San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-01-12

greedy-faced white thief would say i
! he knew that in single temple we
could show him enough of the metal be
covets to fill this place five times over
from floor to ceiling?
"'Hushr she said, ears may be list
ening even in these walls; let us risl,
nothing, seeing that by seeming to be
ignorant alone we can hope to escape
"Well, asked the senior eagerly, 'and
what did Zibalbay answer? l think
that you said that the old mans name
was Zibalbay," he added, trying to re-
cover the slip.
'Zibalbayi No, never mentioned
that NAME" Don Pedro replied suspic-
iously, and with sudden change of
manner. "He answered nothing at all.
Next morning when came to question
them the birds had flown. 1t is pity
for otherwise might have asked the
old man if his name is Zibalbay. / sup
pose that the Indians had lei them out,
but could not discover"
"Why, Don Pedro, you said just now
that they were still in the house"
"Did l? Then made mistake, as
you did about the name; this wine Is
strong, it must have got to my head;
sometimes it does-a weakness, and a
bad one. 1t is an old tale, but there it
ended so far as am concerned, Come,
senior, take cup of coffee, it is good"
Thank you, no, answered the senior
81 never drink coffee at night, it keeps
me awake"
"Still, / beg you to try ours, friend;
we grow it ourselves and are proud of
its flavor"
SIT is poison to me, dare not" he
said. ''But pray tell me, do the gentle
men whom have the honor TO see at
table cultivate your plantations?"
"Yes, yes, they cultivate the coffee
and the cocoa, and other things also
when they have mind, daresay you
think them rough-locking lot, but
they are kind-hearted, ahl so kind
hearted. Feeble as am they treat me
like father. BAIL senior, what is the
good of hiding the truth from one of
your discernment? We do business of
all sorts here, but the staple of it is
smuggling rather than agriculture.
"The trade is not what it was, those
sharks of customs officers down on the
coast there want so much to hold their
tongues, but still there are few pick
ings. In the old times, when they did
not ask questions, it was otherwise, for
then men of pluck were ready for any
thing, from revolution down to the
stringing up of coach load of fat mer-
chants, but now is the day of small
profits, and we must be thankful for
such trifes as providence sends u.s."
"Such as the two Americans who got
drunk and killed each other" suggested
the senior, whose tongue was never of
the most cautious.
Instantly Don Pedro's face changed,
the sham geniality born of drink went
out of it, and was replaced by hard
and cunning look.
81 am tired, senor," he said, "as you
must be also, and, If you will excuse
me, will light another cigar and take
nap In my hammock. Perhaps you
will amuse yourself with the others,
senior, till you wish to go to rest" And,
rising, he bowed and walked somewhat
unsteadily to the hammock that was
suspended at the far end of the room.
When Don Pedro had retired to his
hammock, whittier the Indian girl,
Luisa, was summoned to swing him to
sleep, saw his son Jose and the Amer
lean outcast, Smith, both of whom, like
the rest of the company, were more or
less drunk, come to the senior and ask
him to join in a game of cards. Guess
ing that their object was to make him
show what cash he had about him, he
also affected to be in liquor, and re-
piled noisily that he had lost all his
money in the shipwreck, and was, more
over, too full of wine to play.
"Then you must have lost it on the
road, friend" said Don Jose, "for you
forget that you made those sailors a
present from belt of gold which you
wore about your middle. However, no
gentleman shall be forced to play in
this house, so come and talk while the
others have their little game" ..
Eyes, that will be better" answered
the senior, and he staggered to an empty
which / remained, and was served with
spirits and cigars. Here he sat watch
ing the play and listened to the CONVEX
sation OF the gamblers.
All this while 1 sat at the little table
where my dinner had been served, say
ing nothing, for none spoke to me, but
within hearing of everything that
passed. There l sat quiet, my arms
folded on my breast, listening atten-
lively to the tales of outrage, wrong,
and murder practised by these wicked
ones upon my countrymen.
Presently Don Smith called out!
"Look at that Indian rascal, friend;
he is as proud as a turkey cock IN spring
time; why, he reminds me of the figures
of the king in that ruin where we laid
up last year waiting for the sonora and
her party. You remember the sonora,
don't you, Jose? l can hear her squeaks
now," and he laughed brutally, and add
ed: "Come, King, and have drink"
Gracious, senor," answered, 81
hhye drunk"
"chen smoke a cigar, o king"
AGracious, senior, do not smoke to-
4eght."
my lord cacique of all the Indians
gon't drink and won't smoke" said
Don Smith, $50 we will offer him in
sense" and taking plate he filed it
with dry tobacco and cigarette paper,
30 which he set fire. Then he placed
che plate on the table before me, so
shat the fumes of the tobacco rose into
the air about my head.
"There, now he looks like a real god,"
said the Americana, clapping his hands,
81 say, Jose, let as make sacrifice to
him. There is the girl who ran away
hast week, and whom we caught with
che dops-n