go back now? ‘Do you know the Amazonian
valley?”

Elgardo smiled proudly, and said as he exe-
cu a second salaam:

“ As well as I know the passes of the Cordil-

O

leras.”
"Then lead us to it!” was the re ly. “We’ll
postpone our grand llama-hunt. lgardo, we

dub you at capitan—leader of this expedition.
Downward! is the motto. Three tickets for the
valley of the Amazon!”

“ By-’m-by the little senor will hunt the
shortest path to Lima,” said Elgardo in a whis-
per to Nicholas, as he displayed his pearly
teeth. “Down yonder is a paradise; but it 18
jaguardom, the land of the boa, and the home
of the pororoc‘cai”

CHAPTER VII.
on A mama ISLAND—m romances.

“ OUR. island is not stationary! It is one of
those floating wonders that Alboso declared ex-
isted in this wonderful region."

“ I can not see it move, Jack, and I am sure
that my eyes are as keen as yours. What evi—
dence, pray, have you of its moving?”

“ The best in the world. You will readily ad-
mit, Nick, that the bank of this river is station-

aryi”
‘ Certainly.”

“ Well, early this mornin I stood in this pre-
cise spot, and found myse directly 0 poslte
that lofty massarandnba, or cow—tree. reco -
also it by the out which some Muras have ma e
to extract the milk fluid. Now we are not 0
posite the tree- it as not moved, consequent y
our island is a doating one.”

Nicholas was forced to admit Jack’s proof, ut-
tered with rent sitiveness.

“ Well, w at o it, Jacki” he said. “We may
be floating at the rate of three miles a day—cer-
tainly not faster, judging from the distance be-
tween us and your cow-tree. Are we not on a
ship which the best shipbuilders in the world
could not ut together? Our masts are the tall

ms of fty families; the gunwale of our craft

5 fringed with flowers found nowhere else on

the globe' but here. OVerhead, the trees are

full of arrakeete, and out there in the forest on

the ma n-land you can hear the chattering of a
troo of little marmoset monkeys.”

“ know ’tis worth a lifetime to see the lights
that have greeted our eyes since we left the —
dilleras; but just at this moment we might be
safer on the main-land.”

“ Why, Jack?”

“ Were a pororocca to strike us, we would be
overwhelmed.”

“ Elgardo assures me that a pororocca at this
season would be an oddity.”

“ The eruption which de rived us of Alboso
was a phenomenon,” replie Jack, quickly.

 

“ Over there on the main-land is the boa and
the puma; but better a tussle with both than a
grapple with that greatest scourge of the Ana-
zon an rivers.”

The two boys had reached the great valley
which, lying at and about the equator, is one of
the most wonderful countries of the world.
Guided 3y Elgardo, the Peruth boy, the
descend from the high lands of the rdil—
leras, crossed the ragghed spurs of the Andes,
and, passing through -t a famous gap of Tugi-
niki, entered the Amalonian valle . Into this
wonderful region almost one-h f of Europe
mightbe hidden. It is a paradise of pe tual
summer, so far as climate is conce . ts
animals are the most beautiful to be found on
the face of the lobe; its vegetation the most
profuse and love y;' it is the heaven of the or—
nithologist and botanist. But death is ever at
work amid all this beauty. Its animals seeks one
another with murder in their hearts; the kites
destroy the smaller birds whose lumage out—
shines the robes of Eastern roya ty, and even
some of the flowers beautiful and fragrantas
the are, are traps of ,death, closing on the bee
an killin him.

The litt e party of adventurers had left their
mules in the keeping of an Indian village at the
foot of the Andes, and, procuring a boat suit
able for their wants, they had floated down the
Amazon to the island upon which we find them
at the opening of this paper. Elgardo had se—
lected t e island for a cam for several rea-
sons: the woods of the main-land abounded in
poisonous serpents, and were, moreover, the
abode of a. species of bat which, as if having an
inbom dread of .water, would not spread its
black wings over the waves. It was now the
middle of January, good hunting-time in the
valle of the Amazon, and our young Nimrods
bed can promised some famous sport by the
native boy. .

Let us return to the twain. '

While they were still conversing in the strain
which we have just heard, Elgardo came
from the lower part of, the island whither he
had been with the hope of finding some freaces,
or snow-grass, from which the blow-pipe is
me e. .

Jack at once told the buy that they were in-
habiting a’floating island and then proceeded
to rehearse the argument by which he had con-
vinced Nicholas. Elgardo listened without a
word. When Jack had concluded he went; to
the water’s edge and plunged his hand. into the ’
clear element. For a moment he held‘ it sub-
~me ed and then rose.

“ e float!” he said.
right.” v

‘ How did you discover it?” cried Jack.

“Look!” and Elgardo held out his ban
which the boys, upon close in ion, fon
covered with reddish animal not larger
than the half of a grain of millet seed. '

“ When the island instill these little creatures
cannot be found. When it floats they are in
tge water, and attach themselves to anything
t ey touch. But we go slow—very slow. To—
morrow we Will let the island drift without us.”

“That suits me,” said Jack. “This queer
ship is likely to go to the bottom without a mo~
ment’s warning. ’

Elgardo smiled at the boy's remark, but did
not reply.

As t e sun went down the three adventurers
assembled in the little camp that had been es-
tablished in the middle of the island, and El—

ardo fell to work on the new blow-pipe, for be
ad obtained some frames nearlyL six feet in

bi ht.

%Vhile the boy sat on the trunk of an assai-
palm and pursued his task, Nicholas and Jack
climbed into the hammocks which they had
brought along, and looked down upon him.

As the god of da disappeared, a gloom set—
tled over the clim ing sipos that formed a

“The young senoris

natural roof over the camp. A ang of
alouattes, or howlin monkeys, set eir dis-
cordant noises, in t e forests on ei er bank,

and then the multitudes of parrots and macaws
added their screamings to the ear-splitting
opera. For a while the boys amused them-
selves watching Elgardo at work, and then
turned to enjoy the meteors that flashed all
around them in the darkness. Meteors? No!
only thousands of fire-beetles, glow-worms and
elaters: the resembled showers of shooting-
stars, with t eir many-colored lights, and more
than once the ho s applauded some ntic
elater as he r ormed a wonderfu ight,
which exhibi his every glow of phosphoreh
cent light.

But with an abruptness that was startling the.
pamta ceased, the monkey concert grew still.

 

“a

The Condor Killers.

7

 

 

and the beetles and sisters disappeared in the

twinkling of an e e. I
Elgardo started to hisfeet, and d . the
arrow-grass; Our Nimrods‘ bounded in the

hammocks and landed at his side, their whitened
faces tellin that something was about to hap-
pen. The eruvian boy stood for a moment
with 'an anxious face turned down the stream,
all?“ point very sluggish. Then he sprung

“ It is coming!” he cried. “ The boat! quick,
senors J Holy Mother, protect us i”

His words were. enou h to make our young
hunters spring to the at, which the he
drag ed to the campo to prevent it from ing
a vic im to the fury of the alligator.

“ What is upon us, Elgardol” ventured Jack.

“ What but the i rorocco?” was the response.
“We mustbe quic . It will not leave apiece
of the island as big as your hand I”

The boat was can ht up by the trio as if it
had been made of pa m-leaves, and they started
at‘ once for the water. As they ran through
the wood something shot b them with an
angry raw], and then she her and another
beast With a similar or . The poor frightened
thin s were flying be ore the mighty wave,
whic , towering to the hight of forty feet, was
advancing noiselesst up the stream.

All at once, and just as a cry from Elgardo’s
lips announced that they had reached the wa-
ter, the wave struck the island With a. demoniac
roar and broke into masses of mighty foam.
The boat fell, from the boys’ shoulders. No use
to tolannch it now.

“ hi Maria! pity!" went up the voice of
the native boy. “ To the trees, xenon—the lit-
tle trees with the smooth bark; the rorocca
never broke one of them. Embrace hem, and
look to Heaven!” ' ‘ 1

Our young friends were‘not slow to obey;
the sprun to the supéfle palms and threw
thez' arms-a ut the slen er trunks. ‘ ;

The‘next" ent‘jt‘ seemedas if the island
warbleng ’Vfignjnto a'miilion of its eats-
the es Were sn  asun' er as
theylhad ,befiniiteedt; aod’ln , gllilg inane mass
palms  and slposg'the wave, with “the
pow l" ’ (Pabst act-ninpanied, it, carried it

ike a. thunderbol far 11 the river.‘ *’

Our’drlfi‘ndh“ re fo mateiynoar their.
They fel’t‘the'entire island rocked in the V g y of
the morocca, which unsung :over‘fihem,’
drenc ed‘them‘totheiskih. ‘ ' ‘ -

    

 
 

Fusion}, we are sinking!”‘c'rled Elgardo, sud-
deni "H'Bm'lhe darkness," and While-his startling
wor s are sounding in the ears of his comé
races. tgree' found themselves hurled intovthe

rs Medium?” it fn b t u:

.,e  m. ..,.s  men 8
new“ rte  “l3
cre . '-  t Mon
“dismal K .. 4  . . . .  _.

1.591101% " " " ‘

 ‘   I  

m {.‘a toy» , an a
he;,i‘eelézf: ti .  something .
ammoh’h drencheda dbeld.  ‘ “ , 

When theboy ope fink hymen, We:
shining on thewater,’ and he new i e him
t e huge‘bod of a nigger killed by the storm
of the night before. , ii
island but itvhdd‘ disap , . Then he drew
magmas body up, an shouted ghnénfia;

a wwwasa stra or m e ’
savor-Kym “8° y ' ‘

Nicholas, w what it meant. .

can hie-twat tsr, pm

.0. lammgnmmw
. —, . m .
Km W011 drenched“ nd unarmed on
the bank of the amazon. “Before him the
stream; now covch with them-pm bunches
01991“) “P” not " {:3 . Wihllsrge flowers,
that told in mute ion a are. i “the
pororocca on theprec  mloyed u
sluggish as otyoro. and n man
a forest deep, dsr and full or death. *It was
from its depths that the cry of the mud
come. ’ . .
Nicholas knew nothin of the face of
hi5‘0fi’panions, Elgar-do and3 Jack. Fort“-

The —or idem-urana, as the 

natel' h , the had not conve ed
their per’ tzptshe floating island; the 
boy [in  Q, W somewherein'iihe 
‘ flflel’a‘u 5  0 Eln-
 ' laced: ‘5 flag!!! With
_, ’ _ ’jtbe terrible statui, ‘
would never be this to_,, «1
did ’not 6 - ’ ' ‘

who 

in Whi‘é h
munit o" ,
landmar ‘ ‘h'

 
   

snorith  ,
~could be none‘other‘then'Aiboflcompanien;

new in 9;:
m‘  El;
h

rst look was for the

 

t and
caught ‘

sight of a grayish bod moving through the
debris of; trees and ,. to that littered the
aisles of the forest. ith a river before him
and a puma behind, the youn adventurer was
placed in a very annoying pos tion. But he pre-
pared to meet the latter.

Seizing a heavy branch that lay almost at his
very feet, Nick turned squarely upon the “ false
deer,” and braced himself for the combat.

“ Not as long as-I can fight will I give up!" he
said, defiantly. “Come on, my good sassy/-
ammo, and We will fl ht for the championship
of the Amazonian val ey.” .

At this juncture the wily animal chanced to
see the antagonist waitin calmly fur him cud-
gel in hand, and crouche to the ground.

He was now not more than thirty yards from
Nicholas, who had made up his mind that the
animal was in a proper condition to attack
man. As he'loOked he saw that the beast was
gliding along on his belly, after the manner of
its species, with its eyes fixed intently upon

him.

" I’ll give you the best I’ve got!" said the boy,
anxious for the battle, inevitable as he thought,
the be on. “ Come on and let us finish this mat—

r. '

As if endowed with understanding, the puma
gave a light spring forward and landed on the
ground a most wi hin reach of the boy’s stout
cudllgel. Nicholas raisad the club; but involun-
tari y started back. The animal was crunching
at his feet as it were, but the 9 es were not so
fierce as the orbs of the enrage puma; on the
contrary, Nicholas fancied that hey gleamed
with the light of recognition, and this fancy
waits confirmed by the movements of the puma’s

a .

“ By my life! the beast is wearing a. collar!”
suddenly cried the boy. espying a collar resem-
bling tanned vicuna hide about the puma’s neck.
“The animal is not in its wild state; but has
been an Indian’s’pet. Come here, my fellow.
Alboso had a pet‘pumal'" ‘

,At mention of the mad condor-killer's name,
the puma bounded forward, and with a low
whine crouched at‘Nic’k’s fine . ~ ' r '

“ Pava! Pava!" cried the b0 , with rising
joy, and the animal rose onit's h nd feet, utter-
mg~ wh‘ines'of delight. ’ " I  '

‘ Where is ; your master?” asked ’ Nicholas,
l‘hide of the ‘beast, which

Barthepnmse tignedtdtndhj hid east'!‘
in meetinghthe.%nndohrfioung " rsmay
an ‘ " extra ‘lnsss t a‘tp‘pervaded the
out breast, for the bloodless continuation of
iSencouiiterwith the animal. ' 3 l -
“Now,” thought be, “if I could but find
Elgprdp and Jack: how happy I should be
n!’ , ‘ ' . ”
ow happy !‘ for to be alone in an Amazonian
forest is ope of the most uu leasnnt situational]:

1w chiman (mafia?! findfiimself. '

" a truth e .  “"about'ffto‘ grant . chola
smug: dag ‘ while be» yet strayed‘the‘
1 - .

 a  rags Fora ... ,,
youth‘ _ 'V ‘ one “credit the evidence- of
sight; but in p ,3 dedfomard ann'waslsoon-in
them-ms of lifcpmpaniqhs. 

They ad been carried'down the stream on a

rtion of the island which had been broken
uto fragments is the violence-of the storm,
and econsidere‘d t sir escape one of great mo-
men

Elgardo was startled by the appear-ascent
Aiboso’s main that : but saying that the
Gender ller could not far oif, he announced
himself ready to hunt for the cache. But the
finding ’of the desired spot was no easy task for
the yomgg guide, for as we have already men-
tioned, ’0 ' ‘
feet wilderness of broken branches and dot
sipos. The Peruvian bo , howaver, found a
few of his landmarks, an at last, to the joy of
the two boys, the lost cache was discovered.
Not on] found, but Elgardo announced tbatit
had not 11 distmbed—mot even by the ing
and pillow monkeys—and once more trio

3

“ ea ast‘gr‘st!" said Elgsrdo: but the two
boys looked at him in surprise.

Breakfast when the forest was still! for not
even a macaw we: to be seen! But ELgu-do
smiled at their; look, and mysteriously sai that
a ood breatkbfastbowas notthfar 03. at“? f d

iddin e ya a or a qua 0
sticks thge' young iuilfe plunged into the woodrsy,
and the report of in gun was soon heard. Not
long afterward he was seen returning with a
$691- animsl thrown over his shoulders, and, to

’e boys’ surprise, be cast at their feet not a
young deer, but an ill shaped, black-faced

’ ' 'loud shod anemia ~
' W £1inf“ 

storm had rendered the forest a r-~

 

monkey. Elgardo hastily said that his prey
was the macaco ham-i do monkey, the '
oneinAmerica; and hat its flesh ‘ _ consid-
ered a delicacy by the natives. At ’ Jack
and Nicholas were averse to teeth) the meat of
the creature; but when the do with his
salaams offered them a nicely-roasted hunk.
their, ravenous appetites carried the day, and
their aversion vanished. '

Pave, the puma, fell to with keen relish on
the part to him by Elgardo, and the

meal was progressing with satisfaction when l

the ide looked up and then sprung erect.

