Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-09-26

Concho rose to his feet.
Tell me, was the rock you built your fur
mace of redP
"Si, Senor."
"And brownr'
"Si, Senor."
GAnd crumbled under the heat"
"As to nothing"
"And did you SEQ much of this red rockp
"The mountain mother is in travail with it.
"Are you sure that your comrades have not
taken possession of the mountain mother?'
GAS how?'
@By claiming its discovery under the min
ing laws, or by preemptionF"
"They shall not"
"But how will you, single banded, fight the
four; for l doubt not your scientific friend
has a hand in itF"
~ will fight"
yes, my Uoncno, but suppose l take the
fight off your hands. Now, here's a propo-
| sition: l will get half a dozen Americanos to
go in with you. You will have TO get money
to work the mine-you will need funds. You
shall share half with them. They will take
| the risk, raise the money, and protect you"
II see" said Concho, nodding his head and
winking his eyes rapidly. Buenol"
Il will return in ten minutes" said the
doctor, taking his hat.
He was as good as his word. In ten min
utes he returned with six original l~ocaters, a
board Of directors, u president, secretary, and
a deed of Incorporation of the "Blue Mass
Quicksilver Mining Co" This latter was a
delicate compliment to the doctor, who was
popular. The president added to these peceS-
sary articles a revolver.
"Take it" he said, handing over the weapon
to ConchO. "Take it; my horse is outslde'
take that, ride like HI and hang on to the
claim until we comet"
In another moment Concho was in the sad
die. Then the mining director lapse. into
tho physician.
II hardly know" said DIR. Guild, doubt
fully, off, in your present condition, you
ought to travel. You have just taken n pow
erful medicine" and the doctor looked hypo'
critically concerned.
"Ah,-the devil" laughed Concho, "what is
the quicksilver that is ia to that which, is outs
Hoopa, la Mula!' and, with n clattcr of hoofS
and Jingle of spurs, he vas presently lost in
the darkness.
"You were none to soon gentlemen, said the
American alcalde, as he drew up before the
doctors door. "Another company has just
been incorporated for the same location, ]
reckon"
"WhO are they!'
"Thrco Mexicans-Pedro, Manuel and Mig
uel-headed by that id cock-eyed Sydney
duck, Wiles."
"Are they hcre!"
manuel and Miguel, only. The Others
are over at Tres Pinos lally-gagng Roscom,
mon and trying to rope him intopay 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 hi:
impartial opinion, rode away.
Meanwhile, Concho the redoubtable, Concht
the fortunate, spared neither RATA nor spur
The way was dark, the trail obscure and a:
times even dangerous, and Concho, familiar
as he was with these mountain Businesses,
often regretted his surC-footed FranciSquita,
Care not, O Concho," he would say 10 him,
self, "'tis but a little while, only q little while,
and thou shalt nave another Francisquita 10
bless thee. Eth, shipjack, there was fine music
to thy dancing. y dollar for all ounce-'tis
us good as silver, and merrier." Yet for all
his good spirits he kept n sharp lookout at
certain bends of the mountain trail; not for
aSSasSins or brigandS, for Concho was physi,
cally courageous but for the Evil one, who, in
various forms, was said TO lurk in the Santa
Cruz range, to the great discomfort of all true
Catholics. He recalled the incident of Igna,
clio, a muleteer of the Franciscan friars, who,
stopping at the AngeluS to repeat the credo,
strous grizzly bear, hooking him by sitting
on his launches and lifting his paws, clasped
together, as if in prayer. Nevertheless, with
one hand graSping the reins and his rosary
and the other clutching his whisky flask and
revolver, be Jared on so rapidly that he
reached the summit as the earlier streaks OF
dawn were outlining the far-off Sierra1
peaks. lettering his horse on a strip Of
table land, he descended cautiously Rfoot un
til he reached the bench, the wall Of red rocl
and the crumbled and diSmantled furnace. II
was as he had left it that morning; there wa,
no trace of recent human visitation. Revolver
in hand, Concho examined every cave, gully
and recess, peered behind trees, penetrated
copses of buckeye and m~anzanita, and listened
There was no sound but the faint soughinl
of the wind over the pines below him For {
while he paced backward and forward with
vague sense of being a sentinel, but his mer
curial nature soon rebeled against this mo
notony, and soon the fatigueS of h eday begar
to tell upon him. Recourse to his whisky
flask only made him the brewster, until a
last he was fain to lie down and roll himself
up tightly in his blanket. The next moment
he was sound asleep.
His horse Weighed twice from the summit
but Concho heard him not Then the bruSl
cracked on the hedge above him, a smaIl frag
ment of rock rolled near his feet, but he stirreC
not And then two black figures were out
lined on the crags beyond.
SSt-t-tI" whispered q voice. There is on
lying beside the furnace" The speech wa
Spanish, but the voice was Wiles'.
The other figure crept cautiously to tn
edge of the crag and looked over. ut i
Concho, the imbecile, said Pedro, contemptu
ously.
But if be should not be alone, or If b,
should wakenF'
Il viii watch and wait Go you and afi1
the notification"
Wies disappeared Pedro began to cree
down the face Of the rocky ledge, supporting
himself by chemiSal and brushwoOd.
The next moment Pedro stood beside thu
unconscious man. Then he looked cautiously