VOI-.- xxxvii J Honey Saving Opportunities, 8 THESE PRICES MEAN 5 m A BIG SAVING TO YOU tJ h itndGol?C*pes. «5.W to I15j». * WABJI BI.iSKKTS —The stock is large and the pri'-es Sft /lllfl tr*mfoVt "leas you'll find the junket, them- g •5 UllJl selves. Large cotton blanket-. w"rtli .- -it 2V TEST \ Scarlet and plaid blanket-.. -"'rtli _ . W 01 I \\kl \ \ All wool white blankets. 33.00. »4 ■'•, r>> 2 \/yT \\ IKTej and fun ' y p 1 Uk jj UNDERWEAR. $ £II I \ For Men, Women and Children. M Men's heavy fleeced underwear 50c. )a Or M< natural wool underwear si 00. Women's fleeced underwear i& and <'c 10 Women's flue wool under-rear 11.00 and SI.JS. fP « Children's underwear In cotton and wool at less prices than elsewhere, g g LINENS. £ Every . arefut housewife worth tlie name. cherishes f"' - / W handsome You mizht as well have the n« w- a, ffp/,* \ est desijtns as not. Lots of new ones here. »Ne qnotf *rS^/ fR Just two sample values: Heavy cream damask, • * -jSitSr - jdfr Fine bleached double damask. *> Inches wide, all • m pure linen, worth SI :£> at SI.OO. |L. Stein & Son,| S 108 N. MAIN STREET, BUTLER. PA. Rickel's sHoes ■ W L> .i, V 'if v ■!/ ■> •!/ -1/ >l/ -v •!/ M W M a W jKy.a<}K3K>:>lc>ic>K^:xac'jK3tt^caic jf/jf'y.y{'jf'j&'y % 1 ■ T> T» Have you Seen the Pretty Styles in Fine Foot wear at s' c Ucl's. Our Fall Stock is all in and is Extrroy>crly. If you want the correct II |1 ( thing at the correct price, call and \ I ,11 & ( examine our large stDck of FALI / y \ miWJw ml n WINTER WEIGHTS— U ' 1 LATEST STYLES, SHADES Al II J A Nl> COLORS. yj Bp K E C K Fit and Workmanship Guaranteed. G. F. KECK, Merchant Tailor, 142 North Main Street, Butler, Pa We Wish to Announce That We Are Having an OFMEINIING OF /Vlid-Winter /Vlillinen) THl weeK. For the late winter trade we have received a thoroughly new and 'ip to date stock of everything in the line of Millinery and Tiimmings and Staple and Fancy Notions. We arc ready to show you the finest and most complete line of Patterns. Ladies', Misses' and Children's Trimmed Hats are always a featuie in our business. We carry the best assortment and greatest variety of the best shapes of the season—best quality of French Fur Felt, S'lesian Wools, Chenille Velvet and Monk Fur hats in Short back Sailors, Walking Hats, Toques, Turbans and Rough Rider ef fects—all shades and ail grades. Ostrich Plumes, Tips, Fancy Breasts, Pompons, Birds, Wings, Aigrrrttes, Winter Foliage—complete in every respect. Our line Velvet, Velveteen and Velour, Panne (foreign), best made Fancy and Persian Silks, Fancy Feathers in black and white and natural effects are very desirable. ORNAMENTb—See the newest ideas in Rhinestone, Jet, Gold and Cut Steel. Infants' Silk, Cashmere and Zephyr Caps are a specialty at our store. Come and inspect. Style and Price will sell our hats if you will but yee them Rockenstein's, 328 South Main Street. ______ Butler, P& OILS. LARD, NEATSFOOT, CASTOR, FISH LUBRICATING, SPERM, BLACK HARNESS, ETC. OUR PRICES ARE RIGHT REDICK \ GROH MAN, 109 N. Main St,, Prescription Druggists. Butler, Pa Pure winter-strained lard-oil is the best known lubricant for machinery, as also the best miners oil obtainable. Black harness oil keeps leather | soft and durable and gives it I color, is equally good for boots ' and shoes. THE BUTLER CITIZEN. / HpILLS\ Eonse r the tor liver, and cure biliousness, sick 1 headache, jaundice, nausea, tlon, etc. They are in valuable to prevent a cold or break up a fever. Mild, aentle, certain, they are worthy your confidence. Purely %-egetable. they can be taken by children or delicate women. Price 26c. at all medicine dealer® or by mail of C. X. HOOD Co., Lowell, Mass. CATARRH LOCAL 1 DISEASE and is th® result o* coldr ano , CflterCOWl sudden climatic changes. Oh For your Protection ? 'A we positively state tiiat t.; s -y J? r* remedy does xr>t contain mercury or &nj other injur- fifl Ely's Cream Balm®2^3 is ackuowledced to \>e the roost thoronch cure for Kaial Catarrh, Cold In liesd and Hay Fevtr of a.l rerocdiri. It opens and eYanse* the nana) pawaze*. allays pain and indammat.on. hcala the Bore*, pro tects the merabrai.e from coM». reatores the f - f-» •fUCean-Ume::. PrreS--.at Dmcs -'jorbvma.l. ELY BKOTlliilib, 03 Warren Street, New York. \ The Cure that Cures [ p Coughs, v Colds, j p Grippe, §, V Whooping Cough. Asthma, 1 ;s\ Bronchitis and Incipient A jjf Consumption, Is I oTJos] A Tt\e German remedy" £ P Cur«\.Wtra\. \u?\% &\Mases. j A a\\ 25&50 as "Butier Savings Bank J'tttler, r j a. Capital - s6o,urjo.oo Surplus and Profits - - $200,000 co JOS. LPPRVIS Pr«»idei't J HENRY TROUTMAN Vjce-Prenide.'it WM. CAMPRFXL, Jr Caihwr I.OPIS B.BTF.IN "...le'ler fHKFUTORS-.liweph Tro'-.tfoatJ. W. I». I!ranlns xeth. W. J. Marks, J. V. Bltts. A. L. Itelbfer TH K Farmers' National Bank, BUTLER, PENN'A. CAPITAL PAID IN, $100,000.00. Foreign exchange bought and sold. Special attention given to collections. OFFICERS: JOHN YOIJNKINH President JOHN HI Mt'HKKV Vice President C. A. BAII.KY Cashier K. W. 11l NO H A M Assistant Cashier J. F. IH T/.LKK Teller DIRECTORS. John Youriklris. D. L. < Iceland, E. E. A brums, C. N. Hoyd, W I". Met/.ger, Henry Miller, John Humphrey. Thus. Hays, Levi M. Wise and Francis Murphy. Interest paid on time deposits. We respectfully solicit vour business. DROP I'.' wJw l\#l of the People's 122-3 ar »d W. B. McGEARY'S new wagon, ruuning tojand from his Steam Carpet-Cleaningi establishment, will call at your honse take away your dirty csqicls and return them in a day or two as clean as new. All on a summer morning—Carpets, rugs and curtains thoroughly cleaned on short notice. NEW IIOtiHE NEW FCBNITUKR. sss& Central Hotel SIMEON NIXON, JR., 1 „ J. BROWN NIXON, I K BUTLER, PA Opposite OourtlllMine. Next Door to I'sirk Th<;atr« Sunday Dinners A Specialty. Meals 25 cts. Rooms 50 cts. Regular Rates sl. Local and Long Distance l'hones. South McKean Street, Hotel Waverly, J. W LHAWORTH Pron'r.