San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-06-24
JUAN AND YSABEL.

In the rocky but pleasant little valley
of the Rio FloridO, in the state of Chi
huahua, not far from the station of Cor
ralitos on the Mexican Central railway,
there may be seen the ruins of what
so years ago was the magnificent
manor house or hacienda of a large
rancho. There, too, were raised the
strong, black bulls for the arenas of Chi
huahua and the lower provinces of
Mexico. The gateway to this once IA
nous place, although dilapidated and
thrown down, has not yet crumbled
into dust, but still shows the marks of
its former splendOr. On the left side of
the entrance. about 800 feet distant from
the broad road which led to the stately
mansion. side by side, are two wooden
crosses roughly fashioned out of oak
logs, on both of which with care may
still be- traced a rudely carved inscrip-
ton. The words are in that crude
Mexico-Castilian language common to
the country That ON the right as you
face the line of what was once the fence
surrounding the grounds of the haci-
enda invites the passerby to offer:
Zone ave maria and pater noster for
the repose of the soul of Ysabel Mora,
who fell by the hands of the Indians on
the 18th day of October in the year 1915,
in the flower of her youth and beauty"
On the other:
"Here lies Juan Maria Orteza, native
of -, killed by the Indians on the 18th
of October, 1915. Christian, for the sake
of God, pray for him."
The story of the young girl and young
man who lie under these rudely hewn
crosses is a sad one and absolutely true.
The rancho de Cadena is about half way
between the cities of Durango and Chi
huahua. 1t flourished so years ago under
the careful management of its owner, an
aged Mexican known all over the region
as "El Coxo" (the game Leg. He was a
widower, with a family of eight sons,
each of whom was an expert in the ex-
citing games of the country-"Colea de
toros," or the more cruel and barbarous
pastime of lei gallo"
"Colea de toros" in plain English is
bull tailing-that is, Selling the bull in
the ring by the tail and securing it I'M
der the right leg. The rider then, by
wheeling his horse suddenly outward,
upsets the bull in the midst of his mad
career, the huge animal rolling over and
over in the dust, believing with pain
and fright. Eel gallo" much more bru.
tai, consists of fastening a rooster by
the leg to a tree or to a picket driven into
H., %, al Ill
CREASED. The game is played on horse
back, all, starting together, strive to
reach the bird first, and Selling it blythe
neck try to break the strings that hold
it and ride off with the prize. The well
CREASED neck generally slips through the
fingers of the first who grasps it, but as
soon as one finds himself in possession
he rides off pursued by the rest, whose
object is b. rescue the fowl. Of course
in the exciting contest which ensues the
bird is torn to pieces Then the fOrtu-
nate pOssessor of the bleeding morsels
presents them to his lady love as gage
d'amour.
The eight sons of lei Coxo" were con-
coded to be the btavest, athe handsomest
and the best in handling the lasso of any
young men in the state of Chihuahua.
Their experience from boyhood as va
| queros or herdsmen on their father vast
pastures had made them as used to sit
ting on a horse as in chair, and the
character of the fierce bulls which We're
raised on the ranch expressly for the are
mas of the City of Mexico inspired them
with the brave nature of the famous ami
mails themselves
Residing with the family was young
girl, a ward of "El Coxo," an orphan
and the daughter of friend and class
mate at school. Ysabel Mora was in