Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-12-15
Padre Ambrosio'S Beads.
[copyright 1895. by the Author.1
BIZ CLARENCE PULLEN.

. By the Author1
Padre Ambrosio found it anything
but pleasant or easy to keep his seat on
the swaying, jogging back of diminu-
tive burro which he could not see or
control. As the Indians, increasing
their pace, urged the ass into trot and
then gallop. the priest. who dared not
speak, could only cling to the pommel
OF the saddle and console himself with
the reflection that he was on the road to
the fulfllment Of . long cherished de.
sire.
Several persons already know the
story of the lost Spanish mines of New
Mexico. In that region, as in other
parts Of Mexico. the Spanish conquerors
enslaved the peaceful Pueblo or village
Ipdians and put them cruelty to work
IN mines. The Indians rose at last in
sanguinary revolt, destroyed or expel-
led all of the Spaniards and effaced ev-
cry vestige of the mines which they es-
peclally associated with their oppress-
ors. When in time the Spaniards re.
turned to New Mexico as sheep and cat
tie raisers. the Indians alone knew where
the hidden mines were, and this secret
they have ever jealousy guarded. Many
stories have been told as to the richness
of these lost mines and of vast boards
or bullion which the Spaniards hastily
concealed when the instruction broke
out or which the Indians flung into
the mines before they covered the en-
frances. But the Spaniards did not
again venture to incur the chance of
another Indian revolt by attempting to
redlscover or to work any mine in New
Mexico.
Padre Amurosio loved to hear the
tales Of the lost mines and to weave day
dreams CT the disposition that he would
make of tho treasure could he only find
out where it was. He would use it, of
course, wholly for the advancement of
the church, but his gift of riches inesti-
mable would surely be recognized by
promotion, and his thoughts Travelled
down pleasing vista of the coming
years in which he figured successfully
as vicar general, bishop and at last as
archbishop of the New Mexican see,
and he swelled with complacency as in
fancy he heard himself called your
grace. The subject possessed his mind,
and often he was breeding over schemes
to acquire these hidden riches when his
simple parishiOners supposed that he
was absorbed in pious meditations.
Many time during his pastorate of
nine years at Santo Domingo had the
padre vainly questioned members of his
flock about the old mines. The old men
Of the village admitted that the local
ity of certain rich mines was known to
their tribe, but they also told him that
an immemorial VOW was exacted of ev-
cry Indian that the secret should never
be revealed to a white man. Often had
the padro begged that his eyes only
might be satisfied with q sight of these
treasures, but as often had he been re-
fused.
But his pertinacity had at last sue.
cee6ed, and he had been informed that
under certain conditions, exacted to
prevent his return to their locality, he
should be permitted to see the famous
lost mines of the Cerillos. He had eager
ly accepted the offer, and thus We find
him i'll the attitude, remarkable for a
priest, of sitting blindfold on the back
of donkey guided by Indians sworn to
take his life If he made one false move,
jogging of in some direction unknown
to him, and-to say nothing of his sense
of constant peril-suffering much dis
comfort from the hardness of the saddle
and the jolting trot of the beast beneath
him.
Time goes slowly and distance seems
long to man who cannot see whittier
he is travelling, and the PADRES longing
to dlsmount grew uncomfortable. Not
daring to speak outright, he began to
humble prayers in tone barely audi
BILE and let his voice increase into dis
tinctness as he murmured piteously:
"Our blessed Saviour into the gates of
Jerusalem rode upon the back of an ass.
Is it meet that I, one of the least of his
followers, should proceed in as much
state as he did? should in all humility
dismount and walk.
The only notice that his conductors
paid to his pious hint was to quicken
the burro's pace until the gathering Of
hoofs and tho rattling of the saddle as
the priest bumped up and down drown
ed the timid sound of his voice.
AT last tho party came to a halt, and
tie priest was assisted to dismount
Without delay the Indians hurried him
along Oil foot, and be now realized very
forcibly that they were making their
way by devious route up steep and
very rough mountain side. Sometimes
his guides would stop for whispered
consultation in their own language, and
by their movements he surmised that
they were retracing a path by land
marks. When they told him to halt CT
to go on. he observed that their voices
had none Of the submissiveness that
characterized the speech of his parish
toner's when III the village, but had be-
como commanding and peremptory. The
|, father, being fat and short windeG.
found IT hard 10 keep ND with the pace
at which his conductors went.
. Occasionally an aGmonition from one
OF the Indians told him that he was
treadipg the edge Of q precipice ard
had better be careful where he stepped.
Sometimes he struck mis- shins against