Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-17

tiles, snowy white. hung from the roof, and
every projecting point of the sides ma king
] gothic setting like marble. The seepage OF
water from mineral veins had left upon the wall
| an Iridescent stain Of every glowing hue with
| tints as changeable as the sheen upon pea
COCK neck, and a thousand times more varie-
| gated. The padre forgot his fatigues and fear
| and gaZed enchanted. The utmost that he had
imagined of the glories of the lost mines was
realized in the appearance of the objects about
| him. His delight was increased when his
| guides led him to side of the cavern where he
| saw imprisoned between walls of rock wide
| vein of crumbling silver ore of great richness.
| Then one of the Indians pointed TO a pile of
massive bars stacked up like cordword, and
handing him knife motioned him to scrape
| one of them; he did so, an beneath the tarnish
| and discoloration was revealed the glittering
| surface of true silver.
| retaining still the shape of the box that had
rotted from around it, pile of gold bullion that
TO the priests eager eyes seemed like q kings
ransom. Padre Ambrosio lifted one of the bars
that had laid there so many years in undimmed
brightness. ADMIRED its weight and color and
held it, reluctant to let II go. But the Indians
were uneasy and eager to get away from the
place. The padre's gloating over the gold came
to sudden end for Pablo motioned him 10 droo
the bar, and putting the bandage about his ewes
shut from him the sight of the grotto and its al
Turing treasures. The poor priest sighed griev-
ously at the thought of leaving the place empty
handed, and, most unwilling. he was led back
along the passage to the shaft.
II anything could have been more dreadful
than that his descent into the mine it was the
dragging of his corpulent person out from IT.
and pitable indeed were Padre Ambrosio's slips
and struggles as he CROPPED his way up the un-
steady notched pole in such mortal terror of a
fall thatf the time being he forgot the scratches
and contusIons that he had sustained and the
rheumatism that his nights ride and his wet
ting would probably give him. At last he gained
the earth's surface and once in the upper air he
flung himself down in mingled exhaustion and
relief
While the Indians covered the entrance to the
mines and restored everything about il to its
customary appearance. the priest had time to
collect his thoughts and prepare to put into
effect q cunning plan that he had matured be-
fore leaving his house When the Indians came
to linn and the party moved down the mountain
Father Ambrosio, in an absent manner. loos-
ened the end of his rosary and let fall q bead
then another and another, and down the
mountain side he marked the route by beads.
When he had remounted the burru he continued
to lose his beads industriously that when he
was set on the ground at his own door and the
bsndage removed from mis- eyes he had not one
left.
In the daylight-for the eastern sky was red
when they re-entered Santo Domingo-he lookeu
eastward over toward the Cerlllos mountains
and exutantly thought of the line of beads
which marked the route back to the mines, and
planned how he should. in day or two follow it
back accompanied by force of twenty Mexican
attendants and a train OF mules with which to
secure the treasure that he had so shrewdly re-
discovered He first wanted to get inside the
house to laugh all by himself at the success of
the scheme by which he had outYitted the SIM
pie Pueblo Indians.
Old Anita, who was always early astir, was
baking tortillas under the open shed matched
with cornstalks: which IN summer served as
kitchen. She looked up, saw the padre stand
ing by the door, ard nodded her head more
positively than she had done the night before
when she had noted his preparations to de-
part.
well well, !" she said to herself, what can
the padre have been doing, and where has he
beeng Oh dear. how dreadfully splashed, mud
dy and torn his gown is And he looks ready to
drop with WEAKNESS. Why wouldn't he stay
and be comfortable at home? And what has be-
come of his fine rosary Oh, dear, oh, dear!"
In truth the good padre was dismal sight
after his riding and climbing and blindfold
cropping in the damp recesses of the burieo mine.
HaT, face, gown and books were impartially
plastered with mud. and his appearance was
tattered and unkempt to the last degree. He
realized the fact in the daylight, and was in
haste to get indoors.
The three Indians stood by the burro patiently
waiting for padre 90 bless and dismiss them.
Now they were back under the shadow OF the |
church they had re suned their submissive man
ner and their faces were grave and upper |
turbed as il they had just returned from |
every day excursion. As Padre Ambrosio, hav- |
ing made the sign of the cross above them, |
turned syly smiling, to go into the house. |
Pablo stept ed forward respectfully, touched his /
elbow, and handed him wallet.
The wallet contained the beads OF his rosary, |
TO the last one.
Poor Padre Ambrosioi This was the result of |
his hopes and scheming OF nine years. With
every bone and muscle in his frame rscking |
reminder OF that long night Of riding and climb
ing, OF fears and fatigues-he had got back his
rosary!
Dazed and speechless he. blansly conten,-
plated the beads and thought of the treasure
which he had beheld only to realize the hope
lessness of securing it, while the Indians went
their way without sign Of mirth on their stolid
fases.