The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1897-12-09
CHAPTER III.
THE SENIOR STRICKLAND

Two and twenty years ago |, Ignatio,
visited village in the state of Tam
aulipas, named Cumarvo, a beautiful
place, half hidden in pine forests among
the mountains | came to this village
because n friend of mine, one of the
brethren of the Order of the Heart,
wrote TO me saying that there was an
Indian III the neighborhood who had in
his possession an ancient Aztec scroll,
which, being in picture writing, neither
he nor anyone else could read.
This scroll had descended to the In
dian through many generations, and
with it tradition that 1t told of very
rich gold mine in the mountains where
of the site was lost. which had been
closed to save it from the grip of Cortes,
by the order Of Guatemoc, my fore
futhcr.
Now had been taught the secret OF
the picture-writing when first 1 was in
itiated in the mysteries of the Heart.
This writing the Indian was willing
to give up to me as Lord of the Heart.
and accordingly journeyed to Cumar-
vo to study it. On my arrival at the
house OF my friend l heard that the
Indian had died of sudden sickness,
and that his son would soon discover
where the scroll was hidden.
Another thing ! heard also, namely
that white man, an Inglese, the first
who ever visited these parts, had come
to the village about six months before,
and was engaged in working some old
silver mines ON behalf of n company, a
task that he found difficult, for the
Mexican owners of land in the neigh
borhood being jealous OF him and
angry because he paid his men n fair
wage, were striving to prevent Indians
from laboring in his mine.
1t CHANGED that n fray arose on the
night of my arrival at Cumarvo. On
the morrow | saw the fruits of it as
walked down the little street. In the
middle of the street, lying in the shade
of n house, were two dead men. A
handsome Indian girl, with sullen and
unmoved countenance, was engaged in
winding a serape, or blanket, round one
Of the bodies, but the other lay I'M
tended, certain stains upon the cloth
ing revealing the manner of its end.
On doorstep sat third man, wounded
about the head and face, while the bar
Der of the village, its only doctor, at
tempted to remove his hair with pair
of blunt scissors, SO that he might dress
the cut.
"What is the cause Of this, senor?" l
asked the barber
81 think that have the honor Of ad-
dressing Don Ignatio,r the little man
answered, and, lifting his hands from
their work, he made n Sign showing
that he, also. was member of our
brotherhood, though n humble one.
"Ah, thought So" he went on as /
gave the countersign; I'VE heard that
you We're going to visit us, and l am
glad of it, for I weary of dressing
wounds on Sundays. and perhaps you
may be able to put a stop to these
fights. The woman was the cause of
1t, OF course. senior; these are not the
first that she has brought to their
Deaths and he nodded at the girl who
was wrapping the body in blanket.
With a sigh l was turning to go, for
1t saddened me to think that when
drink got hold of them woman should
have power to change these men, who
were my brethren, into savage beasts
thirsting for each others blood.
"Ah!' | mused, had it not been for
that other woman who DESTROYED me
and my hope, by now had begun to
teach them better
At this moment I CHANGED to glance
up to see man such as / had never be-
fore beheld, standing at my side and
gazing at me.
James Strickland, the Englishman.
was a fine man, over thirty wears in
age, short in proportion to his width.
though somewhat spare in frame and
delicate in limb. His features were ms
clearly cut as those of an ancient god
upon marble wall. and his eyes were
as blue as the sea and his curly hair
yellow as Mimosa bloom.
Your pardon, senor," said the man
in good Spanish, bowling to me as he
spoke, but unwittingly have over
heard some OF your talk, and cannot
understand how it comes about that
you, n stranger, have so much author
ity. wish that you would explain il
to me in order that / might learn how
to put stop to such murders. These
dead men were two of my best work
men, and do not know where l shall
look to replace them"
II cannot explain 1t, senor," / an
swercd, returning his bow, further
than to say that l have a certain rank
among the Indians, on account of
which they reverence me. Still, though
have no right to ask it of stranger,
pray that you will forget any words
which may chance to have reached
your ears, since of such authority the
government is jealous"
BY all means, senior, they are al
ready forgotten. Well, adios, this sight
is not SO pleasant that wish TO study
it," and replacing his hat upon his
head he passed on.
Although my journey proved to be
vain, as the scroll l came to read had
vanished, fingered in the village, nj
leging as the reason of my stay hope
that it might be discovered, but, really,
because l desired to become friendly
with this white man.
As it CHANGED, an opportunity was
soon given me to do him signal serv-
ice. | have stated that there dwelt
men of position in this place, Mex
leans, who were jealous of the Eng
lishman. and these people stirred up
some discontinued miners in his en-
ploy to make plot to murder him.
The plot came to my ears through
one of the brotherhood, and l deter
mined to Illustrate it, to which end |
collected together twenty good men
and true, arming them with guns,
and on a given night, after a pitched
battle, we frustrated the plan of the
murderers, which was at the hour of
dawn to attack the house where Senior
Strickland slept with four or five serv-
ants only, and to put all within its
walls TO death.
Next day, when all the trouble was
over, and the place had been made tidy,
Senior Strickland sent a man to ask if
would do him the pleasure to dine with
him. / accepted. and rs we sat smok-
ing after dinner. after having talked of
the tight, he spoke thus to me:
Don lgnatio, | owe you my life, and.