Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1899-09-06


Come. senior. have your palm read.
a few centavos are nothing for the So
cret OF your future" urged voice that
had become eXasperatingly familiar To
me OF late.
was employed ON a Los Angeles
daily and was on my way as usual
each morning. from my home in the
San Fernando valley. 10y way of the
Cahuenga pass. 10 the little station
just beyond the divide. where I took
the train into the city. Midway of the
pass stood an old stone watering
trough. At which ! was accustomed to
refresh my horse while jourueying
through the hills For upward of a
fortnight past ! had regularly cncoun-
tered at this point solitary evil Wis
aged Mexican. who had announced
himself rs palmist par excellence"
aud occupied the few moments pause
I'm my ride with persistent importuni-
ties for my patronage What did not
tend To enhance my regard for this un-
prepoSScssing individual WAS the Graf
" manner in which ne invariably in
spected my horse ont OF tile corners Of
his small. restless eyes The horse.
moreover. appeared TO resent the scru-
tiny quite rs much rs myself and from
the first asserted his antipathy for the
vagabond fakir 10y StcadfaStly refusing
To approach the drinking trough until
| had invited the stranger TO withdraw
few PAGES
ON this particular morning. however.
my curiosity became aroused as to
why the fellow continued to frequent
81 unpromiSing Il locality. which at
best WAS a lonely spot. visited only 10y
tranSitory horSemen and teamSters.
Therefore. as my horse frctfully sip
ped few drafts of water. oying the
peon suspiciously the while. remark
ed: You must Ice intensely fond OF
your occupation. considering the little
recompcnSe YOU appear to derive from
II. Why do YOU not go into the city.
where. at least. your field for SOlicita-
tion would be larSer?'
All. Senor." replied the peon with
affected pathos. Il am indeed fond OF
my profession; but. however little
may realize from IL here on the high
way. the city would yield me less; for
they who live in the city care little
about the future. 1t Is the present
alone that interests them"
was Inwardly forced to recognize IA
certain amount Of truth in his argu-
ment and 10y way OF appreciation ten
dercd him 4 small coin.
As | deposited the silver i'm his hand.
however. with quick movement he
caught the tips of my fingers in his
clasp and fixed his eyes on the open
palm. The precipitatcness Of the act
was all but dcmora.iZing 10 my horse,
which Sprang backward with n sud
denneSs that came perilously near un-
seating me. The Mexican. however.
held tenaciOusly on TO my hand, Incl
dentally taking care To keep out of
range OF my frantic animals hoofs. AS
soon as could recover myself |
wrenched my hand free. but not until
the peon had vOuchSafed this admoni-
ton:
"Senor, a terrible accident threatens
you from horses. Take heed in time,
therefore and rid yourself OF that
broncho you are riding"
made no response. but rs | touched
my spurs and galloped off down the
pass the peon shouted after me part
ing Injunction.
Sell him. Senor"' he cried. II warn
you he is under the spell Of a demon"
As the words greeted my ear |
glanced admiringly down nj the sleek.
arched neck of my spirited charger.
"Mescal." said |, reaching down and
patting his splendid shoulders. "do you
hear that? He says you're possessed
of demon and that | must sell you.
But shan't."
The MeXican's ominous characteriza-
tion Of my horse was no revelation to
me, and instead of inspiring me with
any apprehensiveness his apparent con
Germ for my safety somewhat amused
me. Moreover, the knowledge that
Mescars disposition was so thoroughly
consistent with his name was rather
source of qualification than regret to
me. 1t was an odd name for n horse.
but he had come by 1t legitimately-
that is. he had been SO called ever since
the MexicaD bandit Garcia had broken
him as a colt to the saddle and bestow-
ed the title upon him. And for two
years thereafter Mescal had borne his
unscrupulOus rider on all his maraud-
ting raids until the latter had been so
hard pressed up I'm the Ensenada hills
by Sheriff Doyle of Yuma that he and
his followers were forced TO abandon
their horses and take to the chaparral.
! had Glanced to be along with Doyle
on that occasion assignments Of that
character were accepted as n matter Of
course by newspaper men out there In
those days-and as the forsaken horses
of the fleeing outla vvs dashed down the