Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1883-09-13
Well! we'll = exclaimed Fovney.-

Mr.. Brett-the other American
stepped forward to meet them, and
said in Spanish
'Buenos dias, senorr Good morn
ing sir y What can we do for YOU: ?
Instead Of returning the salutation,
as most Mexicans politely do, what
ever their errand, the man pointed
angrily to the stumps and brush OF
the two trees, and began long, loud
TRADE, which the poems chorused with
conlirmatory grunts.
Our two countrymen knew enough
Spanish to understand some portion
of what the Mexicans was saying
and they readily recognized the
words arboles (trees), corta (cut), and
danos damages
i 1t was plain that their handsome
,ly-dressed yisitant felt aggrievcd, and
was demanding damages for the two
little lilac ash trees. The two Amer
leans could hardly keep from laugh
ing. Such a cavalcade and such a
fuss about so mere Il trihe. They We're
willing enough to pay for the wood,
'Esta hien, said Brett, with di!li-
Guilty retaining grave face Can
ri5ht). Quanto?' How much y
But their faces heightened when
they heard the mans demand. re
their amazement he exclaimed, pom
pously:
Dos cicntos, pesos 1.-TWO hun
dyed dollars J
They could not believe it. You
want two dollars ? said Forncv.
NO, scnorcs | want two hundred
! dollars, and two hundred will have
cried the Mexican, most emphatiral-
| ly; and at the same moment he made
a sign to his pocns, who closed round
| the two Americans, carbines in hand
Our friends hardly knew what turn
to give the affair. The demand was
outrageous. They had hardly that
amount Of money by them. To resist
by force of arms, in that remote spot,
was out of the question. Not a little
disturbed, they attempted to remon-
strate with the fellow but their in
lign,,nt objections were met by Il GEN
crAl coc..ing Of guns on the part OF
the poems, who evidently waited but
Il mol from their master to shoot.
viii You pay me- was the per
cmptory question of their captor.
We cannot. Brett replied.
Come along with me, then, was
the next equally peremptory reqnlSi-
ticn: and making virtue of necessi-
ty our tN friends went along us bid
den.
They walked about three miles,
vixen they came to a rancho upon a
hacienda (rstate) of which their cap
Tor WAS apparently the proprietor. =
The buildings were surrounded by a
high wall, or corral. of adobcs
When they had entered within the
inclosure the Mexican repeated his
demand for two hundred dollars. =
They told him they could not pay it,
Very we'll was the response You
will stay with me till you do
Whereupon he ordered them into one
Of the low stone buildings with barred
windows.
The idea of being shut up as pris,
oners in such a hole was SO rcpugnant
to both that after consulting together
they determined to pay the two hum
drel dollars and trust to fortune to
get out Of the country.
They accordingly handed over the
money-thoush they had barely
eight dollars lett-and were allowed
to depart without further plucking
Indeed, the Mexican's success put
him in such good humor that, after
the customary formula of Spanish po-
liteness, he asked them to come again
to visit him, saying that his house
and all in it WAS theirs
On their part they would not allow
him the satisfaction Of observing their
chagrin, and they very courteously
and good-humoredly bade him good
day and adios (good.hye
They went back to their camp and
looked at their two-hundrcd- dollar
stakes-as philosophically as they
could. But whatever view they took
Of the matter, the fact vas before