The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-09-03
"Juan, lazy dog, would you sleep all

udy
Coming, senior, coming"
Juan was the doctors bodyguard, his
cook, and at times his master. For the
doctor feared to lose him and, by good
luck, Juan had found this out, and
used it to advantage.
He presently appeared in the door
way.
what is it now, Senor Doctor?"
MY coffee and cheese. Would you
have me btarve?"
It'll have the time to prepare them,
yes; but it will not be long waiting"
Not a long waiting, son of cog!
Why should you keep me waiting?"
81 have heard the good doctor say the
world was not made in a minute" and
smiling, the worthy Juan disappeared.
If you wish to anger a hasty man
quote his own words against him.
Which explains why the doctor threw
boot at Juan, and also why the boot
missed him. The boot had flown
through the open door, and across the
porch to the hammock, and the doctor,
in no amiable mood, dressed as was the
immortal MY Son john" impingly
pursued it.
"Well, what the devil!" the doctor
exclaimed. "Ah. yes, the sulphur boy
back on time; that is good begin
ming"
senor?" The Indian boy stood before
him, holding out a small skin pouch,
whose distended mouth permitted him
to see its yellow contents. The doctor
glanced at it, rubbed his eyes, looked
at it a second time, then seized q piece
of the yellow stuff, weighed it in the
palm of his hand. bit it, examined it
earnestly, and finally said, in savage
tone: Tell me at once where you
got it."
1.-The senior sent me to the noun
tains."
For sulphur, boy-do you know
what this is?" demanded the doctor,
ferociously.
The frightened boy retreated: Il
am sorry. 1 thought it was right,
senior. will go back and search again"
"Oh, what fools these perros are. No,
you shall go back again, but shall go
with you at once; yes, at once. l am
not angry with you, no. Why, you are
one in a thousand. Give me the pouch.
Do you know what this is? 1t is the
stuff that rules the world-that makes
and unmakes empires. 1t is power, it
is. Come. come, not word. Boy, l
will make you what you are not. l
will-ncw, Juan, what are you want
ing?"
1.-THE doctor need starve no longer"
said Juan; "the doctors coffee is
ready"
"Serve it at once. You will eat with
me-you and this muchachito."
Juan set about it and soon the three
were breakfasting together. "It is but
another of his whims." Juan whispered
to the Indian boy beside him, ''in the
which he must always be humored."
Regarding his master in such light,
it is not surprising that Juan should
have listened in silence to the instruc-
tions that the doctor hurriedly poured
forth, as he hastily gulped down his
coffee and cheese; nor that, at the
meals conclusion, he leisurely under
took the task that his master had set
him, with stolid Indifference to the doc
tors impatience. For the Aztec is not
easily moved, nor do oaths eXasperate
him, unless they accuse his mother. He
does not like to be called dog, but he
passes the unlind epithet by in
naughty, dignified silence.
The horses were saddled and ready
at last, the bags well filled with pro-
visions and sundry curious packages
that the doctor himself stuffed in them;
and they finally set out in single file,
the Indian boy on foot leading the
way, the doctor next with his rifle, and
Juan bringing up the rear, with such
an assortment of spades and machettes
as might have stocked a gardeners
Toulouse.
1t was not the first time that the doc
tor had climbed the mountains. He had
spent days in the Cerro-Quemado col
lecting mineral specimens, and always
with half-confessed hope that some
time he might discover that which
would enable him to return to civiliza-
tion and indulge in the eXtravagant
luXuries that were beyond the reach of
men so poor as he. Not until he might
do so would he return to it, he had
vowed; and now, by the merest chance
in the world, this Indian boy had come
to him, and wouM lead him to where
he might find the weapon with which
the world could be'conquered, No won
der the doctor spurred his horse and
urged the boy to hasten.
Across the arroyas and mountain
brooks and over the lava capped foot
hills the Indian boy with tireless feet
and silent faithfulness led them, till
finally the forest became too dense for
the horses to carry them further. Here
the beasts were unsaddled and tied, and
after a hurriedly eaten lunch the three
divided the things they had brought
and climbed on up the mountain. 1t
was no light work over the rocks COW
cred with bushes and thorn-clad vines,
but they found It still worse when the
forest Yves passed, and they came out
onto a steep incline that was fathoms
deep in ashes, and where, with each
| step upward, they seemed to slip back
n step and half. The dust was suffo-
eating, the heat almost unbearable, the
thirst it engendered torturing, and
when they had finally surmounted the
trip the doctor sank down exhausted.