The National tribune., 1898-12-08

What? took all his furniture to their
bush-camp?n
: Yes, or hauled it away for present to
their girls. They have black vixens scat
tered all over the footbill country, and paw
them in what they can steal
- Y mas, " he added, "aDd what's worse.
some of them destroy things por puro
rnalieia Pm pretty sure they burned part Of
the furnitures that were too heavy to moves
"a wonder they didn't burn the house.
too, them
st looks So" said the guide; 'but, by good
luck, they are superstitious. With all theiH
beastliness they believe in ghosts, and they
have an idea that man who burns DWELL
ing wantonly will be haunted all bis life by
the dueades, or house-spirits, that are sup
posed to protect every home and look after
the owners interests when he is absent. And,
then, they have other reasons for sparing q
building with good roof; they have to do
good deal of prowling the year round, and
it is no joke to get caught in eloudburst
of the rainy season. ABOUT plundering they
are less scrupulous; some of them would tak,-
drunken mans coat in Winter storm
steal swill from a blind hog" Us an Ohio
farmer would expressly. Aud as for murder,
it comes as natural to them as to a wolfisE
hound that breaks into pasture and kills 10
sheep for one be can eat. We have proof
against that gang in the Mayo Mountains
that they butchered whole caravan of refu-
gees, though they could have bad their
baggage without firing shot. The poos
folks ran for it as soon as they heard the
war-hoops and left all their baggage behinds
but the eut-thfoats followed theIsl up and
knocked them in the head as fast as then
could catch them" He added other I'm.
mentionable charges, but his statements as tn
the shameless Iapacity Of the moss-troopera
were confirmed that same day by two other
witnesses old beggar-woman and her littla
boy, who soon after approached our resting
place in quest of crumbs.
She could just drag herself along be-
tween two clutches, and no words could have
been more pathetic than the hollow eyes OK
the silent little lad who cluug to bis grande
mothers shawl and looked up to u from tho
depth of his misery. She was white woman,
but talked the halfBaskish pato,s of tha
North Spanish border.
"You cannot understand her gibberish,
can your" said Lieut.. Estevan; bat l know
what she is talking about, and it makes me-
feel like rousing the country to catch those
black demons and roast them over a SLOW
fire. This poor old bag lives about for
miles from here, all alone, with her little kid,
on a rancho of their murdered relatives. and
two months ago gang Of mongrel BUSH
whackers broke in to sack her wretched
cabin. They took all they could move, the
little boys bed and all, and when his grand
mother followed them, shrieking murder one
of the bandits turned on her and smashed
her knee with club"
He paced the lawn in vain effort to mas
ter his excitement, and every now and then
stopped, muttering anathemas.
Its a judgment" he burst out, ga judg-
ment for some monstrous crime, state OF
affairs like this! That's what you catch for
,aising rebellion, the Spaniards would tell
Is, but it's something worse; we raised an
account with h when our manhunters
went to Africa to catch swarm of savages
and turn them loose on the country"
The old crone had devoured lapful OF
unch scraps, and was sitting at the spring,
lingering the surplus with trembling hands
Something to take along? How much
an you carry; that's the only question"
aid the Sergeant, as he filled her poke with
aw meat and tortillas. g 1 hope the balloons
lave left you fireplace and some embers to
ry this"
In its interior arrangements her domlclle
probably resembled the log house of MIR.
Ismar, and she had solved the problem u
urvival by roaming the neighborhood for
weeks, safe against pillage by absolute indi-
ence, and against worse perils by extreme
id age.
ITO be continued)