* BUTLER, I'A Stesm Heat and Electric Light The most commodious office in the city. Stablinj; in Connection. Karl Schluchter, Practical Tailor and Cutter 125 W. Jefferson, Butler, Pa. Busheling, Cleaning and Repairing a Specialty The Keystone Orchestra, I# now ready for engagement* for Par ties, Picnics and Dances, and Guarantee the best of music at reasonable rates. Address, Prof. Gus Wickenhage-i, 1 228 Ziegkr Ave., liutlei, Pa BUTLER, PA., THL'RSDAV, NOVKMBKR 29, 1900 VVV.VVVV.V.VV.V.VVVYV.V ! JOHN mATE I! A. t OOPTUIOFTT. 1900. BV WXATHF.RBT CHESWEY AND ALICK MTTSBO. J f U.LUiTRATIONS BY H. C. COCLTAS. | A) * , - «•- ••f CHAPTER VIII. The stout ship Bristol Merchant. 118 tons burden. Alexander Ireland, mas ter, has dropped down the channel in three tides, has taken her departure fro:.l Lundy island and is uow well out of domestic navigation. Astern is a thin black wavy line rising above the waste of waters, the last we shall see of the iron bound coast of Devon for many a long day. Ahead, now blocked out of sight by the straining spritsail beneath the boltsprit. now dazzling our eyes with its flashing glory, is the burning yellotv sun, just diving over the edge of the world, luring us on, as it were, with visions of a land where everything is bright and golden as himself. What a bea con for a crew of eager gold hunters! The worthy master. Peter Waltham, had gladly availed himself of our pro posal Fitting out began leas than 12 hours after the pagan had told his tale, and in a fortnight we were ready for sea. Ninety-three men were lying about the decks, drunk as lorJs. when we lirst loosed our two topsails to drop down the river and three sober ones and live < fleers. 101 all told, am' a crew of whir.' we were proud • •««»•« We made a bad hunt to begin with, getting up past the l.teward islauds and into the great - if wi:!ch ties lie yond them bef ire Hie wes; A ard course was given i:p 1 ni convinced that we had over !mi c ing thrown to tl • ' <. whose black fins never stlrre our wake. Matters got we. aud worse till the grumbling of the crew came to a head In open mutiny. The sultry heat of the day was al most killing. Not a breath of air tarnished the brazen sea. but over the mangrove bushes which fringed the low shore to westward hung a sullen White steam which shut out the coun try from our eyes. One would have thought that the weather *'as too hot for any exertion that coult" possibly be avoided, but discord, like the devil, can live in any elime, and on this broiling day the sound ones of the crew made their way aft In a body. A little Irishman whom Alec had taken In pity from the streets of Bris tol. where he was statvlng, was their spokesman, and bis election to that post was not undeserved, as he had by his vaporings stirred up the whole mutiny. The brown faced crowd surged against the break of the poop on which there were only us five officers and the steersman standing beside bis Idly swaying tiller. "Stop, men! Far enough!" cried Alec iu authoritative tones. "What Is It you want?" "Many things, Masther Captain," wild the Irishman, with an Insolent laugh; "everything a mnn can want health, comfort and wealth. There's scurvy marks on Ivery wan av us, an no wondher, seeln that the only green food that, has passed the lips av us since leavln Bristol river Is the sloime off the wather butts. A daclnt pig would turn up his nose at our quar thers. And 11s for threasure, yez might as well seek It in the great bog av Bal lyvore as here. So, savin yer honor's prisence. all hands forrad means to take a Jaunt ashore on the olland we dhropped yestere'en an thin to cruise for what we can git higher up on the Spanish main. There's 110 call for throubl-j or head breakln," he added, turning to the rest of us, "though sure It would be a pllsant diversion, but whin a score av honest lads has died like sheep wid the rot It's toitne for the rest to spake. An so my mates here has Insthructed me to say ihat av they doesn't git their way given, why, thin they'll Jist take It." All eyes turned ou Alec, who bad heard the fellow out with a patience which surprised me. He went a step or two farther aft, leaned on the rail of the little stairway which led to the cnbln below nnd then answered them, speaking quietly and without allowing a tinge of nnnoynnce to show Itself In his voice. "You make matters far worse than they are," be said. "A few men have died, nnd that I grieve for, but scurvy always bonrds a ship on a long voyage like Ibis, and not a man of you but knew that when he pocketed Ills boun ty on Bristol quay. Now bear what I have to say. We must be very near the mouth of