Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-07-14


company's money. / didn't tell Mr.
Coles for fear he would feel uneasy
travelling across wild mountain coun-
try with companion carrying such a
sum. But / had made only three OF
four trips with the pay roll by way OF
Ojo, and didn't suppose it was gener-
ally known that carried money. Then
too, it was a daylight ride from Ojo
TO Monclova, and from Monclova to
Copper Jack.
1t was late in the afternoon of a
winters day when the train arrived at
Ojo Calientes. Mr.. Cowles and myself
went immediately to the Meson del st.
Maria. We intended to get an early
start in the morning and drive in a
blackboard to Monclova by night, and
the next day, with fresh horses, to
reach Copper Jack. The meson was
crowded with the miscellaneous throng
of vaqueros, gamblers. miners, and
half-breed village loafers.
After supper of peppery Mexican
dishes, for which neither Mr.. Coles
nor had any relish, we sat under the
portales, smoked our cigars, and OBJ
served the people moving about the
courtyard and in and out of the can
tina. 1t was motley crowd, with the
usual sprinkling of refugees from
American justice, and Mexicans in gay
sombreros and fancy zarapes.
Early in the morning we set for
ward toward Manclova in an old rat
tle-trap blackboard drawn by four
Spanish mules. The way was a mere
trail through the mountains and so
rough we could seldom go at a trot.
My companions head grew dizzy some
times when the blackboard wound along
ledge above deep abyss. Had the
mules become frightened, or had they
made misstep, we would have tum-
bled thousand feet down the noun
tain. Once we passed an arriero with
eight burros. 1t was tight squeeze
to get by, and one Of the burros missed
his step and fell over down the decliv-
ity. The Mexican could make no eff
fort 70 get it out, and it would have
been useless.
Mr.. Coles insisted on paying for the
burro, but l explained it was not
usual, and he might, besides, set a pre-
cedent which would inspire an arriero
to lose a burro every time he met an
American outfit in a tight place.
Toward sunset we wound slowly up
a steep hill. When we attained its
summit we saw Monclava spread be-
low us in narrow valley. 1t was a
quaint abode village, walled in by tut
ting hills, with little river winding
through it. Many of the buildings
were covered with pink plaster. and
some had an upper story with pom
derous batten shutte.s and little iron
galleries. We entered the main street
which was not more than fifteen feet
Wide, and ratified over the cobble-
stones past the plaza and the old stone
church of Guadalupe and came to a
stop in front of the wooden gate of the
meson. We were driven into the patio
where the mesonero welcomed us with
great gusto. To his discerning eve Mr.
Cole was a person OF considerable i'm
portance, and he knew that | was sur
lace superintendent of the Copper Jack
and that l made monthly trip to Bis
bee to get the pay roll of the company
he was an avaricious, cunning little
man, with small, fat hands and almost
lmperceptible black eyes that danced
under heavy downdrawn brows. By
way of being cordial he invited us to
drink, so we crossed the patio and en-
tered the cantina. To please our hos,
We asked for tequila and salt. which
neither Mr.. Coles, who never tasted
the liquor before, nor myself relshed
But the mesonero, when he swallowed
the liquor and licked the salt from the
back of his hand, smacked his Inns
with Joy of the delicate flavor that lin
gered on his palate. Then he fumbled
in the upper pockets of his vest for
cigars, and as he threw back the lanel
OF his coat saw the curiously wrough,
handle of an old Spanish poniard.
When we had supped and smoked
and were ready to retire the lmesonerc
approached and said he would show u:
to our rooms. He carried a candle ana
walked before us. We climbed the
stairs leading from the patio and fol.
lowed long gallery. The mesonerc
stopped in front of dark, windowless
apartment and said it was Mr.. Coles
room, and then two doors farther he
ushered me into my own.
1t was a curious apartment. There
was bunk in one corner. a table hold.
ing tin plated bowl and pitcher. a
towel, two chairs with buckskin bot.
toms, and frayed yellow mat tina,