Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-08-03
DITAS.
"1s the preirie on flro, Manuelo3"


together to the evening meal. For this
was the Mexican custom, inherited and
cherished with more than Spanish con-
Scientiousness from the days Of old Spain,
that the family and q few of the retainers
should eat together seated according to
PiieII uesIeo--eA snVOU "a LouualIsil pusi4eu
b long way west.
you've a good nose, Ditas to smell
that, and the wind the way 1t is, her oOus-
in replied, glanoing at her with suspicion.
"How could it have caught, wonderS"
She replied, answering him with equal sus-
picion. ''Have you seen the Senior In
gleseS"
Its no wonder it should catch fire, I
should think, Ditas, when we haven't had
rain these 20 months. AS for the Senior
1nglese, should think you were more
likely to know where he is than l."
Ditas did not answer him, but began to
occupy herself with the plate Of hashed
mutton and the boiled maize which had
been passed down to her. 1t would have
been grave breach Of etiquette in that
household for one to begin to eat before
old Pedro Patrones, the father and head
of the family, had helped all round the
table and had commenced his own meal.
So all had sat with the meal steaming and
cooling before them while they watched
this little passage at arms between the
cousins. The father was deaf, but his fac
ulties were alert enough. "Eh, ehS'' he
said. "What was Manuelo saying-that
the prairie was on flreS"
"Yes, SIR" the young man answered.
1T saw it as came from driving the
horses in for the branding"
I'm which direction"
Eastward, sir, and north toward the
Rio Grande."
cit won't come near us, then, unless
the wind changes"
"The wind won't change, sir, at this
time of year.
"Where is the Englishman, wonderp
Who has seen himP" the old man asked,
with some anxiety.
No one answered for q minute. Then
pitas said quickly, HE went out with
you, Manuelo, this morning"
''That was a long while ago." said the
young man sulkily. 1--WE had dinner at
Oxener's camp. Ihave not seen him since"
HE started east from there in the di
rection of the river, senor," one Of the re-
tainers volunteered from the foot of the
table. Z g
ibid he9" replied Manuelo as If he
were very little grateful for the informa-
ton.
Then Ditas glanced quickly at her ia
ther.
"Eh, Ell. Toward the river did her I
hope he won't get caught in the fire. He
wouldn't know what to do in fire"
"Oh, he'll be all right, sir. He's got a
very good horse-that bay with the white
on his forehead-and there's the river al
ways down wind"
"And the banks Of the river are like
cliffs. You know it as well as do, Man
uelo," the old man said severely.
Manuelo was abashed. He made no an
sswer, but under his breath he said sullen-
ly, II should be sorry if we lost the horse. "
Ditas looked at him reproachfully, but
her two brothers, mere lads, who sat one
beside her and one beside Manuelo, laugh
ed covertly at his remark. He'll be done
if he's caught; he can't ride bit, one Of
the boys said.
"No, nor shoot either"
"And he's no use at all with rope"
the first added.
"Be quiet, JUAN" Ditas said. eff ia
ther hears you, there'n be no more supper
for you tonight"
"Oh you'll said her brother scornful-
1y. "Of course you're always defending
him."
At which the hot blood flew to her face,
and she bent silently over her plate, Man
uelo observing her with keen displeasure.
AS soon as supper was over Ditas went
away by herself and played with her lit
tie gray hawk, which lived, chained by the
leg, in the pepper tree outside her win
dow. The little hawk was peacefully
sleeping, with its head under it's wing, in
the starlit, odofous night. Yet the little
hawk it was, and not any remarkable pow
ers Of scent on her own part, that had told
Ditas of the prairie fire, for when she
looked at the little bird in the afternoon
he was tapping his little wings and tug
ging at his chain.
Ditas knew the signs. The little hawk
had never seen prairie fire, for Ditas had
had him since he was baby, but he in
herited the blood of thousands of ances-
tors to whom such fires were familiar, who
had known well what 1t was to hunt the
wretched scorched out gophers and lizards
among the flames and the smoke. So the
smell of the burning spoke to the Inherit
gu 1lSOlllOOo VI uhO AlOOAO hdWhI OuOuBu 1O
was too tiny to catch thing much bigger
than humming bird, and humming
bird was too quick even for his lightning
dashes. $50 the fire is over, pajarcitoY"
Ditas whispered to him, and the little bird
drew quick, glancing head from beneath
his wing, and seeing before him well
known black eyes as brilliant as his own
put his head back to sleep again, satisfied.
Then the girl went to her room. She
had the rare privilege in Mexican house
holds of room to herself because she was
the only daughter. She looked out into
the silent night, all the more deeply silent
for the myriad winged hum of insects and
listened, expectant, for the deep, dull thud
of the unshod horse cantering home over
the prairie. But all was still. If she
blushed, none saw it on her beautiful, dark
face. If she prayed TO the saints for the
Englishman, whom she loved, the answer
was not audible. At rare intervals cho-
rus of coyotes came from distant patch of
ebony trees; few flrefies danced over the
tremulous feathers of the pepper tree. For
the rest the starlit stiffness was unbroken.
Meanwhile the Englishman had found
some new sensations for himself that day.
He had gone from Oxener's camp, as the
retainer had said of him, eastward toward
the river to look for the horses which were
to be driven into the corral for the brand
ing. Much of what the brothers of Ditas
a 4 4 4 u =