the river we seek, and we hIuiII find It. For six days the Bristol Merchant will sail southward. If by that time the pagan has not pointed out the river's mouth to you I shall steer north again and harry tho Spanish towns. Now back with you to your own end of the ship!" A sullen murmur rose among the crew, and several of the bolder spirits began to climb the poop ladders, head ed by the spokesman. Without mov ing from the cabin stairs Alec hold up Ills hand for silence. The fools thought he was going to give way and halted to listen. "Hear me!" he cried In ringing tones. "You think to take possession of the ship by mere weight of numbers. Well, "Choline )ur ynuTntlvrx Mutlnrrm altall never CMmnund llir, lirlgtul Mm hunt." you may do It, and If you do you may hold her for perhaps 30 seconds not more. Before a hand can rench mo I shall be down this ladder and Into the tiowder room, and one shot from this" and he drew a wheel lock pistol from Mh pocket "will blow us all Into eter nity together. Choose for yourselves. Vou know what my word is worth, and 1 swear to you that while Alexander Ireland lives mutineers shall never command the Bristol Merchant Now come on if you will!" The mob of men wavered a moment and then drew back slowly to the waist "Good!" said Alec. "You think bet ter of it. But lam going to make an example of the arch mischief maker. Send that man aft" Half by persuasion, half by blows, the Irishman was forced up the poop ladder. "Boafswain, heave him overboard!" "Aye. aye, sir." Willie Trehalion's knotted left hand grasped the little Irishman by the neck, and his iron hook slipped into the baud of his breeches. A struggling body shot through the air, bumped on the bulwark and slid with a splash into the warm sea beneath. There was a scurrying of black triangular fins, a shriek of agony, a few ruddy bubbles rising to the oily surface, and the great est enemy to the ship's peace was si lenced forever. A hush fell on the crew. Each man looked at his neighbor, and then they all stole quietly forward again and had the calm continued more mischief might have been hatched among their whispering groups. But Alec's keen eye detected a TO tiling of the glassy wa ters to the northward, and that was our salvation. "Trim sail, the watch!" he cried. There was not a pause. The men sprang to their stations, braced round the yards to catch the first of the com ing breeze, and in ten minutes we were bowling merrily along. The mutiny was a tiling of the past The wind lifted the mists from the shore, and l.efore we bad way on the eliip an hour the p who was stand itig in the beak. be;;au to dance and ges ticu.'ate iu the most extraordinary manner, and pointing with his liii.:-. rto tii" hind ou our bow. Half a dozen of r.s climbed Into the round tops and thence aloft till we perched ou the yards, from which eminence we could see a long steellike ribbon of wa ter stretching away through the dark forest till it was lost in the haze of the dim distance. That shining thread was the river of riur search. T'p its windings lay the kingdom of El Dorado and Mauoa, its capital, the city that was built of gold. CHAPTER IX. At the sight of that band of shining water a spontaneous cheer arose from every throat on board. Discord and dissension fled discomfited before the advance of the visions of wealth that onr hopes saw mirrored In the glassy surface of the river. We hauled our wind somewhat and suited to the mouth. Job Trehalion (grinning till his scar jagged up like a saw) was sent with an eager boat's crew to sound, and before the first star »f night had thrown Its reflection in the water round us we were anchored, and the ripples that lapped against our wooden walls bad not n grain of salt In them. We had left the trackless ocean to follow where the river should lead us. Nets of mangrove roots formed an Impenetrable thicket on either bank, though it was no easy task to tell where the slug flowing water ended and the liquid mud of the shore began. Loathsome reptiles which some of us took to be dragons, till the knowing ones told us they were only crocodiles —lay half in and half out of the evil smelling brown water, winking their lazy eyes at us and taking charge In a slow, cumbrous way of every scrap that was flung overboard. Tree toads barked, beasts of prey howled In the distant forests, foul night birds croak ed from the thickets of the shores, and from the evil smelling stream there arose a putrid yellow mist thick and rank enough to choke one. "It's a fever trap we've got Into," growled Willie Trehalion, shifting his tangled black wig from the pocket where he hud carried it during the heat of the day to his head, "an If we've no rnore'n half a score o' men down by morning's light we'll be uncommon lucky, say I." "Don't croak, you unsatisfied old ra ven," said Alec lightly, but he looked grave none the less. "The pagan," put In Job, with bis usual grin, apologetic In meaning this time, "says this Is only one o' the mouths, an we s'll opeu Into a great, broad river >»oon, where you can't see both banks at once. An there hain't any o' these yere mists on It, he says, but llmmlns on the trees an other fruits enough to feast an army, an all for the plucking of them." "Go to the forecastle anil tell them that. Job," cried