Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1893-03-30

los, nor Charles in any shape what
ever. My true name is odd and I'm.
common, even in English, and the Mex.
leans are determined l shall have "a
christian ii. e., saints namc," so they
nave saddled several on me. am gen
orally Ysac, or the diminutivc or nick.
name of it-'Chac, and from that has
come my being called Jack" by Amer
leans. Mariana dislikes Isaac in Span
lsh, as much as l do in English, and
SO to him l am Carlos"
\ day or two after, we rode around
by the acequia. BY Jove! it was
pretty sight there-I wished 1 was a
painter The wide, deep ditch, with
its white sand bottom, was full of rip
ping water. humming to itself little
song. and the poplars along the edge
keeping time to it, with all their glossy
leaves a-clapping like tiny hands. Along
the bank, in the fringe of ferns and
water-SedgeS, was a string of women
knecling. some in a sort of scoop made
of a goods-box, but mostly in holes
followed in the sand. for boards are
boards in Mexico. Sloping into the
water before them. each one had Il
board or Il big fiat stone, and on it she
scrapal. and thulnped, and pounded.
and padded the soiled clothes. rinsed
by sousing in the water, or by pouring
over water with an OLA, or Il painted
iicara-:l calabaSh. Some used the
long. inch-Square bars Of Mexican soap.
others used pounded or grated amolc
(SOaprOoO. but this was mostly for
wOolens. The women looked we'll, NOV
ing in free. vigorous swings, with their
long. black braitls Swaying, their blue
rebOZOS catching the sun. and their
bright skirts. Their brown arms and
necks showed like bronze above the
white chcmiSes. for these rancho work.
women do not Wear waists or jackets.
When we got to Ysmacla. we saw
that she was washing her stent with
some hcrb--a lot of green leaves,
pounded.
"Hola! here is something new" said
Mariana. What hast thou there. my
daughter? Is it weed common
enough to save me lot of soap!'
The girl mumblcd something about
it being Scarcc-a rare herb.
Rare! yes. l warrant, your worship
said Ysmacla'S right-hand neighbor.
looking up with an imprdcnt. lcering
grin; too rare to be wasted Oh com
mon ropa. Please, your mercy, it is
Il philtcr, a love-potion-those are Don
Cosmos clothes that she is washing,
to coax him away from Simcona.'
Ysmacla lifted the linen shirt on her
board. soGdcn heavy with wet, and
swung it with a sweeping back-handcr
that knocked her smart friend head
first into tho accquia. Ismaela looked
min!iH. to hold her under water, but
returned to her task, while her mates
pulled ont the other. catcrwauling.
Il don't like that" said Mariana, as
we rode on: the girl is too quiet by
ha]f. If she would rage and storm
but you see she strikes and does not
speak. She was brought UP here, a
baby. by a family from Sonora, and
my father always believed she had
bleed of the Yaquis. They are like
that, the Yaquis. silent. sullen, but
swiftly, savagely dangerous"
To tell til" truth, l did not like it,:
either
Mariana liked it so little that when
we went hl:nting again. he made COSmc
de i; Guerra come with us, to keep
hin: .,:,t of mischief. He did not want
to cniv,. he dislikcd any work harder
than giv;:i?. orders or hanging about
the wol!i"n. We rode in buckskin,
with flannel shirts. he was in charro,
it is true; but his riding-s,lit was ele-
CANT black cloth. with all the regula ton
silver braid and buttons, AMI he took
pains to show off his white shirt and
the wristlets Of his silk undcrshirt.
Well, we pushed him hard that day.
to pay for his fOppcry-MarianO dis
likes such nonsense. We killed three
antelope, and, over Il spur of the foot
hills, we struck a fresh bear trail and
led us up to Il stony mesa, where the
trail and the light failed us together.
One of the mozos with us was Juan
Largo. and he was the worst fellow
after bear you ever did see No Won
der either. If bear had done to
one side Of my face what a big silver
tip did to Juan Largo's, | would go
hot-foot after every one of the tribe
that made me Il sight of horror to
brighten children.
with the will of your mercy. we
in the morning. The oso is going home
Il see that in the speed of his foot
prints. With the light, we can go
straight to his house,
Or course we agreed. Juan Largo
knew his business and he always did
as he pleased with us ON Il hunt. But
Cosme did not like it, He made all
kinds Of objections, and Juan upset
them one by one with good, common
sensible answers.
Come, come, Cosme, be reasonable"
said Mariana; 1T is too dark to travel;
we would 80 farther to fare worse
Like we others, thou art hungry. Thou
wilt better appreciate Juan Largo's
care for us after supper
Cosme growled something about
''rocky ground for clscabeles."
Juan Largo came over to him, grim
ning-a smile made that awful face of
Juan more hiueOus than ever.
OH he said your mercy Don
Cosne will pardon. If 1 had under
stood that your mercy was so little
a countryman, l would have set your
fears at rest by lessons of the camp.
1 will clear the stones from Il space
for your hOnOr'S bed, as for the other
gentlemen, and then lay this rope
around it. Within its ring you may
sleep rs in the arms Of-your mother.
No snake will cross a cabriesto, and
with reasOn-but drag your hand across
it, and say if you would bear its rasp
on your own belly"