, 1897-10-13
from his own province a year before,

from his own province q year before,
whom he had saved from imminen,
a;rocity at the hands of a vicious fei-
low-convict. This Indian had a virtue
little known to civilization, he was capa,
be CT gratitude. and the two formed a
mu,ual attachment that the friendships
of civilization may scarcely parallel and
which was equaled but by their com,
mon hatred Of all rulers, their own in
particular. This Indian, Bal knew t o
be a snake-charmer of extraordinary ac>
compllshments. His gif; was no. trans
ferable to the younger man nor did ahe
latter socn discover its singuiarity, but
in time he found that Juan's power owe:
certain reptiles might be expressed as
hypnotic. He seemed to impress his
own masterfulness upon the serpents
and TO exert his power upon Them al a
distance. or to send them to perform
some definite mission at a distance and
return within a given time. after the
habit OF human subjects.
Once Bal saw Juan with his pets a,
recreation. No word was spoken, bu,
Juan looked meaningly at Bal and then
at the top Of the wal. Bal looked and
saw a lizard there. with its head a-til,
and the sun shining pink through his
pa!pitant throat. Then something Slip
ped away from Juan, who watched the
top of the wall. as did Bal. By and by a
bit Of the wall maved-it seemed a bi,
of the wall-it moved and coiled and
leaped, and the little foray was over.
Then the devourer slipped back. and
Juan snapped his fingers and whispered
10 it.
Was che lizard hypno;ized, 1902" Bal
Chico asked himself.
This branch OF his accomplishment
Juan eve showed the prison officials
when they sent for him to exhibit for
ther amusement.
The weary years rolled by. I'VE will,
live; we must live. We will get ever
You and me-" Juan whispered to him.
self over and W and he Whispered
it 10 Bal when he could, with the same
imperious suggestiveness that he whis.
pered something to his snakes.
AT last Juan't 20 weary years were
done: bu. the "~man-witch" had gotten
much power. Some he amused when
ired Of the commonplace, but the many
feared him, and when he chose to wan.
der around the settlement clad in
breaches, a poncho, and a viper. after
he was free to go far away. none OBJ,
jected. and few wondered at the whims
of SO fantastic a being.
When Bal. a young a white-hair.
ed now, went out, old Juan awaited him
at The prison gates. carrying a close
woven wicker crate, or basket, but
neither extra clothing nor the usual
snake were visible. and from that day
neither appeared in all that country.
Among the ~stupendous mountains OF
Peru gold may be had for the seeking,
but death is for the white man who
seeks 1t. When old Juan went back to
his mountains and some old acquaint-
ances, with another swarthy man who
spoke only as he did and was his friend,
their right OF occupancy Of hut and lands
was unquestioned, as were their bar
ter.ng expeditions to the nearest sea,
pert. But Juan and Bal Chico did not
always exchange their nuggets for com,
modities; ~oftener, with a wisdom learn
ed abroad, did they demand coin. Juan
had come home with his old name OF
Casma. and Bal Chico had assumed a
new name for his new h%abitation, and
the singular FACT Snclme known at the
town bank that Cssn.a and Chira were
thrifty Indian depositors and checked
against their account. Caema explain.
ed that abroad he had been callen Juan
Sanchez and Chira had been known as
Diego Bias. and that they had made
deb:s which demanded the checks upon
tilem by the Mexican bank Of La Haml.
dad.
Time passed, and Casma and Chira
prospered and eventually disappeared
from the Peruvian mountains and sea-
port. Their remaining deposits had
oeen transferred to La Hamidad. and
IN time the officials OF La Hamidad were
called upon in person by their unknown
patrons. Juan Sanchez and Diego Bias,
whose funds had never been drawn up
On for debt. Juan Sanchez and Diego
Bias were introduced by a resident of
La Hamidad. a sailor or the ship that
had brought them from the Peruvian
port, and their money was duly paid;
and a fortune 1t was for two men o.
no more expensive tastes than these
vino left the bank. walked away, and
seen no more in La Hamidad.
In a reputable house in the town
where Bal Chico had been a youth and
been Forgotten. lived two old men to.
Igether-two gray-hasred, harmless.
locking old men OF commonplace names
that you have not heard yet, who tend
ed their cacti and blooming vines and
the green paroquest that hung among
them in a great cage. ~concocted savory
stews. and lived their simple lives large.
~ IN sight Of their neighbors in tho
outrageous garden behind their houses.
and whose only recreation seemed to
be to frequent the plaza.
Firm their garden they could see the
rear of the house Of the high and mighty
Don Pfco, which rang with laughter O!