tailieunhanh - The Rover of the Andes

A Tale of Adventure in South America. At the Foot of the Mountain Range. Towards the close of a bright and warm day, between fifty and sixty years ago, a solitary man might have been seen, mounted on a mule, wending his way slowly up the western slopes of the Andes. Although decidedly inelegant and unhandsome, this specimen of the human family was by no means uninteresting. He was so large, and his legs were so long, that the contrast between him and the little mule which he bestrode was ridiculous. He was what is sometimes styled “loosely put. | The Rover of the Andes Chapter One. A Tale of Adventure in South America. At the Foot of the Mountain Range. Towards the close of a bright and warm day between fifty and sixty years ago a solitary man might have been seen mounted on a mule wending his way slowly up the western slopes of the Andes. Although decidedly inelegant and unhandsome this specimen of the human family was by no means uninteresting. He was so large and his legs were so long that the contrast between him and the little mule which he bestrode was ridiculous. He was what is sometimes styled loosely put together nevertheless the various parts of him were so massive and muscular that however loosely he might have been built up most men would have found it rather difficult to take him down. Although wanting in grace he was by no means repulsive for his face which was ornamented with a soft flaxen beard and moustache of juvenile texture expressed wonderful depths of the milk of human kindness. He wore boots with the trousers tucked into them a grey tunic or hunting coat belted at the waist and a broad-brimmed straw hat or sombrero. Evidently the times in which he travelled were troublous for besides having a brace of large pistols in his belt he wore a cavalry sabre at his side. As if to increase the eccentricity of his appearance he carried a heavy cudgel by way of riding-whip but it might have been observed that however much he flourished this whip about he never actually applied it to his steed. On reaching a turn of the road at the brow of an eminence the mule stopped and letting its head droop till almost as pendent as its tail silently expressed a desire for repose. The cavalier stepped off. It would convey a false impression to say that he dismounted. The mule heaved a sigh. Poor little thing murmured the traveller in a soft low voice and in a language which even a mule might have recognised as English you may well sigh. I really feel ashamed of myself for asking you to carry such a mass of .