The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1894-02-24
MERCEDES.


svha STORY Of = Bravo rittle Maxi.
c.r c,,s.
vx4. .~ts-,..., -. ~. am h,.,..
-. . ~. " So. Sst.,,ns 9TH LINE.
49,. !, ..t~..s "a ,"sh --s.... .t.ra
ear - 800, .,.ss. co,-..
n. 20 -. y. ~ - ..irs ~. ,..v.. q,
-. .s..s,. ..,..l.rt,,.. No wound bra.Ls
az ~ s,l.ras az. ~ humminc of br, uht-
, III ir.ects dsrtInc hither and thith.
:. IA ~. rr,,r,,rr ~ hr..k.r. along
~. 49, s'.s
800 ~. ,...,... .~,.r.. ~ w.t.r.
ths csliso,r,.n co.st linz h dimlv seen.
,s ~ : re. cIo,,S ,,ror the hor,,or and
r.srsr 81. M ths WHIT. s.il ~ = ship
a.t...-i hcrrd
Dovn where IN. sand h.. formed In
arifts h,gh he.r.d hv 81. .ct,on of the
,tsd. . ch;id strstcbsd nron : In N. ann.
I.h,r. !. ,.sschsr. ~. corrs. ~ : f,sh.
sre sn.cr thst Z mst3ro for The har-
~. h.Iow A. Mar Tat lie. . h.sket
f81l~A 18th he thA \un In n
|t ma, 10. hrorrht
mi. !. 80 - N.~o.a.., d.rv tall.
M ro.m the he.ch GATHERING mn
,ss.therv 80 ,nosses and ths cur,ous
imsnv.tinted .hclIs n bc carried with
tp.ch.co,. c.tch ~ a.h ~ ,ood ~ oame
.snsrsd a. The carvon. n the blatant
,,r.,rl.rd
When sba 1. AZ fortunat. M tn End
ir.rs sn.cimsrs the touri.ts A. Nan
padro T.. oft.r rls...d IN rive hsr a
..bitn ~ the nrettv sonvenirs
| wxacr T. cor,ts and INV n hr,oht
ribbon for vourself" the father Avs
when she would tender him her mite.
Ghe 4 The onlv dau0htcr among ssven
llustv ADA hut .hat alone i not The
resson thew ara 40 ecntle with her
no,,ered r,cblv With hsautv ~ III.
Idurk. Spnnish tvne. eyes soft. velvety.
'enr.eslirc chaeks The vivid hne ~ The
Inomeoranate blossom. n form slenderlv
'ersceful-the hating step alone be-
|trays her pitiful condition. for she Il q
cripple.
During the summer months santa
Catalina il astir with merry campers,
but It this season the island IL seldom
visited. except now and then by stray
tourist. who intent ON viewing the
beauties Of this picturesque retreat
braves the discomforts Of q rough pas
sage in the unwieldy fishing boats,
Il WA In this manner that we-a
psrty of I've, including myself-made
the voyage from San Pedro, landing at
Avalon. q hamlet on the eastern coast
~ the ialand. the latter mart Of De-
cembcr.
/ had iust recovered from lingering
ilIness. md having received .smarchinr
or,derssn from Ana rood old doctor
Joined q rang Of SURVEYOR bound for
the islanda The crisp. salt air seemed
70 out new lie into me at once. and
when during our passage the wind
died ont Of our ssils. took INV turn .t
The oar with the rest OF them.
.Th.t w.. tougb,sb mil, /. ..,d
povcs tha for.man a. o.r ho.t L.si
rrstsd an ths shirois ".rwou,d ,most
~" ! an .nr..,... o.. . torn.I.
q 800,
.vrh.-. ho.., a., ~. r,....
A...sa.a ..p..h.r. ~. -. - ~.
!, 49, 49, ..a,sahs 49,. - h..,r
.ni".y,r ~ n-o-os,t;on .r,hus;ss.
s,as,,r ..o.,,sa ~ ~. u,ow.n. . ,;t.
a. 49,. ~, ~, IA h.on ws,oh.
ino orr .vkw.rd m.nagemept ~ the
j,ost with Wondering ayes drew near
M .hvlv rro1Feras *. i.s,red insorm..
t,or ~ nrettv broken Envli.h
svrhe hots, senor9 Won hav. on,v
n w.lk a verv short w.v hevond"
rewriting whsr. rising .hoys an inter.
ven;no b,u8 the steen roof ~ that
h,,,,d;no w.. v,.,hl. .sh.ll 7 chow
ths ..nor The n.thy
a. falling IN her w.Le vve scrambled
mn the sloninu. nebble-strewn beach.
orr arms weirhted with Ashino tackle
and .undrv nortions Of . c.mniny outf,t
Tor ore were oo;nc IN .rnlore ths length
and breadth Of this rocky islet former.
" the possession Of = powerful indian
t.,h. and ~. r.nde,vcr. ~ .mr,c,.-s
IN olden time
The latter fact I learned in subse-
ouent chata with our new-found friend.
the Mexican girl Mercedes who was
yersed in island lore. a her father was
born and bred in the place, and Mer-
cedes herself had never left Il save on
rare visits to the mainland.
As the days passed and we became
more familiar to her, the little maiden
Loaf much of her shyness and constant.
ly accompanied her brothers, who Of.
ten went with us in our inland expedi.
tons