Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1902-11-20
The Donkey and the Gringo.
An Adventure in Chihuahua.
B By BOURBON WILSON. \
WHEN l was elected assistant treas.

VTTHEN l was elected assistant treas
Wy urer OF the Rio Verde Mining
company, | received instruction to
proceed at once to the mine, which
was situated in the southwestern
corner of Chihuahua, and take charge
of the ore as fast as it came from
the shaft. For months, the output
had been steadily shrinking in value,
and the stock consequently had gone
down, down, down, until it was hard
ly worth the ink and paper; there
was trickery going on, the directors
had at last concluded, but just
what they did not know, and that
was why they sent me-to find out.
| made the trip to Chihuahua city
without a break, but there my
troubles began. l was delayed a
week, waiting for the rattletrap of a
%diligencia that took me to Santa Cruz,
whence | expected to go mule-back
the rest of my journey. But that was
merely a trife, as compared with
"hoe ""oitNu liz uPoh lily dlllNdl dU
Santa Cruz; there was not a mule
or horse to be had in the place. Also
l found La Villa RIGA de la Santa
Cruz, to give its official misnomer,
to consist of half a dozen adobe how
els, which were inhabited by a dozen
men and women of the peon class,
several dozen half-naked children,
and perhaps 20 dozen NANCY ours;
fieas, flies, filth, and evil odors made
up the rest. Stay there and wait
for mules | would not, it was too
squalid for the fastidious taste of a
gringo, and l determined to push on,
even If l should have to walk.
Inquiry, however, finally elected the
information that there was a burro in
the place, the property of one Fran
cisco Flores. l hunted up Francisco.
''Nill you sell the animal?" / asked.
He answered with a surly refusal. l
rejoined with an offer Of $40, which
he promptly declined. The, l raised
my bid, once, twice, but he remained
unmoved and surly as at first. 1 was
nettled. why do you value the burro
so highly" | exclaimed, with sar-
casm; 1T is a family heirloom?" l
was answered by Francisco's wife,
who had been a silent listener: 1.-THE
burro was the family pet" she said;
it had been reared in the house
along with their only child, and the
two were inseperable; moreover, Pan
chita, the little girl, now lay in bed
with a broken leg, which would Grip
pie her for life, and so she would
need the burro to carry her about.
Crippled for life!" / exclaimed.
"Has the bone Eeen set?"
No, there was no doctor, and so it
would have to heal as best it would.
l have a little knowledge of sim
pie surgery, and thinking that l
hight be able to help the child, l
at once asserted that | was a doctor
and would be glad to do what | could
for her, with the result that Fran
cisco's n Immediately altered.
He begged a thousand pardons for his
insolence to sci buen medico," and led
the way into the house, where l found
Panchita on a bundle of rags in the
corne moaning with the pain Of a
fracture that only needed setting, and
a little time, to remedy. l always
carry a small chest of simple medi-
cines in my outfit, and getting the
little one under the influence of
oLJDpnfrrp, e,An hoI Tho hN~a ,rx>-
erly set and the leg splinted; then
| gave the mother some powders to
keep down fever, and started out.
But Francisco stopped me.
''This is your house. %senor," he
said earnestly. 'All that I possess is
thine, and my wife and / are your
attentive servants"
/ knew that this time-worn ex-
preston of the MeXicans might mean
much or little, and so asked: "And
will you now sell me the burro?"
1T is already thine, senor," he re-
sponded, quickly, 'the gift of Pan
chita."
| went back to the child and laid
a heap of silver at her side. For her
wedding day." | said to the smiling
mother, Besides, I will send the
burro back"
Then | was introduced to El Sabio,
and burst out laughing; he was so
small that l might have taken him
to be a ~jack-rabbit, had l met him
in the chaparral. 1t seemed ridiculous
to think Of such a creature carrying
me across the mountains; I thought
myself better able to carry him, and
n good humored derision suggested
to Francisco that / do this. He took
me seriously.
''Pues no senor!" he exclaimed,
puzzled. THAT is not the custom of
the country" I laughed, and he in
stantly co~mprehended the humor of
my remark. "Ah, the caballero laughs
at his size" he said, smiling. But
look, he is strong, very strong, and