Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-11-19

20 in with you. You will have to get money
to work the minc--you will need funds. You
shall share half with them They will take
the risk, raise the money, and protect YOU
~ see, y said Concho nodding his head and
winlung his eyes rapidly. Bucno"
81 will return in ten minutes said the
doctor, taking his nat.
He was as good as his word. In ten min
utcs he returned with six original locatcrS, n
board of directors, president secretary, and
n deed of incorporation of the "l}ue Mass
Quicksilver Mining Co." This latter was a
delicate compliment to the doctor, who wa,
popular. The president added to these ncccs-
sary articles a revolver.
"Takc it." he said, handing ovcrthe weapon |
to Concho. Take it; my horse is outside; |
take that, ride like Ill and hang ON to the
claim until we Gomez
In another moment Concho was in the sad |
die Then the mining director lapsed into |
the physician.
Il hardly know" said DR.. Guild, doubt |
fully, "if, in your present condition, you
ought TO travel You have just taken pow
crful medicine and the doctor looked hypo-
critically concerned.
"Ah,-the dcvil!' laughed Concho, what is
the quicksilver that is in to that which is outf
Hoopa, la Mula" and with clatter Of hoof,
and jingle of spurs he was presently lost in
the darkness
"You were none to soon Gentlemen. said the
American al,ade, as he drew up before the
doctors door. "Another company has just
been incorporated for the same location,
reckon"
"Who are they
"Three Mcxicans-Pcdro, Manuel and Mis-
uel-headed by that id cock-eyed Sydney
duck Wiles.'
Are they herc:'
Emanuel and Miguel, only. The others
are over at Tres Pnos lally-gaging Roscom-
mon and trying to rope him III to pay off their
whisky bills at his grocery"
"If that's so we needn't start before sunrise,
for they're sure to get roaring drunk"
And this legitimate successor Of the grave
Mexican alcaldes, having thus delivered his
impartial opinion, rode away.
Meanwhile, Concho the redoubtable. Concho
the fortunate. spared neither RATA nor spur.
] IL
times even dangerous, and Concho. familiar
as he WIS with these mountain businesses,
often regretted his sure-footed Francisquta
| Care not O ConCho,' he would say to him
self "'tis but little while, only IA little while,
and thou shalt have another Francisquita to
bless thee Eth, shipiack, there was fine music
to thy dancing. a dollar for an omce-tis
as good as silver, and merrier" Yet for all
his good spirits he kept a sharp lookout at
certain bends of the mountain trail; not for
assassins or brigands, for Concho was lhysi-
cally courageous but for the Evil one who. in
various forms, was said to lurk in the Santa
Cruz rang, to the great discomfort of all true
Catholics He recalled the incident of Iana-
clio, muleteer of the Franciscan friarS, who,
stopping at the Angeus to repeat the credo.
saw Luzbel plainly in the likeness of a mon
strouS grizzly bear, mocking him 10y sitting
on his launches and lifting his paws, clasped
together, as if in prayer. Nevertheless, with
one hand prasping the rcins and his rosary
and the other clutching his whisky flask and
revolver, he Jared on SO rapidly that he
reached the summit as the earlier StrcakS of
dawn We're outlining the farof Sierran
peaks lettering his horse on strip of
table land, he descended cautiously afoot I'M
til he reached the bench, the wall of red rock
and the crumblcd and dSmantled furnace 1t
was as he had left it that morning; there was
no trace of recent human visitation Revolver
in hand Concho examined every cave, gully
and recess, pecred behind trees, penetrated
copses of buckeye and manzanita. and listened
There was no sound but the faint soughng
of the wind over the pines below him. For a
while he paced backward and forward with Il
vague sense Of being Il sentinel, but his mcr-
curial nature soon rebeled against this mo
notony, and soon the fatigues of the day began
to tell upon him. Recourse To his whisky
flask only made him the brewster, until at
last he was fain to lie down and roll himself
up tightly in his blanket. The ncy5 moment
he was sound asleep,
His horse neighcd twice from the summit
but Concho heard him not. Then the brush
cracked on the ledge above him, a small frag-
mcnt of rock rolled near his feet but he stirred
not. And then two black figures were out
lined ON the crags beyond
"St-t-t'' whispered voice There is one
lying beside the furnace The speech was
Spanish, but the voice was Wiles'.
The other figure crept cautiously to the
edge of the crag and looked over, 1T is
Concho, the imbecle, said Pedro, contemptu-
ously
But if he should not be alone, or if he
should wakcn.'
Il will watch and wait. Go you and afiix
the notification
Wies disappeared. Pedro began to creep
down the face of the rocky ledge, supporting
himself 10y chcmsal and brushwood
The next moment Pedro stood beside the
unconscious man. Then he looked cautiously
around The figure of his companion was
lost in the shadow of the rocks above: ONLY a
slight cracke of brush betrayed his where
abouts, suddenly Pedro flung his scrape
over the slccperShead, and then throw hi,
powerful frame and tremendous weight full