Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1875-12-31

pupil, Jailed utterly III That marvellous up
stroke when her patron stood beside her,
Gradually. d strust, suspicion, self-accusa-
ton and timidity took the place Of trust
confidence and security throughout San
Carlos. Wherever the Right Eye of the
commander fell, a shadow fell " it'll it.
Nor was Salvatierra entirely free from
the baleful influence of his miraculous ac.
QUESTION Unconscious of it's effect upon
others, he only saw in their action evil
dence of certain thi gs that the crafty Pc
leg had limited on that eventful Ne,t Years
eve His most trusty retainers STAN
nlered, blushed and faltere1 before him.
Self accusations. confession Of minor faults
and delinquencies, or extravaganza excuses
and apologies, met his mildest inquiries
The very children that he loved-his pet
pupil, Paquta seemed to be conscious OF
some hidden sin. The. result of this con-
slant irritation showed itself M re plainly.
For the first half year the commander 8
voice and eye were at variance. He was
still kind, tender and thoughtful in speech.
Gradually, however. his voice took upon
itself the harsllness of his glance and its
skeptical impressive equality, and when the
year again neared it's close it was plain that
the commander had fitted himself to the eye,
and not the eye to the commander.
1t may be surmised that these changes
did not escape the watchfu, solicitude of
the Fathers. Indeed, the few who were
first to ascribe the right eye of Salvatierra
to miraculous origin and to the special
grace of the blessed San Carlos, now
talked openly Of witchcraft, and Of the
agency Of Luzbel, the evil one. 1t would
have Jared ill with Hermeneglido Saliva
terra had he been aught but comm ander,
or amenable to local authority. But the
reverend father, Friar Manuel De Cortes,
had no power over the political eXecu-
tive; and all attem is at spiritual advice
failed signally. He retired, b filed and
confused, from his first interview with the
commander, who seemed now to take a
grim satisfaction i'll the fateful power of
his glance The holy father contradicted
himself, exposed the fallacies Of his own
arguments, and even, it is asserted, COM
mitted himself to several undoubted here
sizes. When the commander stood up at
mass, the officiating priest that caught that
skeptical and searching eye service was in
evitably ruined. Even the power Of the
holy church seemed to be lost, and the last
hold upon the affections of the people and
the good order of the settlement departed
from San Carlos.
AS the long. dry summer passed, the low
hills that surrounded tie white walls of
the Preside grew more and more TO re-
semble in hue the leathern jacket of the
commander; and nature himself seemed
to have borrowed his hard, dry glare. The
earth was cracked and scanned with
drought. A blight had fallen upon the Or
ehards and vineyards: and the rain long
delayed and .ardently prayed for, came not.
The sky was as fearless as the right eye OF
the commander. Murmurs Of d.scsntent,
INSTRUMENTATION and plotting among the
Indians, reached his ears. He only set his
teeth more firmly, frightened the knot of
his black silk handkerchief, and looked up
his Toledo.
The last day Of the year 1877 found the
commander sitting, at the hour of evening
PRAYER, alone in the guard room. He no
longer attended the services of the holy
church, but c:ept away at such times to
some solitary spot where he spent the inter
val in silent meditation The freight
played upon the low beams and rafters,
but left the bowed figure of Salyatierra in
darkness. Sitting thus, he felt small
h md touch his arm, and looking down,
saw the figure of Paquta, his little Indian
pupil, at his knee. ''Ah :! littlest OF all -
said the commander, with something Of
his old tenderness lingering over the en-
dearing diminutlves OF his native speech.
'tSweet one what dost thou here Are
thou not afraid Of him whom every one
shuns and fears ?''
nNo!" said tire little Indian, readily
snot in the dark. I hear your voice
the old voice; feel your touch-the old
touch but / see not your eye, Senior Com
mandante. That only fear. And that,
oh Senior! oh, my fatherl" said the child,
lifting her little arms TOWARD his, ''that l
know is not thine own"
The commander shuddered and turned
away. Then, recovering himself, he kissed
Paquita grayely on the forehead and babe
her retire. A few hours later, when 81
lence had fallen upon the Piesidio, he
sought his own couch and slept peacefully
At about the middle watch Of the night
dusky figure crept through the low en-
brasure of the commanders apartment.
Other figures are fitting through the pa
rade ground. which the commander might
have seen had he not slept so quietly. The
intruder stepped noiselessly to the couch,
and listened to the sleeper's deep drawn
respiration. Something glittered in the
freight as the savage lifted his arm.
Another moment and the sore perpiexities
of Hermenegido Salvatierra would have
beeu over, when suddenly the savage start.
ed and fell back in a paroxysm of terror,
The commander slept peacefully. but his
right eye, widely opened, fixed aud unal
tered, glared eoldIy on the would-be assas
sin. The man fell to the earth in fit
and the noise awoke the sleeper To rise
to his feet, grasp his sword and deal blows
thick and fast upon the mutinous savagef
who now filled the room, was the work ut
moment. Help OPPORTUNITY arrived, and
the undisciplined Indians were speedily
driven beyond the walls. But in the scuf
Ae the commander received blow upoI
the right eye, and lifting his hand to that
mysterious organ it was gone Never
AGAIN was it found, and never again fol