The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-31

tain solitude that at first we all we're inclined "
think that our senses had played US a trick, .hnt
we IooEsi At one another, half in fear, as II W,
were listening to q ghostly requiem TOT US TORE
Continued. clear and distinct and unmistakable
and We turned our horses heads ana pressed
our way through the storm toward ". At lns!
we came among high pine trees, which checked
the blowing snow, so that we could see a little
way about us-and then suadeniy, before US we
" lie stood beside a little hut OF logs, bare.
headed, with long hair and beard. and was clad
cord. Ho wns the hermit. John Augustinianl;
lie showed no surprise at seeing us. but stopped
his chanting. and as we halted before min 'a'd
caics be with, you'll l have waited your
N"'Csn You give uS shelter from the storm,
father ? | asked. too much relieved to ind a house
OF any kind and a civilized man on Solltarlo TO
stop to wonder how he came to be- there. or in-
qulre how he knew we were coming.
MY roof aud humble fare are ever at the
disposal Of the distressed whom am appointed
to succor.' he said. with the same quiet gravity
as before. But for you II is not ordered 70 larry
here. You must be on your way without loss, OF
time. There are enemies in your path. The
storm will clear at monnrise, and moonriee must
find you at Tecalotina In the valley. shall DO
II looked at the women, who needed to give
but one glance at the tiny hut, with its entrance
formed by leaving one log out ofthe side OF tho
structure, to decide them.
Let US 90 on by all means said Mrs.
Trethvyn1. II only you are sure we can find
THE hermit gave US little time to deliberate
the matter. tlNlnk n bllRnt nOu rs n biklhl tlhJ
he was ready to start. he drew the hood of his
gown over his head. and with no further prepa-
ration turned and Led the way past the house.
so we travelled more easily than before. Soon
the ground began, to fall, and knew we had
Ing a slope; beyond that l had no idea of the
course we were taking. Feeling their path with
hesitatinsiy the cowied figure that, swiftly
walking, seemed all the time about TO vanish IN
,aII storm ,Ss1 ahead ms 1ere IL T Ssso aot iSpF t 1es0T ridge SST np
which we had climbed in the afternoon. but by
suddenly the hermit stopped snort and
stopped above a mound Of snow which seemed
to have drifted over a .mall log. and above the
shaft. He brushed the snow away. revealing
something dark beneath, and at the same time
Sac nSFs Swa ,Sre Then sP i fn saw mas that the sS0 thing f Ssi
meath the drift was q man lying on his back,
and the snow ,clinging TO the breast about the
The hermit brushed the snow from the face. IL
was the face Of FL Lobo. our troacherous guide,
THE hermit spoke, not as II talking to us or
to himself, but as II preaching to unseen
Eyes, 1t has como about as was foretold.
Whose sheddeth mans blood, by man shall his
PioGa DC S fae anal h iad has h d1sd H. II n,s srpS is p Sres ste
He broke two branches from a dead fallen
pine, and. drawing a string from somewhere
Of a cross. This he planted In the snow at the
dead mans head. and then; %clasping his hands,
DTay Gu aUONe hlIn. Inch he z Jul hOTsts III
a wide circuit round the body. and we kept, our
way down the ridge until at last we reached the
iiShter and the storm ! less hsrsce .ns so that we
could travel faster. AS the moon rose the snow
ceased to fall. and the clouds broke apart as we
came in sight Of the lights Of Tecalotina just
Though the people were awake in their
The hermit led the way to the princi-
pal house in the village and knocked at the
dc 81 ~ 4 voice !; from within called out; QUEEN
'Augustiniani,' answered the hermit. 4
bring strangers who need succor.'
AT once the door was thrown open and q
man appeared at the entrance with q gun in his
hand. Welcome. Christian john he said joy
fully; You are ever welcome and whoever you
Pardon my delay In opening to you he
house. The Navaioes are out tonight. and
very one In the village is watching his house.
passed up the valley at dusk and Killed two
men from Plaza Gallinas on their way, and no
one knows where they may strike before sun;
% his house. Ills wife and daughter bade US
blazing brightly in the adobe fireplace in the cor.
ler. and while the women prepared supper for us
we're safe we found ourselves nearly famished
With hunger, and the women and myself did full
,p;,,ics to the mea. Of t=ortillas: mutton and
Kermit, sitting silently at his meal, with his
1ead bowed as II In prayer, ate only a single tor;
ZIG h&tA oh "a " Nv VI UtolO liO a "a
With the deepest reverence by the host and by
he Mexicans W tho came In to see him when the
iews of his arrival got about the village. After
MS supper had been eaten they gathered round
lin while he talked to them AS a pastor to his
lock. When Mrs. Trethvyn and l tried to thank
for what he had done for us. he disclaimed
hat any gratitude was due to himself.
mot to me give thanks he said, but to the
rood God who commands me and whose will /
"A bed was prepared In an inner room for the
women. while l rolled myself up In our saddle
blankets and. tired as I was. slept soundly all
light on the floor of the main room with my
addle for a pillow. AS l dropped of to sleep
he hermit was seated upon a bench in the light
( a blazing pine knot. talking to a rapt group
Withholding. swarthy listeners who stood or
rouched reverentially round him. and the
recalled to me pictures | had seen Of
}hrist preaching to the fishermen.
when l woke in the morning he was gone
aid. and l never saw him again. Some villagers
lad accompanied him to bring back f. Lebos
,ody for burial. The armed party sent up from
he Hot Springs to look us up were at the door,
thanks to Christian John. they found us
live and well at Tecalotina. instead of dead
lpon the mountain-for between the storm and
he chance of meeting the Navajoes we could
ave not have outlived the night unalded.
Though none OF our party ever saw Christian
US. Mrs. Trethvyn. although a strict
'rotestant, sent him, by Bautista Cordova. a
erRe gown and girdle fine enough for a Bishop,
nd l enclosed with 1t an ebony crucifx and
osary to match. Three years later, while serv-
ng in Texas, ! heard that Christian John had
'een murdered near Isleta, and II a wish is a
'rayer l prayed for the peace OF his SOUL"