The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-03-10
PANCHtCO.

! lllS dlDUi hl ON5lllto pENt 'N " A''A J Between him and the river lay his vine- yard, where Pope, pious peon, stopped over the low vines croaking an Ave Maria. The sun was gone a good half hour behind the darkening hills, and the old missionary was asleep when the creak of wheels sounded from across the red shining river and the splash splash of q horse stopped Pepes low chant.
 "Buenos naches, Padre!" said the peon, hanging his ragged sombrero on stake and walking beside the wealth er-beaten buggy that came gfoaning up through the vineyard.
 Praise God in English 1T you can, Pepe," said the young priest in the bug gy. flor It has been blessed week for the mission. See here?" and the sleek young missionary pointed to an old sack under the seat, There are all the false gods--the idols of San 1sidor. I have won the whole pueblo back to the good Christ"
 Father Gervase, the girl-faced enthu- siast, lifted the sack tenderly and laid 1t at the feet of old Botolph, then shook him gently by the arm.
 Wake, father, wake! See what I have brought you" And in the fading afterglow Gervase showed his superior the false gods of clay and feathers which he had taken from the Indians of San Isidor,
 Here is old Panchco's favorite idol," :" boasted the radiant Gervase, holding up grotesque, many-armed clay figure which smeled of smoke and burned feathers 1T took it from his house while he looked on and in its place in stalled our Good Lady of Lourdes. Be- sides. | confessed
 Not Panchicor' snorted Botolph, taking the dirty image and batting it's flat little head
 NO not Panchico," resumed Gervase, his blue eyes glistening with holy en- thusiasm. "but all the rest--more than hundred and a score-counting the squaws. I gave away all the rosaries and the scapulars, and put all my statues in the niehes where these wretched dolls of mud had been"
 "Panchco must have been drunk" quoth Botolph. who had been forty years among the Pueblos He put his tongue in his fat cheek and gazed fath- erly down at his young assistant. Come now, mic muchacho, did you smell Panchico's breath?'
 'No. father; I prayed beside him, for he was i'll. He did not take part in the fiesta. The agent, that devout young man from Isleta, was there and there was no liquor. He saw the wonders that I worked-by the grace of God, of course-but there was no liquor"
 And you confessed the whole pue- blo?"
 "AI but Panchico, padre"
 "Then there will be the devil to pay when he finds it out
 Alas, Father Botolph,' can you not see that I have converted them all. Are not these the evidence that San Ts- idor has given up it's false worship? To be sure, it is my first attempt, but
 -"
 And you think you have converted them all Poor boy." Botolph was stuffing his bulbous nose with snuff, and the yiuns Gervase. disappointed at the poor impression his victory had made upon the old man, was ranging the little Indian images as 2 child might toy with his soldiers.
 What more could one humble priest do?" he murmured at last. T have given them the holy sacraments, con- ferred the blue scapular, blessed rora- ries. celebrated the mass, taken away their idols and given them blest images oe " Ja i,1f Ic 1t not a good beginning? Surely. I have at least done no harm?'
 My pretty gosling, wheezed the old man, waddling toward the refectory where Pope had spread cold supper of bread. cheese and wine, T began on Panchico's father, the old chief, dead these fifteen years, It took ten years to convince the father that his son should live by work instead of theft: after ten years of argument I have done no more than to show the son that it is better to have but one concubine than to have many who cannot bake his tortillas in the states prison In time. if you live, Gervase. you may satisfy his offspring that there is a God for women as well as for men-but as for converting the present generauOn-HlS soou PelN Nd9e' your me some wine"
 They munched their cold fare in the dim candlelight, Pope standing silent in the shadows.
 What then must do, padre?" asked Gervase ofter a long pause.
 First realize that you will not live to experience the reward of knowing the fruction of your work. The civilized Indian will be the great of Panchico-please God"
 After Botolph had read chapter of the Flores Patriots and put away the book, he said:
 "Pepe, you must watch all night. Have your lantern in the smoke-house and bring the guns into the dormitory. Gervase and will sit each in an angle of the porch. Mind you keep awake, and if Panchico and these rascals from San Isidor---"
 ''Panchico!" gasped Gervase, turning pale,
 "If you see any of them proving about, Pepe." resumed Botolph.
 "Si, senor!"
 Just see that they don't set fire to the place--and, call me.
 Now. Gervase.' said the old mis- when the guns had been brought and Pope shuffled away into the night haze, ''unless l am very much mistaken your good convert Panchco will be here before daylight to get back