Part 25 (2/2)

While the storht suddenly there was a shout fro!' was the cry

It was only too true A glance upwards told us this We got into the open air just in tireat h the rain still came down in torrents and the thunder roared and rattled over and around us, no further shock of earthquake was felt Fear fled then, and we made a rush for the house once more Moncrieff reached the casee lantern This ain immediately

'The ants! the ants!' he shouted in terror

Moncrieff had one glance into the room, as if to satisfy hi hands of the Gaucho and held it up, and the sight that et The whole room was in possession of myriads of black ants of enor--walls, furniture, and floor--with one dense and awful pall

The roo

Here was indeed the blackness of darkness Yes, and it was a darkness too that could be felt Of this I had a speedy proof of a lad to hand the lantern back and seek for safety in the rain again

Luckily the sitting-room door was shut, and this was the only roohts had been lit in the drawing-rooht of retiring that night The vague fear that so in our an to strean in the blue sky that so fearful a storreat violence been done about the farmyards by the earthquake

Many of the cattle that had sought shelter beneath the trees had been killed, however; and in one spot we found the e chestnut-tree had been struck and co hundreds of pounds being scattered in every direction over the field

Earthquakes are of common occurrence in the province of Mendoza, but seldo, and rain as we had on this occasion It was this de words of the Indian seer, which had caused the panic a our worthy Gaucho servants But the seer had been a false prophet for once, and as the Gauchos seized him on this same day and half drowned him in the lake, there was but little likelihood that he would prophesy the destruction of Mendoza again

Mendoza had been almost totally destroyed already by an awful earthquake that occurred in 1861 Out of a population of nearly sixteen thousand souls no less than thirteen thousand, we are told, were killed--sed up by the yawning earth Fire broke out afterwards, and, as if to increase the wretchedness and sad condition of the survivors, robbers from all directions--even froe it But Mendoza is now built almost on the ashes of the destroyed city, and its population regate

With the exception of a few losses, trifling enough to one in Moncrieff's position, the whole year was a singularly successful one Nor had my brothers nor I and the other settlers any occasion to coht indeed

Nor did the future belie the present, for ere another year had rolled over our heads we found ourselves in a fair way to fortune We felt by this tihly acclie ere, some would say, mere lads; in experience ere already men

Our letters fro description, with the exception of Townley's to aunt He had ress in his quest Not that he despaired Duncan M'Rae was still absent, but sooner or later--so Townley believed--poverty would bring hi of this did norance of anything and everything that our old tutor had done or was doing

True, the events of that unfortunate evening at the old ruin soreatest sorroasbound down by oath to keep what seemed to me the secret of a villain--a secret that had deprived our family of the estates of Coila, had deprived my parents--yes, that was the hard and painful part For, strange as itfor myself So enamoured had I become of our new ho to return to the cohland scenery I must not be considered unpatriotic on this account, or if there was a decay of patriotis cli at ti that the heart of young men could desire? On ood soldier M'Rae away fro a tear to the eyes of that beautiful and engaging girl, I would rather, I thought, that the dark waters of the laguna should close over my head for ever

Besides, dear father was happy His letters told me that He had even come to like his city life, and he never wrote a word about Coila

Still, the oath--the oath that bound me! It was a dark spot inthat question over one day Could an oath forced upon any one be binding in the sight of Heaven? I ran off to consult reat bay hest _estancia_ canal--the canal that fed the whole systeation Here I joined hi more improvements, Moncrieff?' I asked

He did not speak for ai it would be well, in our orra[11] then this embank that during some awful storm, with maybe a bit shock of earthquake, it were to burst here or hereabouts, don't you see that the flood would pour right down upon the mansion-house, and clean it almost from its foundations?'