The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1903-01-31


quickly prove to all the world, with
out moving from this place, that
these pumpkins were raised in my
garden" said Uncle Buscobeatas, TO
the establishment OF the bystanders.
Letting fall TO tho ground a bundle
which he carried i'm his hand, he
stopped down, lSneeling until he sat
upon his feet, and began 10 TRANQUILITY
unite the knotted ends of the hand
kerchief.
The curiosity Of the councillor, Of
the retailer and the crowd rose 10 the
highest pitch. "What is he going TO
get out of there?" they all asked.
At the same moment there arrived
new curiosity-seeker. attracted by
the crowd. The retailer caught sight
of him, and exclaimed, IL am SO glad
that you have come, Uncle Fulano!
This man sGys that the pumpkins
which you sold me last night are
stolen. Answer him!"
The newcomer turned as yellow ns
wax. and started TO withdraw; but
the bystanders interfered. and the i'm
spector himself commanded him to
remain.
"Now you shall see about it," ex-
claimed Uncle Buscobeatas, face to
face with the supposed thief.
"You are the one 10 look out for
what you say" replied Uncle Fuiano.
having recovered his composure. 1T
you do not prove your denunciation,
and you can't prove il, l shall send
you TO Jail as a slanderer. These
pumpkins were mine, for | raised
them in my garden Of Egiddo, and
no one can prove otherwise"
"Now you. shall seel" said Uncle
Buscobeatas, untying the handker-
chief and tossing its contents TO the
ground.
Scattered about the ground they
beheld a multitude OF fragments OF
pumpkin vines, still green and drip
ping with sap; the old gardener, seat
ed upon his heels and shaking with
laughter, addressed the councillor and
the crowd as follows:
Gentlemen, have you ever paid
taxes? And have you ever seen that
big green book which the tax-col-
lector carries, from which he cuts Off
receipts, leaving there stub by
means OF which he can tell whether
such and such receipt is false ?"
"You are speaking about what is
called stub-book," gravely observed
the councillor.
That is precisely what ] have hero
the stub-book of my garden; that
is, the ends TO which these pumpkins
were joined before | was robbed of
them. Now, IL you don't believe il,
lookl This stub belongs TO that
pumpkin yonder; no one can deny IT..
This one belongs To that pumpkin;
this TO that one. Exactly! Now, this
belongs over here"
While speaking, he had been fitting
n peduncle, or stub. into the excava-
ton of each pumpkin and the specta-
tors saw with establishment that the
irregular bases OF the stubs fitted
exactly into the whitish cavity of the
pumpkins.
The bystanders all squatted down,
including the policeman and the coun-
cilor himself, and assisted Uncle Bus
cobeatas in his singular verification,
calling out TO each other in boyish
Joy, There's no doubt about il!
See? This one goes here! No, that
belongs to this one!"
Their bursts of laughter and the
shouts Of the grandees mingled with
the whistling of the small boys and
the imprecations of the women and
the tears VI the old gardener. The
policemen were already impatient TO
take the convicted thief to Jail.
1t is unnecessary 10 state that they
had this pleasure; that Uncle
Fulano saw himself obliged then and
there 10 return TO the retailer the
SIS he had collected from him; that
the retailer delivered the sum over 10
Uncle Buscobeatas, and that the lat
ter returned to Rota supremely hap
Ply, saying TO himself on the way,
"How beautiful they were in the mar
ketl ought TO have brought Manu-
ella home with me to eat tonight and
TO save the dl"-Translated from
the Spanish OF Pedro Antonio de Alar-
con, by Edgar Allen Forbes, in Farm
and Fireside.