Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-04-23

| course, wholly 1Or the advancement OF
the church, but his gift of riches inesti-
mable would surely be recognized by
promotion, and his thoughts travelled
down a pleasing vista of the coming
years in which he figured successfully
as vicar general, bishop and at last as
archbishop of the New Mexican see,
and he swelled with complacency as in
fancy he heard himself called "your
| grace. " The subject possessed his mind,
and often be was brooding over schemes
to acquire these hidden riches when his
simple Pensioners supposed that he
was absorbed in pious meditations.
Many a time during his pastcrate of
nine years at Santo Domingo had the
padre vainly questioned members of his
flock about the old mines The old men
of the village admitted that the local
ity Of certain rich mines was known to
their tribe, but they also told him that
an immemorial vow was exacted of ev-
cry Indian that the secret should never
be revealed to white man. Often had
the padre begged that his eyes only
might be satisfied with u sight of these
treasures, but as often had he been re-
fused.
But his pertinacity had at last sue.
! ceeded, and he had been informed that
under certain conditions, exacted to
prevent his return to their locality, be
should be permitted to see the famous
lost mines Of the Cerillos. He had eager
ly accepted the offer, and thus we find
him in the attitude, remarkable for
priest, Of sitting blindfold on the back
of donkey guided by Indians sworn to
take his life if he made one false move,
jogging off i'll some direction unknown
to him, and-to say nothing of his sense
Of constant peril-suffering much dis
comfort from the hardness Of the saddle
and the jolting trot of the beast beneath
him.
Time goes slowly and distance seems
long to man who cannot see whittier
he is travelling, and the PADRES longing
to dlsmount grew uncomfortable. Not
daring to speak outright, he began to
humble prayers in tone barely audi
Bile and let his voice increase into dis
tinctness rs he murmured piteously:
"Our blessed Saviour into the gates of
Jerusalem rode upon the back Of an ass
Is it meet that l, one of the least Of his
followers, should proceed i'll as much
state as he did? l should i'll all humility
dismount and walk. "
The only notice that his conductors
paid to his pious hint was to quicken
the burro's pace until the gathering of
hoofs and the rafting of the saddle as
the priest bumped up and down drown
ed the timid sound Of his voice.
At last the party came to "a halt, and
the priest was assisted to dismount
Without delay the Indians hurried him
along on foot, and he now realized very
forcibly that they were making their
way by a devious route up a steep and
very rough mountain side. Sometimes
his guides would stop for whispered
consultation in their own language, and
by their movements he surmiscd that
they were retracing a path by land
marks When they told him to halt or
to go on, he observed that their voices
had none of the submissiveness that
characterized the speech of his parish
toner's when in the village, but had be-
come commanding and peremptory. The
father, being fat and short winded,
found it hard to keep up with the pace
at which his conductors went.
Occasionally an admonition from one
of the Indians told him that be was
treading the edge Of a precipice and
had better be careful where he stepped
Sometimes he struck his shins against
a sharp rock or suppressed a shrek of
pain as he ran into Spanish bayonet
plant, with the sensation of being trans
fixed by "a score of needles. He was out
Of breath. He felt that he could not al
ways keep his footing in places where a
misstep would probably cost him his
life. More earnestly than he had ever
desired the treasure he now wished
himself at home, but his guides urged
him on, and he dared not speak. At
last, exhausted and despairing he sank
to the ground, feeling that he could go
no farther, but fortunately just at this
time the Indians also were ready to
stop They now seemed to him to move
about trying to locate some spot which
1t last they found. He could hear them
removing stones and making prepare
tions, the nature of which be could not
determine. Then one of his guides raised
him and led him forward until there
came upward against his face cold,
damp breath which seemed to proceed
from cavern. He shrank back, fearful
that he should fall into unknown depths,
,~t immediately he was caught up by
the arms and collar, lifted clean from
the ground, and the next moment he
was dangling over hollow space. His
guides drew his hands together, and
they closed on a notched pole. He felt
for the pole with his feet and struck it.
down, down." said the voice Of
Pablo in tone that admitted Of no re.
monstrance.
The poor padre felt that be was 60
ing blindfold straight into the bottom
less pit but there was no help for il,
and with groans and fervent prayers he
chung to the pole and let himself by
jerks slide Hlowly downward. Down,
down, clinging for life, he went until
his feet at last struck a rocky bottom.
His guides were soon by him, and he
was taken by the hand and led along Il
wet, slippery, rough passage, his feet
splashing in water and sometimes trip
ping over heaps of stones. Presently the
party stopped, the Indians united the
bandage from his eyes, and he looked
about him, blinking in the light of q
torch held by one of his conductors.
After the long period of darkness that
he had endured il WAS several sacOnds