The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1900-11-14
THE GARMENT OF IRON.

and a bunch of tumble-weed. a rattle
snake and a tarantula. The tarantula
scuttled off he killed the rattlesnake
and the tumble-weed and sand he emp
tied out Then he had the armor done
up in a shelter-tent and put upon a pack
mule. After which. the column moved
on. 1t should not have halted at all, for
it was in pursuit of a band of Indians.
But there were bands of Indians every
day, and tine nnding OF full suit of
armOr lying under mesquite bush beside
their trail was rare.
Certainly Earrpoie had never heard Of
such a thing. And, so far as he knew
it was the only suit of armor ever dis
covered on the New Mexican plains. but
his lore on the subject was not profound
When he got back to his twO-cOmpany
post on the banks of the ella, he found
the interest in life, which had been lack
ing for him up to then, in enlarging that
knowledge. He sent East for books and
histories and treatiSeS concerning coats of
mail and the men who have worn them.
and he even went SO far as to write to
the Smithsonian institution, at the risk
of having a government commission sent
out at once to seize his treasure. And in
the interval of two months which elapsed
before he received reply-for the rail
road was only to Kansas in those days
he set about cleaning the armOr himself,
and with his own hands joining it to-
gether.
He was so occupied, what with that
and the histories and the other books,
that he forgot TO have Gila-bottom ma
laria and had no time to worry about
the flies. Then, when the steel was once
more bright as the e=:ire shield of Achil-
les, and he had proved 70 his own and to
every ones satisfaction that it must once
have protected the body of one of Coro-
nado'S men, and must date from the mid.
die of the Sixteenth century, or there
about, he hung it up in his one-room
adobe quarters, along with the Indian
trophies that were as nothing now and
the bottled reptiles of many sorts; and
the fame of it spread through the land.
An English lord, in pith helmet and
gray linen, who was going about the
country, travelled miles out OF his way to
look upon it; and a scientific party from
Boston did the same. Hartpole was be-
ginning to be very proud. when, one day,
he had visitor of another kind.
1t was man he had seen sometimes
"a small, 1.-THE fellow, part COyOtero
Apache, part Mexican, possibly very
small part white, who had some reputa-
ton as d medicine-man with the tribes,
but not much as anything else.
Hartpole was sitting under his ramada
On late summer afternoon, reading a
book whose covers curled up with the
heat. when something came between him
and his light, and. looking up, he saw the
medicine-man peering in the opening. He
said, "Hullo. Ciego." and added: what
do you want, eh?'
Ciego was so called because he was blind
in one eye He came in under the rama
da. and stood SO close to him that Hart
pole moved a little. The Coyotero's cast
oG ,,pifcrr1 and rod haa6 hand unrn NOT
clean.
Ciegc spoke excellent Spanish. and, as
Hartpole did. too, he had no trouble
about making himself understood. He
explained that he would like TO see the
suit of iron clothes which he had been
told that the lieutenant possessed. The
lieutenant was so pleased to think that
it had been spoken of even in the fast
nesses of the Sierra Blanca and of,rthe
Tonic basin that he forgot how dirty
Ciego was, and straightway rose and
invited him int. the one room.
The medicine man stood looking at the
armor with an interest and evident ap-
probation that touched Hartpole very
much. After the manner Of his kind. he
said no word but presently he went
nearer and felt of the plates and chains
with his fingertops and put his good eye
close and looked inside. Then he turned
to Hartpole. Where did you find it?''
he asked.
The lieutenant explained at some
length.
rs it very old?"
Hartpole said it was at least three
hundred and thirty years old, and
went into a little history.
Ciego nodded his head II know" he
said. But that was so manifestly alb
tention to it. 'It is very fine" said
Ciego. For how much will you sell it
to me"' Naturally. Hartpole only
laughed, but the Apache was in earnest,
nevertheless No" he insisted. looking
him sharply in the. face. mo, de yeras,
[ wish to buy it from you"
"Well. / don't wish to SELL answered
the lieutenant, rather vexed at the mere
Il have $780, said the Indian.
'If You had thousand you could not
have it."
Il have thousand
HartpOle laughed again, little impa-
tienty.
you do not believe me-look here"
Ciego drew buckskin bag from the
folds of his sash. 1t was full of gold
"There are $500 dollars mere in three
days / can bring you $500 more
Hartpole guessed how he had come by
money he said: angrily; put it up.
You can't have the armor Ukashee.'
you let me have it," begged Ciego:
II wish it very much. | will do many
things for YOU
Hartpole swore this time-mean, Span
ish oaths. NO" he said. you can't
have it. Go to the aevil-get out"
Even though Cego was only a dirty
Indian. the WhiteEye should have re-
membered that he probably had feelings
which could be hurt. 1t is well. how
ever, for those who have the direction
Of children and savages in their hands
to remember that those simple folk have
sometimes reasons for the things they do
and say, good and sufficient unto them
selves. But it never occurred to Hart
pole what this half-biind Indians rea-
sons might be. They did not transpire
until some weeks later
Yet in Ciego's tribe there was q legend
of great white chief who once married
one of their women, and had ruled over
them. and who had worn n suit of shin
ing iron. And their tradition ran that
whatsoever should find and wear that