Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1899-05-25
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Ell SACUDIDOR
By Marley ii. Pike

IMTHEN VIII Low got home from
wv northern Mexico, where he had
been absent a year, in company with his
father, who owned some property there,
Charles Foster and myself didn't lose
a moment in rushing over to see him,
as you may suppose, yet we hardly
knew him at first, he had grown so much
taller and stouter, while as for his COM
plexion, don't give the slightest idea
Of it by saying that he was sunburned.
Why, he was only shade or two light
er than genuine Congo negro.
But we found the same old VIII IN
der the tan, and such chattering as we
three made-trying to give u full ac-
count of whole years happenings in
half an hour!
After awhile, however, we managed
to quiet down sufficiently to go upstairs
md look over Wills collection of Gu
riosities, ranging all the way from
tarantulas' nests up to spears and war
clubs. Among them was chestful
of Mexican clothing and ornaments,
rich and elegant enough, some of them;
und while Charley was turning these
over, he came upon something which
made him inquire, wonderingly:
"Why, Will, what under the sun do
you keep this old thing among these
nice clothes for?"
1t was common leather boot,
wrinllled, dusty, and half worn out,
wrapped around with stout rawhide
rope, which we at once recognized as
lasso. The boot couldn't have amount
ed to much in it's best days, and now,
with ragged cut extending all along
the sole, as if 1t had been ripped up
with a dull knife, it was only fit for
the ash-barrel. No wonder Charley
asked the question.
"Boys," said VIII, 81 think more of
this old boot than of anything else you
see here. It's memento of the mar
rowest escape 1 ever had or expect to
have; and besides, it reminds me when
ever look at it that there are diff
ferent kinds of ability in this world,
and that you must not always judge a
person according to your own idea OF
what he ought to be-"
"Ten us about it, won't your" urged
Charley and I.
And VIII, holding the old boot in his
hand, sat down between us, and be-
gan:
after was fairly settled out there
on the Los Pueblos ranch, 1 must say
1 felt very lonesome. Father was away
most of the time about his business,
and it wasn't generally convenient to
take me with him, so was left to my
own resources for amusement, and few
enough they were.
1.-THE ranch buildings were simply
two adobe shanties, covered with red
tiles, looking more like sheds than
houses, and no better inside than out
The Mexican and Indian poems, or hired
men, lived in one, and Don Mereno, the
owner, in the other.
'9The don was the proudest and laz-
lest mortal it has even been my luck
to meet with. He did nothing all day
but lie on bench in the sun, smoking
cigarettes-except when he took NAP
which was about half the time. Oc-
casionany he'd ride over the ranch
experimenting matters, not often, for
1t seemed to be too great an exertion
for him.
"You see, the don was a pure Span
iard-descended straight from one Of
the old conquerors of Mexico, 1 believe
and he was so proud of the fact that
he spent all his time in thinking what
a great man he was, and so had none LEFT
for any other purpose. If he had hY
In a town, he would soon have had u
nonsense taken out Of him, but ouI
there on the plains he seldom saw any
one except his servants, and his cor
cefe and laziness had plenty of room
to grow.
His son, Pablo, was entirely differ
emit. de was about our age, and hand
some boy, too. Such rider you never
saw: and he could do things with
lasso that you wouldn't believe without
seeing them.
"IIe really managed the ranch, ant
his father would have had hard time
of it without him.
"He thought nothing. of riding 30 O.
60 miles day, and didn't seem to know
what the word tired means, for h
had first sat on horse when four year
old. and for wears had scarcely beer
out of the saddle, except to sleep
not always for that. Talk about rid
ing horseback, boys-why, Pablo lived
pa horseback
'Now, you can guess that beside such
fellow / wasn't of'much account, com
ng from a New England town, where
Il we take ride now and then on some
sd carriage horse, it's as much as we
10. OF course, 1 began riding as soon
rs got to Los Pueblos, because If l
didn't there was little else to do; but
could no more sit in saddle all day
md keep up with Pablo and his vague
nos than, 4 could fly. Besides, 1 was q
tight toSlaugh at even when 1 was do
Ing ybest-bouncing up and down
like q chsgn-handle, swaying from one
tide to the SOther, and quite often go
ne head-frs5~ over my horses ears to
the ground. The'yaqueros used to laugh
at and make fun of me behind my
back, from morning till night, and,
although Pablo's ideas of Spanish
tentleman's conduct made him act as
& he never noticed my awkward
ness, yet could see that he despised
me for not being able to do what every
child ought, as he looked at 1t. All
this used to grind me terribly, boys,
can tell you.
ION my side, I didn't think well OF
Pablo. was greatly surprised when
[ found that he could scarcely read
word of his own language-not SC
- -. T could otter having studied