Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-10-03
:, THE HAUNTED D|LIGEHCE ;
. BY FREDERIC r. GUERNSEY. q
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4 Tale ot the Csmiao Real
In the Interior OF Mckee

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We were two hours out OF Piedrns
Grandes and fully three hours from
Etlac. where We were 10 pass the night
"a mere collection or hutS. II was said.
with wrctched Ineson where pas.cn-
gers were eaten up alive 10y nocturnal
and creeping things. Surely nne
prospect; hut most Of the people iu
the rumbling. jolting stagecouch. built
years ago in Massachusetts. were
young and full of the gladness OF life.
There WAS a bulky canon from the
cathedral In Morelia on his way 10 the
Pacific coast 10 see u dying brother.
and there was Al venerable woman who
WAS called Venturita by everybody.
for I'm Spanish the diminutiVc is as
often sign OF respect as OF familiar
ity. She was going 10 take the sulphur
baths st Atijic. four hours distant from
Etlac. She was portly and widow OF
many years standing. rather jolly and
broad spoken In the naif Latin way.
Then there was young. just married
couple from the hacienda of Ia Es-
meralda. accompanied by two OF the
young womau's sisters. who were max
Ing the trip merely out OF compliment
10 the bride and not wholly TO her In
innate satisfaction. The other two
passengers besides myself were stu
dents going home from the City OF
Mexico to pass the summer vacation.
The tenth passenger. who sat on the
box with MarcelirO. the driver. was
tall. absorbed looking man. who had
given his name as Van Huyten. a wear
er OF gold spectacles and reader SO in
veterate that be availed himself OF
every level and joltless stretch OF road
10 peruse volume that he carried In
his hand.
The top or the stage was covered
with small luggage. and behind were
lashed on q motley collection OF little
wooden boxes painted various coiors
and one or two civilized and heavy
trunks. Ii Is well to bear this fact In
mind
The rainy season had got fairly well
under way, and the road was heavy
The mules toiled on stumbllngly. some
times diversifying the matter 10y slip
ping and audibly groaning. but nobody
gave heed To their misery. although
one Of them had long established sore
on his right tank which gave nOurish-
ment 70 the flies aud agony 10 himself.
An Indian lad ran along by the side OF
the mules. alternately lashing or ston-
ing them. the latter operation being
performed when a comparatively mud
less spot allowed him to pick UP am
munitlon. The Society For the Pre-
vention OF Cruelty TO Animals had not
been heard OF I'm these rural parts OF
interior Mexico.
mentioned the misery of the mule
TO the fat canon from Morella a. we
stopped 10 water the animals. but he
simply looked at me with wonder and
said, who has enjoined Ii on us to
care FOR the brute beasts?" | had read
the Bible from cover to cover and yet
could not cite him any Scriptural au-
thorIty.
AT any rate. Buddha told his d;sci-
pies TO be kind to the dumb creatures
OF the earth" / remarked. perhaps In
the tone Of 4 retort.
"Buddha! Yes: the false prophetv'
said the fat canon. who looked on me
thereafter as being quite as incompre-
hensible and dangerous a hereto as the
abstracted Dutchman on the box fum-
bling over his doubtful book. perhaps
containing rank pantheism or inhdel-
ity.
We started on. but In half an hour.
Etlac still over two hours away, a
wheel came off and we sank suddenly
down to the muddy road and We're
somewhat jumbled up. the canon most
undignifiedly Pumping into Ventura
ta's lap. The bride screamed. and the
manly arm OF her husband. aged 20
years, was about her In an instant.
The sisters of the young woman were
sustained by the ready arms Of the
students. and there we were until Mar
celino opened the door of the coach on
the top side and let us out Van Huy-
ten had slid of. book still In hand.
spectacles awry. into the mud. We all
laughed on realizing that no bones
were broken. The bridegroom. looking
as mature as possible, exclaimed, per
canoes del yiajer' Incidents of the
Journey. II took all the men OF the
party to aid Marceiino and his Indian
lad. but In an hour We had the wheel
on. The mules meantime were tran
quill: they were used to IL all. and peer
hSrs welcomed II IA giving them q