Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-11-13
WeeSturp Ttller.
THE DOOM OF THE BRAVO.


the magnificent cathedral there, which, as is
well known, is superior in size, costliness and
architectural splendor to any other religious
edi6ce upon the Western Hemisphere.
After having spent several hours in wander.
ing about the interior, under the guidance OF
a bare. footed friar. who was privileged as one
of the exhibitors of the place, and whom l
had propitiated at the outset, by douceur
of four reals Gnstead of two, his usual per-
quisite), 1 was passing out into the plaza
still under his guidance, for | wished to ask
him some more questions concerning the nu-
merous statues ranged about the esplanade-
when my attention was attracted by large,
fiat tagging stone, scanned across by a zigzag
fracture, with rude inscription underneath
the broadest crack-"EL Hado del Bravo"
That was the purport of the inscription that
read on the stone, bending down to do So
for it was nearly efaced by the action OF the
weather, and perhaps the friction of thousands
of feet that had passed and repassed over it
since it was rudely chiseled there-and l then
turned an inquiring glance upon my guide.
"El Hado del Bravo" I repeated. "That
means in English, The Doom of the Bravo. ,
And pray, good padre, what does that refer
to?"
"Ah! senor," said he, smiling, "that omin-
GUS stone lettering is so much worn now that
few visitors find occasion to ask its meaning,
but there. is an old muleteer, accustomed to
loiter hereabouts on the plaza about this time
of day, whom, perhaps, it would be well tor
you to meet. He not only inscribed this as
you see it, many, many years ago, but would
be more than willing, for real or two, to
give you its history, which is terrible one in
its way. There he is now" he added, indica::
ting an old, decrepit and miserably ragged
man, who was lounging with an austere but
purposeless air, at the shady side of PUBLIC
fountain, not far away, in company with
large group of muleteers, water-carriers, fruit.
venders, and others, apparently as lazy and
contented as himself "Shall call him hilh.
er, senor?- Ohw he added, again smiling, as
he noticed my hesitation, 81 will only leave
you with old Gasco half an hour, and then
return to finish the task for which the senior
has already paid me so literally"
then signi6ed my assent, and the padre,
straightway summoned the old Mexican, who
came with great deal of alacrity, when he
had been given to understand that it would
be worth his while. .
"Si, senior it was my own hand that cut
those words in the stone there" said he, when
we were left alone. "But the sun fairly bis
ters here pray, come into the shadow Of those
sloes yonder, whence we can see the front of
the cathedral just as we'll, and will tell you
the story. Caramba but it burns even here"
he added, when | had followed him to the
shelter indicated. "Ah if I only had the
wherewithal for some cigarettes, how it would
refresh my memory now! But we muleteers
are so poor" ."
Ihastened to supply him with tobacco and
paper for smoking, and then rendered him
real, together with the intimation that he
should have another if he gave me his story
in detail and without exaggeration.
Nothing else was needed to set him going
with the regularity of music-box, and be-
tween the twisting and lighting of his ever.
lasting cigarettes there was scarcely an inter.
ruption to the old fellows narrative, which
was as follows:
"My name is Raphael Gasco, senior. You'd
hardly suspect it to look at me now, in my
rags and tatters, and with this skin of mine,
which more resembles smoked parchment
than real human skin, but it is nevertheless
true that on the 18th of April, just forty-six
years ago, was as handsome, hearty and
devil.may-care young caballero as one
would be likely to meet in days ride. Por
Dios! I was all that; and in spite of having
passed three of the best years of my life In
the convict silver mines of chihuahua
II got sent up there, together with fellow
convict and ancient comrade of mine named
Pedro Valdemar, for having engaged in
sort of individual revolutionary movement,
which the authorities we're stupid enough to
misconstrue into a highway robbery. But,
caramba we won't split hairs about it at
this late day. Pedro and l were rivals as
we'll as friends. That is, we were both in
love with Carmen Corea, beautiful Mexi-
cana, whose father used to keep pretty little
posade on the Vera Cruz road. was the
more fortunate, and Carmen and were one
day married.
II was arrested so soon after my marriage
as at first to make me suspect that Pedro had
given information against me out of jealousy
and pique, for he had been my only comrade
in the little revolutionary affair that was
proving so troublesome.
were both subsequently convicted and sent to
the mines together, l thought had wronged
him in my thoughts, and we shook hands cor
daily over our shackles, and became chums
as of old-hoping, despairing, groaning and
suffering together, through thick and thin, as
miserable convicts will.
"It was only after we had tried to escape
together that l became convinced of his
reachery-convinced that he had even shared
my penalty for the fendish pleasure of seeing
me suffer at his side.
awe had been filing at our fetters secretly
for many days, so that at the last sturdy
wrench would break the links, and had fixed
upon the evening of a certain feast day, when
our guards would be apt to have their atten.
tion diverted by solemn procession that was
to pass near where we were at work, as the
time when we would vamose.
"Everything worked like charm. The
church bells were tolling, the priests were
chanting, and vast crowd attended the holy
procession that was sweeping along the noun
tain road, near the sluices in which we were
working the ore, when Pedro and | shed our
irons like fash, leaped into a neighboring
ravine, and made rush for the wilderness,
without being at once observed. The alarm
of our flight was quickly sounded, however,
and we had the prison guards and soldiers
after US, pell-mell.|
"Caracco! how we ran! But, just as we
were turning a sharp turn in the hollow, with
Pedro little in the advance, we suddenly
came upon small guard-house, of which we
had been wholly unaware, and trio of SEN
tries waiting to receive us. They were with