“ nother storm?” cried Nicholas. ‘ ‘

“ Yes; but not the pororocca!" answered
E! rdo. “ Listen! el tapirl ” l

ilenoe on the trio’s part was not necemary to
enable them to hear the noise that was ap-
proaching from the north.' It seemed as if a.
squadron of cavalry was charging through the
ores .

At once rifle were lifted, and the adventurers
prepared to receive the new foe. ~

“El ta ir is not very dangerous,” Elgardo
said. “ ut you do not get out of his way, he
will run over you—that’s all. When he is run-
ning with el tigre on his back, he is furious.
Santissima I here they come!”

Sure enough, the makers of the confusion that
filled the forest had hove in sight. It was a
herd of tapirs—fifty or more—plunging along in
the awkward gallop peculiar to that animal;

J “Ehey are coming straight at us!” cried
ac . - '

“No!” answered Elgardo, who had been
watching the mowments of the animals from
the first. “The have turned aside a little;
look, senmsl'el tare! el Myra!" ‘

Clinging to the thick neck of one of the fore-
most tapirs, with his teeth and claw buried in
the rhinoceros-hide; wasr‘the‘ largest specimen
of the jaguar ever seen in the woods of South
America. ’ ‘ ,

The-cause of the tapirs’ iii 1:, or‘stampede.
was now apparent. The watc i'ul jaguar had
darted upon the leader of the herd fronrhis sla—
tion ins tree, and they were rushing {on the
river beneath whose ’waters‘ they would dive,
and rid thems‘élvcsof the striped enem ; ‘

With'heads [demand eyes full 0 fire, the
tspirs rushed an. -‘ - ‘ ' I ‘-

“ I’ll treat (I tigre to a shot, and, if ' I can, do
at 6:1er It service would Nicholas,‘calmly 1%
his weapon and waiting till the  '
in‘gilil'smii' v 7 ma non  I: I "-

‘ayte"w eonr,et"m
ejaculated  “y  ' "‘ '- : viii"

The on H g herd which at first threatabd
to run e 1: rec huntersfiown, warm

assingtotheir ef oh’their road wellhefivér.‘

‘ey were within easy gun-shot; but theme-
tions cane animal that carried the jaguar-wore
such as to render NiCk’sjhot ‘veryn " 1
But the baytook a" stead aim, and-'wheu’he,
thought’he ' '

er

a “we a “ .v-bm.  . the
g from Elgardo announced that‘thsrsbot
had told, and the boy-marksman with 
race mw ekfigre (all from tbe’nécko! mum
(gratin:Ikenow'x:t one the plunggg 
erms   my
amoment. « ' ' v” A ‘ dis-U»:
When the tapirs  mmw
WWW“ fl” Arms“? " to
on e crus  ’ -
frightened herd. m as trio miles-an
side they fond him dead: the true aim of the
boy Nimrod had sent the bullet tin-om his

I: rt. ' -

e%r¢wo, he!” shouted Jack, putting his
young fr! on the back. “it first condor
and your first ti or will never forgotten.
Hark! what was t!" ,

“ Nothing,” said Elgudo, with a smile. “ El
tagir has taken to the water!” I
at the boys looked, and saw the hasde

beneath the waves of the Amman. '

 

' CHAPTER 1x.
A reuse: mo surmount—mm.

"Tocuol mac! toeanor'

It was the peculiar cry of the green—billed tou-
can, who, perched am the highest Miles
of the graceful seat In, looked down ugvn
the little boat, which, containing our tin-be y-
agoun and the puma, was new slowly'elong

an immpe, or “tagged;

" ti: 3 pretty 0w!” cried Jackyeatch.
ing a glimpsed the Tight but handwritin-
mated that cont and his strange and.
“Hiking him down in a. jiffy!" v -

“Wait till we bear realejo‘; the gun'niigit
frighten 'him,”-'id Elm-do, patting hues-ad

Janeen—nun. ., .._

spam». H- a. = s; _

 
   

8

The Condor Killers.

 

 

restrainineg on the arm of the eager young
marksman.

Almost immediately after the Peruvian boy’s
last word there came from the wood to their
right some dulcet strains that sounded like the
voice of a happy girl Singing.

The boys lai aside the paddles and listened
entranced.

“ I did not know we were near a human habi-
tation,” said Nicholas. lookin with surprise
into Elgardo’s face, which brightened into a
smile.

“Girl never sing that way!” said the native

youth. "It is realejo; there he goes again——
faster! faster! Ah! he is the singer of the great
river woods!”

As the boat floated slowly on, a somber-color-
ed bird flew from the depths of a clump of ham-
boo, and the song, so wonderful and sweet, was
stilled.

“He is gone! we have frightened him!” said
Elgar-do, and sure enough, the strains were not
resumed. But in their place came the notes of
the bell-bird which resembled the ringing of
some clear cathedral chimes; and then flit
gayly-bedecked parrots began to chatter.
trip up or down a South American ingarape at
mid-day is one of great pleasure; the branches
of trees, meeting overhead. cast the waters in
delicious shade, and the voyageur floats through
a natural paradise.

On this particular day our young adventur-
ers went out on no particular expedition; but
their voyage was destined to prove one never
to be forgotten.

“What can we do for amuSement?” asked
Nicholas.

Just then some strange sounds, not unlike the
blows of a hammer, came from the forest of

and m.

“Aha!” an d Elgardo, “we may catch the
hammer monke .”

“A monkey- unt? That willbe novel!” ex-
claimed Jack and theboat was forthwith turn—
ed ashore and moored to the bank.

The woods of the Amazon valley are the

nonke country of the globe. These animals
range in size from the maccacos, which measure

I three feet in length, to the delicate little mar-
mosets, which my young readers could cover
with their hands. The monke is generally
taken by the natives with th b ow-pipe, or by
tra s; but our three Nina s resolved to try
the marksmanship on the hammer monkey, to
kill which the natives consider no sin.

As they pushed through the woods the sounds
continued; but all at once they ceased, and
Elgardo looked puzzled. But the next moment
a series of almost human shrieks filled the for-
ee and blanched the cheeks of the he s.

‘ Monkey cau ht!” cried the native oy, and
as he hounded orward, he uncalled the light
lasso that he carried at his side.

Jack and Nicholas followed close behind him.
They were not ion in discovering the cause of
the wild cries, for glardo halted suddenly, and
51333“ to a sight t at chilled the spectators’

The hammer monkey, in descending from the
top of the palm where he had been plying his
vocation. had fallen into the hideous trap deftly
set for him. In other words. he had been seized
by a gigantic boa-constrictor, which had wrap-
ped its monster folds about him, and was slow—
y crushing him to death. The snake was coiled
about the trunk of a palm, and when the trio
came upon the sight. he was looking at his vic-
tim with evident delight. In the branches
overhead hundreds of dark sympathetic faces
were visible; but the hammerer’s ittle brethren
could do nothing to alleviate his sufferings.

s As the head of the boa was stationary, the
Yankee boys raised their rifles, but a motion
from Elfardo ke t back the bullets. The Peru‘
vian la crept orward with the noose in his
right hand, and all at once he paused and sent
it forward with the precision of the king va-

quero.

The noose dropped over the head of the ser-
pent, ind the lassoer, springingdeftly back, made
the other end fast to a strong palm before the
king of the crawlers could unwrap his ponder—
ous folds. .

“ Back! back!” shouted the boy, and the two
youths were not slow in obeying.

With a mad hiss, which the tightening of the
cord half stran led, the boa. tried to disengage
himself, and al at once his folds flew around
the tree, releasing the crushed monkey, and
breakin the undergrowth. He was a pon-
derous allow, at least thirt feet in len th, and
his contortions, as he trie to relieve iniself,
excited the wonder and terror of the beholder.
Be made a noise that could have been heard

 

several miles throughout the forest. Multitudes
of birds were attracted tothe spot and while
the hon writhed they flew over his head, utter-
ing cries of delight.

“Look down yonder!” suddenlv exclaimed
Jack, pointing to a scene that had for several
minutes taken his attention from the captured
boa. “Those birds are not excited without
cause See how the dash to the ground, and
rise again with wil screamingsl What can
the have discovered?” _

lgardo, who was creeping upon the boa for
the purpose of throwing the holes with effect,
did not hear Jack’s remarks, nor did he see the
boys hasten taward the spot where hundreds
of birds were flying about near the ground,
like swallows above an old chimney in the
evening.

“Ab! another snake, but how beautiful!”
cried Nicholas, halting in si ht of the object at
which the birds seemed to e darting in lay.
“He is no match for the boa, but his sk n is
handsomer. Look, Jack! be is gliding into the
sunlight, and exhibits all the prismatic colors of
the rainbow. He must be fifteen feet long!
Such a beautiful creature cannot be poisonous.
Let us move a little nearer.”

Attractcd b the wonderful colors of the
snake than w ich a deadlier serpent crawls
not through the forests of the Amazon, and
lulled into security by his apparent sluggish-
ness, our young hunters moved nearer.”

The reptile, which was the deadly bushmas-
ter, appeared to enjoy the attention of the
birds, and it was some timebefore he noticed
the presence of the boys. Then he raised his
spotted head, and shot out along tongue which
looked like a silver fork. At the same moment
thf spots along his back seemed to change
co or.

“Ai Jesu/ mrcil merci!" at that moment
rung in tones of terror through the forest; and
on looking around the boys saw Elgardo hasten-
ing forward, his face almost white. and terror
depicted on every lineament. “Run, smors,
run! Holy mother! the bushmaster will catch
you! He is death! Quick! quick, amoral AI‘
Jew!”

With a glance at the huge ser ent now glid-
ing toward them, the boys ne ed no further
incentive to obey the young uide. They did
what my own readers caught n the same situa-
tion would do—ran for their lives!

But the bushmaster is one of those serpents
that hesitate not to attack and pursue man.
Relyin on the certain death that lies at the
roots 0 his fangs and conscious of his noiseless
speed, he very seldom follows a victim without
success.

0n he cameafter the now thoroughly terrified
boys, who fled at the top of their speed, urged
OEnl byi the wild cries and gesticulations of

r o.

‘ To the river!” crled the na 've boy, as they
reached his side. and town the in arape
where they had left their boat, the tr 0 now
pushed, leaving the boa to struggle with the
am and the buslimaster to follow.

It may be safe to say that the pots of the
American legation ran as they had never run
before. Their aim was to reach the river, seize
the canoe, and put of! from the shore. The
bushmaster seldom ventures into the water.
The birds still followed the reptile as he glided
on with the lureness of death itself; when his
beautiful body was not seen by the pursued, the
win ed creatures denoted his whereabouts.

ith a about of joy the canoe was reached,
and Elgardo slipping its moorings. shoved it
from the ban .

But the next moment a well-known rattle
sounded upon the ears of all, and the occupants
of the canoe were horrified to see a huge rattle-
snake coiled in the bow.

Involuntarin they shrunk from the new foe,
and Elgardo, mutteiin prayers in Portuguese,
pre ared his bolas. t was fortunate that he
he not wasted them in a cast at the boa, for
now an enemy as deadly as the bushmaster con-
fronted them. And right in their own boat,
too!

Pava, the puma, crouched shivering in the
stern, with his eyes fixed upon the snake.

The serpent was preparing for a spring; but
Elgardo anticipate him, and all at once he
sent the bolas on its mission.

The cast was made not a moment too seen,
for the weafpon met the rattlesnake on the
threshold 0 a 5 ring, and encompassed his
throat. Cau ht, t 9 re tile tried to reach his
foes des ite t e bolas, lit a well~aimed stick
hurled rom Jack’s hand sent him overboard,

and after a few contortions, he sunk out of
sight!

 

Then Elgardo sent the boat flying toward the
middle of the ingarape, but its occupants did
not consider themselves safe until the birds told
them that the bushniaster had abandoned the
pursuit.

“Excuse me from another trip into snake-
dom," said Jack, with a shiver.

“There are no serpents in Lima!” answered
Nick with a sarcastic smile.

“ ot loose ones, at any rate,” and Jack’s
wistful look toward the west told where he
would like to be at that moment.

CHAPTER X.
rooa ALBOSOI—A items cams.

 

Tim reader will naturally suppose that our.

youn hunter’s experience with the pororocca
and t e snakes of the Amazon valley engender-
ed in them a desire to leavo the dangerous coun—
try, and once more find themselves under the
roof of the American Legation at Lima. In such
a supposition he would not be mistaken, for
shortl after the severe race for life which we
have ast recorded, the little band resolved to
return over the mountains to the capital.

But that return was destined to bedelayed by
an exciting and very unpleasant adventure that
befell Jack. One day the boy found himself the
sole tenant of the little camp which had been
established on high ground, near the brink of an
ingarape; Elgardo and Nicholas having gone
up the stream for the purpose of collecting some
Singular grasses that had taken the eye of the
boy student.

'Whatis to hinder me from taking a hunt
alone?” 'said Jack, who had soon rown tired of
cam life at the equator? “T ere goes the
mon ey again. They’re s1 fellows, Elgardo
says; one must make a deal. —shot, or he’ll have
the whole tribe d0wn upon him in the twinkling
of an eye. Well, I’ll risk that for a chance to
po one of the ugly chaps over.”

ot long afterward Jack was Iiding through
the forest. following the strange oarse chatter
that had come to his cars at intervals He was
armed with a good rifle, and besides that he
carried a pistol and knife. With the latter he
blazed trees as he went alon : but all at once
he stopped, and then started k with an ex.
clamation of horror.

Askeleton lay before him. The t ants of
the tro ics had long since pick the bones
clean; t a skull seemed to stare into the face of
the boy. At last Jack reapproached it. and
bent clown, attracted by an object lying among
the bones. The next moment he sprung up,
holding a bolas in his hand.

“Poor Albaco!" cried the boy. “ I know
these are your bones b this bolas. The erup
tion of the volcano un lanced your mind; you
wandered hero with Pave, the puma, and here,
by means unknown, your life ended. You will
not keefii your promise made to uncle Blake—
you wi not take us back to Lima.”

After awhile Jack paid the last tribute of re-
spect to the unfortunate condor-killer; he cov—
ered the bones with branches of palm and heavy
bamboo leaves, and, murmurlng I prayer for
the soul of the dead, passed on.

The chatter of monkeys guided him to the
hunting-grounds .and he soon saw a number of
great hairy bodies surmounted by hideously
grotesque heads, among the u per branches of
the palms. At once the boy gan to inaugu-
rate a series of stealthy moves; but that mo-
ment the monkeys disappeared, and not one
was visible.

“At their old tactics!" smiled Jack. “ El-
gardo knows them well. I’ll wait till a black
noggin comes in eight; it will not belong.”

Ensconced in a clump of taxi. the amateur
hunter awaited the appearance of the monks a.
While waiting he made a very unwelcome is‘
cover ———that he had lost his ammunition-bag!
His so e stock now consisted of the contents of
rifle and revolver.

“A sorry magazine if I fail to kill my first
monkey!” though Jack. “ Nicholas would
abandon the hunt and go back; but not I. They
sha’n’t hear that an American boy ran away
from a parcel of apes without firing a shot.”

