Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1894-06-29
IN THE QUICKSANDS.

1t was before days of railroads
New Mexico. Gel Gringo," as the
natives called the American, had not
yet come in force to the valley of the
REQ Grande. Albuquerque, in those
days, was a sleepy Mexican village,
with few stores managed by Ger
mans and Americans, and was princi-
pally distinguished as a randezvous
point where trains were made up to
go south to Ell Paso, or west to Fort
Whipple and the Colorado.
1 was connected with a survey sent
out to examine line along the twen-
ty-ffth parellcl. We hal coma down
the Rio Grande from San Louis Park
in Colorado, and the inhabitants Of
every hamlet we stopped at celebrated
our coming by an inevitable fandango.
These fandangos, or dances, were held
at the fonda, or hotel, usually one
storied adobe structure, with a bar at
one end, raised platform at the Other
for musicians, and an intervening ex-
panse of hard earthern floor, beaten
smooth by the feet Of the brayos and
senoritas Of the Rio Grande.
To these fandangoss the officers,
teamsters and soldiers were all in
vited, or rather they went without in-
yitation and were welcome, and thf
dark-eyed senoritas, accompanied I,
their mothers, attended, and dafeiss
went on without the formality OF an
Introduction, collection being taken
up by sending around the hat to nay
the musicians, one Of whom scrapqd 4
fiddle and the other picked a guitaEl
The owner of the fonda was compel1
sated by the drinks which were or1
dered by the men for themselves aad
partners after each dance.
When we reached Albuquerque, a
fandango SO great in its dimensions
and in the number who attended itas
to dwarf all others, was held at hes
fonda kept by man named Murphy.
At this point our escort was changed,
the company of cavalry that had ac-s
companied us down the river fronl
Fort Garland being sent back and q
troop of the Fifth Cavalry coming
down from Fort Union to guard usl
against the Apaches from the Rid
Grande to the Colorado. This troop
had been stationed at Albuquerque q.
short time before, and so the officers
and mon were well acquainted with thel
inhabitants. At the fandango this
night | was particularly struck by the
appearance of dark-eyed pretty girl
with a complexion that looked like
polished ivory, and which might have
indicated ill boalth but for the redness
Of her lips. Her name, as l soon
learned, was Nina Seyana, and she was
regarded as the belle of Albuquerque.
Ahandsome young sergeant connected
with our new escort was evidently the
fayorite of this charming girl. They
had often met before, and was in
formed by German who ran a bar
Der shop and bar in concert, that
the sergeant would have married Nina
Seyana when stationed there before,
but for his fear of noted local des-
perado, known as Miguel Larado.
After this information 1 did not
need te be told who Miguel Larado
was ] saw short stout man of thirty,
with black hair, short, black nous
tache, sinister eyes, very white teeth,
a red sash about his waist, and wear
ing velvet tunic, all of which indi-
Gated to me that he was a very bad
man and that he thought himself no
end of a dandy.
1t was also evident that the young
sergeant who so selfshIy persisted in
dancing with Nina Seyana when other
gallants were eager to have her for a
partner in the waltz, had already
aroused the jealousy and started mp all
the tiger in the heart of Miguel Lar
ado. As am not dancing man |
left the fonda before midnight and
went to my tent, which was pitched on
the brink of river near by. was
about to go to bed when Twas startled
by hearing woman's shrill scream,
followed by the shouting of men and
the quick crack of revolvers.
While I was wondering as to the
cause of this commotion. my servant
ran in, and in an excited voice, asked
"Where is Doctor Parry?"
Doctor Parry was my tent mate, and
as he had not yet put in an appearance
supposed he was yet at the fonda,
and SO told the man.
In reply to my questions as to tha
shooting, he said;