The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-05-14

z frequently applied to the garruIous
Indian to discredit any thing he may
say. Surely one would have to be very
credulous to believe some of them.
The legends are worthy Of repetition
from their richness in imagination, if
from no other cause.
| Let the reader imagine himself
| beneath some wide-spreading tepi-
guage. to avoid the fierce rays of a
! tropical sun; with the handicapped
Los Frailes, Ell Cerro Pelon and Qua
guento, looking like earth's gigantic
sentinels, or towers reaching up to the
skies, and a white-haired Indian guide
relating strange stories of Reals Peri
dos, and he will have some feelings
similar to the writer's.
My narrator was an old Indian
named Ramirez, whose chief oocupa-
ton was guiding tourists and miners
who visit this almost unknown part of
the world. Ramirez had RECALLED him
self with drink of pnlque, which is
the favorite beverage Of Mexico, and
lighted an antique pipe which seemed
to afford him infinite satisfaction. His
bronzed skin contrasted strangely with
his white jacket and trousers, and i'm
mense sombrero on the ground at his
/ side, Ramirez was half sitting and
half reclining on the ground, lazily
watching the donkeys and mustang,
lariatted short distance away. |
! don't know that the old rascal ever en-
| joyed himself better, while / was IN |
constant dread lest some wild mountain |
| brigands, who infest the Sierra Madre |
might suddenly appear from some con-
venient chaparral and deprive me of |
the few reals and pesetas of silver /
possessed, or take away our animals |
and arms, leaving us helpless in the |
mountain wilds. Ramirez seemed to |
have no concern about the wild |
marauders, and took matters as coolly |
as if he had beenin the heart of civiliza-
ton. To my urgent requests to 90 on,
he answered.:
'tDon't be in too great haste, senior;
we can not reach them before night
fall. 1t is never safe to travel when |
the sun is so hot We will be able to
pass the night on the top of Quaguento,
from which you can get good view of
the Vermillion Sea-.
81 have almost given up the idea of |
exploring the canyons, Ramirez I
said, for having heard so many stories
of the wild robbers, was afraid to
venture too near those dangerous
looking places.
'Why, senor?" asked Ramirez, fix
ing his great dark eyes on me.
II am afraid of these mountain rob-
bers who Turk in the canyons.
''Well, sometimes the pronunciados
do get among these canyons, but we
are more likely to find prospectors,
hunting for the Reals Perdidos . Encan-
tadOs, They are harmless and would
help u.s. After moments pause,
with sigh he continued: 81 may not
be the one, but whoever he is, he will |
be rich"
"What do you mean?" | asked.
"Whoever finds the enchanted towns
will be rich"
care you SO foolish as to believe any
thing of the kind exsts?" / asked in
no little amazement.
He opened his eyes. and for few
moments [ never saw such a complete
picture of astOnlshment and indigna-
ton. At last removing his pipe the
Aztec said:
81 am very SONY senior said that. 1t
shows that much as may be known of
other countries, nothing is known of
Mexico, or the history of the Aztecs.
The Reals Perdidos are true"
mining towns may be lost" I
answered, "and doubtless are. They
may be buried beneath land-slides,
earthquakes, and sometime in the |
future be dug out; but | greatly fear |
that they will never pay for the dlscoy-
cry if found. AS to there being en-
chanted towns and cities, inhabited or
uninhabted, believe that to be wholly
myth. "
Though using the best Mexican at
my command, | am vet in doubt |
whether the old Aztec fully understood |
me. He seemed, however, to catch
the drift of my idea, and as if to con-
vince the most skeptical mind, pro-
posed to narrate one of those strange
legends AS had heard many before,
and knew that while they abounded in
the extravaganza, they were rich in in
cident, consented to listen to another
1t would be fully three hours before
the lazy guide could be induced to stir
from beneath the tepiguage, so the
time might as well be passed IN story
telling as in any other way. His story
was of one of these enchanted cities, and |
hidden orange groves. here give it
as near as | can remember it. The
translation may not be literal, but in
substance it is the same.
''Many years ago when the children
of the sun ruled this part of the world,
while the grandfather of Montezuma
was on the throne there was a young |
man of noble birth in his court. He
was brave, and one of the Kings best |
Generals. His name was Heraclio, |
and wherever he led the armies of |
Montezuma, they were successful. This
Heraclio possessed very violent tenn
per, and when in rage was terrible. A
witch of the mountains cautioned him
when he was child to restrain his |
temper, or it would not only prove his |
ruin, but the destruction of Mexico |
He was so proud and naughty that he
held even the King in defiance Suae-
ly the Monarch would not dare punish
one so powerful and influential as he. |
1uC AlilS uttu UCcu 1T Wal Will SOL1C |
northern tribes and had succeeded in
humiliating them, and compelling
them to pay tribute. Heraclio returned |
laden with spoils and honors. and a
great banquet was given in honor
of him, in the piazza in front of the
Kings palace. He was honored as
no General had. ever been, and made
one of the Kings chief advisers. There |
was poor slave whom Heraclio bitterly
hated. He purchased the slave, who
had been captured in war. and made
his life miserable. Before his capture
the young man had been Prince, and
it was his bravery which had won the
lasting hate of Heraclio. He finally
had the captive Prince dragged to the
mountain and there chained to tree.
He beat him with stick until he was
bruises from head to foot. Then he |
had the vultures come day by day, and |
devour his flesh as fast as it grew. |
l