Almost simuitaneous with the utterance of
the last word, the body of an ape came into
View, and the eager boy blazed away. He fired
with a haste that would have on led forth a
severe re root from such an experienced hunter
as Egar o, and his hastiness bore evil fruit.

The man.monkey, as the great creature was
called—though pro rly an ape—was severely
wounded b the ba 1, and came tumbling down
with [if ling cries. As the body struck the
gran ack sprung forward with clubbed rifle,
and with asingle b ow sent the creature reeling
away. But its cries now filled the whole forest;

 

.. n‘.—._~ \.

 

 

The Condor Killers.

9

 

 

rind the boy at once saw the peril into which
he had been thrown.

Among the branches overhead, hundreds of
evil faces appeared in view, and on every side
the enraged apes were descending the trees.
Their intent could not be misunderstood, and
the cries that pealed from their throats, seemed
wonderfull human. Jack could easily have
imaginedt em to shout, “Vengeance!” “ Blood
for blood l” and for a moment he stood, revolver
‘Pllushéisd, and with fingers on the keen knife in

' t

l The wounded ape was the first object visited
by the infuriated avengers; for several minutes
they surrounded him, and the single spectator
imagined their numbers to consist of several
hundreds.

“ I’ll attempt to make hay while the sun
shines!” thoug tthe endangered boy. “ They
will attack me presently, the demons—”

Well might be start back, for between him
and the cam scores of apes were descending
the trees, as if to cut olf his retreat.

“ I’ll fight vou to the bitter end 1” he said, de—
fiantly. “ You’ve got between me and the
camp; we’ll see if cold lead won’t give me a
path through our hairy ranks."

He started orward now, and the sharp crack
of his revolver stretched one monster ape dead
at the foot of a palm. That shot opened the ball.
Bang! bang] bang! went the other chambers of
the istol with fatal effect, and then, as the un—
cout ranks closed about the b0 , be seized the
rifle and clubbed them back. bile Jack had
been reared in a city, and amid wealth and
luxury, his muscular education had not been
neglected. A 00d rower, and the “best boy
in the gymnastic club,” he was well calculated
to deal stunning blows among the great apes of
the Amazon. Ape after ape went down before
the boy, as he moved step by step toward the
camp. Whenever the hen rifle came down it
either crushed a face or bro e a limb, and the
owner thereof was hurled back to add his yells
of rage and pain to the discord already reign-
in in the forest.

grep by I have said, Jack went camp-
ward' but no all the time. Now and then he
was obliged to retreat, being pressed hard by
the gro ne enemy, but anon he regained the

lost groun . s

The dead and d g strewed the ground on
all sides: but it d not deter the apes in the
least. When driven back they pressed forward
again, determinedto avenge the wounding of
their brother. But human endurance cannot
last always. By d our hero‘s arms weak-
ened; he felt himsel near the end of resistance,
and at last, with but feeble strugglin on his
part, the'hldeous animals, in one gran charge,
overthrew him.

Poor Jacki

f‘llercyl help!” he shouted, as he went back
withtbe foremost of the a swarming over
him. “ Am I to die;thusf (lei—Nicholas!
where are you?”

He was answered, for the next moment a
sound not unlike the screams of the panther rent
the forest and a ayish animal, larger than a
Newfoundland 0g, springing through the
wood, leaped among the apis pack.

It was then a combat between beast and
beast. The puma, for puma the animal was,
laid on right and left With his powerful awe,
and when two persons came up with revo vars,
ithe last ape was in flight.

It was a deliverance as timely as unexpected,
and when Elgardo raised the insensible boy, he
looked up at anxious Nicholas and said:

“Thelittlesenor did not kill his first mon-
icy. "If he had we would not have found him

ere.

The guide’s words proved that he knew the
man-monkey well.

Elgardo made a stout litter from the abun-
dant material at his command, and venture-
some Jack was borne to the camp. An 313mm-
ation showed that the grass—hunters had re-
turned in the nick of time, for Jack was badly
wounded. The Peruvxan lad made an excellent
salve from the roots of several plants that he
found along the banks of the ingarape, and ap-
plied it to Jack‘s wounds; but it Was several
weeks before he was able to ove about the
camp.

During that time Elgardo declared war on the
man—monkeys, and by artful traps and poisoned
arrows slew a great many.

CHAPTER XI.
run run or A CAYMAN.
DURING the days of his forced confinement to
camp, Jack was naturally restless and fretful,
Ins-at times be was the only occupant of the

 

 

place, Nick and Elgardo being abroad in the
forest, or coastin the shores of the ingarape.

They always ad something wonderful to
show the convalescent on their return, new the
curious leaf of the species of palm, and now,
again, a beautiful bird or butterfly.

The valley of the Amazon is the paradise of
butterflies; nowhere else in the world do these
insects attain such perfection and beauty.
There is the slender morpho, whose metallic
blue wings, seven inches in expanse, flap like
the pinions of a bird as it floats along; then
the morpho rhetenor, which seems to 3 con-
scious of its indescribable loveliness, for it
lingers in the sunlight, and keeps constantly
un olded the wings, which are so dazzling that
the may be seen a half a mile oif.'

pecimens of these winged fairies, with a
large chalcoteryx, whose gigantic wingsflit-
tered with a profusion of Violet and gel , ack
received from Nick upon the occasion of the
latter’s return from a trip into the forest.

“You have been collectin the wealth and
beaut of the Amazonian va ley while I have
stretc ed my limbs on these big palm-leaves
and done nothin but fall asleep making blow—
pipes,” exclaime Jack. “I think Dr. Elgardo
might dismiss his patient, for I em strong again,
an I want to be about.”

“You have no desire to try another monkey
hunt I snipposel” said Nick, smiling.

“1’ she not shrink from one at any rate,”
was the reply. “The mischievous creatures
seem to rejoice over the wounds they inflicted
on me, for this morning I heard a devilish chat-
tering in the tree over my head. Of course I
looked up and beheld two chemeck monkeys
that were actually laughing at my condition.
I reached for my gun, but by the time I had it
ready for them, they whisked out of si ht, and
I didn’t get to spoil their faces with a c arge of
number three.”

At this moment Elgardo came up. and Jack
astonished him by rising without difficulty.

“See here, doctor " he said playfully to the
young Peruvian, “f want youto dismiss your
patient. There’s no use in m incumbering the
ground when I can tramp t rough the forest
and chase the wonderful butterflies you and
Nick have discovered. I want to do something;
above all things, I do not want to lie here
another hour.”

Elgardo told Jack that he might consider
himself his own masters ain. Thanks to the
linimeiit which the native octor manufactured
from the medicinal herbs of the Valle ,Jack’s
wounds were completely healed, and " limbs
contained no soreness.

It was, therefore, with a great deal of pleasure
that he heard Elgnrdo give orders for a wild
fowl hunt in a smaller ingarape which was con-
nected by a sluggish stream with the larger
one.

The camp was left behind deserted when the
young hunters set out in the boat. Pave, the
puma, was taken along. The animal had ceased
to mourn for Albeso, and had taken up with
Finish, into whose eyes he almost constantly
00 e .

“ Pave will go mad one of these days, senors,"
whispered the young condor—hunter to his com-
panions, as a low whine issued from the puma’s
threat. “The volcano that unsettled Alboso’s
brain has hurt Pava’s head.”

“ Heaven forbid I” ejaculated Nick in-
stinctively shrinking from the beast. “ I, trust
we may lose Pava one of these times and that
ver soon. A mad puma in our midst is not
a easant thought."

' Elgsrdo watch him, senors,” was the reply.
“El ypuma no go mad without Elgardo see
him.’

The boys felt relieved by this assurance; but
they continued to watch Alboso’s tand not
the beautiful scenery that surroun ed them as
they primed along. They were gliding without
the slightest noise through the waters of the
main ingara 9.

They coul not see the sky overhead for the
myrinds of sipos, or wild vines which covered
them like the silken covering of a vast palan—
quin. Everywhere they behold the fava With
its colossal pods, and scores of fan-palms half
concealed by creepers lined the banks of the
inland lake.

All at once the boat entered a channel so
narrow that El ardo could have touched the
vegetation on eit er hand with an oar. Numer-
ous butterflies rose from the rich bignonia
blossoms that lined the banks of the channel,
and from the light green sedgy grass that grew
to the water’s edge flew troops of the most
beautiful birds.

A few moments later the hunters emerged

 

from the channel into a small ingerape which
Elgardo said was the one selected for the scene
of the day’s sport. The Peruvmn boy laid on
his cars a minute afterward, and turned to his
companions with a smile.

Jack and Nick gazed at the sights before them
several minutes without speaking. They saw
water fowl and waders of all descriptions here
a long-teed jacana was thrusting his bill into
the muddy water at his feet, and yonder several
snow-while storks, stately and proud of their
plumage, were standing erect in the only bit of
sunshine that stole through the net-work of
creepers overhead.

There were ash~colored herons, ducks of most
beautiful lumage. and ciganas of twenty
families. hese latter were rcbed in groups
of twelve or more among t e branches that
overhung the water, and were improving the
time by devouring the rich berries that sur~
rounded them.

“What will the Americans shoot first?"
asked Elgardo who saw that the two boys
Ivivfere astonished at this great display of bird

6.

“ Bless me if I know, for my part,” answered
Nick. “I su pose the report of a gun will
dissi ate all tile brilliant scene, and nothing
will left to us save the game we may bag."

“ Senor Nick try,” replied the Peruvian, with
a 51K glance at Jack, who was cocking his gun
wh I? ekept his eyes fastened on the three
stor 5

“That I will! I will pepper those bronze
ducks yonder. Are they kettle fowl, Elgardo?"

“Si, senor,” was the reply, as Nick’s gun
awoke the thousand and one echoes of the in-
garape, and two ducks drop (1 dead on the
water while the rest of the ock rose with a
peculiar sucking and flew away.

Just as ick had supposed, the tableau they
had just looked upon was broken by the shot,
for every bird, save the two bronze ducks.
started into active life, and the in arape seemed
alive with fowl of every kind. T e storks also
started up and were leavin the ground when
Jack emptied an Ely cartridge into their midst,
and brou ht one lumbering down again. The
frighten herons flew everywhere, uttering
their mournnt cries, and the ciganas hastily
abandoned the feast of berries and escaped
through an opening in the slpos overhead

It was a moment of exeitement and con-
fusion. ,

_A5 a flock of jaw circled over the boat,
Nick discharged his second barrel and brought
down one which fell on the puma’s head, caus~
ing him to pounce upon it and tear it piece-
meal before the {can Nimrod could rescue it
for its beautiful recs feathers.

“ I don’t thank £011 for that, Pavel" he said
to the animal as othrew away the torn bird
in disgust. “The next time, sir, you will let
my game alone or we will part com ny.”

As if conscious of the rebuke a ministered,
the puma turned away, and began to gaze into
the water from the bow of the cance.

“Ai Jmi !” suddenly exclaimed Elgardo.
“ Look yonder, senors!"

As the Peruvian boy uttered these exclama—
tions, he inted with much excitement over
the left si e of the boat.

The boys looked, of course, but saw nothing
save a number of motionless objects, which ap-
peared to be the tops of lo lyin in the water.

“Alligators!” they exc aim at the same
moment, for they knew that the “logs " were
not there a few moments before.

“Jacare-mssu.’” responded Elgardo, speak-
ing the native name of the largest cayman to be
found in the lagoons of the Amazon. “ Vea,
senors! (see senors) the water is full of them!
What does ava see?"

At that moment a low, mad growl fell from
the puma’s mouth, and with flashing eyeballs
he sprung back, as if he had seen an enemy in
the water under the canoe.

“ Jaca're-nassu may be under usl” ejaculated
Elgardo, springing to the how. “If he comes
up— Quick, senors!—we—”

The condor-hunter was not permitted to
finish his sentence, for the canoe was lifted sud-
denl from the water by ihe tail of an alligator,
and be three boys were in mid-air.

The puma had caught a glimpse of the gigan-
tic saurian as it glided under the boat, but his
warning had been uttered too late for Elgardo
to counteract the destruction intended. ’

An instant after the crash the light boat and
its occupants fell back into the water just as the
head and back of the worker of the mischief re—
appeared on the surface.

“Mere l we shall be devoured alive !" g d
Nick, w o fell alongside the hideous rep ile,

 

“out”, .. A.

10

The Condor Killers.

 

while Jack, who had descended with the boat,
was, striving to right it. ‘ , ,

“ Courage, senoi‘sl” cried Elgar-do. “ Jacara-
msssu cannot turn his head wi bout twisting his
bod . Elgar-do willflx him." ‘

l‘ghat was Nick’svsurprise when he saw the

Peruvian spring agilely from the water upon
the cayman’s neck?
A 10% knife glitter-ad in the boy’s hand, and
while ck gazed spell-bound at Elgardo, he
struck ‘with all his might at one of the alli-
gator’s eyes.

The next moment the monstrous bod of the
ingare ogre was lifted almost entire from
the we r, and ustream of blood flows from
the eye. '

Elgardo clung to the rough saddle of ‘his own
choosing, and again drove his long blade into
the bloody socket. As the alligator fell back
into the 'water, the others disappeared, and the
Peruvian regained the canoe which Nicholas,
with Jack’s aid, bad righted.

After awhile the carcass of the cayman reap—
peared on the surface of the water, and Elgar-
do gazad proudly upon it as it lay motionless
near the canoe. ,

“Hereafter I will confine my bird shootin to
the forest,” said Jack, taming from the sig t.
“ Through the eye to the brain, Elgardo. That
is the stroke for alligators, I believe?"

“Si,senor," was the Peruvian‘s reply as he
bowed. “ Knife break on jacare-nassu’s skin.
The eye is the only way by which the hunter’s
knife can reach his brain.”

Elgurdo’s presence of mind and courage had
saved the lives of all, for the ssurian, if he had
not been attacked at once, might have put an
end to the exploits of the three in the‘Vulley of
the Amazon. V ,

CHATTER XII.

, ELGARDO Carcass amass men.

WHEN the'bo scame to collect their game
after their ad ture with the alligator, neither
the‘ Jack's nor the stork could be_i'ound.

’ rdo, smiled at the boys’ surprise and in
answer 'hgifr inquifgg‘si 1gold téiem that the
on an , ,, 9 cm own.

whatis vghat Eu
pe ‘ “of o , 61‘s with an assurance t calls tor
{1.0% ailment,” .remarked_,Jack, ',“I do
not sh  for‘alligatlm; put I suppose we
will-ha‘vé‘to ‘ it tombs robbery." “

Nick lapghed. , 1 .,  . .

“mhmrt‘té itf‘I' do notsee new“ we". c‘an do
oggwgg, t1111;, sage Our trt this locall-
i “ e, or an, or ',rt,
have no desire‘to re;de here longed? t an we
can‘he doing. Another calyman may try the
strengt, of his tail on our oat,,and the next

time 1;: v, tta sowell.

 p  {:3 objection when Nick
and ' V  a departure ffozd.$h:ll$t13
ingarape,  he boat swiftly out the sluggish
water aud‘soon left it behind. ‘ , ,

The trial had succeeded in recovering the guns,
which dried ckl and were reloaded, an , as
they swept rou the channel between the
two bodies of. water, they were on the look-out
for game at any kind. , I _,

Pave. the puma stood in the bow of the boat
with. he waxed oaths water as it be oz-

to V soothe alligator; but the backs
of none rewapded

_ watchfulness, and the
lager-ape was soon gained

‘ wonder‘if the caymen inhabit this placer’,

asked Jack glancing at the Peruvian. .

