The Portland daily press., 1897-02-27

apPL I ~ MS apparent
old Downieville friend in San Fran
cisco, Capt. EPatrick White who was
formerly sheriff of this CITY and county,
and Is still living respected in our midst
and the captain, with the good nature
that characterizes him, shipped Hunger
ford by the next steamer lenving coast
wise for Panama. calling at La Paz, as
| they did once in while. barrel full OF
old congressional reports. They were inn
posing looking volumes, and filed his
shelves admirably.
| But, unfortunately, the book trick
worked unsucceSsfully. HDoGtor'
Hungerord found himself being rapidly
| red uced to jerked beef, chile colorado
| and tortillas. The patients came not, SO
the American doctor had to go. He took
aressional reports in pawn for the back
| rent and put ont from La Paz for Cape
San Lucas. 1t was little nearer home,
at least, and the DOCTOR felt some
comfort when he thought of Ethis. lie
| reassumed his title of "colonel' and
| threw physic to the dogs. Att Cape
he was fortunate enough to find an old
San Francisco friend, no less man
than Col. John G. CEREMONY, who had
taken possession, by contract, of the
ranch of old Capt. Ritohie, a seafaring
man, who had settled there, and dealt in
beef and other supplies, for the Pacific
mail steamships, and such other vessels
Us might touch there occasionally OH the
voyage up and down the coast. The old
captain had married a buxom young girl
of the country, and was rearing such a
number Of children that he oalleh asrodeo
occasionally to mark them for fear they
would wander off and he lost among the
other large families in this increase and
multiply" corner of the world. Cape
San Luaas was famous all over the coast
for the number of children to be found
there.
Finding the cares Of family and bust
ness increasing too much even for his
man. of-wRr discipline, he struck bar
gain with Col. CEREMONY, whom he got
acquainted with in San Francisco through
Capt. Lapridae, whereby, for conside-
ration be would remove to the Cape and
become the major domo of his property.
CEREMONY was in his glory and welcomed
Hungerford most heartily, and with all
the impressiveness of Spanish hidalRo
of the bluest blood. The two colonies
their battles over again, recounting their
adventures in the Bay City of Cali
fornia, where, in company, they were
won't to hear "the chimes at midnight,
and together hunting in the tangled jun
giles of Cape San lucas for the famous
damiana.
This lasted for about month or SO,
and then the Elysian dream of the colo
nels was dissipsSed. Capt. Ritchie did
not find CEREMONY SO capable an executive
officer as he expected, and the financial
affairs of the rancho were not up to the
old standard besides CremOny's harsh
bearing, acquired both on board ship and
in the barraok room (for he had served
by sea and land) rather Jared with tho
,x,f
somewhat impaired Capt. Ritchis's
former standing with his simple minded
Deighbors.
'Well, the best friends must part, u
said old Capt. Richie one day at the
end of stormy interview with his major
domo, and after paying him a pretty
heavy sum to break the contract. On
this hint Coils. Ceremony and Hungerferd
took the next Pacific Mall steamship for
San Francisco and were seen on its
streets once more. They both looked
better for the experience they had en-
joyed; but while they talked a good deal
and Of course Munchausenized literally,
no reference was made by the one to the
rural life in Cape San Lucas nor by the
other to the manipulation of diachylon
plasters and gallipots in La PaZ
But good days had come for Col. Hun
gerford during his absence. Greatness
had been thrust upon him. He was
superior to blood letting, either by the
sword or razor, to physio, and to Col.
Ceremony. The Widow Bryant had mar
ried John W. Maokay, one Of the bonanza
firm, at Virginia, and thereafter his
bread was certain and his water sure.
He shook hands with Ceremony and all
his old San francisco associates, bidding
them adieu on being summoned to
France by his daughter, Louise shen
regnan in the fashionable world of
Paris, where he aired his Mexican medal
to such an extent In ParisiHn salous that
he was mistaken for foreign embassa a.
dor or plenipotentiary Of some sort, and
it led to an awkwardness. So his grand
ohild. DR.. Bryant's daughter, the
Princess Colonna, who had a fondness for
her grandfather, the colonel, invited him
to come to Italy and live. he went and
there he died some four years ago When
the best romancist dwells upon the fact
that Montgomery Bath barber ended
his days as an honored inmate OF the
ancestral halls of the Colonnas, the
noblest house in Italy, he must confess
how important he is rs a dealer in
fiction.