The Winslow mail., 1900-08-02

except his bristling gray mustache, the
deep lines in his brown face, and the
dull, bloodshot black eyes which must
once have been as fierGe as those of an
Indian. With his arms resting on the
gate, Pancho rolled himself a huge
yellow-papered cigarette, which he
proceeded to enjoy. Suddenly he
pulled the brim of his big white SOM
brero further down over his face as he
deserted man walking toward him on
the path beside the road. The new
conner was young man and Pancho's
opposite in every particular.
Como esta, senor?"
Good morning, Pancho. Has Seno-
rita Helena gone to church,
''No, senior. Pretty soon she come.
You go with her?"
''If she'll 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
no go 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 a darker shadow over Pancho's
face, while his eyes narrowed into Sits:
Isl, hear of him. They make big fuss
bout little thing. 1t was different,
senior, in early days before" His in
born politeness gave him pause.
Before the gringos came?" supple
mented the other, laughingly.
"Si, senior, before the gringos came.
I born here, senior, -seeXty-sev-
enty years ago. My father had un
rancho grande near here. Every one
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 bandoleros then,
you bet. You not know bandolero.
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
identify him these days." watching
him closely.
''Oh, 1 dom know, eef you smart.
What your beesiness, senior"
The question was asked with much
apparent Indifference, but George
Howard was not deceived. Suspecting,
he sav himself suspected. "Real es-
tate" he replied. promptly; ''I'm down
here looking up the purchase of some
land"
''So?'' said Pancho. "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. L
own all. Now all gone, and Pancho not
got five centavos. Pancho has lost his
creep. Sometimes l geef away the
land. You see where all those houses
up street stand? One day Pancho see
a big black horse-the horse do for his
new saddle and silver spurs. / geef
thousand acres for him. Those houses
on the ground | geef away. The rest"
with a sudden and comprehensive
sweep of his hand-"Pancho r-robbed
Of You hear me, senor? L say
r-robbedl And now they make big
fuss bout poor bandolero!"
Father is pitching into the Ameri-
cans as usual, suppose?' said a girlish
voice behind them.
Both turned to look upon Helena
Parco, dark, bright-eyed, with the rose
and the olive blended in her cheek.
ITO hear my father talk" she went
on, blithely, lone would think he was a
foreigner, while he is an American
himself"
'Si," broke in Pancho, sun Ameri-
cano, but not
"a gringo," interpolated Howard.
swell, it is foolish of you, dear old
father, to talk so. In a cosmopolitan
country such as ours" and then, as
she realized that her language was un-
Ineligible to one of her hearers, at
least-"but Mr. Howard, I must go to
church. The mission bells are ringing G
already. and | am the organist. will
be glad if you will go with me. Like the
Salvation Army lassie, want everyone
to come to our hall"
The two went down the road togeth-
er, leaving Pancho meditatively smok-
ing his cigarette. And as he smoked he
communed with himself and wondered
about many things. Helena was so un-
like a Parco, he thought. She was
not content to mix with the Spanish
people exclusively, as her mother had
done before her. but was welcomed
everywhere. She did not hate the
Americans. but told him, her own fa-
ther. many times that it was wrong tC
cherish hatred against one Yet she
L., III nj
ashamed of him. Surely she was
strange, dear child But the ParcC
blood would tell even in her if the occa
sion arose-he was sure of that.
Making himself another cigarette
Pancho strolled idly into the town. He
Joined several groups of Spanish-Amer
leans standing on the sidewalk in theil
Sunday clothes, nodding familiarly tc
the store-keepers in front of the shops
and finally brought up before crowt
of men and boys who had surrounded
and were listening to Sam Smiths de
scription of the recent ho'd-up. San
was the stage driver.
''Ithrew out the box all right enough,
Sam was saying, with great JUNCTION
"but it was my old fake box. Th'
right one was on behind, tied up in ;
roll of blankets. The fellow was JUS
about the build of Pancho there"
Pancho passed on as if he had no
heard, but a knowing smile of satisfac
ton played about his lips.
The delightfully."- monotonous summer
.days of blue sky and yellow sun cam,