The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-06-06
JUANI TO.
By Edith Wagner.

in her rebozo. on her back, Jesus. Jose,
the father, was solemnly seated on a
pile of garden stuff on the back of the
little burro. Tagging a little behind
the mother came Juanito.
They all had heavy burdens On the
mothers back, beside the baby, was
load of corn. and her arms were full of
oddly shaped and painted earthen Jars
and baskets. There was no outward and
visible evidence of the fathers load,
but to do him justice it was so great he
was unable to walk with 1t. Maria
wore for skirt a length of dark blue
cloth that came to her ankles, wrapped
tightly about her back and hips, with
a few folds in front Twisted around
her waist was the usual red cotton sash
Partly covering the upper half of her
body was white chemise, the yoke
and short sleeves ornamented with
beads of red and black. On her head she
had the tall straw hat that the Indian
women wear; about her throat was a
coral necklace. All the Indian women
are clothed the same. the difference be-
ing in quality of material and degree
of cleanliness.
The country people in Mexico have
no children's modes The little people
look like grown up people seen through
the wrong end Of an opera glass; Juan
ito, with round, fat, brown face, white
teeth, big mouth and eyes which shone
starlike from out mop of black hair.
was dressed exactly like his father in
shirt and long trousers of unbleached
clothes up. A leather band went round
his forehead and supported the pack he
carried-a large enough burden for SO
wee boy. In one little hand he car
ried his conical hat of coarse straw;
with the other, as he trotted along, he
tried to shift his load bit and SO re-
lieve himself. He did 1t slyly, for he
did not want his father to think he was
not big man. Indeed he was-he
would be in a few days-and he was
going to have present on his saints
day, which was also his birthday He
could do as he wished with it. A cen
tavo-a whole cent to spent on himself
What would he buy with his cent
He had turned 1t over and over many
times in his rudimentary brain. He
hesitated between an earthen goose with
a whistle in the neck and dulce-like
our rock candy. The goose would be an
ephemeral thing at best, although the
whistle-aye, Dios, but that whistle
could be heard kilometerl A turn of
the hand, however, and it was gone
There are kites which sing when they
get up in the air, but, Dios de mi alma,
what riches are necessary Four CEN
tavos for the kite and one for the string
He had thought carefully. He could
buy the string at once and get the kite
in four more saints days, for surely he
would go on having them, and it was
likely Dona Ynes would always remem-
Der them. Mol Mol After all, the dulce
was best.
His face grew brooding as he built
his castle-founded on a cent. His
mother should have a suck-two sucks,
in fact. The baby could lick it, and
Nito, the burro; but his father, mol
For only yesterday had he beaten him
for getting too much water on the clay
to make the ollas. He closed his eyes in
ecstasy; properly managed, the candy,
which was of the durability of old red
sandstone or the quartz it greatly re-
sembled, should last, by licking deli
cately and sucking with moderation.
until another birthday.
The sun was throwing long golden
lances across the plain of Cholula, with
its scores of church towers The family
had finished the supper of frijoles and
tortillas, risen from the spring by the
wayside and resumed its journey. AS
before. the father led, jogging along on
the burro, the mother running beside,
bending forward from her load. Juani-
to, as his short legs grew more weary,
fell farther behind. The mother looked
over her shoulder several times, but she
felt no uneasiness, for it had happened
before that, being too tired to go on,
Tic Pedrito had taken him to his jacal
on his burro and brought him home in
the morning
The road made sudden dip On one
hand was deep barranca (steep ravine),
the sides covered with shrubs and close
growths. Juanito, boylike, was seeing
how near he could trot along the verge
without losing his balance. He was as
sure footed as mule. but long SER
pentine root, the same ash color as the
soil, caught his foot in loop, and in
moment he was twisted off his feet and
rolling down the barranca. 1t so hap
pened no one saw him. and, little Indian
stole that he was. he made no sound.
When he reached the bottom. bruised
and ont of breath. savage hand caught
bis throat and savage eyes met his. "A
few muttered words and the butt end
of heavy revolver came down on the
shaggy little head, and then to one side
was brutally tossed the senseless heap
There were three of them crouched I'M
der an overhanging ledge-thr SIMS
ter looking bandits, wearing heavy felt
hats and with red blankets drawn
across their mouths. They sat still un-
til about the time all travel had ceased
on the highway above. They were plan
ming in low voices the division of the
spoils when Juanito's hard little Indian
head began to throb consciously. The
first thing he heard to understand was
that Miguel was to turn the coach over
exactly at that spot and that Don Hypo-
lite had the money for the year pulque
from his San Martin hacienda, and
that Dona Ynes had been TO a bale in
Puebla, and had on her mothers dia-
monds.
"If the fall does not kill, !" growled
one, ga tap of the good friend here
And Juanito heard him slap his pistol
Juanito heard, and, though sick and
dazed. comprehended. He could not
see how be could prevent it. He knew
that when the coachman tipped the car
riage down the barranca Dona Ynes
would be hurt, and. if she were not
hurt enough, they would kill her. All
He would not get his centavo if Dcna
Ynes was killed. The thought moved
him-poor, little, dying baby
He tried to raise himself. but the
effort increased the deadly nausea. A
night wind was blowing and rustled
the leaves. Under cover Of that noise
he could move freely if he could keep
from crying. And keep from crying he
would, for even bis short life had given
him self control and courage. He was
not an American child, who screams
when it is explained kindly that no