Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-06-04

Strange Story an
Mexican Indian dandC onrade,
EngIishrran Named Jones.
Copyrighted. 1924, by H. Rider Baggara

tiers, seeing that he must follow his
own Will about them, for 1 cannot for
get that from generation to generation
those who went before him have reaped
, nothing but disaster in their struggle
against the white devils, whom, because
OF the sins of our forefathers, it has
!, pleased God to set over u.s.
''Those were your fathers words, my
son, which he spoke to me in the hour
before his murder. And now you will
understand why said you must wait
before You determined to be priest; II
that Is still your wish it can be fulfilled,
for your father left it with you to fol-
low the life you might desire"
When he had finished speaking /
thought for awhile and answered:
while my fathers blood is unavenged
l cannot become priest
1t is as l thought" said the old man,
with sigh. THAT cursed talisman
which lies about your neck has begun
will tread the path that the others trod,
perchance to die in blood, as they did
Within a week from this day some
Indians came to Tiapa disguised as
porters. whose mission it was to lead
me to the mountains among which my
father had lived, and where his treas
ures still lay hidden.
On the third day of nv Journey we
reached a narrow pass in the noun
tains, beyond which lay an Indian viii
lage. Here my guides took me to the
house of one Antonio, to whom the
padre Ignatio had given me letters. an
old man of venerable aspect, who
greeted me warmly and introduced me
to several caciques who We're staying
with him, l did not know why.
So soon 1S yva yyara n lone in tha bn,,So
one of these caciques, after addressing
me in words that l could not under
stand, asked me if / had heart To
this l replied that hoped so, whereat
they all laughed. Then the man An
tonic, coming to me, unbuttoned my
shirt, revealing the talisman that had
belonged to my father, and at the sight
of it all the company bowed.
Next the doors were locked, and, SEN
tries having been posted before them, a
ceremony began which even now it is
not lawful that should describe in de-
tail, wherein l was first initiated into
the mysteries of the Order of the Heart,
and afterwards installed as it's heredi.
tary chief. thus becoming while yet Il
boy the absolute lord of many thousand
men, brethren of our order, who were
scattered far and wide about the land.
On the day after L had taken the
final oathS Antonio handed over to me
the treasure that my ancestors boarded
in secret place. which my father had
lett in his keeping. and it was great
treasure, amounting to more than a
million dollars in value.
Now l was rich. both in men and
money, still. following the counsel of
Antonio, | abode for awhile in the viii
lage. receiving those who came to visit
me from every part of Mexico as Holder
| OF the Heart, and as first in rank among
the fallen peoples of the Indians.
Some three miles from the village
where Gwelt lived two sisters. Indians
of noble blood, though poor. one of
them widow and the other a very
beautiful girl. younger than myself.
It CHANGED that Twas riding past their
house upon a certain Sunday evening
when most of the inha bitants of the
valley were away at a fiesta, and heard
screams coming from it.
Dismounting from my horse l ran in
at the door, which was open. and saw
one of the sisters, the widow, lying
dead upon the ground, while two BAN
younger woman. Drawing my ma
chete, cut them down.
Now after this the girl whose life l
had saved came to dwell in my village,
where saw much of her. So lovely
was she and SO clever that soon she won
my heart. and the end Of it was I mar
ried her, against the advice of Antonio
and others of my brethren of the order.
The more l thought On them the
more the wrongs of my countrymen,
the real owners of the land, took hold
| of my mind, till at length they pos
sessed it utterly, and / became an en-
thasiast and visionary, making it the
object Of my life to form great con-
spiracy and bring about rising of the
Indians in every province of Mexico
upon 4 given day. and then when the
| Spaniards and their bastards. the Span
| ish MeXicans, had been stamped out to
reestablish the empire of the Aztecs.
For n year or more | was the greatest
power in Mexico, and yet, though hum
dreds were privy to my secret, it was so
well kept that nc whisper of it came to
the cars of the government. AT length
all was ready, and SO carefully were my
| plans laid that success seemed certain.
Just before the time fixed for the rising,
it was agreed that my wife should be
| placed as one of whom we could be
sure. as a servant in the house of q man
who ruled Mexico in those days, that
she might spy upon him.
Instead of that, she. my wife, fell in
love with him. 1t is easy to guess the
rest. One night. but week before the
appointed time. l and some five or six
seized. NV companions were made away
with secretly. but / was brought before
| the great man. who received me alone,
holding pistol in his hand.
Il know all your plans, friend" he
said. Il know also that you have
| great treasure in gold hidden away
Now, friend, l make you fair offer
hand over this treasure to me, and
| you shall go frce-refuse to do so, and
you will be brought to trial and die as
| YOU deserve"
How can you promise for others?"
l asked. ''Iou are not the only white
man who would have fallen"
Il can promise for others, first, be-
cause l am their master, and, secondly,
| because nobody but myself knows any
thing of this matter, since, if l told
them, l must also share your wealth
with them, and that, my friend, L mean
| to keep. Give it up to me and you may
| go and plot against my successors and
the government of Mexico as much as
| pleaSeS You. and take your wife with you
for aught l care: for, friend, having
earned SO comfortable a competence,
| propose to leave the land where. as this
! business proves. people in authority are
too apt to have their Threats cut. Now
! choose
Then l chose. for I thought to myself
that l might get more gold. but could
| never get another life, and If l died
many must suffer with me, and all my
hopes for the future of the Indian race
/! would come to naught. Also l knew
a. ~ l. l.