The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-03-12
CHAPTER I.


Merry Guadalajara is placed on the
boundary line between the hot and
cold lands
The .Cerro del Col, a. kind Of extinct
volcano, the peak of Tequila, and be-
hind this melancholy looking mountain,
a complete chain of rugged hills hem
ming in the Rio Tololotlan compose
the somber looking amphitheater which
screens the capital Of the state of ia
lisco on the north. But upon the banks
of the Tololotlan prevails another att
mosphere, and the traveller finds him
self in the region of the terra caliente,
where citron trees and bananas take
the place OF oaks and pines and arid
sands are succeeded by fields of sugar
canes watered by numerous streams.
Before the era of railways, when the
phrase ferro carril was an uncouth one
and incomprehensible to all save the
padres, the Pearl of the West was the
queen of the entire rich western coast
Of Mexico. Even today she lifts her
ivory towers, her mass of shining
domes and moresque minarets with
sweet pride For the skies toward
"
dance as scarcely anywhere else are
y to be seen even in this land of radiant
I Skies Tree arched avenues lead in
! every direction from Guadalajara to in
Vulnerable villages that dot the YER
dant plain on which she lies smiling.
And these villages, for all that they
are such mites of things. are nearly
perfect as types. Low adobe houses
gstraggle around three sides of the town
plaza; on the fourth side is the quaint
church (even the pueblitos, the tiniest
settlements of all, usually have their
churches). Back of the houses are cor
rales and gardens. and back of these.
In turn, are the cultivated fields cross
ed and recrossed by acequias through
which tie water comes that makes
fruitful the land. Not alone are these
villages typical; they possess, more
over, histories that far antedate the
time when the fierce and warlike Nuno
de Guzzman led his army into western
Y New Spain.
On smooth, green billow of the
land, just without one of these puebli-
tos, are two houses. They are not al
together like the rest; they are larger
and more pretentious, and standing up
there on the knoll as they do they
& seem to command the village as a
manse might command a seigniory.
One morning. something like doI-
BILE score of years ago, two horsemen
came up the willow shaded road that
leads past these houses. Their CONVEX
sation was in French. They were dis.
cussing mines, intent upon specula-
tons and investments-at least the cid
er of the two was. He was not man
you would be likely to pass withou1
observing. There was something in tho
restless, wiry, nervous expression OF
his face that made you wonder wha
he had done. His companion, on thu
contrary, made you question what hi
possibly could do. He was the daln
test, golden haired blue eyed mani
kin that ever stepped out of Partisan
bandbox.
At the threshold Of the first house
the one nearest Guadalajara, from
whence the hOrsemen rode. was {
young girl busily engaged in stringin
colored beads. She was seated upon
mat, her legs crossed in Mexican fash
ion, and from beneath her dress peepe
], two little, stockingless feet. Her reboz
Il had glided from her head to her. shou
ders and from her shoulders to tn
reed mat upon which she was sitting.
Mon Dieu! What beauty! eS
claimed the younger man. And as t
5i midity was not the principal defect !
the character of this cavalier he pt
litely took off his hat, caused the row
els of his iron spurs to. clank agains
the sides of his steed, and the amin;
reared and curveted in his most ell
CANT manner before the porch of til
house.
The movement was so uneNpecte
! that the girl uttered cry of terror an
started to her feet. The next momel
the horse had thrown it's rider. He Ia
senseless Non the road, having struc
his temple on stone.
When Berrendo Oajaca the mast
Of the house, had been called, whe
the unconscious young man had bee
brought under cover of his roof al
everything that hospitality could su
gest had been done, Henry Beausole
went on his way to San Pedro. ,H
host had told him of doctor whom
would find there, ard it was, near
than Guadalajara.
"Bah!" he muttered angrily to hill
self What a milksop that fellow is
He referred to his whilom ,companio
Then he added with a chuckle: He
the one whom his money manipulate
II am the one who manipulates
money"
Which was true enough. Beausol
was Claude Catou's agent, and he h
sent his fortune out in all direction
For the most part it came back wi
considerable booty in the way of p
centage .tfa'Sps%i 'tosevery trans'
ton n lie st..,. !. it;aisianas( New {
lec ss,as Catou's birthplace, 1t wa
e., ni.nd in slaves 1t fioated In boa
I shaved paper.