Alec, "and Herve out n good, Htirr dram to all hands and nay that they can kill the stench by firing a few grains of powder now and then. Stay; I'll come with you and tell them that he who keeps a stout heart may laugh at fevers. They only attack cow ards." lie went forward, and Willie Treha llon, the other two officers and I went down to the cabin for our meal, where we were shortly Joined by Alec, who reported that the crew were all as mer ry as pipers at the prospect of making another step toward our golden goal. When the meal was over, the devil came and whispered In my ear at least on no other view can I explain my folly In taking up the dice, satan's own bones, they say -and proposing a throw apiece to sample our luck, sinister or dexter. Alec, saying with a laugh that he did not believe In such omens, neverthe less humored our folly. He rattled the box first and flung on the table deuce ace. One of the ofllcers threw n pair of deucesl The other threw a pair of aces! Willie Trehallon threw deuce ace! The heat had worn off. and the cabin was full of cold, clammy mist, but the IM-rsplration streamed from my face as though the sun were high above our mastheads. My hand trembled like a palsied dotard's as I took up the fate ful leathern box, and for n full minute I rattled the box without daring to turn them down. The others waited In breathless si lence and watched Intently. At Inst I took a deep breath, clapped the mouth of the box down on to the table and then slowly withdrew It. "Aces again!" cried Willie Trehallon "The Lord have uiercy ou me. a sinful mariner!" Willie's cry was followed t>y an in terval of dead silence. We stood star ing at one another as though spell bound. A shout of laughter from the fore castle broke the charm, and in a burst of sudden frenzy Alee threw box and dice together through a porthole into the fog without and began to chaff us for our superstitious fears. "Cheer up. Jack," he cried, clapping me hard on the shoulder. "The devil hasn't got us yet." 1 shuddered and drew back without answering. "Cotne. come." said Alec, with some show of anger. "Don't let us have any more of this nonsense. 1 was a fool to take any part In your child's game." "The Koinan admiral threw his omen giving chickens overboard," said 1 gloomily, "and two-thirds of his fleet was destroyed." Alec turned to me sharply, and there was a taunting smile on his face. "Turned pedant. .lack? I didn't know you were such a scholar. Perhaps you'll favor us with an account of the circumstances. The foolish birds re fused their corn, if I remember rightly. Correct me if ! am wrong." "I'm no scholar," I answered angrily, for his tuuut annoyed me. "Alec Ire land was the goody boy that did his lessons." "While his friends amused them selves with tap wenches and pastry cooks' lasses." "Maybe." said 1 with a sneer. "But Jack Topp is gallant enough to prefer a pretty lass to a Greek root any day." "Both good things in their way. But tome. Jack, stand up, put your hands behind you aud tell us all about this heathen fellow. Don't tremble so, man. There's no schoolmaster behind you with the birch. I'll correct all stupid errors you may make. Ha, ha, ha!" How long this unseemly wrangle would have continued I do not know, probably tHI it came to blows. The two other officers had been listening with silent dismay, and honest Willie Trehalion had been looking from one to the other and pulling the skin cap about over his smooth head till his sconce fairly shone. What It was all about he knew uo more Mian a powder tub, but he thought it about time to break into the quarrel, and maybe he was none too soon. "Masters, masters!" he cried. "Ha" done with this unseemliness! The quar rel on deck there might be excuse for; the quarrel down here none. Here you're going at it tongs an hammer, hammer an tongs, fathom o' one, six foot o' t'other, till there baint a bean to choose between you. And this, too, when we ought all to be knit together by reason o' common enemies." Alec turned away Impatiently, but he did not. Interrupt the boatswain, who went on: "Captain Ireland, many a good ship's been cast away through her captain quarreling with his officers. Master Topp, an officer who can't keep a civil tongue for Ills superiors ofttlmcs gets hanged. Job, you graceless loon, what cause to come grinning down hero for?" "Glass run out, uncle. My watch over." "Captain Ireland, then It's your next watch, an I hope you'll pardon an old mariner for plain speaking when It was needed." Without a word Alec left the cabin and went on deck. Through the whole of that watch I lay In my bunk brooding, brooding, brooding. To quarrel with my sworn shipmate, and about such a trifle too! Kool that I was! That we had had a serious wrangle aud one whose conse quences might, easily bode 111 for tho success of our venture there was no doubt, but on looking back on what had passed I was almost as much fog ged as Willie Trehalion to know what the cause of It all was. Fool. I called myself, and, again, fool! Nep came to me and shoved his cold nose against my cheek, and I rubbed his coarse, scrubby coat and coaxed him to He down. I was grateful to him. for I felt less wretched with a companion, though he were nothing but a cat But then Nep was not as other cats. After his