Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-06-05

| either SlQe or the animal, ue tureauepl
his way among the houses, passed them
out into the open country, and the par
ty took its course toward the distant
mountains.
Padre Ambrosio found it anything
but pleasant or easy to keep his seat on
the swayiag. jogging buck Of dlminn-
tive burro which he could not see or
control. As the Indians, increasing
their pace, urged the ass into trot and
then gallop, the priest, who dared not
speak, could only cling to the pommel
Of the saddle and console himself with
the reflection that he was OH the road to
the fulfillment Of a long cherished de-
sire.
Several persons already know the
story of the lost Spanish mines Of New
Mexico. In that region, as in other
parts of Mexico, the Spanish conquerors
enslaved the peaceful Pueblo or village
Indians and put them cruelty to work
in mines. The Indians rose at last in
sanguinary revolt, destroyed or expel'
led all Of the Spaniards and effaced ev-
cry vestige of the mines which they es-
pecially associated with their oppress-
ors. When in time the Spaniards re-
turned to New Mexico as sheep and cat
tie raisers, the Indians alone knew where
the hidden mines were, and this secret
they have ever jealousy guarded. Many
stories have been told as to the richness
of these lost mines and Of vast boards
of bullion which the Spaniards hastily
concealed when the insurrection broke
out or which the Indians flung into
the mines before they covered the en-
frances. But the Spaniards did not
again venture to incur the chance of
another Indian revolt by attempting to
rediscover or to work any mine in New
Mexico.
Padre Ambrosio loved to hear the
tales Of the lost mines and to weave day
dreams Of the disposition that he would
make of the treasure could he only find
out " here it WAS. He would use it, OF
course, wholly for 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 successively
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 he was brooding over schemes
to acquire these hidden riches when his
simple parishioners supposed that he
was absorbed in pious meditations.
Many time during his pastorate 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 a white man. Often had
the padre begged that his eyes only
might be satisfied with 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, he
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 a
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 in 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 dismount grew uncomfortable. Not
daring to speak outright, he began to
humble prayers in tone barely audi
BILE and let his voice increase into dis
tinotness as he murmured piteously:
"Our blessed Saviour into the gates Of
Jerusalem rode upon the back of an ass.
Is it meet that I, one of the least Of his
followers, should proceed i'll as much
state as he did? I should in 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 clattering of
hoofs and the rattling 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 devious route up steep and
very rough mountain side. Sometimes
his guides would stop for whispered
consultation in their own language, and
by their movements he surnlised that
they were retracing path by land
marks. When they told him to halt or
to 60 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,