"We halted for the night," continued Frank, "at a hut called Guarda Vieja, or 'Old Guard,' where we found scanty herbage for the mules and poor shelter for ourselves. The animals were fed with the last ration of grain that had been brought for their use. Federico said there was no further need to keep it, as the next forenoon would take us to an abundance of food for man and beast. We supped heartily, and rejoiced to think we should sleep the next night in Santa Rosa, unless prevented by accident.
"Near this place was the scene of one of the battles in the struggle which made Chili independent of the mother country. Revolutionists, under General San Martin, crossed the mountains from the Argentine side, and were exhausted with the fatigue of their long march and privations, while the Spaniards were fresh, and had a good position. The battle resulted in the defeat of the Spaniards, notwithstanding the advantages in their favor.
"Descending from this point, we found the road in some places a mere shelf on the side of the mountain, hanging over a furious torrent that rushes along far below. In one place the sides of the chasm are not more than fifteen feet apart; this spot is called 'The Soldier's Leap,' and the tradition is that, in the battle I have just mentioned, one of the Spanish soldiers escaped from his enemies by springing from one cliff to the other.
"At one place we crossed a chasm by a suspension bridge that shook beneath us at every step. When the wind blows up the valley the bridge sways so much that its passage is absolutely dangerous, and the traveller must wait till the blast is over. There was just a gentle breeze when we arrived, and Federico said it was safe enough to venture across, but we must be careful where we placed our feet.
BRIDGE OF THE APURIMAC.
"It was almost identical with the bridge of the Apurimac, described by Mr. Squier in his work on Peru, as it was constructed of the same materials, and was about one hundred and fifty feet wide. There were four cables—two of twisted withes of a very tough and flexible plant, and two of braided rawhide. The latter were smaller than the others, and served partly for supports and partly to prevent a passenger from going over the side. The floor is of sticks and canes laid transversely, and also parallel with the length of the bridge, so that it looks like a sort of very coarse matting.