watch was out Alec came below, and by the dim light of the horn lantern which hung to the beams I could see him pacing the other side of the cabin thwart ships. He could uot see me. and I gave no sign of being awake. Presently be began to smile to himself, and then, turning his gait, made straight for my bunk. "Jack, old boy, I was the bigger fool of the two." "No. Alec; I was by far." "No, I. It wns my throwing the dice box through the port thut started It." "I proposed the dice." "Come, come; we won't dispute again. I'll test you with jacks of ale." We tied; I won, nnd from that mo ment the quarrel was never mentioned. Next morning nine men were down with fevers, several others were un doubtedly sickening for them, aud the rest were so scared that they were pretty sure to catch the 111 on the first opportunity. There was no wind to drive the fetid mists awtiy, and so we had to get a boat and tow the Bristol Merchant up stream by our own exertions. Any thing ■was better than letting the men stand trembling In Idleness. But It was not till past midday that the stew ing nlr wns tempered with a breeze from the sea, which filled our sails aud gave us headway ngalnst the sluggish current. For tlvo days did wo tow, polo and fall through tills awful canal. Nino men died. Almost all were sick, and but for the promise of tlio pagan and the dread of Alec's pistol In the maga zine they would have turned the ship's beak to the sea again at any hazard. On the afternoon of the sixth day we opened out Into a broad, clear flow ing river, and before nightfall we were anchored In a Hiuig little bay with a pile of bright colored fruits oil deck, whose luscious freMhness tempted the men to bravo a sudden death from overeating. None, however, was any the worse for thin change of diet, though the sur geon shook his head and suggested a (rood bloodletting all arouud as a pre ventive of posnihle evils. The sick men, except one who was too far gone to recover, memled i\n though under a spell. lulling our voyage up the mighty stream we were able to revel In fresh meat, too, for- the forests abounded In game, and the Devon and Somerset icen, who lind poached scores of noble stags on brown, boggy f&xmoor. sent their cloth yard arrows and the crous l>ow bolts Into many a line water buck lis he came from the deep covora, to gaze wonderlngly with Ills great eyes on the <1 range craft that was furrow ing the surface of Ills 'unfilled river. Ho fat venison stews smoked In the mess kids, and tough, brine fosslled bee I became but a distant memory. The navigation was easy, but slow Alee was emitjouv aliijiit going ti »i fast for fear «>r pleL'ng up a shoal and get ting tightly luibeiUlcd oil It, so he kept the snip uncier easy canvas, very orxeu brailing up our courses altogether, un less there seemed every prospect of a Jeep fairway. Thirty-four days of this easy progress brought us to the great cataract which barred our farther advance. The pa gan had told us jf it beforehand, and we heard the tbinder of the waters a full day l»efore we rose them. Anx t i'.is. however, to satisfy ourselves that rlie b.irrier really was impassable, we held uu until the current grew too strong to force the ship against it un der s::il alone, and then we bore away into a vast lagoon on the northern bank, formed by the back swirl from the fall, and dropped our anchor in the midst of it CHAPTER X. Next sunrise saw 50 of us ashore. We took nothing with us but our arms and accouterments, trusting to the wealth of the forest to provide us with all necessary provender by the way. Of the 101 men who had sailed out of Bristol river 24 had died, aud the re maining 2L who were all weak from various ills, were left behind to guard the Bristol Merchant till our return. "You will be quite safe," said Alec to them as they stood about the ship to watch our departure, "if you keep a bright lookout. There's small chance of men disturbing Merchant in her present berth, and callers won't be so frequent as to be a nuisance. If you do have a visit from any one of the pagan tribes, try kindness first, and, if that fails, cannon. How long we may be gone I cannot say, but wait for us here three years at the least. You are in a land of plenty. The shores teem with duck and deer, the waters ripple with tish. the trees of the forest are bending with their load of fruit. Take. then. God's gifts that are offered, hold [teace among yourselves, keep your culverins loaded, and no 111 can befall you or your ship save old age and the ordinary maladies of life." The men on the ship raised a cheer. We answered them from the shore. And so we parted. There was no path through these vir gin forests, for the wild beasts that held them never retrod their own foot steps, and man had not as yet pene trated their solitudes. To force a pas sage was a work of time and Infinite ly hard labor. It was hew and hack, hack and hew, wherever the big trees flourished, for the llanes which every where abounded had woven themselves Into one solid mass of interlacing net work. It was like breaking through a never ending wall of the strongest wlckerwork, and I rather think that after the first 20 miles of this sort of tunneling many of our band of 5G en vied the lazy lot of the 21 who were left behind to guard the