The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-12-20
CHAPTER ii.
THE SENIOR STRICKLAND

y
visited a village in the state of Tam
aulipas, named Cumarvo, a beautiful
place. half hidden in pine forests among
| the mountains. | came to this village
| because a friend of mine, one of the
brethren of the Order of the Heart,
wrote to me saying that there was an
Indian in the neighborhood who had in
his possession an ancient Aztec scroll,
which, being in picture writing, neither
he nor anyone else could read.
This scroll had descended to the In
dian through many generations, and
with it a tradition that it told of a very
rich gold mine in the mountains where
of the site was lost, which had been
closed to save it from the grip of Cortes,
| by the order of Guatemoc, my fore
father
Now had been taught the secret Of
the picturewriting when first I was in
itiated in the mysteries of the Heart.
This writing the Indian was willing
to give up to me as Lord of the Heart,
and accordingly journeyed to Cumar-
vo to study it. On my arrival at the
house of my friend 1 heard that the
Indian had died of a sudden sickness,
and that his son would soon discover
where the scroll was hidden.
Another thing l heard also, namely,
that white man, an Inglese, the first
who ever visited these parts, had come
to the village about six months before,
and was engaged in working some old
silver mines on behalf of company,
task that he found difficult, for the
Mexican owners of land in the neigh
borhood, being jealous of him and
angry because he paid his men fair
wage, were striving to prevent Indians
from laboring in his mine.
1t CHANGED that fray arose on the
night of my arrival at Cumarvo. On
the morrow / saw the fruits of it as /
walked down the little street. In the
middle of the street, lying in the shade
of a house, were two dead men. A
handsome Indian girl, with sullen and
unmoved countsnance, was engaged in
winding a serape, or blanket, round one
of the bodies, but the other lay I'M
tended, certain stains upon the cloth
ing revealing the manner of it's end
On doorstep sat third man, wounded
about the head and face. while the bar
Der of the village, it's only doctor, at
tempted to remove his hair with pair
of blunt scissors, SO that he might dress
the cut.
what is the cause of this, senor?" I
asked the haDber.
II think that have the honor of adj
dressing Don Ignatio," the little man
answered, and, lifting his hands from
their work, he made a sign showing
that he, also, was member of our
brotherhood, though humble one.
"Ah, l thought so" he went on as I
gave the countersign; 1--WE heard that
you were going to visit US, and I am
glad of it, for / weary of dressing
wounds on Sundays, and perhaps you
no n RI CT n
lights. The woman was the cause Of
it, of course, senior; these are not the
first that she has brought to their
deaths" and he nodded at the girl who
was wrapping the body in blanket.
With sigh was turning to go, for
it saddened me to think that when
drink got hold of them a woman should
have power to change these men, who
were my brethren, into savage beasts
thirsting for each others blood.
''Ah!" l unused, had it not been for
that other woman who destroyed me
and my hope, by now had begun to
teach them better"
At this moment i CHANGED to glance
up to see man such as had never be-
fore beheld, standing at my side and
gazing at me.
James Strickland, the Englishman,
was fine man, over thirty years in
age, short in proportion to his width.
though somewhat spare in frame and
delicate in limb. His features were a.
clearly cut as those of an ancient god
upon a marble wall, and his eyes were
as blue as the sea and his curly hair
yellow as Mimosa bloom.
Your pardon, senor," SAID the man
in good Spanish, bowling to me as he
spoke, ''but unwittingly l have over
heard some of your talk, and 1 cannot
understand how it comes about that
you, stranger, Wve so much author
ity. wish that you would explain it
to me in order that might learn how
to put stop to such murders. These
dead men were two of my best work.
men, and do not know where shall
look to replace them"
Il cannot explain it, seuor," I an
swered, returning his bow, further
than to say that | have a certain rank
among the Indians, on account of
which they reverence me. Still, though
have no right to ask it of a stranger.
pray that you will forget any words
which may chance to have reached
your ears. since of such authority the
government is Jealous"