The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-10-12
NUMBER 40.
TWO PIECES OF SILVER.
How They Saved the Life OF a
Mine Manager.

Black Rosa's small. angular form
shook with rage Her black face grew
blacker than its natural hue if that
were possible. Trembling in every
nerve, she glared viciously. and shook
a long. bony finger in the faces of the
group of miners who with jests and
jeers had met her supplications for
charity.
Get out of this. you black devilr'
one shouted. I'VE have had enough
of You
''she's got plenty of money" cried
another
Wears diamonds in the city"
sneered third
Get out, No bergars allowedr' they
all shouted.
''Muerte a los gringos." repeated the
woman. with a shrek which would
have chilled the blood of men unused
to her vicious ways.
Manager France. of the Bull Domin-
go, heard the disturbance between the
miners and the miserable old woman
as he came up the gulch
Here. my good woman" said he,
here are two silver dollars You had
better not stay around here, he added.
kindly, as She took the money and
called the blessings of the saints upon
his generous soul The men are not
used to giving aims, and they viii only
treat you unkindly-"
He'd better be savin' them two dol
lars to help ont the payroll of the Bull
Domingo who has been keeping a slate
for nearly three months for the ac-
commodation of workmen on that
property"
Sonora ROSalina Ortiz once enjoyed
happy home in the City of Mexico. her
birthplace. She had all the opportu-
mites of education. both in Spanish
and English. and in her early married
life had travelled much. But missor-
tune came to her IN the death of her
husband and two of their three chill
dren, after the loss of all the property
they possessed They had for several
years made their home in the United
States, where Senor Ortiz had died,
leaving his widow pennilesS- Poverty
and sin We're her undoing. and when
the Colorado mining fever filed the
mountains with fortune seekers of
high and low degree Sonora Ortiz
drifted to Durango She had sunk 50
low in vice and crime that she was ac-
counted well fitted for anything from
begging To petty thieving, even To the
cutting of a throat.
She was living as his mistress with
hardened character known aS 'Robber
Dan an American. whose life both in
and out of the penitentiary WIS a
series of misdeeds He had earned his
title as she had earned hers. They
were well matched in their criminal ca
reers. although the woman ha thus far
known no more of prison life than II
afforded by county jails. Her only
child. n boy of twelve years. hal, like
his mother. became n professional beg
gar and thief.
The i'll treatment she had received
at the hands and tongues of the
miners at Rico had burned into her
soul like a hot iron. though the wound
was largely healed by the soft words
and the silver so kindly bestowed by
John France. But. since she was not
likely ever to be able To carry out her
threat of death to all save her own
race and equally incapacitatad To in
sure the blessings of the saints which
she had invoked. neither her curses
nor her prayers were needed. How
ever. none who knew her had any
faith in Black RoSas possession of
goodwill toward any one OF American
or European blood
Even Robber Dan and his male com
panions in crime-who formed the
most notorious and daring band of
robbers in southern ColoraGo-dii not
escape the vindictive spirit of Black
Rosa. But the woman was useful to
them, and when plentifully supplied
with drink there was no crime too
black for her wicked heart nor scheme
too deep for her cunning brain. II
she possessed single redeeming trait
no one had been able to discover it
Durango had been ablaze with the
glory of frontier life-a glory which
comes but once in the lifetime of a
new town. But there was then little
regard felt for the future by the Tor
tune hunters who swarmed the streets
and filled up the hotels and held high
revelry in the saloons and dance halls
of that camp.
Honest men with capital, seeking to
double their investments in a fort
night, stood on the same level of as
sociation with the horse thief and
the road agent Mine promoters and
gamblers drank over the same bar.
The crack of the stage drivers whip
was but the echo of the pistol shot.
business conversations and ribald
songs. laughter and curses inter
mingled in a wild hurrah chorus.
Going back To the mine in the morn
ing?" asked the clerk of the hotel a
minute later. as France approached
the desk and asked for writing ma
terial
YES. sure!'
stage leaves at two o'clock"
"Well, call me a half hour earlier.
and don't, for your head, let me miss
the stage. | must be at the mine to-
morrow by all means. BY the way, l
have lost a white silk handkerchief
with a black border. Look out for it
A few minutes later, while France
was still busy writing. Sheriff Barney
approached him and presented a little
Mexican chap in whose possession had
been found the silk handkerchief.
What shall l do with him?" asked
the sheriff.
Lock him mp" said the manager of
the Bull Domingo hotel, lock him up,
That is the little rascal who came to
me a few minutes ago begging for
money. l gave him two bits and he
shows his gratitude by stealing my
handkerchief"
The attention of the loungers about
the hotel office was attracted by these
loudly spoken words of John France;
but they did not hear what he said in
a hurried undertone to the sheriff. 50
there was a murmur of Indignation
against the man who would seek the
punishment of child for stealing
silk handkerchief-and that after il