Bristol Mer chant On the second day out a piece of misfortune befell us which left us without the guide on whom we had re lied to lead us to the golden city. Our pagan allowed himself to be bitten by a venomous serpent and so died. It was like breaking our compass at sea, as without this brown fellow for guide we could only drift, wandering hither, wandering thither, up moun tains whose tops were capped with a hood of glistening snow, through ra vines where the surging waters hardly left us standing room, now making bridges of felled trunks, now twisting ropes of tough llanes, now killing a deer for dinner and now taking a great de light In rolling over a spotted jaguar who had marked one of us for his own meal. It was weary work, though, and there were times when we almost gave up the quest In despair, for often after a long day of painful hacking and hew ing we bad to go all the way back egalu to get round a swampy morass or a precipitous ravine. The disheart ening almlcssnesß of our toll went very near to quenching the fires of the gold en beacon which each man's hopes held up before his eyes. Occasionally we would come across a village of Carlbs or other savages, and, though they generally Bhowed fight at first, as soon as they learned that we were enemies to the Spaniards they at once became as friendly as pos sible. Job Trehalion was our Inter preter, for, having a fancy for giving orders to his servaut In his own lan guage, he hnd picked up a great deal of the pugan speech on the voyage out, and so now by a mixture of scrappy sentences and dumb show he was able to parley with the savages. As none of the rest of us knew a word of their talk, Job wns Immensely proud of his accomplishment, nnd by dint of prac ticing It on every possible occasion he eventually became quite a good Inter preter, or at least If he misinterpreted we were not competent to point out his errors. Weary, weary days they were, and utterly profitless seemed our search through these trackless forests. Every tribe of Indians we met made signs that they knew Manoa and willingly pointed out the direction In which they thought It lay, but a search always brought us to another village, whose Inhabitants would In their turn declare that the golden city lay In a wholly dif ferent direction. And so we were sent to the vnle be yond the mountain chnln, from It to (lie great river which lies half a moon'a journey toward the setting sun, from that to the fire mountain, whose snowy tippet never melts, and from thnt again toward the great northern sen. Weary, weary daysl But running through nil this concert of discouragement there was one re curring harmony which heartened us and kept us constnnt to our senrch. All the pagans with whom we spoke of the golden city gave the same tale In the main, though they garnished It with mi Infinitude of conflicting em bellishments. One would say that the king was white like us, another that he was bronze colored like themselves; this one might say that he ato flesh, aud that one would swear that his food was wholly vegetable, but all agreed that the city lay by a great lake or on an Island iu the midst of It aud that the worship of tlu* people somehow centered on the lake. And, greatest spur of all to us hungry gold hunters, nil earnestly affirmed thnt the treas ures of the city were beyond the power of man to count. And why should we disbelieve the tale? Cortes and bin eouciulstadorcs found Just such another city and Just such another worship In Mexico, as also did i'lzarro and his crew of ban dits in IVru. No Kuropeiin had ever trod those paths before tliem, and when their ships touched the shore of the now world they had no better evi dence than an Indian tale to show them what empires lay beyond. Were we to be more unbelieving «»r more far seeing than they and to declare that the great Inea the pagans told us about was a myth, a wltl-o'-the wisp or. worse still, a sorcerer who could vanish at his pleasure? We canvassed the question often over our evening entnpllre. \\ llllc I re hallon said we were fools and that we should well deserve a Spanish halter when at last we felt It challng our necks. But the rest of us believed i (,till and so held sturdily on. Thus we traveled and travailed for a year and seven months and a week and two days, till we came to a small valley, barren as a Norfolk sand bank and cut up by a brawling rivulet, which sprawled from side to side across it. The valley was bounded on either side by tall, frowning cliffs, which it would have puzzled a rat to climb, and it lay on the western flank of a range of mountains running north aud south, which we were trying to cross to what rumor said was the certain site of Manoa. on the opposite side. For a day and a half we tramped up this stopv desert and then came to a wall of rock at the head, so steep that the stream which leaped over'it was torn by the air fiends to frag ments in its fall aud dropped into the pool at the bottom as a rainbow stricken shower of shimmering mist. We looked round In dismay. Willie Trehalion took off his skin skullcap, laid It on a rock, sat down beside it and screwing his mouth up into a knot be gan to whistle dolefully. Job, as usual, grinned. Alec went forward to reconnoiter, hoping to tind some practicable spot, but