The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-12-07
OUR.
PRICES.
it," and replacing his hat upon his

pectally an article which - qua
it," and replacing his hat upon his
| head he passed on.
| Although my journey proved to be
vain, as the scroll came to read had
vanished, fingered in the village, al
| leging as the reason OF my stay hope
that It might be discovered, but. really,
| because 1 desired to become friendly
i with this white man.
AS it CHANGED, an opportunity was
soon given me to do him a signal serv-
| ice I have stated that there dwelt
men of position in this place, Mex
leans, who were jealous of the Eng
| lishman and these people stirred up
some discontinued miners in his en-
| ploy to make plot to. murder him.
| The plot came to my ears through
one of the brotherhood, and deter
mined to Illustrate it, to which end
| collected together twenty good men
| and true, arming them with guns,
and on a given night, after a pitched
battle, we frustrated the plan of the
murderers, which was at the hour OF
dawn to attack the house where Senior
Strickland slept with four or five serv-
ants only, and to put all within its
walls to death.
Next day, when all the trouble was
over, and the place had been made tidy,
Senior Strickland sent man to ask if [
would do him the pleasure to dine with
him l accepted, and as we sat smolS-
! ing after dinner, after having talked OF
the fight, he spoke thus to me:
"Don Ignatio, [ owe you my life, and,
| believe me, am grateful, for do not
| see WHY you should have risked SO much
| for foreign stranger"
| II did it because like you, senior, I
answered, ''also because it is very pleas
ant to catch the wicked in their own
tolls"
'.Don Ignatio, hardly like to ask
you, and daresay that you will think
the offer beneath contempt but areyou
willing to accept an engagement?
am sadly in need of a submanager here,
! one who could control the Indians, and
to such man am prepared to pay one
hundred dollars month; the funds of
the company represent will not allow
| me to offer more"
| l thought for awhile. and answered.;
s'Senor, the money is not enough to
| tempt me, though 1t will serve to b,l.
food, lodging and cigars, but l accept
your offer for the same reason that /
| fought your battles this morning, be-
cause l like you, and will gladly do my
best to serve you and your interests.
"Still l must warn you that, for
| aught know, l may have to leave
your service at short notice, for my
time is not altogether my own. Ialsoam
the servant of great company, senior,
| were, and have been for these many
years, may be required at any mo-
| ment."
Thus it was that entered the serv-
ice of Senior James Strickland, or rather
of his company, in which I continued
| for something more than year, work
! ing very hard, for the senior did not
spare either me or himself
One evening, on returning from the
smelling works to the house, I found
Senior Strickland, with his chin rest
| ing on his hand and an unlighted
cigar in his mouth, seated at table on
| which lay an open letter. asked him
| what evil thing had happened.
Nothing ing, particular, lgnati9,' he an,
the letter aloud.
1t was from the owners of the mine,
and this was the purport of it; that
! the shaft had become choked with
wa Ter because of the incompetence and
neglect of the senior; that they, the
owners hereby dismissed him sum-
marily, refusing to pay him the salary
due, and, lastly, that they held him re-
sponsible in his own person for such
money as they had lost.
''Surely,"I cried in wrath, when he
had finished, "this letter was written
by a man without shame, and l pray
that he may find his grave in the stom-
achs of hogs and vultures!"
| "Do not trouble, Ignatio," he said,
| &c la t<>f4 ho
| world. I have failed, and must take
the consequences. Had succeeded
there would have been a different
| story Still think that, II ever meet
this man again, wifi kick him for tell
ing lies about me. Do you know, Ig-
natio, that, with the exception of one
| thousand dollars which remain to my
credit in Mexico, have spent all my
own money that had saved upon this
mine, and of that one thousand dollars,
eight hundred dollars are due to you
| for back pay, so whatever trade take
to next l shall not begin as rich
man."
"Be silent, beg Of you, SENIOR" an
! swered, ''for such words make my ears
burn. What! am I also thief that |
/ should rob you, you who have already
been pluclked like fowl for the good
| of others? Insult mes once more by
such thoughts and will never forgive
you"
! And l left the house to calm myself
| bv walking among the mountains, lit
| tie knowing what l should hear before
I entered it again.
CHAPTER I'LL
THE SUMMONS
As walked down the street Of the
village I met my friend with whom
| had stayed when first I came to Cum
| arvo.
81 was seeking YOU The scroll has
been found" said he, handing is to me.
''Good," answered. II will study it
tonight" and continued my walk,
! thinking little more about the matter,
| for NV mind was full of other things.
| The air was pleasant and the even
| ing fine, so that did not return to the
house till the moon rose. AS | passed
up the path man stepped so suddenly
from the shelter Of a bush in front OF
| me. that drew my machete thinking
that he meant to do me a, mischief.
.sStav your hand. lord" said the man,
saluting 1ne humbly, and at the same
time giving the sign of brotherhood.
ssIt is many years since we met, so per-
| chance you may have forgotten me,
still, you will remember my name; ] am
Molas, your foster brother"
"What brings you here, Mo1as?'
asked; 'swl1en last Iheard of you, you
were dwelling far away in Chiapas."
IA strange matter, business of the
1 1o~4 ~ he ~ r