Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1898-10-08

him. and younger clerks were 10 be
had in pleuty.
SO punkero he remained. till ore
day. during q rush of business. another
clerk was needed az the godown 20 help
check and tally weights. As no one
else was available at the moment. I
sent Miguel down. In the afternoon
be brought back his talIv-sheets. so
accurately and neatly made out that 1
concluded after all 10 keep him az that
work, FOR there would be no possible
opportunity for dishonesty Of any sort.
and il would enable me 10 raise his
wages slightly.
So new punkero, considerably less
remarkable in aspect. was established
on the one-legged stool. and Miguel
spent his days In the godovn. report
ing az the office late every afternoon.
II displayed little or no appreciation
OF his promotion, and when on pay day
handed him the additional pesos, be
merely thanked me gravely; but the
next morning I found his sonora wait
ing for me. and she was so overpover-
ingly demonstrasive IN her gratitude
that she demoralized the whole Office
/ force for a time.
One day in July. the worst season
Of the year until the rains come.
Miguel had appeared as usual with
his tally-sheets, and spread them out
for my inspection on the big table
which was built into the wall IN one
corner. like shelf. It had been a
handsome table IN its day. made Of
some dark, polished native wood. cut
in heavy slabs. A massive carved leg
supported the corner which extended
ont into tie room. bat rs days OF
beauty were past.
The thousands Of big silver dollars
that had been ratified and counted on
its surface had sadly dimmed its pol
ish: earthquakes had cracked il. as
we'll ns the Office walls aud ceiling
and some great convulsion had caused
the walls IN that corner 70 settle, 81
that the old table tilted rather awk
wardlv. aad everything deposited OF
II had a tendency 20 coast rapidly
down into the corner.
The day had been hotter and sui
trier than usual, with that ominou'
stiffness IN the air that always seems
10 forebode some strange event, ard
felt tired and stupid as 1 leaned over
the sheets and tried TO foot UP I'd,
totals, while Miguel stood by. waiting
for my fnal approval
The very arr, stirred by the punkA
; felt thick aud heavy. AMI the drowsy
creak, as the great fan swung slowl
10 and fro. and al occasional sleep,
: cry from the street were all the sound
1 heard as I muttered. Fifty bales
! seventy-fve, a hundred"-andt thea
= stopped. for the table was tremblin
under ny hancs,- and strange. groan
lug sounds were coming from u
walls
e. "Terremoto - earthquake-senor.
said Miguel. calmly.
c There had been several Sigh
5 shocks during the last few days, bu
none heavy enough TO disturb rs, an
= we hal be,one quite used 70 them. S
o I merely waited moment. aad the
went on: "One twenty i've, one fifty
. and that was as far "a Igot that ia,
! AZ this point a heavy Earring cam,
; aud horrid, up-and-dowu. sidsway
Z and diagonal movement of everythin
around Us, together with the Ion
: grinding Of big timbers, warned L
4 that this was no ordinary shake NJ
Y Indoors was then TO place for tho:
J who valued life and limb, SO Migu
!. and the new punkero and waited L
longer, bat dropped everything M
: dashed for tie door.
8 remembered. long afterward, tn
l old Miguel, In the midst Of q dang'
! more appalling 70 the mind than al
other know of, stood aside, with Il
instructive courtesy Of the old days.
lie let me, the younger man. but his &c
lie -chief-pass out first.
d The clerks had stampeded az d
.e first shuider. AS l went on the Il
u ing jump down the stairs, which We
lie swaying and cracking apart, hea
e crasn somewhere told of a fallil
beam I reached the street Just
time TO see a huge sheet Of galvsniz
of iron slide from the roof Of the bull
'n ing opposite and come swinging a
he changing down, while q shower
as broken tiles, shaken from the roof
Id our building. clattered on the sidewa
ne close beside me.
From every doorway aud a go
d, many windows terrified people We
lis running or jumping. and Twas carr
er along with the mob of shrieking. prs