The National tribune., 1902-12-18

/ tnat we WOuf0 give inc n1cuoOZd pcOpie
a surprise and create a great sensation.
He averred this with the most earnest
Eiien and the soberest possible face.
Sunday came, and after the usual morn
| ing inspection and parade We retained our
parade uniforms. Harrington waxed his
pretty blond mustache till it fairly shone;
he was, beyond doubt, very handsome
young officer, with his cream-and straw
berry complexion and lovely eyes Of deep
forget-me- not blue. As soon as the 'com-
manding officer had ridden off with a
small escort toward the Huachuca Noun
tains to look st some ash timber. We set
out for the humble dwelling of the Men
dozas, / carrying the violin case.
| We found the whole family assembled
around the chimney-fire, for the most part
squatted upon raw-hides. They received
us most Hospitality, rendering us the only
two available seats raised above the earth
foor-an old Office chair without q back
and a home made three-legged stool:
Trinidad looked lovely. being, in honor of
| the day, freshly washed, conibed and got
ten up in her hest wearing apparel.
! After the first salutation the CONVERSE
ton naturally Jagged. and Mendoza. to
bring some life into the thing, soon re-
quested his daughter to enliven the scene
with song or two. The time-honored in
strument was produced. q broken string
mended, and considerable time spent in
tuning the ancient guitar, during which
time we had ample opportunity to admire
the exquisitsly shaped hands OF the dark
eyed daughter of Mexico. She sang two
lsongs. love songs of course-Mexican girls
know no others-sbe sang correctly, even
prettily, but like all their illiterate class
like an automaton, without feeling or ex.
preston. At the conclusion of her second
lsong, she leaned the instrument against
the wall .miIinOty qaEnuyvlaApluQ
compliments expressed in rather question
able Spanish.
The Lieutenant evidently thought this the
| prOpitious moment for our performance
to begin. He unlocked the violin-case and
tenderly lifted from it his beloved instru-
ment. while | emitted the usual prepara-
tory short cough intended to clear ones
throat In very few words, laboriously
acquired from Marigildo for the occasion,
we announced our intention of RECALLING
the company with a Spanish song. My
friend. having already tuned his instru-
ment at home. now brought it to concert
pitch with few twists of the screws, and
began at once a tender Introductory
adagio, from which, at given precon-
certed passage, lie gently floated into the
melody of our song. when l at once fell
into the tune, taking particular care to
pronounce the oft-repeated words with the
greatest possible clearness.
| Did we create a sensation? Did we
give these good people surprise? Well,
rather.
Hardly had 1 arrived at the end of the
| first line when 1 observed that the girls
features assumed an expression of unmis-
taxable alarm. while the eyes of her
grandmother began to glisten in fiery an
ger and MenJoza's hair to assume an
erect position. Lieut. Harrington, who
btrSy mo m Lot his hory IN ho
most graceful manner and lingering his
strings, evidently failed to notice these
alarming signs, he kept on playing and 1,
somehow, nolens volens, kept pace-force
of habit, L suppose, caused by the unre-
hitting practice of several days, impelled
me to persist.
Reaching about the middle of the sec
ond line (the song was set to very slow
music, | saw the girl blush deep GRIM
son and pull her shawl violently over her
face, hiding it completely. The old lady
approached the fire with the evident in
tention of Selling fre-brand. Mendoza
was reaching out for an ak that stood
against the wall in the corner of the man
tel-piece, while his wife held ont her
hands in horror, uttering an exclamation
of supreme anger that was beyond my un-
derstanding. While these movements were
going on we had still continued our per-
Harrington somewhat violently by his
jacket.
AS we were entering upon the third
line the climax came; there was no longer
any possible doubt as to the hostile inten-
tions of our audience, who now stood be-
fore us with weapons clinehed and fury in
their eyes.
With the cry Of "sIurderr' 1 pulled
Lieut.. Harrington by main force from his
md sr,f1. Id
for the door, which. fortunately for US,
had not been hung yet.
We struck the gulch which led directly
from the door down the hill, and began
a rapid descent over rocks and -crags,
between powders and small bushes-none
too soon, for while descending we, were
made aware of sundry missiles being fired
after lis. Lieut.. Harrington's fine uniform
was badly scorched by a firebrand, my
right shoulder was slightly grazed by the
AK. while the violin-case came after us in
hop. skip and jump from rock to
rock, to the great detriment of its mechan-
ical construction. After a steep descent
of about 30 yards we came to a
large bowlder, behind which we came to
a stop of common accord hiding behind
it to catch our breath and to await the
abatement of our excitement. And here
we found the rascal Marigildo. rolling
loNti oNci uiiSOhtioil.ibIc itu3uleI.
He had watched the whole performance
through the open doorway from this safe
spot, and saw the ''grand finale" of his
(as he called it, good joke.
Joke, indeed! We felt like numbering
him on the spot, and I know we kicked
him numerically. Further severe bodily
chastisement and other unpleasant conse-
quences he escaped only after giving his
solemn promise that he would immediate
~ visit the insulted family, give full
explanation of the whole horrible bust
ness, and exonerate US from all blame in
the matter.
This he did at once and thoroughly.
We paid many more pleasant visits to the
Mendoza family after the deep feelings of
shame had been obliterated.
What was it we sang? / know it now,
kind reader. l blush today when I think
of it,
(To be continued.)