The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1903-03-20

garden DO ieTlng OH inc put "a
Costilla.
That wear he had raised some inn
mense pumpkins, as large as the
decorative globes on the monumental
bridge. II was about the middle OF
the month of June. and they were al
ready taking on the color of the
orange within and without. Uncle
Buscobeatas knew them perfectly
bv their form, by their degree OF ma
turity and by name-especially the 40
largest and most conspicuous. They
were already saying Cook mel" and
the old man passed his days admirlng
them with tenderness, and exclalm-
ing, sadly, ALAS. soon we must
part!"
Finally he resolved upon the sacri-
fee. Marking the choicest fruit OF
those precious vines. he pronounced
the terrible sentence. Tomorrow t
shall cut these 40 and take them to
the market at Cadiz. Happy shall he
he who eats them!" He walked
hon,eward with slow pace, and
passed the night with the anxious
feeling of father who is to give his
daughter in marriage on the follow
ing day. MY poor pumpkins he
sighed many times. without being
able to compose himself to sleep.
Then he reflected, "But what else Is
| to be done? For this purpose L have
raised them. They will yield me at
| least SIS"
Imagine. then. his astonishment nd
his fury the following morning, on
| going to his garden, when he found
| that during the night he had been
robbed of his forty pumpkins! Like
| Shakespeare's Jew. he reached the
loftiest paroxysm of tragedy. repeat
ing frantically those terrible words
| of Shylock, "Oh, if l find him! IT L
find him!"
When he began to reflect more de-
fberately he reasoned that his be-
loved Jewels could not be in Rota,
where it would be impossible to sell
them without risk of recognition. and
where. also, the price of pumpkins
was very low.
81 See it clearly; they are in Cadiz!'
he concluded. 1.-THE rascally scoun-
drels must have stolen them last
| night about nine or ten o'clock, and
/. escaped with them at W on the
/; freight-boat. / shall leave for Cadiz
this morning on the hour-boat, and it
will be a wonder If do not trap the
sneak-thief and recover the children
of my TOLL"
| Having said this he remained for
about 20 minutes in the place of the
catastrophe. as though he were ca
ressing the mutilated pumpkin vines,
or counting the pumpkins that re-
manned. or holding sort of inquest
for some trial which was about to
begin. At about eight he left for
! the wasTi.
He had determined to leave for the
| market at Cadiz in the hour-boat, the
humble sail-boat which starts every
morning at nine carrying passengers.
| Just as the freight-boat sails every
night at 12 carrying fruit and vege-
tables. The first is called the hour
boat, because in that space OF time.
and even in 40 minutes, when the wind
is favorable, it crosses the three
leagues of water which stretch be-
tween the ancient village of the duke
Of ARGOS and the ancient city of Her
cules.
1t was half-past ten of that day
when Uncle Buscobeatas stopped in
front of a vegetable stand in the
Il losr - he
weary policeman who accompanied
him, t'There are my pumpkins! Ar
rest that mani" pointing out the re-
taller
.Arrest met" exclaimed the ac-
cused. full of surprise and anger.
"These are my pumpkins; / bought
them"
"You can tell that to the mayor!"
replied Uncle Buscobeatas.
81 say no."
81 say yes!"
you vagabond!"
/ "You thief"
"You must speak to each other
with more decency. Men should not
be lacking in this respect" said the
policeman, with much Guinness, Civ
ing each punch in the ribs.
Meanwhile o large crowd had as
sembled, and among them came the
magistrate in charge of the market
police-the market inspector, as he
is officially called. The policeman re-
signed the jurisdiction to his superior
and informed that distinguished au-
thority of all that had taken place.
From whom did you buy these
pumpkins?" his majesty asked, in an
august manner.
"From Uncle Fulano, resident of
Rota," he replied.
Every likely!" ironically growled
Uncle Buscobeatas. He is quite equal
to such things. When his own gar
den, which is wretchedly poor, pro-
duces little, he goes out to rob his
neighbor."
"But," continued the magistrate,
turning to the old gardener, admit
ting the hypothesis that you were
!! robbed last night of 40 pumpkins,
what assurance have you that these