“El rdo, never saw them here, senor,” was
the 18v; “Watertoode ,tor awn-mum
here. 9 likes to be where here much mud
for him to bury his Ty bod in."

“Thisihgsrapeis ee , than?”

223?“!3‘ condor-kl or did not reply, but
an ed a rope that he carried at his girdle.
Teens and o the cord be next attached his
bolas and dro them into the water. Down
—dow went t elius until to the boy’s amaze-
ment o’s hand touched the water.

“Senor: seal" he exclaimed looking up into
their faces. “Elgar-do cannot let line down
any further. Ingagglpe very deep.”

Betas-ea reply c d be made the Peruvian
was carried forward so suddenl that Jack
seized him out in time to prevent im from be-
ing drsgge overheard.

‘Hol hol senors, fish swallow Elgar-dds
bolasl” exclaimed the Peruvian braskin into a
boisterouala h which caused a troop pam-
ms overhead to stop chatto
“Hobbs We can pull himu l” And Elga’
Begin to haulggs line bamf‘over, hag! 

ac V stood r _ m ags a e
a mag! Wigner! owl! him

our man“ ore."

call appropris ithe. pro,
3

 

It was evident that the bolas had been gulped
down by some enormous water monster of the
ingarape for Elgardo’s task was not child’s
play a though he possessed the muscle of a
youn athlete.

Nic finally rung to his assistance and the
puma hung his end over the side of the boat
and watched the proceedings with an almost
human interest.

In answer to an inquiry from Jack, Elgardo,
while he tugged at the line, said that the bolas
had probably got twisted in the maw of the
fish, else they would have pulled out.

The line came slowly from the depths of the
pool, and the boy’s curiosit could hardly be
restrained. All were eager 0 see what kind of
fish would appear. .

Nick declared that the holes had captured a
hungry manatee while Jack was as certain that
a piranha had been booked. But all this was of
course more conjecture for the Amazon and its
adjacent waters abound in thousands of species
of fish many of which the human eye has
never seen.

We need not say that Jack and his chum held
their breath as a terrible commotion in the wa—
ter told them that Elgardo‘s prize would soon
appear above the surface.

“ He’s a monster!" exclaimed Jack. “ My only
fear is that the holes will slip out, and that we
{hale lose him before we can get him into the

on . ,

“Bolas no slip-now, senors. They hold till
we get the big fellow from the water."

. E gardo’s, words were reassuring, and the
boys pulled own with renewed coura 9.

“There 11 is I’ suddenly cried the merican
boys, as a uge reddish head appeared above
the water and a mouth large enough to receive
a bootgwas displa ed. ‘

“ Anattol” exc aimed Elgardo, overjbyed as
he letdgo a sigh of relief. “ Elgurdo. was afraid
he he can ht a brmto, but anatto is good to eat
if he is re as a marmoset.”

Despite the desperate struggles of the fish, it
Eves pulled fromthe water and landed in the

cat. ., v ,
, “He is clad in mail 1" ejaculated Nick who
could, not but admire the great red scales of
their prize, which covered his body like «armor,
“ He is a thirty-pounder at least, Elgurdo.
Bolas are good tor something elsebesidee catch-

» in condors and vicun s.”

e Peruvian smile as he ran his hand over

‘the side of the fish which he calledthe anatto. .

He proceeded toe lain, that this species or»,
fish is often eight est in ion thwhen, fully
gownand more,thq.n,flve loot u girthmfl‘he

mazonian Indians call it, piramcu, which
means ".redfiab." This name-isin :to it an
aggount. of itsoolor, which isthat o abright
r

The anatto caught-lay the bola was‘not a
very large fish, alt oughitwould have weighed
13mm of twsnt pounds. The strange teature

the whole a, venture was the manner in
which the prize had been taken. Never before.
Egbaps, had a fish been captured with the
m , . , , .

r Elgardo’s knife sought to solve  mystery ts
the anatto was cut open, and it was disco?

that he had actually swallowed the three bolls.
doubtless while they were, hanging side by side
for: moment amen the depths of the in rape.
A pull by Elgardo ad separated the lls in
the fish’s mow, and in some inexplainab e man-
ner they had stubboml refused to come out.

“What fish we co d catch it we had our
books here,” said Nick.

“ We have them,” was J ack'a reply.

“ Where are they l"

“0! course I do not meanthat we have all
of them with butif I am not mistaken we
have enough to y our luck in fishing.”

As he nisbed, Jack drew from an inner
pocket of his picket a piece of tanned llama—
skin. in which was rolled three large hooks.

“ You must have expected to have found
whales in this region i” cried Nick, bursting into
a fit of lauglhtcr at 91 ht ot the hooks.

“Justho d your as. From the size of the
anetto yonder, my hooks which look so enor-
mous in your eyes are none too large,” retortod
Jack, sharply. “ Here, Elgardo: cut our bolas
loose and eaten these books to your no.”

This the Peruvian boy 9proceeded to do at
once. He did not leu h the size of Jack’s
hooks, which were six aches in ion ti: and very
strong, but d them to the with the
dexterit of an 01 fisher. He next baited them
with a p of the pérurucu's tall and lowered

th‘e‘niilnto the watery,”id m ado
r. _ er. yr- / ,  ntly as
his hoogghsunk‘ ‘ goth the sur ace. '

 

Elgardo, who leaned over the gnnwale of the
boat, did not have to wait Ion tor a bite.

The line was not more .than C out when it
receiVed a violent jerk, and the young Peruvian
uttered a cry of joy. -

“You have himl Pull away, Rigel-do!"

The condor-killer be an to haul on the line,
which was taut as if he d down by some strong
flower on the bottom of the ingarape. Bat

and over hand he soon began to etch the line,
which proved that a fish smaller than the anatto
first caught had taken the bait. .

“No piramu this time, Americanos,” said
Elgardo. “ Him no pull like one, anyhow.”

“A diodon, me. be!” exclaimed Jack. “If it
is one, and bands with black, recollect that I
lay claim to it.” ‘

A minute later a fish leaped from the water
like a ball and hung suspended from the end of
Elgardo’s line.

A cry of min led fear and horror burst trom
the Peruvian’s t rout.

“El bontol el bonto I” run out shrill and
clear over the forest~girdled eke and almost
before the two Americans could catch a glim
of the second prize, El ardo had severed he
line with his knife and e bonto had fallen back
into the water!

“There go my hooks!" cried Jack. “In the
name of Heaven, Elgardo, what do on mean!”

The Peruvian was the statue of ght. His
face had suddenly changed from a swarthiness
to a deathly pallor, and his eyes Seemed ready
to burst from their sockets. . ‘ ‘

“El bonto is a woman and must not be
killed,” he said after Jack had pressed his ex—
citable question a in and again. ‘

“ A woman?” on oed the boys, who forgot the
superstitious nature of the natives of Beuth
America. “Why, Elgar-do, you mustbe losing
your senses.” ' ’ "' r »

“El Americanos think so mebhc, buts! bonto
must not be killed. Elgardo would sooner lose
his right hand. than kill-one.”- ' " ‘

Pressed for an explanation, the Peruvian pro-
ceeded to relate a quaint? Ammonia!) legend
concerning cl btmto which am’h sub“
stance, to this: Abonto once wassz 
of assuming the shape :of 
whose hair hung to ier waist. She. 
from the water proceed 'ashoremand, by: her
wonderful loveliness, persuade oung men to
follow hertothe stream wheres ’ would gm
her victim around the waist and disappear
hifibenggthlthawéaves. * : e  I

gar a egen was atigdilvfl W
by tho'Americaa ;' wen  can
themsrratu,   hi , 
The film, also informed flmrfiiit the M
of cl bonto made excellent oil for lam , but act.
dad that total blindness would re 50mm

Jack d not much t the median hooks
since t or accident .i-ha made him; “anointed
with the legend of the bonto. ' l :5   *

Having told he stai'y‘, El moire ears
and» rowed rapidly teen spot as if he ex~
pected the fish to assume its destructive shape
andnrag him to doom. , ' ‘ I

When the camp'was 
sport a portion of the anatto wow and
pronounced splendid bythofmi‘ '3 > n 

_It is the staple food atoll (shamanism Wel-
Amazon and. whensaltsd beluga numbers as
it annua ly is, it serves aim, term; a meal
during the whole year; .7 ' *

The hon-to also is good eating, but only the
hardy whim adventurers who hold native
legends in no r¥ud have the hudibood to
c theflshfoe cod. . r '

lgardo, notwithstanding his education, was
summons like all his people.  " ' , '

CHAPTEB‘XIII. '
JACK an) m JAGUAR.

Nor tar Irom thespot when meander-kill-
ers had pitched then- tent was one of these
wonderful suspension brakes which abound in
Migrant-portions of South America.

Although the himters had not met any inhab-
itants of be district, they knewitisat‘ , the bridge
was uently med, “examination had tod
them. it was camped of wemghflbers of
the mague plant, a. species of color whose tee
nacity strength can not beequoled by any
product of the tropics. The snowy. cables of the

ridge were secured to stout trees on both sides
of the stream which was about five hundred
feet wide and one of the many tributaries of the
Amazon. The floor of this wouMul native
bridge wall term of well twisted

:

to several. binocula-
teach-a throng taminth 

It was, as lgardd had informedtho boys. one

 

 

The Condor mum.

11

 

 

oi the most pretentious structures or the kind in
the Amazon valley. , a

The beautiful stars of a tropical sky were
shinin with all their brilliance on the night
after he fishing adventure in the‘ fining-ape,
when Jack found himself at the aerial ridge.

He was alone. ,. _

“I am not so sure about this bridge,” he said,
audibly, to himself,‘as be ventured to put one
foot on the maguey flooring. “It can be
crossed, and Inn hex-e for that purpose. I may
be risking my life for a flower, but it is nothlng
more than hundreds have done before me.”

Duriu the day just passed, Jack had discov-
ered on he bank of the stream. and but a short
distance from the bridge, a large and elegant
plant, whichcontained exactly twenty blood-
red buds, each as law 0 as his fist. The flOWers,
El rdo told him, boomed only in the night,
engathen only between sunset and midnight.

This information did not surprise Jack, for
he knew that the forests of the Amazon are
full of botanical curiosities; but be instantly
resolved to visit the spot at the proper tune,
and secure a. specimen of, the wonderful night-
bloomer.

Having marked the spot well, he was sure of
finding it it he could cross the bridge and reach
in safety the opposite side of the stream. Jack
was alone, because he had left Nick and E!-
gardo fast asleep in camp. He had intended to
cross the. stream in a boat; but the Peruvian
boy had.ooolly"“appropriated the light water-
craft for»; pillow, thus entirely spoiling his
plansin that direction. _

Not knowing what kind of night proWlers 'he
might encounter, Jack had armed himself With
gun, revolvers, 'and knife. - The ,tormcr be
swung by a strap uponjhis back ache halted at

  

wifmge' V 1 " in ma ht asfaras
e.  .e as s - _
“2.2.333; ’7 in?”  Wild 
 ,, one,
an ‘ 0‘  thgjgarther endlvof the

 U 

 f“ L  bdn‘éflowei‘hunter
Iohfieahffi- lfi’ia snagging? * fearleSsly
8»,

 
 

        
 

  

WW 3 - . . . «.3. lmlefis/hé
fi‘daVKn L,"§#t.liéf T' [of fill?!" infkeeping
 ‘  meat-edition)“ e, however
the as, ' , out I pier incensed?
uutil a s    hi‘fiflf by.
gtgopinomdaxiash 11mg! arena the 99-
..s.  _:    I, 2 
,I-Ieconld dim ’ 'se"‘tlie weter‘almost one
livqu  ‘ '  fa ,feiwstars werereflecied
ta ta, " hummus 1 wereblotted. out by:
 _A:vail of darkness

t ro‘wn‘ duress the river.

I y , ,, é‘ A4 i
fifiwgfiis ‘
W3 ,  aimed for," Jack
, , , ,_  ,“A native
’ sat-fig  oscillation;

 ‘5va
I _  {beagensl :J‘behéve'
have e'en' allowed ‘ V  ‘ ‘ ‘

The  gum-dst {brood from Jack's lips
by’anéw  nwhlc‘hhadewly been tar
parted to e‘b‘rld’ge. " ' ' ‘ ‘r

 oment, it had almost ceased tons-
cnla {811511, ‘wuatwork again, and that
whilehehod’notmovsd’; he movement came
tropi’triyard the bank he had just left; and
Jackass , forcedfihlms’elf’to‘b‘eliev’e that's
” _ r',‘ ' __h‘fi0k9d,hinrt” on lithe forest!
p0: w", , a’d who then ht fomrloine in Jaffis

‘ . f realized' t e angero, s
fitm%§‘  ' lithe brid e eweying to and
froheneetbf lei-e treagd of some animal.

If it woodman, Heaven hel him!

As the unseen danger approac ed, Jack
loosened WW3». feammmd toward the
storage gal ustle ' an 

‘ ,5 .11 , 'Wer- ua herald smill'n

imly to blame . “lib theghonmry: I am t3
a the ucked omit the plausiot the Amazon
cat wor out to his  But he shall
not find me a coward-Amt while I can handle
enact the weapoasloarry." _ ' ‘ _

Nearer and nearer earns the animal, which
Jack doubted not (was a y_ 

, grunge menarche t eAmamnlnn Valley
w‘ , ’at times track a human being through the
for at d , age him in deadly conflict. Jack

e *k éw-this, for Elgardo bad related roan
stories ,9 the jaguar’s stealth and rel-0c;
atoll, ‘ compare. Allod these narratives
came" luE‘Fo’ver the boy‘s mind as be felt the
suspension _ ldge oscillating before the. ep—
proachln “  '

  
  
  

slow  , eve-—

 

m : ,
At 12:35 ‘J’ddlt’s eyes; new accustomed to the.

“£1119 are“? e ,h . law a body cmwhnisbelth’ . -
ll ‘31 ‘ ,. flop’ri’ ‘ , which bell

sezmglbfio’ cg ' ‘le "don new 7%
the tracker was a jaguar: ‘ ’ ‘

 

Alone in the center of a suspension bridge one
hundred feet above ‘a stream of unknown
depth, and after night at that, it is needless to
sav that the boy realized his peril. ,

The bridge boasted of no side railing. If it
ever had one, it had long since disappeared. ,

J ack at first thought of making a. break for
the bank toward w ich he had first started:
but second thought made him grind his teeth,
and resolve to fight it out with the jaguar; V

“Come on I” he exclaimed, as the animal
stopped some feet away and showed his fiery
eyeballs and uttered a low growl. “I am as
eager as yourself to have this matter out as soon
as possible; so don’t delay the combat on my
account.”

These were brave words for a boy, but there
was not a bit of fear in Jack Morton’s heart.

The jaguar now moved forward by degrees.
He scarcely advanced at all, as far as Jack
could note the actual movement; yet he surely
approached, as the distance between them less-
ened each moment.

“I’ll have to open the ball; I see that plain-
ly,” Jack muttered, raising one of his revol-
vers. “He must not be permitted to get a
spring in on me."

