The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-04-16

"ON' "0 q udl duIl dlSo WHY ltlc DOOt ullSSeu
him. The boot had flown through the
open door and across the porch to the ham
mock, and the doctor, in no arniable mood
dressed as was the immortal My son
John, - limpinsly pursued it.
''Well, what the devil p the doctor
exclaimed. "Ah, yes-the sui phur boy
back On time; that is good beginning. -
This is it, which you are wanting,
senor?' The Indian boy stood before
him, holding out small skin pouch, whose
distended mouth permitted him to see it's
yellow contents. The doctor glanced at
1t, rubbed his eyes, looked at it a second
time, then seized piece of the yellow
stuff, weighed it in the palm of his hand
bit it, examined it earnestly, and finally
said in a savage tone Tell me at once
where you got it =
The senor sent me to the mountains.
For sulphur, boy-do you know what
this is p demanded the doctor ferociously.
The frightened boy retreated. Il am
sorry. l 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. am not
angry with you, no. Why, you are one
in thousand Give me the pouch. Do
you know what this is? 1t is the stuff
that rules the world-that makes and un-
makes empires. It's power, it is. Come,
come, not word Boy, will make you
what you are not. will-now, Juan,
what are you wanting?
''The doctor need starve no longer, .
said Juan; ''the doctor coffee is ready. >
'sServe 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 instructions that
the doctor hurriedly poured forth, as he
hastily gulped down his coffee and cheese,
nor that, at the meals conclusion. he
leisurely undertook the task that his mas
ter had set him, with stolid Indifference to
the doctor impatience. For the Aztec
is not easily moved, nor do oaths exas-
perate him, unless they accuse his mother.
He does not like to be called dog, but
he passes the unkind epithet by in hahsh-
ty, dignifed silence.
The horses were saddled and ready at
last, the bags we'll filled with provisions
and sundry curious packages that the doc
tor 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 rife, and Juan bringing up
the rear, with such an assortment of
spades and machettes as might have
stocked gardner Toulouse.
1t was not the first time that the doc
tor had climbed the mountains He had
spent days in the Cerro- -Quemado collect
ing mineral specimens, and always with Il
half confessed hope that sometime he
might discover that which would enable
him to return to civilization and indulge
in the extravagant luxuries that were be-
yOnd 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 would lead him to where
he might find the weapon with which the
world could be conquered. No wonder
the doctor spured his horse and urged the
boy to hasten
Across the arroyas and mountain brooks
and over the lava capped foothills the In
dian boy with tireless feet and silent faith
fulness led them, till finally the forests
became too dense for the horses to carry
them further Here the beasts were un-
sadded and tied, and after Il huwiedly
eaten lunch the three divided the things
they had brought and climbed up on the
mountain. 1t was no light work over the
rocks covered with bushes and thorn clad
vines. but they found it still worse when
the forest was passed and they came out
ON to steep incline that was fathoms
deep in ashes, and where, with each step
upward. they seemed to slip back a step
and half The dust was suff0cating, the
heat almost unbearable, the thirst it en-
gendered torturing. and when they had
finally surmounted the trip the doctor sat
down exhausted.
'iBoy,' he said, when he had recov-
cred his speech, did you come all this
way last night ? How were you able to
do it -
The Indian boy smiled sadly. 1T was
the dog in me, senor.
What does your mother call you?'
asked Juan.
She should have called him Perro, :
the doctor interrupted, for he has
dogs endurance and perhaps may prove
equally faithful.
The boy looked at him reproachfully,
but he merely rose to his feet and said,
IF the senor is ready
Up, up through the broilinG sun, over
fields of lava and volcanic Stag, the trio
climbed perslstently, until they stood on
the mountain crest and gazed down into
the ominous depths Of the crater that
yawned before them.
1T is there, senor,' the boy said sim
ply, pointing toward the black mouth Of a
cavern, half obscured by a cloud of steam
that shrilly escaped from some unseen
crevice
at is the mouth of hell e exclaimed
Juan. Even the sturdy doctor shrank
back, but the lust for gold will lead man
to brave the greatest danger
Come: them he cried.
The Indian boy detained him. ''Not
that way, senior, see where you would go.
1t is none too sure, senior Mira y He
took a machette from Juan and struck it
through what seemed to be Il solid rock,
but which proved to be but mass of
light ashes 1t was on this that the doc
tor would have stepped. and beneath