River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-10-03

of gold!"
81 believe it's some old Aztec treas
ure," said Tomas, and the man who
buried it was an Indian of tribe
unknown to my mother. Aztec gold
has been dug up before, thousands
of dollars Of it,"
She twisted his hair till he cried out,
and Rugged him convulsiyely, and
said:
"You must devise a plan. L will
| win dig!"
"You don't believe it, about devils?"
81 can charm the devils-is it not
so?-little sweet Tomasito-can she
charm the diablito?" She was kissing
lis lips and talking endearing baby
talk to the big raw-boned man.
''Shc can" swore he. let us plan!
But how-how?"
And for two whole weeks they
moped about, repeating: But how
but how?" Staring at the bare open
space which all the town went troop
ing over. Tomas worked no more.
Julia scarcely cooked, so that they
were unconsciously hungry and thin
looking. They grew melancholy dur
ing that fortnight looking out of the
window at the cobble-stones.
One day at dinner, when neither had
spoken for an hour, Tomas suddenly
hit his plate with his fist.
81 have it," cried he.
"a e,,,,.a,,r -,
him; Rugged and twisted and smoth-
cred him; uttering flood of incoher-
ent questions.
why ah-ug h-don't choke me
gr-r-r-r!" gasped he, with beans in
his mouth. "The merry-g o-round!"
She sat down with sudden gloomy
thump, and gazed at her coughing
lord.
Tomas! what rude, unkind joke
have you played on your little Julia
oh, Tomas!"
NO joke! l say the little horses"
Merry-go-rounds are called little
horses" in Mexico. He was now arts
ing in excitement.
"But-but, she murmured, sitting
there, a beautiful picture disconsolate,
how in the world can we do it with
them?'
Didn't Romero tell me he was los
ing money with his -go-round in
Yautepec, and offer to rent it to me
to try in Cuernavaca?"
"Ye-yes," with reproachful doubt.
Tomas was now dancing, dignity
gone, the idea fully formed in his
brain.
Zig silly!" cried she, running and
holding to his ears "What is it?"
"Why-can't you see? This is the
very spot the government rented once
before to merry-go-round. And
have small inner cir
cles walled in and hidden with can
vasn'
Light came into her eyes. Her lips
were apart. She threw her slender
body with a cry of joy into his arms
and upon his breast.
And / can sing while you dig!"
wept She
Next morning Tomas rode away to
Yautepec. For a week the world was
a prison, life all but unbearable, to
Julia. At tie end of that time the
little horses came.
They had wound along mountain
trails from Yautepec. On the backs
of mules and burros were they bound;
canvas, poles, ropes, and much timber
were bound likewise. A little steam
engine, made in Cleveland, O., and
sadly out of its elements, came a
roundabout way over two railroads.
The caravan was a strange sight, yon-
der in those mountain wilds. The
Cuautla valley, green and tropical and
glorious, whence the little horses
came, lies in a basin of the mountains.
Over the low range, green and tropical
and glorious, too, lies the valley of
Cuernayaca. The two are sisters. The
stony mail route from 1autepec
crosses the range near the two round
hills called Tetillas. Across the sum
NIT with the green basins in view ON
either hand, and the clear air making
old Popocatepetl seem close, wound
Tomas's train; wooden horse-legs
sticking up from mule backs; wooden
horse heads overhanging burro heads;
all the paraphernala of q battered,
modern, dreary, American merry-go-
round, crawling thus over Montezu-
mas ancient trails.
On the bare space by Pacheco's one
legged statue, the caravan at length
came 10 a halt. The drivers saw the
anxious face of woman looking out
of the window of the pink house. Al
ready ragged boys were whooping in
the JOY of anticipation. For this sort
of diversion, the grandest which Heav-
en- ever permits to men, comes but
once in many moons to the boys of
town like Cuernayaca.
Tomas came and burst open his
door and the two fell into each 9th
er's arms as though they had been
parted a dozen bitter years.
MY angel, Tomasito!" gurgled she.
"Soon-ah, very soon" he muttered
incoherently, with her hair wound
around his neck. Then he strobe out.
At length the circular canvas top
of the merry-go-round was up. Then
for two slow days Tomas and some