Not more than ten feet away the jaguar had
halted for one of those terrible leaps for which
he is famous. Jack could now see his huge
body, covered as it was with the beautiful
stripes and variegated spots that render the
jaguar so lovely in every thing save disposition.

“Heaven send this bullet home!” fervently
ejaculated the condor-hunter, as be pressed the
tri get of the revolver.

loud relport rung out on the night air, and
the jaguar ea d up with a piercing cry.

Jack utters an exclamation of trium “h; but
before it, ended, the telling beast alig ted on
the bridge again and so near the astounded
llioydthat he could have touched him with'his

an . ,
I Jack instinctively shrunk back: battle a self-
rebnke was almost instantly administered,,be
thrust- the cooked revolvsr again into the jug
uafi’esftace.‘ ; Mm v h t .h , ,.
1 yore 4 con preset e, ri gar, owever a
blow (rogethegaguar’s paw a most broke his
wrist,_,and sent heundischar ed_.weapon_yvhirl-
1,11% downward to the stream slow! _ ,
,‘Ybu want to disarmme. eh?” grated the
 as he clutched One of. the magney ropes
tig targihanuever with‘his left hand, while With
his ‘ri ht heudeilantly drew his belt knife.
“This svtoybe a duel to the deathfl’ see. Come
on. and let us get at it!” >- ., / V
_ As if possessed othuman understanding, the
Jaguar answeredwith a challengingcry, and
sprung up at the boy. ' I _ V -
I Jack-had braced himself not a momenttoo'
soon, and as the huge form of the brute seemed
aboutJn  him, he struck with,,the knife
Withall hismight. _ . '5 V

Antwan basalt tbehemblade. . , into her
neath the agua'r’s skin he was J _ own back-
ward and, mustang: the logo, Hedid not
relinquish his grip on the, nife, however; but
had Withdrawn- it from thetwound he had in-
tich and, despite his peri he gave the ani-
mal another blow, which m a bias spring back
withahowlofpain._ . ,r -; ’

Joe to hfiitllimijrog, now {imindhimselt on the
ver ,9 co e r1 ,an ewas secunn a
bettir‘go‘sitlon—bruc ng himself sin—Whgen
the jaguar, with a warning cry, which he usu—
ally gives, sprung at him again. This time the
boy’s knife came in contact with a bone, which
rendered the blow useless, and the next instant
thgedheastcmshed him as lrhe had been a
w ’ . '

Despite the courage with which he had fought
up to that moment, a cry of horror rose from
the boy’alips, and the next minute he felt the
bridge beneath him and the jaguar give way.

At the same time the ja teltthe new
gem, and as Jack tried to extricate himself

tom the gullthat was opening for him between
the mgsuey flooring, the jaguar left. him for a
secon .

“Now give meua cha‘noefi’ muttered Jack, as
he drew imaelt from the mid—air charm, and
flung the broken knife into the river below.

He again drew a revolver, and fired point-
blank into the face of the snarling monster just
as it lelt its position to resume the offensive.

ain the huge body or the  fell upon
the y, but this time without a grow], and,
crash! parted the msguey ginger-es cables,
and! the two combatants!“ ,ough the open-

m pietrfhgg séirlek fnng gag: Jack’s thciioat.
wi, he, separation __ e‘ ’r e on
with both bands to the cords ovzprileai'. 50mg

 

ten-Me weight seemed to drag him downward;
a. bag of iron was surely hangin from his feet.

Jack looked down and saw t e body oi! the
jaguar baa ' g in midmir, but with one setoi
claws ’ in his unyielding belt.

“I may kick him loose,” thought the boy as
he assayed toshake the animal from him; but
this was a task which he could not accom lish,
for his belt was as stout. as the claws, the.
ja uar was dead! v

ack was now in more danger than he had
been durinithe terrible combat on the bridge.

The weig tot the jaguar would surely drag'
him down to the stream. whose glistening
waters he could again see. They looked further
awn than ever before, and a cold shudder
crepgto poor Jack’s heart when he thought of a
descent to them in company with a jaguar!

“Help! he! ! Nicki—Elgardol” the horror of
his situation orced from his lips.

Forgotten were the blood-red buds of the
strange night plants. Jack did not even recall
them for the urpose of cursing the quest
which had got him into such awful peril.

Suddenly, as if in answer to his cries for help,
the bridge above began to oscillate under the
tread of some creature.

“ Quick! quick!” shouted the boy. “I am in
the center r t the bridge, Elgardo! You cannot.
reach me a second too soon.”

Jack felt his strength going fast.

If he held on much longer the maguey cords:
would give way and precipitate him downward.
At any rate, a descent to the dark flowing river
was inevitable unless he! came. I

More and more swayed) the bridge.

Jack held hisbreath asassistanoe ap roaehed.

He no longer attempted to kick t e jaguar
loose, {or fear of separating himself from the:
objects to which be along. . 4

Ah! at'last the rson on the bridges/as di—
rectly over him; at why did he not utter a
reassuring 'word?

_With eves full of hope Jack looked up.

What did he see? . n.

Instead of. Elgardols face; he saw the great ,

headof ,noth‘erwildbeast.  L

“A110 er- ,\ Misfireat Heaven! I am to
perish without elp!”   .4» . 

A low growl was the reply, and the next
moment Jack opened his hands and $10th-
wardwlththe speed of a descending bomb  .
‘.There seede but little hope. for.
Jaguar-fighter. ,_ ,  . a-

 

CHAPTER XIV.  '2;
FOUND A! ‘LAflTr-THE mm or, $1st
warcnnn. _ o . >
Wrra .a  mahJaek and the jaguar
struok the water.  , , .
They both were cerriedafor  BI!»
face .the force of the full; but a emulate
later kappeamd abovaiu , nettle
breath, and freed of hisstriped adversary. : -
The large and yielding body or vibe 
had broken Jack’s fall,.and reserved has iiie
and thefa‘llhadse _ ted em: {crushed
not, the boy won , have been‘drownsdrm a
short time. d , ,3 r  . a , ~
I The tall palms that rose on one bank in their
majestic beauty at once attracted. Jack’scyee,
and he struck out boldlytoward than.» '33
felt like anew  be found himselfi
rid of the cumbering weight“ the-jaguar, and
in themidst ct. “$3012,  that he was an-
tirIeIly unsung...  <  ~  , . ‘
ewasms in g progresstowa them
when he suddwa became attackedby what at;
poured an corny, 0t nyerrets, although the at-
tack was entirely  the surface and from
on side. Sharp teeth  tremors,
and it his   almost More hegcould
guess the identity of his new enemy, his hands
were se upon and batten without mercy.
“They are notrate, but fish!”~ exclaimed
Jack, as be elevated one of his hands above the
surface and saw a number of fish clinging to it
by their teeth. “I am attacked by the vora~
clous tripe-eaters! Elgardo fold In» yesterday
that the streams inthese pert! uninfected by
them. They shall not make a meal on me,
“Keven” fthsbi lo]: 1: ‘ mm
spite o , tee wk. 9 was
uncaring, Jack kept on toward the sherrfi it“
e can or ‘n'ipeeoter is t
cannibal of e streams that  y

y,!'  w or
steal. it i‘; asserted. can Withheld, and is.
Right 01 any  W finders him me.

I, layman!!th , .10.
l a well-organized army. air

:4

I.
l

    

12

The Condor Killers.

 

 

teeth penetrate everything, and they will cling
with remarkable tenacity to the flesh of their
wictim.

Woe to the naked native who bathes in a
stream infested by these water cannibals, for
they will attack and devour one another.

An army of caribes had fallen upon unfortu-
‘nate Jack Morton, and were plying their teeth
with their usual ferocity.

The bites almost made the boy shriek with
pain, but he gritted his teeth and kept on,
thankful that the little caribes and not the
“gymnotus or electric eel had attacked him.

An ejaculation of joy fell from his lips as he
drew himself from the water and sunk com—
A letely exhausted upon the soft creeper—covered

ank of the stream. A majority of the caribes
dropped off as he left the water, but more than
a score clung to him; these he madly tore loose
and flung a inst the trees with force sufficient
to deprive t em of life.

“ What kind of foes am I to meet next, I
wonder?” said Jack. “When I was expectin
to see Elgardo or Nick, I looked in to the face 0
another ja ar. Rather than fight a second,
incumber as i was, I chose a descent to the
water in which I was successful beyond my
brightest expectations. I am without a weapon
of defense excepting my arms, and they are
well scarred by the caribes’ teeth. The sipos
wilil hglp .me to climb up to the ground above,
an —

Jack paused and listened.

Something seemed to be coming down from
overhead, hand over-hand like a monkey.

The boy looked up, but saw nothing, a though
tthe noise still assailed his ears.

“ What if it is another jaguar?" went through
his mind like a Monschi arrow. “ Heaven keep
the terrible beast far from me. I’ve had quite
enough of el 'uguar for a lifetime.”

As Jack uished, his wandering hand fell
upon a stout stick, which be instantly grasped
and got upon his feet.

A moment afterward he smiled — almost
(laughed outright-it the sight presented to his
guns. The head of a little old man seemed be-
d‘ore him. but Jack knew at once that he was
face to face with a cuxio monke , one of the
most remarkable animals of the razilian for-
costs.

'The cuxio always looks as if he had just come
from the shop 0 a for or hair-dresser.
His long black board has been carefully dressed
and his peaked head is covered with hair parted
carefully in the middle. He has the ap anoe
mo far as his face is concerned. of a ittle old

‘ Jman whose snappish little eyes dance with inno-
cent morriment.

Jack almost dropped his club with an excla-
mation of disgust when he saw the creature
that had alarmed him.

“ One cuxio isn’t to be feared, neither is one
carihe," remarked Jack; “ but I wouldn’t want
to trust my precious body in the clutches of
more than a score.”

The monkey had not seen Jack, who stood in
the shadow of a giant nasal palm, for he was
amusing himself on a bough much after the
manner of an acrobat on a. horizontal bar.
Now he would twist his tail around the bogfih
and whirl overso fast that Jack could ha y
see him, and now a 'n he would balance him-
self on one foot while he stroked his beard and
chettered with delight.

While these antics amused Jack. he could not
forget his situation; still he did not venture to
disturb the little cuxio.

All at once the monkey shot up the sipos and
disappeared in the twinkling of an eye, and
without any previous warning.

“ Somethin ’3 coming!” said Jack. “ My
aeropat woul not go 03 like a shot for noth-
1mg.

Sure enough, there was the sound of a crash
from above, and then a voice was heard:

“ Hold fast to the sipos, senor! We will find
el Amricano by and by l”

A joyful cry arose from Jack’s throat; El—
gardo had spoken!

“Here I am, boys—directly below youl”he

cried.

“ Thank fortune,” replied Nick. who, althou h
zunseen, was coming down from above as rapid y
as possible. “ Look out for Pava, Jack. The
puma is mad. He reached the bridge in ad-
vance of us, and—" -

“Then my drop into the water was a lucky
.one,” interrupted Jack, who new believed that
,he had escaped from the jaws of the mad puma.

A few moments later the little band was re-
united on the bank of the rivar, and Jack gave
a narrative of his excitin adventures.

Elgardo replied by say ng that as soon as he

 

(Jack) was missed from caml‘p, they had set out
to hunt him. Fortunatel ick had noticed his
interest in the blood-re buds, and believing
that he would attempt to cross the swinging
bridge for the purpose of securing the flowers,
the pair had proceeded in the right direction.

They had not traveled far before the puma
bounded in advance of them. and hastened to—
ward the bridge. The animal was at once rcc-
o ized as Pava, oor Alboso’s pet. The report
0 Jack’s pistol ad further alarmed and di-
rected his would-be rescuers; but they had
resched the bridge too late to lend the proper
to .

Strange to say, J ack’s encounter with the
jaguar had left no bleeding wounds that needed
Elgardo’s care. The bites of ihe tripe-eaters
still pained him like the sting of bees; but the
Peruvian be found a lant at the water’s edge,
which he c ewed an placed on the wounds
with immediate effect.

“ Does Senor Jack really want one of the
night flowers?” asked Elgardo, looking into the
young adventurer’s face with a quaint smile.

“if I did not, Elgardo, I would not have
dared the peril I have just passed through,”
was the reply.

“ Night owers sacred, but we may find them
unwatched.”

“ Unwatchedf What do you mean?”

“ When the moon is not in the sky the sacred
men of the Purupurus watch the flower from
the time it opens until it shuts again. 'When
the moon shines it guards the flower, senor. "

“I want to see the flower more than ever
now 1” exclaimed Jack. “ Let us seek it at
once. It is not yet near midnight and we will
find the wonder in full bloom. The ones we
sawvley the river bank cannot be watched.”

“ ait and see, senor,” replied Elgardo
shaking his head. “The eyes of the sect
men of the Purupurus see all the night flowers.”

Aided by the ever-helpful sipos, the party as-
cended to the bank above, and once more ack
stepped upon the suspension bridge, from which
but a few minutes before he had taken a plunge
that seemed at the time to end in death.

He carefully stepped over the hole in the
maguey flooring, but not without a shudder,
and in a short time the other side of the stream
was gained. Not a sight cf the mad uma had
been obtained, and the boys were wis ing that
the beast had passed from their sight forever.

Elgardo led the way to the spot where the
sacred flowers had been seen, but he soon came
to a sudden bait and pointed ahead.

Jack and Nick ran forward and saw at a
glance that the sacred bushes had been trampled
under foot and crushed to the ground. A ter-
rible combat of some kind had lately taken
place there.

“ Pave been here, mehbe,” said Elgardo,
taming to the wonder-struck youths. “Him
come up and attack the sacred man, senors.”

This seemed to be a plausible solution of the
mystery, but a moment later a horrible discov~
ery was made.

A few feet from the sacred bush lay the
mangled body of a man, and the native trap“
pings that littered the ground told that the
slain person had been a man of some note
among the natives.

The battle between him and the wild beast
had been a dreadful one; but the latter had con-

uered, taking the watcher’s life and complewa
estgplying the sacred bush.

“ puma often steals u n the r flower
watcher and takes his ife,” ea d Elgardo.
“ What has Senor Jack discovered l”

“Nothing but a lace of one of the flowers.”

Jack had foun the portion of one of the
sacred flowers, and its beauty made him regret
that it had been mutilated byeghe ma’s claws.

When whole it must have n a most as lar
as his sombrero-like hat. Its leaves which a
knew were red, were thick and velvety, and
yielded to the fingers like a velvet carpet dose
to the foot.

Even as he held it in his hands the leaves be-
gan w shut, and while he looked they bid from
view the yellowish center of the bloom.

“Look!” cried Jack, holding the flower.to«
ward Elgardo. “The sacred flower has With—
ered in my hands.”

“No. no, senor! It has only gone to sleep,
for its time has come. It is midnight.”

Jack was going to express his wonder at the
strange proceedin , when a deafening crash in
the water made a l turn, and a piercing human
shriek rose upon the air.

“My God! some human being has fallen
ifihriugh the hole in the swinging bridge I" cried

1c .

50011. 9 Parable Went must have occurred. for

 

while the water was still moved there were
many voices far above the three.
The bridge was swarming with Indians!

 

CHAPTER XV.
an comannns—mcx HAS anvnmans.

“ THE Pumpurus are fools!" exclaimed El-
gardo, after listening a moment to the various
sounds. “Wh do they‘not leave the bridge?
If it breaks wityh them the will all be killed.”

