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


seat, while was led to another table a
little distance, where my meat wa:
served to me alone, since, as an IndiaI
of pure blood, was not thought fit fol-
the company of these cross-bred ours
Don Jose having taken his place at tbs
further end of the table with til,
! Americana, the meal began, and an ex
cellent one it was.
"Try some more of this Burgundy,
! said Don Pedro when the dishes had
been removed, filling his tumbler foI
! 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"
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 l believe in
| that sort of rubbish, do you?
We say many things that we
| do not believe, just for joke; thus,
! and he raised his voice so that l could
hear him at my table, ''your companion
there's he not named 1gnatio?-told a
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"
"If you seek my opinion, Don Pedro"
answered, leaning forward and speak
| ing very clearly, 81 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 speaking-a
! great man, Cortes, he understood how
to deal with the Indians" Then he
spat upon the floor, and, having looked
down the table, spoke to the senior in a
somewhat anxious voice, Tell me"
| he said, "for your sight is better than
mine, how many there are present here
tonight"
Counting my friend, thirteen" he
answered.
81 thought So" said our host, with an
oath, "apd 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 q
fool II
"Not at ALL" he answered. 81 am
rather superstitious myself, and dislike
sitting down thirteen to table.
$50 do /, so do l, Senior Strickland.
Listen, last time we dined thirteen in
this room there were two travellers here,
Americans, friends of Don Smith, who
were trying to open upa trade in these
parts. They drank more than was
good for them, and the end of 1t was
that in the night they quarrelled and
| Killed ca, b o.her ybnder in the abbot's
chamber, where you are sleeping
poor men, poor menl There was trouble
about the matter at the time, but Don
Smith explained to his countrymen and
it came to nothing"
Indeed" answered the senior. SIT
was strange that two drunken men
should kill each other"
$50 say, senior. In truth for while
I thought that Indians must have got
| into their room and murdered them, but
it was proved beyond doubt that this
was not so. All! they are wicked PEG.
| pie, the Indians; / have seen much OF
them and / should know. Now the
government wishes to treat them toe
well. Our fathers knew better how tc
deal with them, but luckily the arm Of
the government scarcely reaches here
and no whining padres or officials come
/ prying about my house, though once
we had some soldiers" and he cursed
at the recollection and drank another
glass of Burgundy.
II tell you that they are a wicked
| people," he went on, 'the demonio'
their fathers worshipped still posses!
them, also they are as secret and dan
gerous; and there are Indians nov
who know where vast treasures are
buried, but they will tell nothing.
YES" and suddenly growing eX
cited under the influence of the strong
drink, he leaned over and whispered in.
to his guests ear. 81 have one such in
the house at this moment, an old Laca'
done; that is, an unbaptized Indian
not that think him any the worse for
that, and with him his daughter, a
woman more beautiful than the night
perhaps, if 1 go on liking you will
show her to you tomorrow, only then
should have to keep you, for you would
never go away. Beautiful yes, she is
beautiful, though devil at heart
II have not dared to let these little
ones see her" and he winked and NODDED
toward the villains at the table, "but
Jose is to pay her and her papa visit
tonight, and he won't mind her tenn
pers, though they brighten me.
"Well, would you believe it, this CIR
and her old father know enough o.
treasure to make every man Of us her,
rich as the queen of England. How do
| I know that? / know 1t because
heard 1t from their own lips; and vii
tell you the story"
CHAPTER VIII.
| TTIE