San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-09-08
CHAPTER TX.

Up starts Jack Dawson, catching
Molly by the arm and his joint stool by
the leg. and stepping back pace or two
not to be taken in the flank he swings
his stool ready to dash the brains out of
the first that nearsi him, and 1 do like
wise, making thf same show of valor
with mystool, pit cutting a poor figure
beside Dawson s mighty presence.
Seeing their fellow laid out for dead
ON the floor, with his hook nose smashed
most horribly into his face, the others
had no stomach to meet the same fate,
but with their Spanish cunning began
to spread out that so they might attack
us ON all sides, and surely this had done
our business but that Don Lopez, fling
ing himself before us with his knife
raised high, cries ont at the top of his
voice, "Rekbah p'4-a word of their
own language, I ann told, taken from
the Moorish, and signifying that whose
ever shall outrage the laws of hospitali-
ty under his roof shall be his enemy to
the death. And at this word every man
stood still as if by enchantment and let
fall his weapon. Then in the same high
voice he gives them harangue, show
ing them that Dawson was in the right
to avenge an insult offered his daugh-
ter, and the other justly served for his
offense to us. For his offense to me as
the host of these strangers, " adds he,
"Jose shall answer to me hereafter if
he live. If he be dead, his body shall be
flung to the vultures Of the gorge, and
his name be never uttered again beneath
this roof -
81 bear no grudges, not l, y says Daw-
son, when Don Sanchez gave him the
English of this. ''If he lire, let his nose
be set, and if dead let him be buried de-
Gently in a churchyard. But bark ye,
senior, lest we fall out again and come
out worse the next bout, do pray ask
his worship if we may not be accommo"
dated with a guide to take us on our
way at once. We have yet two hours Of
daylight before us, there's not cloud
in the sky, and with such moon as we
had the night before last we may get
on we'll enough"
Poor Molh who was all of a shake
with the terror of another catastrophe,
added her prayers to Dawson's, and Don
Sanchez, with profusion of civilities,
laid the proposal before Don Lopez,
who, though processing the utmost re-
greet TO lose us so soon, consented to
crafty our wish, adding that his mules
were so well accustomed to the road
that they could make the journey as
well in the dark as in broad day.
"Well, them" says Dawson, when
this was told us, let us settle the bust
ness at once and be Off y
And now, when Don Sanchez pro-
posed to pay for the service of our
guides, it was curious to see how every
rascal at the table craned forward to
watch the upshot Don Lopez makes q
pretense of leaving the payment to Don
Sanchez's generosity, and he, not be-
midland in courtesy, Tugs out his purse
and begs the other to pay himself,
whereupon, with more apologies, Don
Lopez empties the money ON the table
and carefully counts it, and there being
but about a score of goldpieces and some
silver he shakes his head and SAYS few
words to Don Sanchez. in very rs-
nseachful tone of<emonstf lance, to which
our don replies by Il sV1usls.th trifies