The last word had scarce y left the Peruvian’s
lips when the maguey cables fastened on that
side of the river where the condor-killers were,
parted with a noise, vnd the bridge fdl downs
ward!

A moment later the waters were alive with
human beings who had fallen with the bridge.
All were struggling to reach the bank, and not
a few had been seized upon by the savage little
caribes, the fish that had already paid their na—
spects to Jack.

“Let us lend the poor creatures what assist—
ance we can,” exclaimed Nick, bounding toward
the bank.

Jack and Elgardo immediatel followed his
example, but the help they pro ered the Puru—
purus was not needed, for, With the exception
of a few, all reached the shore by their own
efforts. Scores of caribes clung to the lndians
until they were torn loose on the k, and
many of these were madly trampled under foot.

The unfortunate natives comprised a lar e
party 03 on a hunt. hey were various
armed, but their favorite weapon was the p —
heta. It consisted of a piece of wood with a
projection at one end, in which the base of an
arrow is secured. The arrow and the handle of
the palheta are held with one hand, and the
shaft, when loosened by adexterous cast, leaves
the thrower like a stone from a sling. The pal-
heta, which was a great curioszty toNick and
Jack, is an eflicient weapon in the hands of a
skilled huntsman, and in one day he kills much
game with it. Many of the company were
armed with the blow-pipe and the long-bow,
and some of their arrows had been dipped into
the deadly wourali poison.

The Pu are a savage nation, more
than half naked. and, as a rule, veritable
athletes; but they at once made up with the
condor-hunters, probably because they had of-
fered to help them from the river.

Jack in a whisper cautioned Elgar-do and
Nick on no account to mention the origin of the
hole in the swinging bridge. lZl‘he mangled
flower-watcher did not escape the Indians’ ey
and the poor priest, or sacred man, was burl
near where he had watched the sacred flowa'
for the last time.

The leader of the Indians persuaded the three
to accompany them on their hunt.

“Here we are, oinghfurther from the cam ,”
said Jack, when t ey ad proceeded some -
tance. “ What are we going to hunt! Do you
know, Elgardof"

“Not exactly, senor, but we find out when.
daylight comes,” was the unsatisfactory an<

swer.

Daylight found the hnnti part traveling
along the bank of a stream qnu‘ite un ke any the
youn Americans had at seen. The water
was a most on a level wi the top of the bank,
which was covered with a profusion of iant
bignonias, the beauty of whose expanded los-
soms pen cannot describe. Thousands of bees
hovered over the flowers. and the thoughts of
wild honey entered Jack’s head as he gazed.
He mentioned the matter to El rdo.

“ Bees make bitter honey,”said the Peruvian.
shakin his head, and he proceeded to inform
Jack t at the bees he saw were perfectl sting-
less, and were in the habit of extrac ng the
bitter and not the sweet, from the bi onias

As far as the eye could reach down t e bank
of the stream the rich flower—bed was visible.
Back of it rose a forest of palms and sipos, the
home of thousands of parrots and monkeys.

All at once there came from the woods aloud
cry of :

“Boat aho ! Boat ahoy, there l”
Instant] t e boys stopped and gamed blankly
at each at er. ,

It was unmistakably a. human voxce that had
spoken, yet they could see no one. .

“Boat ahoyl” was uttered again, and then
the voice of an angry river captain, ev1dently
scolding a lazy crew. was has

“I am mystified!” exclaimed Nick. “Look
at old ipos. the leader of the Indians. 15 he
not smi in , Jack?”

Before ack could reply. Quipos turned to the
mystified little group. There was a merry
twinkle in the cld fellow‘s eyea '

 

The Condor Killers.

 

‘13?

 

 

“Les Americana: think they heard English,
capitan, eh?” he said.

“Certainly. ‘Boat ahoy,’was plainl spoken;
but the voice came from the dense crest out
yonder.” answered Nick. “ Whatdoes it mean,
Quiposi"

“Along time ago at Inglce capitan lost his
parrot along the Amazon.”

“ Then it was a parrot we have just heard?”

“ Si, senor.” ,

“I would like to catch him."

“ Mebbe we can.”

The thought of catching a real talking par-
rot at large in the woods of the Amazon was
novel enough to excite the boy Nimrods, and
the hunting party, led by Quipos, glided into
the depths of the forest.

Numerous rrakeets looked down upon them
from their ofty perches among the tallest
palms, and here and there a pace and an agouti
were roused from cover. But no game was
molested, as the talking arrot was to be found.

“A wild-goose chase,’ murmured Jack, after
an hour’s hunt, when he and Nick found them-
selves alone in the wood, which the hunters had
stealthin scoured without catching a glimpse of
the bird.

The strange cry had ceased, and it was more
than likely that the parrot had taken flight,
fearful of recapture, and was far from the spot
where his “ boat ahoy 1" had startled all.

Suddenly a most unearthly chattering was
heard in the tree-tops directly overhead, and
caused Jack and Nick to look up.

“Yonder is your parrotl”exciaimed the lat-
ter, as he directed his comrade’s attention to a
beautiful bird vainly endeavoring to take flight,
but which seemed held to the bough by some
invisible chain.

“ It is the captain’s parrot, sure enough,”
said Jack. “ He is held to the limb by a wee
of the little chain which used to confine him to
a certain perch on board the river boat. He
shall be our prize before the Indians come up 1”

Jack threw down his gun as he finished, and
sprung up the tree to which the parrot was
fastened. It was a species of palm, whose bark
was rough and not dificult to climb. The boy
climber was making good headway, when the
bird began to shower upon him all the abuse he
had_learned.while on the heat. This was not
ohoxce English, by any means, for the captains
of the dinghy trading boats that penetrate the

at Amazon Valley for thousands of miles are
t e opposte'of men of refinement.

Jack continued to mend the tree, constantly
abused by the bird, which made the immediate
nei hborhood rin with his piercing voice.

. ck watchedt e scene with pressed mer-
riment, wonderin whether the b would not
:53? his beak to ack when he should get near
1 have you in a moment

ld f l " —
chimed J” o elowl ex

‘ k, When he found himself almost
within arm's-lo hot the “ You me
never lee your d master again, but you wifi
gets new one, who will try to refine your edu—
cogent"

. so had to climb through a antit of wild
vines in order to reach the qgafl'oty but he
bravely forced his wa upward until he was in
thovery topof the ’ m.

All at once he uttered a cry of disc point-
mei’i’t, for with a . exnltant “ ll ha!
he! the bird tore itself from the palm limb
:31; flow 03 just as Jack was going to capture

“ h" 809'! Watch and follow him
N103!" he called. to his friend below and as
a responsive “ i. will i" came from Nick‘h throat,
be bounded away. with his eye. fastened on the
birdh. Juli: we; Left to desconi d the tree as fast
as econ .an ewesoomn do
hand when 1:,“ dad .8 wn hand over

The parro seem totake delight in leadin
Nick is wild chase through the: form, for hge
new from palmto palm, giving his am no
time to hal and rest until Jack coul come up.

“ You old cur-mud n, I’m 3. to t 8,,

to this state of airsl” an enly em ed
ick as be halted and raised buggy. "Jack
will hereto me when he comes up, i: on will
lead mea abuse to the foot of the (lending-"u
I do not put an end to it now.”

During this time the parrot was looking
down upon Nick from the top of a mn-
duba, or cow-tree, and presented an admirable

t.
“gown dog! down dogl" he exclaimed, with
the voice of a river captain.

Jack stepped upon what be supposed was a
tuft of coarse fl grass. for the purpose of
getting nearer the bird. The next minute his
gun was at his shoulder; but all at once his

 

foot-stool shot upward, and Jack was hurled
ten feet away.

When the young Nimrod scrambled to his
feet, he found himself more frightened than
hurt, for he had been thrown among a lot of
puff balls, and beyond a few scratches, had
suffered no injury.

A few feet away stood his animated rest, one
of the most hideous animals he had ever seen.
It was nearly eight feet long, and its body was
covered with coarse, shaggy hair, whi e its
black, bushy tail was a sight of itself, so large
it was. The head was long, tapering to a point,
and the claws that adorned its feet made Nick
tremble when he thought that they might tear
his flesh.

“It must be a tamanoir," said the boy, who
forgot while he glazed that he had been de rived
of his gun by t a sudden rebound. “ but if
the monster should attack me? Elgardo says
that the ant—bear will attack a. human being
sometimes. By Jove! 1 have lost my rifle!”
and Nick involuntarily recoiled at this discovery.

Meanwhile the tamanoir, or ant-bear, was
eying Nick with no little ferocity. The boy
had ste pad on his tail, which was curled over
his bac , and his sudden rising had flung aside
the disturber of his siesta.

Suddenly he moved forward, not with the
jaguar’s spring or the puma’s creep, but steadily
and determined. The sharp nose was pointed
straight at Nick, and the eyes had the flash of a

e s.

“ I’ll meet
sess!” cried
tunately lay at his feet, an
tude of defense.

The ant-bear accepted the boy’s challenge, for
be increased his pace to receive a blow on the
tip of his snout which caused him to utters. u-
liar er and execute a retrograde movemen . He
actually turned his back upon Nick, and was
ungracefully retreating when the boy leaped
after him and dealt him a great thwack on the
hind-quarters.

The next second Nick learned that the tama-
noir is active in spite of his unsymmetrical
body, for he turned so quick] and rushed for—
ward, that the young Nimro thinking only of
safety, fled like a deer.

The ant-eater did not pursue the boy any dis-
tance for he is not an ag ive animal; but
Nick kept on at a pace t at would have out-
stripped a jaguar if the earth had not suddenly
opened beneath him, as it were, and he to 1
headlong into a dark moldy lace before he
could do anything to arrest his all!

Nick soon alighted among what seemed to be
a (Sanity of damp palm-fronds and taxi grass
an as the thought of poisonous serpents flashed
through his brain, he tried to escape.

But flight was im bio, for the damp sipos
which lined the we. is of his pit broke beneath
his weight, and he fell back among the decay-
ing vegetation on the bottom.

“ I must have fallen into an old tapir trap,”
he said to himself, and then his hand came in
contact with the skull of some beast!

CHAPTER XVI.
run STORM—A TERRIBLE PERIL avnnrsn.

NICK was wonderfully good at guessing, for
he had fallen into a itfall for the capture of
tapiis, which some rupuru hunters had
placed long before in an old trail then frequent-
ed by that animal.

He could not tell the depth of his prison, for it
was the abode of loom almost stygian. He
felt, however, that e was at least fifteen feet
below the topof the ground, and his first thou ht
was to grasp the sipos and climb by their ai to
the forest above. But, as we have seen the
vines refused to assist him. The skull which he
had touched had ion been fleshless, and from
its shape, as he could etermine by feeling, had
once belonged to a tapir—one which had prob-
ably fallen into the trap after the hunters had
abandoned it.

Nick’s‘knife now did him good service, for,
with it he cut away the disgusting sipos as far
up one of the walls tube can d reach. He next
out a foothold in the well and another for his
hand, when he drew his body up, and out the
vines away still bi her. ,

By this means e neared the top of the pit,
and at last had the satisfaction of laying one of
his hands on the edge of the place.

“A thousand thanks, od knife !" ejaculated
Nick as he sheathed the lsde, and prepared to
draw himself out of the dungeon.

This was no dimcult task, and when he found
himself in the forest again he was startled at

t change that ad taken place within
the list few moments.

on with the best weapons I pos-
ick, picking u a stick which for-
assuming an atti-

 

 

When he fell into the tapir-trap the whole

forest was the scene of gay beauty. There
were many spots of sun-light; now not one was.
to be seen: and where the heantiful-plpnmged:
birds had lately sung not a beak nor Wing was.
to be found.

What did this change meant.

Nick’s face blanched while he zed.

“ It means a storm, this dar ess and still?
ness,” he said, awestricken, and knowing not,
which way to move.

At that very moment his words were con—_
firmed, for a luminous body, almost as large as
a nail-kc , passed over his end with a thg‘
noise an fell to the ground far away in the
forest.

“ My God!” fell from the boy’s lips, “can I
not get out of the way of this new horror? I
wonder where Jack and Eigando are?”

Determined to seek safety somewhere—but
where he did not know—Nick. sprung from the
edge of the pit; but before be ad advanced a
hundred yards the palms began to bend before
the coming gale, and the flood-gates of the up
per deep were opened.

Thinking at that moment of what ElgardO‘
had told him of a forest gale, Nick threw him»
self on the ground and grasped the tough stems
of a species of frexi, which no earthly power
can uproot.

“I cannot be blown away,” he said to him—
self; but a minute later ‘he was forced to add:
“ But I can be drowned.”

The water came down in literal torrents. It,
bent the great aim leaves and crashed through
the branches 0 the massarandubas. or cow'trees.

In less time almost than a swift pen could nar—
rate ihe fact the water rose a foot over the
Whole forest! Nick was forced to his feet with
an exclamation of horror. Certain death
seemed to await him. In every direction lay a.
sheet of water. It covered the flowers which.
had bloomed so beautifully a few minutes be-
fore, and where the curled grasses bad oflered‘
yielding footstools to the hunter was a lake that
was constant] rising]

At no time ad Nick been far from the river
where J eck had had his last adventures, and
the waters that flooded the forest were now rush—
ing toward it with no little vehemence. The
tropical wood was uite dark and the storm was
stil at its hight. ick heard the roar of we—
ters rushing toward him from a remote corner
of the unknown forest, and shuddered with a
new feeling of dread.

He was on his feet, but the water was al-
ready up to his knees.

He was doomed—for what could save him!

In his terrible situation Nick never thought of
calling for help. If the whole forest was inun—
dated, Jack and Elgardo must be in the same
peril; they could not help. him.

At last the boy started forward almost waist
deep through the flood. Thousands of trees sur—
rounded him, yet he durst not climb one, for he
knew that in a storm'of this kind the huge boss
and anaconda seek refuge among the branches.

If death by drowning threatened him in the
water, a doom more horrible still lurked among
the lovely palms.

All at once some ob’ struck Nick’s feet and
threw him backward nto the flood. He was in
a current, and had been hit by a floating Leg:
Of course, he attempted to recover imm
ately, but the ground vines held him down for
a moment.

“ Merciful heaven! is this flood to become my
grave?" gasped the young Nimrod, as he stag-
gered forward, to be tripped again, and home
toward the stream so rapidly that he; could
scarcely collect his thoughts.

Suddenly something grazed his side, and
throwing out his arms he encircled it as best he
could. t proved to be a small assai palm, and
Nick clue to it with renewed h as it car—
ried him award the river. He elt that he
must escape before the river itself was reached
But his stre  wtell‘i‘ni exhausted, an

e was-power e ting palm.

All at once,- and be he hadron idea where
he was, he found himself in the place which he
dreaded—41m river.» '

The little light ‘which now screamed shode
him a flooded country as far as his men could
extend, and as the light Med his tree stayed
in the middle of what was the original of
the stream.

“ I am on a drift of some kind," said Nick, as
he disen himself from the palm and drew
his body h gher u to thepinnacle of the drift.
“ After all, the o assai did me a service, when
Ie ittobearmetodeath- loansth

it here if the wafer rises no higher, but this is
my last refuge if it does.”

 

Md

The Condor Killers.