in vain. "Back again" was the word, and with tightened belts, too, for our provisions were all consumed, and there was no chance of getting any more till we came again to the wooded country we had passed through two days before. Such a march, fasting, was enough to make the cheeriest of us shudder, but no one grumbled; there was noth ing to be gained by It. So with an empty feeling about the waistband and the comforting knowledge that that feeling would soon become a gnawing pain back we trudged, until we came to the pass where a narrow ledge of rock, jutting out from the steep cliff and overhanging the water, bad form ed our path on the way up. None but a sailor or a goat could have passed along it, and, as single file was impera tive, our procession was straggling. We were toilfully feeling our way along this dangerous mouse walk when a shout of dismay from In front told us that some accident had happened to the leaders. The Jutting elbow of rock prevented us from seeing what was wrong, but the word was quietly passed down the line that a large body of Spaniards held the open ground in which the track ended and had captur ed Alec (who was leading) with a noosed cord before he could draw Iron in his own defense. Willie Trehalion and I were bringing up the rear. The rest struggled back to us and asked what was to be done. "They call on us to surrender," said the lad who had been close on Alec's heels. "Knowing that there's no food here, en knowing we can't come to hobest blows," added Willie Trehalion, polish ing his head thoughtfully, "the dons lave us on the hip. Master Topp." "What do you advise, Willie?" said I. "Don't know." he answered. "I'd liefer die, though, than yield to the Spanish devils." "Quick, thcu!" I cried. "Follow me, those who dare, and let the rest guard the path." It was a desperate chance that I tried, but It was Just possible that lome of us might be able to flounder through the rocks and falls and rapids ind so come out on the Spaniards far ther down the river. If we could only ake them tinnwares from behind, we might get the better of them yet And *o, with 40 of the stout fellows after me, I slipped into the tearing current Sometimes we swam, sometimes we waded, sometimes we were borne along like so many helpless logs of wood, down cataracts and through eddies, Every trlhc of Indiana we met made sbjnt that they knew Manoa. and of those that escaped ifrowning flit were bruised aud battered till their flesh was like a jelly or their bones broke like water rotted twigs. And of the survivors, though It is wormwood even now to speak It, as the current carried their half drowued bodies ashore not one escaped instant or sub sequent capture (TO BK CONTINUED.] The IMnce of flir Hurl. Mrs. Mlnata Walter Myers, In her "Itooionce and Keallsm of the South ern Gulf Coast," gives au account of one of the last challenges to a duel which occurred In Louisiana. The af fair was between M. Marlgny, who be longed to one of the oldest families of LoulNlatiu, and a Mr. Humble, a Bturdy ex-blacksinltb of Georgia, who had be come a man of political consequence. M. Marlgny took offense at some re marks of the Georgian and sent him a rhallengo. The big ex blacksmith was nonplused. "I know nothing about tills 0' 'ling business," he said. "I will not fight him." "You must," said his frlcrul. "No gentleman can refuse." "I tin not a gentleman," replied tho honest son of Georgia. "I am only a blacksmith." "But you will bo ruined If you do not fight," urged his friends. "You will have the choice of weapons, and you can choose so as to give yourself an equal chance with your adversary." The giant asked time In which to consider the question and ended by ac cepting. He sent the follow! 04 reply to M. Marlgny: "I accept, and In the exercise of iny privilege, I stipulate that the duel shall take place In Lake I'ontchartraln, In six feet of water, sledge hammers to be used ns weapons." M. Marlgny was about live feet, eight Inches In height, and his adversary was seven feet. Tho conceit of the Georgian so pleased M. Marlgny, who could appreciate a Joke as well ns per petrate one, that he declared himself satisfied, and tho duel did not tako place. Rubber Neck—Now, what's the dif ference between the Atlantic and Pa cific oceans? Sage of the Nea —Tho United Slates. "Pa. I know that ma wants ine to be come a sleight of hand artist." remark ed the light of tho household, who was Just about to shift for himself. "Infinite rot!" stammered the dls gusted pater. "Well," was the reply, "she tells me 1 should learn always to keep some thing up my alcove." —Yonkera lleruld. No. 47 PEACH CULTURE. IVotea From One of sew Jtrfrj'n Moat! SorrrsNful Grower*. In a very practical paper read before, the New Jersey Horticultural sociot.rj Mr. S. S. Yoorbees advised concerning peacb orchards: At the time of setting trim off all the branches ami cut back the main stem, to about two feet. During the sum-j mer rub off the buds, allowing but oil© shoot to grow. The following spring leave live buds as near together as pos sible around this stem about 3VB feet from the ground. After that trim year ly aud when you think you have A'im ined sufficiently take off as much more. As the Irishman said. "Cut off the big limbs while they are small.'' There is little danger of trimming too much. Make tin- tree the shape of an egg with the big end up. If you trim thorough ly. there will be less need of thinning the fruit. 