Evening star., 1897-05-15

hind you." answered. 'I don't know that
the number would make much difference.
If you attacked the Rochin mine we should
defend 1t -
Good! That is one thing I like about
English and Americans Odds don't fright
en- them Now. a little while since. 1 went
up to the Rosario and had an interview
with Schmidt. their superintendent. How
many are you? he asked. Oh he answer
ed, L have only twenty-four, so walk in
and help yourselves! Schmidt is not a cow
ard. but once he was officer in the Ger
man army, and there he learned that two
men always beat one. Two units always
beat one. that's true, and in large armies
the average manliness is at its lowest. How
ever I'll get even with him. he added
with a somewhat cynical laugh. Il shall
take good care to have fewer men than he
and force fight, for l don't like robbing
without some danger or excitement; it is
too mucn like theving."
You draw rather nice distinctions" 1
said. He frowned. and for moment SEEM
ed annoyed: then he went on: "Oh,
let US talk of something else; 1t Is so rare
nowadays out here to have chance OF
passing an hour or two with a man of edu-
cation that 1 must make the most of it.
You have been in Europe, of courseo Well.
then. let us get as far away from Los
Hornitos as possible. Ah Don Juan, I
late this lifei" he added passionately and
IN IN an instant the whole expression of his
face changed. His fists were clutched on
the table before him, and his lips were
drawn back over his teeth until he looked
more like an animal about to spring for
ward than like the handsome, good -humor-
ed young fellow he had hitherto seemed to
be. But this expression vanished again as
quietly as it had come. He drank off a
tumblerful of wine and lighted a cigar.
such fearful temper. For an hour or two
we chattsd very pleasantly He was es-
pecially interested in French affairs and
begged me to give him bundle of Ffgaros
rHyr yriarr-t -t&,rr
pened to have with me. l had heard that
he was then of good education. and that he
had travelled for number of years, but /
was not prepared TO meet one so famiIja r
with French, English and even German
books as his conversation proved Soils to
be.
Eventually I expressed my surprise at
his unusual knowledge, and 1 asked him
how he managed to keep SO well informed
| out in the wilderness.
DO you know anything of my past life,
Don Juan?" he asked in return.
Garcia has told me something" I an
swered, but not much, after all. He was
friend of yours once. was he not?"
He is now, for the matter of that"
Soils answered. "at least as far as circum-
stances will allow him to be-"
For some minutes the outlaw remained
silent, looking blankly at the table before
him, while his thoughts were evidently far
! away. When he spoke again he did so
| with unmistakable diffidence and hesita-
ton.
Our conversation has recalled my stu
dent days-the best period of my life-so
wildly, and the contrast between then and
enow- He did not finish the sentence,
and again for some minutes he smoked on
silently. while 1 sat equally silent and
waiting.
Perhaps you do not know. senor," he
began. presently. Il came Of good family.
My ancestors came over from Spain about
| the beginning of the last century, which
may or may not be true. At any rate, my
| rather was an intimate friend of Gen.
CalZado. whom the Juarez government out
lawed. and about the time 1 was ten years
| old both were captured, executed side by
side and all their property confisc ated by
| the state. Nothing except my mother g
hacienda. La Perla. was saved from the
\ wreck. and there / was allowed to grow up
without education or restraint of any kind.
| iou know what life Is on. a Mexican
rancho. and what qualities of human ma
tLre arc most likely to be developed In
perhaps worse than the average. / am ex-
| tremely passionate, an1 when am aroused
| lose all control over myself to such an
| extent that 1 am not much better than a
wild animal. I ought to have been Shot or
| put Cut of the way long aso, and. sooner
or later. that is the fate l expect to meet
| was only seventeen when I had a quarrel
| with friend over a girl we both fancied
| we had fight, of course. and killed him
| can't say that felt much remorse at the
time; on the contrary, 1 was rather proud
OF my victory. No one had seen us to-
gether. SO was not afraid OF its being dis
covered. My rival was out Of the way. and
! prof1ted by 1t; then few days later.
satiated and disenchanted. realized what
\ had done. So, between fear and remorse
and shame, determined to leave the coun-
/ try.
! "Ah. Europe! Don Juan. that was a rev.
| eiatton TO me. I had never seen anything
OF civilization. l saw 1t first in Paris. For
| Few months I lived the reckless. profit
less life of most Spanish Americans abroad
but at last Its shallowness palled upon me-
l saw that whenever our people came In
touch with intelligent foreigners our In
feriority was painfully evident, and 1t made
me angry to be only second-rate. The rem.
| edy was obvious. made up my mind to
work inside OF play. I was as good aa
\ they. and II work could prove It they
should know It, set my teeth and 1
worked hard. Now and then the wild ami
NAL In my nature got the better OF me, and
had to let him loose. but not az before.
for education had given me q strong brfdle.
l and after each outbreak pulled up and