 

Although the rain had ceased to fall the wood
was still dork, ‘ the water had the angry
roar of anuan flood. in» ‘
filled the forest with a thunderous noise as it
rushed into the swollen river.
tme'ntarlly ism-eased in bulk, and Nick began to
fear that its very cumbersomenem would force
it loose and sla him at last.

“What was hat? A human cry, as I live!”
suddenly exclaimed Niclglas a new addition of

{Treated palms was de ed against his drift,
. most unseating him.
Knife in hand, when he recovered, he started

forward through the darkness toward the spot
where the new drift had struck.

‘ “ I knew it!” he exclaimed, a moment later,
.as his hand came in contact with a human arm.
“Who is iii-Jack or Elgardol" and with the
«strength of a young lion he beganto drag his
price up the drift.

Nick never stopped until he found himself far
above the water, when nting, he laid his
burden down and proceed to examine it.

“'Jacliaoki” rung in jofyons tones from his
throat when, the sense 0 touch, he had rec—
»o ized the y be had just dragged from the

of the fin . v ‘

t was, indeed, Jack Morton, and alive, al-
though unconscious.

Nick proceeded to restore his comrade to
himself, and, when he felt the ressure of Jack’s
hand his heart almost lea from his bosom.
’ “ It. is I, Jacki Thank eaveni we are to-
gether again I”

The ’ was a fervent thanksgiving for the

u rennion- but Jack’s next words

sent a chill to Nick’s heart.

“The puma, Nicki Is he not on the drift?”

“The—puma?”

“ Heavens, yes! the terrible companion I have
had for nearly an hour. He looked like Pave,
Altman’s mad pet—"

Nick uttered a loud cry before Jack could
conclude, and the next moment both of the
boys shrunk back aghast, for‘ a huge animal
had fallen at their feet with a low, mad whine.

“I am entirely weaponless,” g d J ask.

' r“ I am not!” responded Nick unsbeathing his

knife. “ The beast is Pave. I, see the collar of

llama skin that encircles his neck."

As if'to show the condor-killers the monster
that confronted them, the skies overhead sud-
denly became lighter, and both new Alboso’s
puma crouchinfisfew feet away, with eyeballs
that/seemed glo of are. _

“ May Heaven direct your stroke if the beast
springer” said Jack, glancing at Nick, who held

' t e knife firme as he kept his eyes fastened on
the umn. ~ ‘ _ '

“ 9 shall have the length of my blade,” was
the courageous reply. ‘ «

“A: instant later the puma sprung fiercely at

8 eye.

' deck involuntaril r recoiled, but Nick threw

«out his/left hand at ' ma’s’ grayish throat, and

struck with-all his mieht wit his right.

Although the Puma s jaws closed on his arm,

was the steel perforated the drenched skin it

I use with a about of victory'that the boys hailed

 theietroke. * r
, The jaws almost instantly relaxed, and Pave
fell beckdnto the Water. ‘ J
v “There, ma «be a jaguar on this drift l—who
shows?” said ick. ‘ u

- 7 CHAPTER'XVIL _
ANOTHER JAGUABW REUNIONs

‘ Pave the puma was dead at last!
The twoboys ware rejoiced to see'the'yellow
‘ body falltinto the water and vanish from sight;
but Nick’s exclamation that there might be
i more: on the drift was enough to startle
 them anew.

‘1: the ileoo‘had rented the me from the

forest-why should it not have ‘d van other wild ‘

beasts, besides some deadly reptiles, from their

retreats. «
 “‘Let-‘usexplore the dri " Jenker in re 1y
~to Nick’s observation. r“ Iv wevare‘meneced y

1

Jack, as he had already aaid,‘was without a
singka weapon: The flood had ever-
taken him in the forest and deprived him of his

, urine; oven to his knife; the seething it had left
Nick. I " But the courageous

f w on he re to ex ore the drift,he‘
* Maia;  amen the trees?
 eeem,‘asengsise§, 4a. readi-
‘y*"¢"m'mo nudism. Pompom was.

I do i unknown to the American Nimrods;
butthey

The drift mo- r

any new dangers, I‘ am for meeting them as '
u‘ brad. ;:. ‘_ 

did 'not despair

pumwmdishoutd
: i“‘1m’l<n~r l v. ~   ._ ; .7
(Jackhad mmspokeu whenth chucks.-

 

been overtaken by the storm some- > '

where, and it was probable that the two parties
wmfldmever unite again. ~ "

S The search for the English speaking parrot
had ended disastrous! to all concerned in it, es-
peciall to the boys w 0 had lost their lire-arms

u the cart of an unknown Amenonian forest.
The towering Cordillera: were between them
and Lime, and when they thought that 1111de
might never reappear and guide them eck,
gau- spirits naturally drooped, and they felt

“We can make a raft and float down the
river to some native Settlement where the trad-
ing boats stop," said Nick, assuming a certain
degree of cheerfulness. “ Where there is a will
there is a way, Jack. These words will furnish
evorythin we will need in raft building, planks,
ro . an even nails.”

‘ Not nails, Nick l”

“Wooden nails, but strong once,” was the
repl . “But here we are to explore this drift
for a are."

T o drift which had caught the young hunters
and thus reserved them rem a watery grave
was foun to be quite large. Indeed, it would
have covered nearly five acres of ground, and
consisted of trees and bushes of ever descrip—
tion. It lay in the center of the swo len river,
whose waters covered a great portion of the
forest on either hand, although they were be-
ginnln to subside.

The oys advanced with caution over the
drift, peering under the tops of the palms that
composed a great part of it, and examining the
trunks for ear nte.

Suddenly ack stopped and uttered a cry.
Nick sprung to his side. -

“Fortune has not forgotten us!” exclaimed
Jack, pointin to the object at his feet, which
was nothing as than a nest almost filled with
tempting eggs.

“A tr n’s nest!” cried Nick. “This is a
wonderfu treat l” And he stooped and snatched
one of the eggs from the nest.

The trogon is one of the most beautiful inhab-
itants of the tropical forests; but the hungry
hunters forgot his splendor while they devoured
raw the e gs so unexpectedly obtained.

“One oesn’t find such a treat every day——
even when there is no flood,” said Nick, with a
smile, as he gulped down the last egg. “This
is better than finding jaguars.”

The rest. of the drift was thoroughly explored,
but no dangerous beasts or poisonous reptiles
were found thereon. Another ,trogon nest, con-
taining four eggs, was discovered, but they
were not eaten as the others had been. The
nest was carefully lifted from its place and
borne away, with its precious contents, which
would afford the boys a meal when hunger
pressed them again.

Gradually familiar objects reappeared in the
forest, which was light once more, and the flood
fellas ra idly as it had risen. The partakeets
came «to their ad perches in the trees, and
flocks of ducks began to settle on the water;
troo of monkeys added their chatterings to
the ively noises of the fOrest, and drowned the
swirl of the water around the drift. -  \

Jack and Nick, as a matter of course, wanted
to leave their prison in mid-river. They were
anxious to rejoin El hrdo, without whom they
were afraid they mi t not be able to return in
safety to Lima. But the water persistently held

them in until night whs about to blot ,out an- .

other day. I Then it was that their drift sud-
denly divided into two parts, and the one on
ghich the boy’s stood swung round toward the

ore. V

This good fortune was hailed with a. about of
del' lit and the condor-killers found themselves
in e forest once more. . a .

Jack eagerly drew from his pocket the ele-
gant compensate which he had clung'through
all his adventures. The little needle was
watched with great interest until it indicated
the north, when Jack exclaimed: ,

“This river flows north; therefore'we want.
to travel toward its head-waters.” ‘_

“ I may find my unwhorknowsi” said Nick.

“ Mine is at the ttom-of the river, and will
never be recovered," was Jackie reply. " There
is an extra gun in camp, you know, if we eyer
reach the old place. I could nothava been my
far from you when you shouted beiovevtbeflood
Itmcltyon.”v" .  ;.:,_;.,.., ,n

“ ~Why did you not anawenmei’t’ 

“ At that moment
may and dared not make aanutory.”

“It! had but known that» ,But nevermind : go back.

from both : flood. an

Jack. We harem
510mm». ~

 

t u

been struck bythe storm.
that all the hunters had been drownedg‘us’ke had

I was wetchedbyv/thepu-r . :

 

an ohig'iect lying on the round, and he almost
lost balance as he pito editorwnrd.

2: gonfound thencr he exclaimed. be

c m an an i sprung upon t
object, an ssnatched from the wet grass the
identical rifle of which the tammir or auto
eater had deprived him. “Thanks to, n:
waterproof cartridges, wears wedlsuppled wit
ammunition, and are strong enough to §rn
with any monster these forests produce ow
for camp l" i

The recovery of the was indeed a lucky
accrdent—one which fl ed the boys’ hm wit
hopeand new coura . If they could find El—
gar-do safe they wo d not fear the future; they
would even hunt longer in the valhgeof the
Amazon; but they were afraid that y had
seen the young Peruvian for the last time.

” Halt, Nicki Heavensl sass-ml Becki
for our life!” -

T onwards peeled wildlyfrom Jack’s %
and before Nic could comprehend thei-
import he was hurled beckon rudely as to al—
most lose his footing. . -

“Look up in that sumaumera. Quick the
beast is going to lea l” .

Nick obeyed an , beheld, crouched in the
forks of a large sumaumera, or buttress tree,
the well-known figure of a huge jaguar. The

benefit; head and fore- shoulders were exposed, ,
and the horrified ,bo ' saw thefla ' eyeballs,
and the long musics ice of the forest gand.

Jack’s last words were not needed to bring
Nick's recovered gun to his shoulder. Adi-y
cartridge had been placed in theweapon, and
there Was no danger of a. misfire. ' ~

Just as Nick’s eye glanced along the barrel,’

sasswaram left the fork with hpecalier cry.
Nick's er pressed the trigger. r
The cry 0 the beast was drowned by the re—
t that followed, and the striped body shot
ike a rocket over the heads of the boys, and
struck the ground some distance beyond.

The youn marksman reloaded his piece as he
turned for t e jaguar might not heldead.

“ A lucky shot, by my life!“ he heard Jack
exclaim, and then‘he saw the beautiful body of
the ja or lying at full length a few feet away.

The all had struck the beast? under the chm
and, passin up through the head, had produced
instant dea h. ‘ '

“ We have no time to skin him. Let us hang
the carcass up until we have found Elgar-do or
the camp," J ack said as Nick, anxioucto secure
the jaguar-’3 skin, bent over. hhnrhnifev'in hand.

By means of the-eipos the was drawu
from the ground and secured beyond the reach
of‘foreet prowlers except the monkeys, from
which the beys expected no damage, and the
journey was resumed. ‘ . : y

“ Fortune» is still our friendl” suddenly ex-
claimed Nick, pointing straight ahead. "‘ We
have arrived just in time to partake ofadish of
roasted chemeck.”  »» v   .1 ’

Jack burst into aloud laugh of joy, tons. few
yards ahead he saw Elgardo roasting some kind
of animal on a curious] shaped spit. 91 course
the two boys bound forward and: . d
the Peruvian so completely that he fergot‘his

t dropped me. the

roast, and sprungnp' while i

e. : . . ,, . ,, 'u' «  or

.5‘ You mustn’t ect;ycur}mmik Period
Nick snatching the lichen“! object: mthe
fire. “ We could eat a whole tribal". 

“ More in the/f0 tenors," was the re y,
and El rdoatonce: ’ rthemxvfithqnes one
which 0th could, not answer-emu; enough to

please him. ,
The Peruvian and the Porn hunters had
We was féerful

seen none of them since the  He
was very glad to seeks-k and Nick. listened
to their stories with almost bunnies-hm.
Reunited once (nonunion :4
m to meet the joy; of :the  knew no
ads, and Emma ahemeok, which» be pro-
nounced done to.a turn,  -w!th
much rest. The Americansihamcdwthatvthey
were not far from campgtbntzwsyrdid: not ex-
pect to find may masses: some  v.
They were agreeably dis ed when they
reached. the spotto, find! blifleOdvhhd‘not
done them much danagsza Themttrwgnrand
man other artichosvereafhfled nnmw'n bru

. t
:  ght modeler;de ensueptshwerehy’e the

, . , e mi? 173$?- « .. ;" shat-w :f‘fiwf.
“I’Ve got hi (fifthiswafley dlbods,
jaguars and boas!” exclnunnd Nick. “ BWO
(talisman 'Oee‘rmteliqnzl'ewm '

“ Among the topssflztheticrdilia‘hs semen, "
“a  “4‘5 far-=9 x,“ :55: imagt‘pzie filile
.2!!de , (lithe-middle“; Wheasme
emirates-ta:“luminous-{Limlflw  t:

 

 

 

 

.——_—..——r._.._._ _’

 

 

 

‘ The Condor Killers;

15

 

 

.,. chains ‘
v f m t was doses-Maud w
 . fig his rich notes through the

__ groves of
m and ,m , (fie. three "adventurers

     
 

w‘ breaded than; ’ efenceleds region 139-.
tore  s ' ' '
All a!» once

‘ ett'ed t at is '

eed was done, and the parrot’s “boat ahoyl”
would sound no more through the forests of the
tro ics. _

,  Dick each took a wing feather from
the bird as a memento, and the body was placed ’

under the ground, out of the reach of the prowl-

- ers of the forest, before the march was re-.

shined. , .

“The Cordilleras! how ggnd I” cried Nick.
asthe little party emerged , m the..wood, and
beheld once more the lofty peaks of the famous
mountains.

"‘ They are grandeur itself? replied Jack,
sharing his comrades’ enthusiasm “ I Wonder
what adventures await us among them i”

“ Ahl who knows? But let us “go forward
and see!”

‘ T v CHAPTER XVIII. '
n QUININE FOREST—OVER A CLIFF—LIMA!
THE condor-killers were amen the Cordil-

leras again, with their faces turn toward the

Peruvian capital.

They found themselves eight thousand feet
above the level of the sea, and inrthe midst of
the chinchona, or Peruvian bark, country.
Around them they saw many trees which had
been felled and stripped of the recious hark
from Which quinine ismade. As uck and Nick
surveyed the scenes around them, Elgar lo told
them how, in 1638, the wife oftheCuint oi‘
phinchon, Viceroy of Peru, lay sick of a fever
1n the. splendid palace of Lima; how the old
rcorregidor of  o'edt hefisome‘bt .the- pow-
dered bark, and how it completely cured her.
Linnaeus long afterward called the uinia-
bearing treeschinchena hithetcouitess’s new .
and from that timerthe virtues of the-wonder!
biirlk became~ known throughout the entire

oe.‘~»' ' r I a 

g The boys admired the beautiful lanceolate
leaves ,of the chinchonftreos, with theirdeli—
cute crimson'veinsf The flowers, or blofi‘mfis,
are entail, and hang in clusters, like lilacs do
sometimes: their color, was. almost white,“
though the blossoms of some chinchon-treo: tr"
of a deep roseate color. They filled the forest
with their, 'ch ire r nos, _. ~ ;, l __ a
‘Heigho a bar efis’flcamp?” suddenly ex-
claimed and a few momgllltzmléter the
Wtyre Macon: ct uinia- , V  , ..

