The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-08

fornia town. and looked down the road. |
was beautiful Sunday morning in May
Pancho was an old man. but there wa
nothing in his appearance indicative Of hi
| age except his bristling grey mustache. tn,
deep lines in his brown face, and the dul
| bloodshot black eyes which must once hav,
| been as fierce as those of an Indian. Will
his arms resting on the gate Pancho rolled
himself huge yellow papered cigarette
| which he proceeded to enjoy. Suddenly hG
| pulled the brim of his big white sombrerC
| further down over his face as ne de-
serted a man walking toward him on the
path beside the road. The newcomer was
young man and Pancho's opposite in
every particular.
| Como. esta, senor?"
Good morning. Pancho. Has senorita
| Helena gone to church,
mo. senior. Pretty soon she come. You
go with herr
"If she will allow me-"
"Oh, she glad to take you to church
glad to take anyone. She is good. She
| want to make poor Pancho go, but he nc
60 any more
did you hear Of the hold-up on the
Santa Maria road. Pancho?" asked the
American, casually.
At once it seemed that the sombrero
cast darker shadow over Pancho's face,
while his eyes narrowed into Sits. Isl. I
hear of him. They make big fuss bout
little thing. 1t was deterrent senior. in
early days before" His Unborn polite
ness gave him pause.
Before the gringos came?" supple
mented the other. laughingly.
Isl. seaor. before the gringos came. 1
born here, senior, feefty-seexty-seve
years ago Ny father had I'm rancho grande
near here. Everyone know ell Rancho
Parco. No banks those days. senior. We
keep all the money in the casa de rancho
what you call house. Plenty of bandoerOs
then, you bet. You not know bsndo'e' o.
You meet him in the mountains; he take
all you got: the next day you meet him in
town and shake his hand. but you not know
him
Well. Pancho. it's pretty hard to identi-
fly him these days" watching him closely.
'Oh. / don't know. eef you smart. What
your beesiness. senor?''
The question was asked with much ap-
parent Indifference, but George Howard
was not deceived. Suspecting. he saw him
self suspected. Real estate" he replied
promptly; I'm down here looking UP the
purchase Of some land
500" said PaIcho. And will you buy
him or-take him? Americanos get all the
land all the time. Long time ago you come
here, senior you would come to me to get
the land. / own all. Now all gone. and
Pancho not got five centavos Pancho tas
lost his creep. Sometimes I gsef away the
land. You see where all those houses up
street stand? One day Pancho see big
black horse-the horse do for his new sad
die and silver SPURS / geef thousand acres
for him These houses on the ground geef
Tt.N \
prehensive sweep OF his hand-"Pancho
r-robbed CT! You hear me. senior? l say
r-robbed. And now they make big fu
bout poor bandoleroi"
Father is pitching into the Americans
as usual. l suppose?" said a girlish voice
behind them. 81
Both turned to look upon Helena Parco.
dark. bright eyed, with the rose and the
olive tended in her cheek.
TO near my father talk" she went on
hIithly zone would think he was a for
eigner. while he is an American himself"
''Si,' broke. in Pancho, ''un Americana.
but not
"A gringo," interpolatsd Howard.
We'll. 1t is foolish Of you. dear old
father. to talk so. In cosmopolitan ccun-
try such as ours''-and then as she IealiZ d
that her language was unintelligibie TO ore
of her hearers. at least-'but. Mr. Howard.
l must go to church. The mission bells are
ringing already. and am the organis-.
will be glad if you will so with ne. Like
the Salvation Army lassie. / want everyone
to come to our hail.
The two went down the road together.
leaving Pancho meditative!y smoking hi
cigarette. And as he smoked he commuLed
with himself and wondered about many
things.
Making himself another cigarette. pa-cho
stroiied idly into the town. He Joined sew
eral groups of Spanish Americans staui.ir : !
on the sidewalks in their Sunday ;iothes. /
nodded Familiarity to the storeHespers in
front of the shops, and finally brought up I
before a crowd OF men and boys who had !
surrounded and were listening to Sam J
Smiths description of the recent nod up |
Sam vas the stage driver |
81 threw out the box all right enough"
Sam was saying. with great unction, but |
it was my old fake box. The risat one wts f..
OH behind. tied up in roll Of b.ankc.s.
The fellow was just about the bull Of
Pancho there"
Pancho passed on as if he mad not heard.
but knowing smile of satisfaction played
about his lips.
The delightfully."- monotonous summer
days of blue sky and yellow sun came ard
departed before the town was again awal-
ened from its dangerous sleep of SATISFIED
In the vicinity CT Los Aiamos
Sam Smith was held up once more. The
lone highwayman compelled the doughty
and shrewd Samuel to descend from bis
seat and produce the express box from a
roll of blankets. This being accomplished
the luckless passengers were lined up en-
one side of the road and the man with The |
gunnysack over his head and the Wnches-
ter in his hand relieved them of their val |
tables in turn.
The following day the broken express |
box and a piece of the gunnysack were |
found in the bushes near the scene OF the |
robbery. Pancho was suspected on Sans /
report and his house searched. There the
rest OF the gunnysack was found. Pancho
lad already taken to the hills. and large |
reward was offered for his capture
Sympathy. sincere and universal. went
out to the old mans daughter. but with
he blow a change came over her. Every
glance of pity was met by look of sup
pressed Indignation and scorn for pity
implied belief in her fathers guilt In |
Ter eye a new fire kindled-a fire that
,urned in Panchos eyes when he was
'oung. Except her own. no roof knew
Ter now but that of the Mission But all
his was only the brave exterior In a lit
lie while it was known she was ILL., Within
40 months she was dead. The wise doc
ors gave the cause as quick consump
ion.
Two days afterward two men moved
down the slope of the cone
haped mountain at the foot of which stood
he Mission. Both were armed and both
rept crouchingly from bowlder to bowlder
nd from bush to bush. as If they feared
detection. AS they did so the bells of
he Mission began to toll The sweet toned
ound from the little bronze bells-cast
n old Spain-came up the mountain, and