The morning call., 1892-03-29
THE CANDLE END.

scene which formed sequel 10 the story,
and of which l was witness that very
evening
The engineer and / had dined together.
and spent pleasant time in talking over
our past adventures. There in the smoking
room We lost count OF the time; the other
guests dropped off one by one, and the vast
hotel became silent. 1t was past midnight
when my friend began his story, a long one
for the time Of night, but l did not inter-
rupt him. | was only too glad to sit still
and listen, with my eyes on the dark
bearded face opposite. lighted up at times
by the memory Of dangers passed and gone.
There was a look of anxiety on his face
when In repose, the meaning of which
was soon to learn, but by the strangest acct
dent.
My wife and I (he began were married,
away there in Mexico, two years ago. Now.
II is just two years ago that what l have to
tell you took place. At that time / was en-
gineer TO several mines in Mexico, travelling
about from one TO another the greater part
of the year. Some of those mines had
been worked for centuries. following where
the veins of silver led, thousands of yards
away from the little opening in the noun
tain-side. which looked like rat-hoe from
the valley below. Not very few of these
were in a very dangerous state; but of ali
the mines In my district none was in more
critical condition than the three old work.
ings above the picturesque village Of PalOs
de Santa Fe.
1t was always very pleasant to me to STAY
few days at the little ''posada," perched
mile or so above the village, and TO look
down the valley of Santa Fee from my lounge
on the long yeranda. The posada was kept
by an old SpanaTd called DiaZ-his fun
name. if you please. was Antonio Juan
Maria de DeiZ Y Autiguera. He was a SOL
emn. long-viSaged old fellow. clean shaven
and very dark, a bandit every inch OF him,
by descent and by preference. too.
But to return 10 Santa Fe. You cannot
have seen it in your Nenderings, or you
would remember that valley, if nothing else
In all Mexico. The village itself was at the
head of it; down the middle rushed broad
deep stream which never dried up; and the
lower hills on either side were hills, and
not walls OF granite, as they mostly are in
those parts. Altogether, the valley was
raYshng, luxuriant. resttul; only above
the sl0ping yerdure rose the mighty peaks
of the Sierra. Many midday hour of baz-
ing heat have / l0unged away on that
yeranda, while the distant thud OF the en-
gines came throbbing through the "sing'
of the mosquitoes. One could be lazy then.
But az nigh when the engines were silent
and instead came murmurs aud cries from
among the thousand lights of the village
below, | could not help thinking of the
forces at work in those silent hills, where
the scattered watchfires glimmered by the
d u,
that inealeulable masses OF water were stored
somewhere among those peaks, and that our
workings were bound to tap sooner or later
that everlasting reservoir. The inevitable
disaster must be very near now; the wonder
was that Ii had not already come during the
hundreds of years the mines had Geen
worked. This was the ghost that sat brood
ing above the village of Palos de Santa Fe.
About the beginning Of August it was my
duty to pay a visit TO Palos. You may i'm
hot N.ffh my NriafT- oh fg,o,
this visit was less pleasant prospect than
the delightful climate and surroundings of
the place seemed to hold out On my arr-
val l found that the owners had at last
made up their minds TO consult NE seriously
about the danger 10 which l have alluded.
What was more, they determined if neces-
sary, 10 close the mines. They knew there
would be serious trouble with the miners,
and they had therefore obtained from the
Government the dispatch of two companies
of soldiers to maintain order; large con-
vent mile or so from the inn where was
STAYING served as barracks for the troops.
The miners, more than a thousand in num-
Der, were enraged at this determined action,
but were powerless III the face of such q
force. Besides. they were by no means
unanimous. a certain number, chiefly
Americans and Germans, were unwilling to
risk their lives against professional warn
lngs such as mine; the presence of the
troops gave this minority the support thew
needed. The malcOntents could only grum-
bic and, as il turned out, plot against Us.
The storm was but waiting till my arrival
70 burst: all depended on my verdict, ] may
say on my life. for it was pretty well known
what my verdict would be.
The heat Of the day was only partly spent,
but it being Sunday, and especially because
OF the great excitement, the village streets
were crowded. Men, women and children
were all abroad. l could tell the mems
faces, by the sullen scowl or the uneasy
anxious glance, the adherents of either
party. But when ] had ridden into the
courtyard OF the inn / saw that the worst
OF my opponents were there. Now, this
was the only posada in the place --mo ore
than that II was the only place where ]
could put up. The owners OF the mine
lived far away aud the manager himself
was at PalOs only when he was not wanted
at some mines twenty miles away, worked
by the same company, He was staying at
The Inn when / arrived. This man had
little influence wiki the miners and was not
70 be relied on In an emergency like this
he was known to- be very much against
closing tie mine, so that it needed great
pressure from the directors to compel him
10 take the necessary steps.
You can see how uncomfOrtabiy was
placed. The whole responsibility was laid
on me for proceeding certain to make me
the enemy OF hundreds Of fierce reyengeful
fellows, VINO had evidently their headquar-
ters at the solitary inn where | was staying
10 set against all this l had guard Of 200
soldiers about mile away, and on the spot
representative Of my employers, who was
preJudleed against me, aud who would be
the iast man 10 the world to raise finger in
my defense. If need arose.
Within week of my arrival there several
attempts were made on my life. During one
OF these attacks had the Ill luck to wound.
10 self-defense, one of the ringleaders, a
opaniard named Antonio, nephew to my
worthy host This young man had thus
two reasons for wishing my destruction, and
third was supplied by circumstance
OF which l had then no suspicion To this
DAY he Is the only enemy 1 am aware of pos
sessing, but have foreboding that he will
yet 90 me or mine some fatal'injury
Alter the failure of these three attacks. I
was not surprised to find that the cons pra-
tors had resolved to give me few days'
rest; but was not deceived by their in
eommandant at the convent simply because
L 1elt that my own vigilance was the only
safeguard likely to be Of any use. NV enc
mics, L suspected. were but biding their
time TO put In practice some more safe and
certain scheme than open attack had proved
to be. The event showed that was right.
Meanwhile, l was not idle. | was carving
OF my work OF inspection from day to day.
and had. IN fact. nearly finished my written
report to the directors. This l had taken
are to support by the authority of more than
one eminent geologst and engineer. The
closing of the mine was In my opinion. an
imperative necessity.
All this time / was preparing uncop-
seiously for myself the greatest danger Of
my life, danger which has not vet passed
away; but with 1t was to come to me .
blessing which has enriched my whole ex.
ixtence.
think have never seen more perfec,
specimen OF the heavy-villain class thar
Diez, my worthy landlord at Palos: and GER
tainly never woman who charmed me more
tnan his daughter juanita was girl of u
when hrst came to Palos: | can remember
having admired even then her nre,fv fsca
ana graceful, shy manners, and having won.