They were cordially regeived, and were told,
in the language 0! the count to make them-
selves etz'ghorm.{f7!l‘hisrnhe3A" ermboys 
ceeded at once to do, and shortly after t eir
arrival in cempwthey were watching the bark-
collectorS. . or; cascufilleror, work. The -~'campv
was in the midst of a small forest of chinchon—
trees, ands. number of rude huts hat}, bfen
hunt; ',w;3 ' ’ '. ‘ 'r mix. ,.;\f.:_' ; 33".:

When a; ma teller! by the axes of'the barks
hunters, the bark is taken pflf. and marinara-
moved without lDJul‘m eltherweod or fib ..

 

newneng pesng out finite flat pieces, have ‘9’ x

bark secure from the smaller branches of the
twang allowed to rats in its form. Thi 13th
Zoom: “6?” "
trunk 'prodtgces is called tabla or plant-ha.

, nv ,wit an enter cove o
mbthdhhaefiie viiuane bark a seat 4
the coast from whence it finds its Way to all
parts of the worldU

The pay of the ' "tiegidifiziemin; 513311.,
' w welfarhy 8,927..
flmnbfingih" w e haugbr in, e rarefied re2
9 :-

glans of t 9,5 and fever rhtd’y to lend

in the m '  i
immunities»

if “hoatgihoyl”  "N

 
 
   

hill—bark; that whicfi?”mgmso,idip

   
    

     

.

 o’pirtin'h camee. V t .
“Iwould liEeu shot] “a. viouna,” sumac:
to Elgardo as the three; {1 , ke compo the third

  
      
 

     

re- “ winter-shim

y; _ i  M “  g 
into the ravine. “We ca‘n’flnd the vicunas‘if
they have slipped out of sigjhtfifl

I took a good deal of pa. fleece and traveling
to reach the level of the little lain where the
r game had beengrazing, but the ,unters reached

it at last, and eagerly scanned it for a. chance
to bring down a vicuua.

“Alli the have, returned to their grazing
ground!” su denly exclaimed Nick, as his eyes
alighted on ten or twelve graceful creatures
“which resembled antelopes.

Their slender necks and level fawn-colored
coats were plainly visible, and t eir limbs told
the boys that they were made for speed. But
they were still be 0nd n-shot, and did not
promise to approac the unters, therefore El-
gardo had to resort to an odd strata em which
pearly always succeeds among t e Cordil-

eras. . , .

“He took J ack’s colored handkerchief and fas-
tened it to his ramrod which he elevated above
the rocks that sheltered them. For several
minutes the vicuna‘s'did not notice the decoy;
but when the did, they stopped grazing and
regarded it w th a great deal of curiosity. By
and by they began to approach the handker-
chief ed by a hands’Ome male who presented an
admirable target for the rifles of the concealed
hunters. - = '

Nearer and nearer to the ambush came the
beautiful game, and when the pack was near
enough Elgardo whispered over his shoulder.

“ Ready, senors!”

“We are ready,” answered Nick. “ Here
Tgogs for two, Elgardo. Let them have it, J ack
— rel

The rifles at the, boys cracked at the same in-
flatan‘tgandt o vic‘unae fell.

. The rest of the flock scattered and was out of
sighgfibetore the hunters could reload.

 ‘ ine"“is“enly wounded,“ cried Jack as he
ran forward toward his prey which was mak—
ing desperate eitortato rise.

‘ '-  not let liimspit upon you, senor!” called
Elgardo’s voice from behind him, butJack paid.
no attention to {the Peruvian. 7

Knits ’in hand, he .rushedis‘u onitheiivieuna,
but the next instant he recoi ed with a cry of
disgust,,,£er the ianimalejected from its mouth
a quantity of saliva which had a disagreeable
smell. This habit is peculiar to the vicunas and
fame, and it Jaokfhad not known it before he
was new aware of. it. The animal’s actibn en-
raged the young hunter, and he sprung on and
 while it continued, to attack
him in this novel manner. '

 The meat vicunas was found to be

u o t e,
:figmblé“ watcher, and while the trio were -

helping themselves to it an ugly head peeped
OVBT t ed 6 01 8., Chi! above and a low owl
“A bear, and our first!” cried Rick and Jack
.as they sprung 'up rifle in hand. "You never
Etolgdfig’there Were hears in these mountains, El-
ga.   ’,, " ..
Thfiyoun Peruvian smiled“ ” _
,,‘ mine up anone sen . '
""‘Wé’fi‘g , Esdeji” ’ ‘ ‘
“‘A [fitment later the two boys were climbing
 _ , where the bear had been seen.
rick e ,fitl‘l j fiance, and presently Nick heard
’ a shout Item'th that increased his gait.
,, When he came u , Jack pointed toe. lie‘gggpf
rocks where stood he object oftheii‘m v?  ~

.H l H 1 I _ abearthan ever. - ‘
ailmeifigeifiga was in? e_ d wwliylike
“that 1; union wn-tfi‘ e a: the head

 

an oneahelpin hand. , , i  ,
he condor-W sevme day!" in the"

'3 ’fil‘he eyes

was longated and ended in s; ' lit.

 1...... r. ..
3': hes". u Er, . ” .< .- , >I
Jim.  g [I ,  I z,

     

,p in; "three

 m f . 8

“1+ka lofi§389v " ",anim’ials 

H9“ ,"flow the . ’ -

‘ Viéunas, ' _ 'Peruvian said with a "

smile as he an , i as kindle with excite-

me‘uég  . a“  in}, grow gun:

he ‘ , " p. g

‘  . sutlié trid  dutvnwdrd'

animals pppeered. and. Jack  V

b ,n reams sense. _. f 9 .

r not following éhem to L‘

    

~ , : . ' . . . ed
without in ‘ the opening wherethe myste-
rious animal had disappeared; but the next
minute he emerged With a cry of horror that
chtill'lnedwliligk’s blood. h J

o ' beast wascerging_ .opvss
trying to keep it ofl with his rifle. _  saw
the nondescri t’s sharp teeth and rough‘tongne,
and noticed or the first time that it had boots
instead or claws. . s . V, _
1 Jack was forced to the edge of the rocky
edge.

“Help, Nick, help!” he was forced to shout.

Nick rushed straight at the animal,'bnt Jack’s
feet struck some stones on the brink of the
precipice, and over he went, just as Nick dis-
charged his gun at the monster. '

Jack’s despairin cry as he tell from the ledge
rung terribly in 10k 5 ears.

The boy forgot the wild animal.

Eager to me Fitch’s  hears-naked to the
ed e of the ledge and looked over.

§ack was apparently sue uded in mid-air,
more than forty feet below in, having caught
on some bushes which seemed ready to break
with his weight. , .

“ In the name of Heaven, whz' did not Elgar—
do follow us?” exclaimed Nic ,as he turned,
unnerved, from thesight. , , ».

“ Elgardo here, Senor Nick." ‘“ "

:Ii'l‘halgik fortune): ' ‘ In th

he eruvian, ywa , hash, 'y oi ' g, e
inseparable lazo that hfmi’t‘ fiomgfiabelt, and
Nic held his breath while the noose crept
downward toward his imperiled companion.

“Senor Nick pull nomwith allihisygight,”
said, Elgardo, rising as hetbsséd‘one end 0 the
lariat to his com nion.

.f‘ThaiEtwflt Issue!"  .~ . 2

Jack as safely delivered from.  rilous
situation, much to the 037 of all, and e cov-
eredEl owiththa 8,3,!!Nchme‘mde‘stly
receiv .

“Where’s the nondescri t, Nick? Did ’ ou
shoot him?" suddenly" p 

Nick turned, but could not see amoesof the

stra e beast. He had eflpctuall ,,d’ , ,ed
«reaming ghtthe cave; as 
“I’m willin to leavemhmtin; rMon of
the field,”ng neg/with a grim smile. if; What
 en‘ani‘ma't'wte’~it,‘n get-do?" ' d": '
“ Elgardo don’t know, senor " was the rep] .

“ Alboso kil ed one once t the hu erdid
not know w at to tell it" a?“ Misc eat;
might stron and gulls!
ismys .0 t >   deferm-
solved, for the trio descended tothgggs‘mp near
the Vienna. grazing ground. ‘
The vast regionthnt‘lififiundert , ’ her is

asprolific of animal life as the sea is . h and
in the forests of the Amazon and the Cordilleras

and mufihmmhdwnbits
.are unknown- to man. ' 

After sayin that the adven re t nar-
ratedku the 
killers. we will be pardoned,  are sure, for
which theyreached
in due times: r. 4,2,: :t 1:. e, seesaw”? A i.‘

JackandNiekwez-e joyfully‘h’afied their
fiéiends at tlée Peruvgumpite tli dfund
o stor an _, o co cerium , sir, yen-
tures aims ‘ * huddled“ 

Poor Alboso was ndglpermitted“ to keep his

re 'se to, bx the an _

 

we sharp, small and new,“ while the boys. ,

:dngé—‘thebrave’i‘ {museums ‘ rdou
 
mggles andffinmphs. " 1' " '

TR UTE STRANGER THAN FICTION I

 

 

 

 

NOW READY AND IN PRESS.

.} I Adventures of Bud'an Bill. From Boyhood to Man
r hood. Deeds of Dating, and Romantic Incidents in the early
life of William F. Cody. By Col. Prentiss Ingrahnm.

2 The Ocean Hunters; or. The Chase of the Leviathan. A
Romance of Perilous Adventure. By Captain Mayne Reid.
a” An extra large mnber. fl

Adventures of Wild Bill, the Pistol Prince. Remarkable
career of J. B. Hikok, (known to the world as “ Wild Bill”), giving
the true story of his adventures and acts. By Prentiss Ingraham.

The Prairie Ranch; or, The Young Cattle Herders. By Joe.
E. Badger, Jr.

Texas Jack. the Mustang King. Thrilling Adventures in
the Life of J. B. @mohundro, “ Texas Jack.” By Col. P. Ingraham.

Cruise of the Plyaway’; or, Yankee Boys in Ceylon. By C.

Dunning Clark.

Roving Joe: The History of a Young “ Border Ruffian.” Brief
Scenes from the Life of Joseph E. Badger, Jr. By A. H. Post.

The Plynwny Afloat; or, Yankee Boys ’Round the World.
By C. Dunning Clark.

Bruin Adams, 01d Grizzly Adams' Boy Pnrd. Scenes
of Wild Adventure in the Life of the Boy Ranger of the Rock y
Mountains. By 001. Prentiss Ingraham.

The Snow Trail 3 or, The Boy Hunters of Fur-Laud. A Narra-
tive of Sport and Life around Lake Winnipeg. By T. C. Harbaugh,

Old Grixfly Adams, the Bear Tamer; or, The Monarch of
the Mountain. By Dr. Frank Powell.

Woods and Waters: or, The Exploits of the Littleton Gun
Club. By Capt. Frederick Whittaker.

A" Ro'kng‘ Stone: Incidents in the Career on Sea and Land as
Boy and Man, of Col. Prentiss Ingraham. By Prof.Wm. R. Eyster.
Adrift on the Prairie, and Amateur Hunters on the
Bufl’nl- Range. By 011 Coomes.

Kit Carson. King of Guides 3 or, Mountain Paths and
Prairie Trails. By Albert W. Aiken.

Red River Rovers ; or, Life and Adventures in the Northwest.
By C. Dunning Clark.

Plan and Plain; or, Wild Adventures of “Buckskin Sam,"
(Major Sam S. Hall.) By Col. Prentiss Ingraham.

Rifle and Revolver; or. The Littleton Gun Club on the
Buflalo Range. By Capt. Frederick Whittaker.

Wide-Awake George. the Boy Pioneer; or, Life in a Log
Cabin. Incidents and Adventures in the Backwoods. By Ed. Willett.

The Da- Drngoon: or, The Story of General George A.
Custer, from West Point to the Big Horn. By Capt. F. Whittaker.

Deadwood Dick as a. Boy; or, Why Wild Ned Harris, the New
England Farm-lad, became the Western Prince of the Road. By
Edward L. Wheeler.

The Boy Exiles of Siberia; or, The Watch-Dog of Russia.
By 'I‘. C. Harbaugh.

Paul De . the French Beast Charmer; or, New
York Boys in the J angles. By C. Dunning Clark.

The Sword Prince: The Romantic Life of Colonel Monetary,
(American Champion-atoms.) By Captain Fred. Whittaker.

95 Round the Can: Fire : or. Snow-Bound at “Freeze-out Camp.”
A Tale of Roving 0e and his Hunter Pardl. By Joe. E. Badger, Jr.

90

21

28

23

24

 

28 Snow-Shoe Tom: or. New York Boys in the Wilderness. A
Narrative of Sport and Peril in Maine. By T. C. Harbaugh.

2'? Yellow Hair, the Boy Chief of the Pawnees. The Adv
venturous Career of Eddie Burgess of Nebraska. By Co]. Ingraham.

28 The Chase of the Great White Stag and Camp and
Canoe. By C. Dunning Clark. '

29 The Fortune-Hunter; or, Roving Joe as Miner, Cow-Boy,
Trapper and Hunter. By A. H. Post.

30 Walt Ferguson’s Cruise. A Tale of the Antarctic Sea.
C. Dunning Clark.

31 rl‘he Boy Crusader; or, How a Page and a Fool Saved a King.
By Captain Frederick Whittaker.

32 White Beaver, the Indian Medicine Chief: or, The Bee
mantic and Adventurous Life of Dr. D. Frank Powell, known on the
Border as “ Fancy Frank, " “ Iron Face, " etc. By Col. P. Ingraha‘m.

33 Captain Ralph, the Young Explorer; or, The Centipede
Among the Floes. By C. Dunning Clark.

34 The Young Bear Hunters. A Story of the Hops and Mishaps
of a Party of Boys in the Wilde of Michigan. By Morris Redwing,

35 The Lost Boy Whalers ; or, In the Shadow of the North Pole.
By T. C. Harbaugh.

36 Smart Sim, the Lad with a. Level Head; or, Two Boys
who were “Bounced.” By Edward Willett.

8'? Old Tar Knuckle and His Boy Chums; or, The Monsters
of the Esquimaux Border. By Roger Starbuck.

38 The Settler’s Son; or, Adventures in Wilderness and Clear-
ing. By Edward S. Ellis.

39 Night-Hawk George, and His DaringoDeelsand Adventures
in the Wilds of the South and West. By 1. Prentiss Ingram.

40 The Ice Elephant: or, The Castaways or the Lone Coast. By
Captain Frederick Whittaker.

41 The Pampas Hunters: or, New York Boys in Buenos Ayms.
By T. C. Harbaugh.

42 The Young Lond-Lubber; or, Prince reruns First Cruise.
By C. Dunning Clark.

43 Bronco Billy. the Saddle Prince. By colonel Prentiss
Ingrabam. -

44 The Snow Hunters; or, Winter in tho Woods.
De Forrest.

45 Jack, Harry and Tom. The Three Gaampion Brothers; er,
Adventures of Three Bravo Boys with tho Tattooed Pirate. By
Captain Frederick Whittaker.

46 The Condor Killers; or, Wild Adventures at the Equator.
By T. C. Harbaugh.

47 The Boy Coral Fishers; or, The Sea-Cavern Scourge. By
Roger Storbuclr.

48 Dick, the Stowaway; or, A Yankee Boy’s Strange Cruise.
By Charles Morris.

_ A New Issue Every Week.
Burma’s Bor’s LIBRARY is for sale by an Newadealers, five cents:
per copy, or sent by mail on receipt of six cents each.
BEADLE AND ADAMS, Putnam,
98 Wiiliam Street, New York.

BY

By Barry