Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1901-04-04
Ee0HAA b1x:*s Rsx"rs
" ABSOLUTELY PURE
Makes the food more delicious and wholesome

| Win uts OI SNlul uciduOuOiy, o0s
often crying in a ptiful, wailin,
fashion that nearly drove me wild
There WAS q Mexican doctor il
Pueblo de Maria, and I had bin
examine Kirby, who wept sn<
moaned during the examination
| could see that the Mexican VA
frightened, but he merely shrueg.
ed his shoulders, and having pock
eted his fee said brief and heart.
felt "Quien sabe," and the investi.
CATION ended. So fal ss he could
see, the Senor Ingenerio twas suf-
ferlng from 3 bad attack OF the
sun; with care and perfect quiet
he should be over the illness in .
few days" ~ese
A day or two later 1 left tho
poor fellow in Juans's care and
rode over to the pueblo 10 get some
opiate. 1 wanted him to have ono
nights rest, anyway, for next day
| intended to take him, a. best I
might be able, back to civilization
and doctors.
The trail I followed led along
the slopes of the hills, all covered
at this time of year with dank,
dense shrubbery and tropical veg
citation. There was no signsof life
anywhere about, and waso think
ing sadly about Door Kirby. when
suddenly I saw Q woman clip into
one of the dark glades Just ahead
of me. It was, if net 'Consuello,
very much like her, and I-wonder-
ed what was up, She was ssppos-
ed to be many days travel away
from our camp; what, therefore,
could she be doing here, sneaking
about in the glades2 / began to
suspect mischief; she had not seen
me, and l would find out what she
was after. So
/ tied my horse, loaded my re-
volver (for / was taking no chan
ces with a savage o. Consuelo's
sort. and crept on her track.
Soon | caught glimpse of her,
kneeling with her back to me.
Her occupation seemed innocent
enough, for she was merely pluck
ipg the brilliant red blooms that
grew dausely around on the noun
tain side. and talking to herself as
she did so. Wondering what she
could be saying, | slipped closer.
hidden by the shrubbery.
Nearing her, | saw that her face
looked years older, lined, wicked
and hideous-the face of crazed
woman or a devil.
Over and over again she was
murmuring as she tossed the little
red flowers into her reboza: Flor
de los locos! Flowers of the
crazed.)
Then l understood. She had
been giving the deadly, Grazing
flower made into some sort of tea,
no doubt, through old Juana's art)
to poor Kirby. With the wish to
torture him beyond belief she was
Grazing him; it would
have been too merciful to kill him
outright. -'t
| drew my pistol and called to
her. With the spring of a wound
ed tiger she was at me, and before
she caught sight of the pistol, had
buried her sharp teeth in my arm.
Then, seeing the revolver, and be-
fore | bad time To make up nv
mind to murder a woman. she WAS
off like flash, the red flowers of
the crazeI strr"lng the ground..
| follow ed on dead run; mount
ed my horse and galloped back TO
camp, hoping to be IN time TO cir
,umvent her further evil work.
But she had evidently hidden
somewhere on the mountains, and
though a search-psrty worked dill
gently to find her, we never saw
her again. You may rest assured
that did not again leave kirby's
side until the Mexican police had
srreatei and locked up old Juana,
after | had forced her to confess
As had thought, Consuelo had
never gone home, but had hidden
herself IN some mountain cave,
md had come to our camp by
llght, bearing at each visit a fresh
supply of the flowers of the craz-
II. These our cook had made in
o tea, which WAS given daily to
\ rby.
The first dose" the old wretch
tated calmly. had been a little
90 strong, for which reason il had
10 seriously affected the POOR Sc
ior.
We carefully conveyed Kirby
ir>t To the City of Mexico. where
very imaginable scheme vas tried
q restore his sanity. Nothing did
nv good. lie still remained in
be same melancholy. morose.
Weeping condition. refusing food.
mi lighting fu--nu-ly when - en-
.esNorr' to E've h5m rarri-hmeut.
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