The Irish standard., 1895-12-21
Y u IAI2 9 IfIE WORLD
BY II. RIDER 1IAGGARD.
Is. e. Story Bequeathed by Old
N1exican indian His comrade. an -
Engnshman S.=. .szH.#a
1opyrishsed. 1898. by n Rider Baggard.

the floor and you will understand the
reason. come, senior, l GOMEZ And
she fed from the room.
n So soon as the girl was gone the senior
went to the door and locked it, then he
returned and said:
What does all this mean, Ignatio?"
/ did not answer, but, pushing aside
one OF the beds, / searched the floor be-
meath it. 1t was discolored in several
places. Next pulled the blankets off
the beds and examined the webbing
that formed the mattresses to discover
that this also was stained, though
slightly, for it had been washed. Then
/ said:
Men have died in these beds. senior,
and the stains were made by their
blood. It would seem that the guests
of Don Pedro sleep well, first they are
drugged, then they are murdered, and
It is for this purpose that we have been
lured to the house. Well, we expected
nothing else
'sDo not despond," answered "We
think, shall escape by the help Of that
girl and the other Indians in.the place,
since in an hour every one of them will
know who we are, and be prepared to
risk their lives to save us. Now let us
make ready and go among these men
with bold face, for of this you may be
sure, that nothing will be attempted
till late at night, when they think us
sleeping. Have you understood, Mo-
las?"
"Yes," answered the Indian.
''Then watch here, or i'll the outer
room until we return. and should the
girl come, learn all you can, from her rs
to the whereabouts of the: old doctor
and his daughter, and other matters,
for when she knows you to be of the
order she will speak. Have you been
recognized by any one?"
II think not, seuor When we en-
tered it was too dark for them to see. ;"
'Good. Then keep out of their way,
if possible, do the best you can with the
girl, and take note Of all that passes.
Farewell"
When we reached the end of the din
ing, hall Don Pedro Slid from his
hammock to the around and, taking the
senior by the hand, said,
Let me introduce you to my over
seer, the Senior Smith from Texas. He
is an American, and will be glad to
meet one who can speak English, for,
Notwithstanding much practice, his
Spanish is none OF the best
The senior bowed and the American
Desperate spoke to him in English,
wearing grin on his face like wicked
dog as he did so, though do not know
what he said. Then Don Pedro con-
Quoted him to place of honor at the
head of the table, that beside his own
scat. while I was led to another table at
a little distance. where my meat was
served to me alone, since. as an Indian
of pure blood, was not thought fit for
the company of these cross-bred ours.
Don Jose having taken his place at the
further end of the table with the
Americana, the meal began, and an ex-
cellent one it was.
'sTry some more Of this Burgundy"
said Don Pedro when the dishes had
been removed, filing his tulnbler for
the seventh or eighth time; lit is the
right stuff, straight from France,
though it never paid duty" and he
winked his leaden eye.
''Your health, senior, and may you
live to do MANY such brave, deeds as
that of yesterday, when you saved my
son from the sea. BY the way, do you
know that on board that ship they said
that you had the evil eye and brought
her to wreck; yes, and your long faced
companion, the Indian, Also s.
.'Indeed, / never heard of it before"
answered the senior with laugh; "but
if SO our evil eyes shall not trouble you
for long, as we propose to continue our
journey tomorrow.
Nonsense, friend, nonsense; you
don't suppose that | believe in
that sort of rubbish, do you?
We say many things that we
do not believe, just for a joke; thus,i
and he raised his voice SO that l could
hear him at my table, s'your companion
~ Sc I, NJ Nc on1, ICrYlQ fi0p-fnII q
story to my disadvantage on board the
ship, which am sure he did not, be-
lieve," and suddenly he stared at me
and added insolently: sis it not SO,
indiana"
.sIf YOU seek my opinion, Don Pedro"
answered, leaning forward aud speak
ing very clearly, ST can say that it is
improbable to repeat words that are
said, or to remember deeds that are
done with. If spoke certain words, or
if in the past you did certain deeds,
here beneath your hospitable roof is
not the place.to recall them"
"Quite SO, Indian, quite SO; you talk
like an oracle, as Montezuma used to
talk to Cortes, till the conqueror found
a way to teach him plain speahing-a
great man, Cortes, he understood how
to deal with the. Indians" Then he
down the ia BILE, spoke to the senior in a
somewhat anxious voice, 'sTellfme,"
he said, ''for your sight is better ,than
mine. how many there are present. here
tonight" H.,
Counting my friend, thirteen" he
answered. H.
CT Thought so,'' said our host, with an
oath, and it is too late to mend mat
tiers now Well. may the saints, and
they should be thick about monastery,
avert the omen. see you think me a
fool
.sNot at all" he answered, ST am
rather superstitious myself. and dislike
sitting down thirteen to a table.
$50 do |. SO do /, Senior Strickland.
Listen. last time we dined thirteen in
this room there were two travellers mere,
Americans, friends Of Don Smith, who
were. trying to open up trades1n these
parts. They drank more than was
rood for them, and the end OF it was
that in the night they quarrelled and
killed each other yonaer in the abbot's
chamber, where you are aeeplng-
poor men, poor men! there was iron pie
about the matter at the time, but Don
Smith explained to his countrymen and
it came to nothing
Indeed answered the senior. ''It
was strange that two drunken men
should kill each other. -.
i ESQ say. senior. In truth for while
I thought that Indians must have got
into their room and murdered them, but
Il, was proved beyond a doubt that this
was not So All! they are wicked peo-
ple. the Indians; ] have seen much OF
them and / should know. Now the
government wishes to treat them too