The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-11-17
Observation-Disclosures
. "Perro," the Faithful. :
= - :
= Story Of Search For Gold. :
e By Lue Vernon. :

By Lue Vernon.
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| ton, and unless you allowed him to ad-
dress you first you were apt to be guilty
| of one Of those Interruptions, at least IN
the worthy doctors opinion.
"Dog" said he, with an ominous scowl
Mt the slight brown figure before him,
oblivious of the fact that 1t had stood
| there hesitatingly, sombrero in hand, for
| perhaps a quarter of an hour. Dog,
| could you not wait until had fnished?"
1t would have puzzled the doctor to
have told what was the thing he would
FIRST have finished, except perhaps that 1t
might have been the digestion of his din
ner. But that was n minor detail that
did not merit his attention.
Pardon, senior. ! had not meant-I
did not think"-
you did not think. None Of sou does.
| 1t is like you Indian perros. You, who
have no capacity for thought-you cam
not appreciate such q thing. l would
say you were brainless had l not carved
| SO many Of you"
81 WILL will retire, senor."
"You will remain where you are. That
| Is like you, too, faith! You would retire,
| to come again, that again you might in
| terrupt me. No. Now that the mischief
is done, at least remain to give your ez-
| cuse."
81 had heard you wished mozo."
| "And, II I do, do you know Of oner'
| ~ do not speak for myself, senor."
"You a mozo-you? Do you cat your
l self a man? Why. you are child, .
| spear of grass. a flower that has not yet
| budded. How many years do you claim.
sir?'
my mother could not tell that. senior.
4 I am young, but strong and faithful"
The doctors frown relaxed. 1t was
| with almost good natured smile that he
| regarded the Indian boy, who stood
| neryously tapping bare foot and thumb
| ing his straw sombrero. AS the smile
| broadened, bctrayins the truly tender
| heart that lay beneath his Gruff exterior.
| the doctor glanced up at the smoking
| peak that was outlined against the dis
| tant horizon and for a moment drank in
| the beauties of purple and bronze with
| which the sinking sun dyed it. Then he
lightly rose from his hammock. Laying
one hand on the boys shoulder and with
the other pointing toward the distant
| peak, he said:
| You say you are faithful. Suppose,
now. that employed you. Suppose that
\ asked you to scale yonder peak and by
| sunrise to bring me a mineral found
there
| "What is the mineral, senor:"
| at is q yellow substance that boils up
| from, the volcano. It is that which burns
with a blush light
| "And a smell that is like inferno"
The doctor laughed. Eyes; that is what
we call sulphur"
| "Then will bring it to you" Ere the
| doctor could protest he had gone.
The first faint streaks of amber were
| tinging the eastern edge of the sky as he
| opened his eyes the next morning. He
| sprang from his bed of stretched raw
| hides and threw the door open to fill his
! lungs with the cool. bracing air. Then
| he bathed and rubbed himself vigorous
~ and dressed in great humor. much
| pleased to know that he had beaten the
| sun and stolen an hour from life's haudi-
cap.
well, what the devil" the doctor ex-
claimed. "Ah. yes, the sulphur boy,
| back on time. That is a good beginning"
This il it which you are wanting,
| senor?" The Indian boy stood before
him. holding out a small skin pouch.
whose distcnded mouth permitted him to
see its yellow contents. The doctor
| glanced at it, rubbed his eyes. looked
| at it the second time. then seized piece
Of the yellow stuff. weighed it In the
| palm of his hand. bit it, examined it
earnestly and finally said in a savage
| tone:
Tell me at once where you got it."
| THE scEor sent me to the mountains"
For sulphur, hoy. Do you know what
this is?"
The frightened boy retreated.
81 am sorry. l thought it was right. !
| will go back and search again."
| "Oh. what fools these perros are! No;
you shall go back again, but l shall go
| with you at once-yes. at once. l am not
angry with you: no. Why. you are one
| in a thousand. Give me the pouch. Do
| you know what this is? 1t is the stuff
that rules the world. what men risk their
lives for, that makes and unmakes ma
tons. 1t is power. it is. l will-now,
| Pedro, what are you wantingW
| 1.-THE doctor need starve no longer"
said Pedro. 1.-THE doctors coffee Is
ready"
| Serve 1t at once. You will eat with
| me, you and this dingy."
| Pedro set about it, and soon the three
were breakfasting together.
| The horses were saddled and ready at
last. The bags were filed with provi-
siens and sundry curious packages that
tho doctor himself stuffed into them,
| They finally set ont in single file. the In.
| dian boy on foot leading the way. the
doctor next. with his rifle. and Pedro
| bringing ND the rear. with such an rs,
| sortment Of spades and trowcls as might
have stocked gardeners Toulouse.
| 1t was 10 light work over the rocks
| covered with bushes and thorn clad vines,
but they found it still worse when the
! forest was passed and they came out on
! to q steep incline that was fathoms deep
! In ashes and where, with each step up
ward, they seemed to slip back step and
| q half. The dust was suffocating. the
| heat almost UNDESIRABLE, the thirst it en-
! gendered torturing, and when they had
! finally accomplished the ascent the doctor
sank down exhausted.
"Boy," said be when he had recovered
his speech, did you come all this way
last night? How were you able to do
it?
The Indian boy smiled sadly. sit was
the dog in me, senor," he answered.
| "What does your mother call youP
asked Pedro.
"She should have called him Pedro"
| the doctor interrupted, lor he mas a
dogs endurance and perhaps may prove
equally faithful"
| The boy looked at him rcproachfully,
| but he merely rose to his feet and said,
IF the senior is ready"
Up, up, through the broiling sun, over
| fields of lava and volcanic slack. the trio
climbed persistently until they stood on
the mountains crest and gazed down into
the ominous depth of the crater that
| yawned before them.
at is there, senor," the boy said SIM
| ply, pointing toward the black mouth Of
cavern half obscured by cloud Of
steam that shrilly escaped from some I'M
seen crevice.
| at is the mouth of hell" exclaimed
Pedro. Even the sturdy doctor shrank
back, but the lust for gold will lead a
man to brave the greatest danger.
Come, them he cried, but the Indian
boy detained him.
| mot that way. senior. See where you
wcrd go. 1t is none too sure, senior"
| He took a small pick from Pedro and
struck it through what seemed to be a
solid rock. but which proved to be but
mass of light ashes. 1t was on this that
the doctor would have stepped and be-
meath which, had he done 30, he might
have disappeared forever.