1-ast summer I picked 14 peaches that occupied as little space on the limb as in the basket. But the liuil) that bore the fruit was not cov ered by half a dozen other limbs. The fruit had room to develop, and every peach came to perfection. But thinning Is sometimes necessary. It Is a good rule that if there are 1,000 peaches on a tree to take off at least half. Three hundred peaches will make three baskets of medium sized fruit and five if they grow large. And your chances of getting large fruit are Increased by the thinning, which should be done In June before the pit begins to harden. If any one has the patience to pick off the surplus fruit. I would advise him to pick off that which hangs under the limbs, as that which grows above the limbs will stand bad weather much better. A much quicker way is to use a pole. One or two sharp blows against the larger limbs will cause the fruit to fall. I have found the hay rake the most effective means for removing the brush. Hake It to open spaces in or at the edge of the orchard and burn at once. If sufficient trimming is done each year, the removal of the brush will give little difficulty. Support FOP Tomatoes. Tomatoes need a benchlike support, so that the vines can spread out to the sun and air and yet be held up from the ground. An excellent plan Is WIRE A KITING SUPPORT FOR TOMATOES. shown in the cut from The Farm Jour nal. A low, wooden support like that shown la placed at Intervals of eight feet along the row, and across the top Is stretched two strips of 12 Inch wire poultry netting, leaving space between for plants to grow up through. Irrigation of Cabbajre, Etc. On a farm near Boston where celery, beets, lettuce, early cabbage and other market garden crops are irrigated es pecial success has been experienced in the Irrigation of early cabbage, accord ing to a writer In American Agricultur ist. It has been found that the first crop could be got off early and the ground wet for the seeds or plants for the second crop, thus securing two large crops in one season. Early cab bage is irrigated by flowing water be tween the rows. Mr. Stoddard's motto Is, "Wet thoroughly or not at all." He has doubled the early cabbage crop for several successive years, as proved by leaving a plot not irrigated, and has harvested the cabbage in time to set out celery- Honey Ptrkicn. Where extracted honey can be sold to consumers In CO pound lots not at fancy prices a wooden pall answers our purpose quite well. Enough of second hand candy pails may bo picked up during the summer at our different grocery stores to store several tons of honey. Their cost Is only 10 cents, and tliey need but little cleaning. I have used regular butter tubs for the same purpose. The wooden pall I would not till until the honey Is about ready to granulate. As soon as it is ■olid the covers may be nailed on and the net weight marked on each of the packages, when they will bo ready to ship, says F. Greluer In American Bee Journal. Fred For a Few Hods. The eastern farmer who keeps a few hogs to use up ills skimmllk and other farm waste does not wanl his hogs running about and usually has no more' pasture than he needs for his other Btock. But with a little labor he can have all the advantages of the pasture without Its Inconveniences. Let him take a small patch near the pig yard and sow a part of it with flat turnips. They may not be lit to send to market, but if they are wormy tho hogß will eat them and be glad of them. Then plant another part to sweet com and when the turnips are gone begin to cut up tho rorn and throw a handful Into the pen every day. Agricultural Brevities. Delaware and Maryland farmers have formed a farmers' produce asso ciation for the purpose of systematiz ing and economizing In the handling of fruits and vegetables aud to secure honest packing of every package of' produce IcaviDg their farms. Spray with parls green for canker worm in («pi.le orchards. The buckwheat crop Is said to be steadily decreasing In this country, and, one reason suggested for this Is the lar ger use within the past few years of cereal preparations, especially wheat. Side I.lKht* on Life. Conscience makes cowards of US all— unless we are lawyers. Some men rise because of their grav ity, and some sluk because of their lev ity. If you would keep your enemies from knowing any harm of you, don't let your friends know any. An old bachelor says that a man Is sometimes ininured by the same kind of extravagant dressing in a woman that he kicks about after murrlage.— Chicago News. Mint Tow n Men Need Rxerolie. When a farmer comes to town to at tend a circus, he brings his youngest team und ties It on the uialn street where the parade will pass. Then he goes (iff to enjoy himself, knowing that when the purade passes live or six town men will hold his horses.—Atchi son Globe. The Abunrdlty of It. "I tell you," said the practical clti sen, speaking with emphasis, "the se cret of permanent roads is"— "How did you get the Idea that I was interested In the subject of permanent roudsY" interrupted the paving con tractor, with a frosty smile.—Chicago Trlbuuu. <