Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-07-10
ant companion is better than feast in soli.

aH6 cOLnpaulOn IS DeCJer Gnau d IedSG HI sou. tude.m
 You are right" responded the stranger. , II myself can speak knowingly of the misery of solitude. am the proprietor of large fur naces, and came here in search of fuel I became separated from my party, and for the last two days I have been wandering around in this vicinity; luckily, I am indif ferently we'll provided with food" As he concluded he sat down beside large stone and motioned Father Pietro to take seat opposite. He did so, and, drawing from his wallet flask of water, a crust of black bread and an onion, he prepared to make his meal His companion laughed and, telling him to put away that pigs food" produced from under his cloak loaf of fresh white bread, a flask of brandy and some Jumps of sugar and proposed to commence the supper with a health to the priest. Nothing 10th, Father Pietro substituted the fresh bread and spirits for his own hard crust and water. As he did so the stranger remarked in pitying tone:
 'Poor food for a traveller, holy father; marvel that your brethren do not furnish you with betterl"
 Father Pietro sighed. It was poor food, the onion and black bread. And what though the brotherhood at the Mission Do lores were poor, still they were rich in the mother country, and men who worked as he did eschewed better fare. As the brandy rose to his brain the demon of discontent rose in his heart.
 Bread without meat is but dry eating" {" said the stranger, and, extending his hand beneath the stone, he drew up pair of plump cartridges, smoking hot, as from a gridiron. Father Pietro was surprised at first, but the brandy had given him a feeling of recklessness entirely unknown to his sober senses. So he ate and joked with his strange entertainer, and was in no way surprised when he drew couple of bottles of wine and some delicious fruit from the same strange larder. After much general conver- sation, in the course of which the stranger had expressed high admiration for Father Pietros zeal and learning, he said, carelessly:
 You are well acquainted with this part of the country, presume, reverend father. '
 II have travelled through it several yearsP' was the prompt answer.
 "How would you like to leave the priest hood and become my agent? The work is easy, the pay is liberal, and you will be pro vided with a warm home after you have done. For, by my faith, it pains me to my heart to see man of your talents and learn ing working for a beggarly monastery, half clothed and worse fed Come with me and this will all be changed"
 II could not leave the brotherhood" an- swered Father Pietro.
 Then followed a long argument between them; the stranger using every argument in his power, promising untold wealth, a life of ease and the qualification of every passion. The good father consistently refused. At last the stranger rose and rolling away the rock, showed Father Pietro an immense mass of gold and silver underneath saving: "This shall be yours if you will give up your work and assist me. Do you still refusef"
 II do,' answered Father Pietro, sturdily.
 Then die," cried the stranger, in rage and grasping his staff as if for blow. He suddenly grew in size until he was over sixty feet high heswung the terrible club over the priests head and roared:
 Will you work for meP' "Never!n
 The club was poised for a blow. As it came down Father Pietro grasped his crucifix anc prayed. The club fell powerless, and, the devil losing all power to harm one holding the crucifx, slid down the side of the mount ain, the two walls of rock rising on each side as he went. AS he reached the bottom ht thrust his club into the hill opposite, rushed down the canyon and tore open that pass il the rocks which is known as "The Devil! Gate"
 Pedro paused.
 "What became of Father Pietro?" I in quired.
 ''He at last found his way back to the Mis- sion Dolores, where he spent the remainder of his life in fasting and praying as l penance for having held communication witt | the devil"
 Well, Pedro, do you believe that yarn? was my next question.
 "Si, senor; it was told me by holy priest who said that in the same manner was tn devil accustomed to tempt us to this day first by flattery, then by making us discon tented, then by bribes, and finally by threats. And, senor, know that to be true Moreover, does not the slide, the club ant | the gate attest to its truth?"
 It was useless to argue with such a simpl faith, so 1 crawled into my blanket and wen to sleep.
 The next morning his Satanic majest, seemed to have got into the fish, for no art ol my part could make them rise to the fly. Sc to the intense delight of Pedro we packed u our camp traps and left the place of whicl he had such a horror; which, even in tn bright sunlight, seemed most appropriat spot for the devil to choose for an interview Allan Forman in Pittsburg Bulletin.