The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-04
BI WASHINGTON IRVING

carrier a weasel-faced, spider-legged prying, tattling. misunderstanding barber named Pedrillo Pedrugo. It was said that he slept with one eye open and one ear uncovered so that he might see and hear all that was going on, and certain it is that he was a sort of scandalous chronicle for all the quidnuncs in Granada. The barber heard Peregil arrive home unusually late and heard those exclama- tions-of his wife and children. Instantly he popped his heard out of the little win dow which served as his outlook and saw his neighbor assisting a man dressed in Moorish garb into the house. Pedrllo slept no more that night. Every five min utes he was at the little window, and so | it happened that he saw Peregl sally l forth before daylight with his donkey unusually laden. He followed him at a distance and saw him bury something In the sands by the river Xenil, something that had the appearance of a dead body He could hardly wait until the time came for him to make his morning visit to the alealde, which official is was his custom to shave daily.
 How he did enjoy telling his tale to the l alcalde! He drew it out and digressed, and complicated the story until the al- | calde was nearly beside himself. But I finally Pedrillo finished and the mortified | alcalde, who was one of the most over bearing and the most corrupt and grip ing curmudgeons in Granada, sent out his trustiest alguazil and haled poor Peregil before him. 'Hark ye, culprit!" an alo dn Fof tl1n l.l liarr egil. Everything is known to me. The Moor whom thou has murdered was an infidel, and so, while a gallows is the proper thing for thee, yet 1t was, doubt | less, in a fit of religious zeal that thou didst kill him. So. if you will deliver up to me the property of which thou hast robbed him l will be mercful and hush the matter up"
 The poor water-carrier protested that the Moor had no money or other valu- | bles on him and told the true story of the events or the night. He had noth- | ing but box of sandalwood," said Per egil, which he bequeathed to me as my reward for my services" Where Is it?" demanded the alcalde. Tn the paniers of my donkey Bring it here" The
 
 nothing in it, except a piece of parch- ment written in Moorish characters When the alcalde became convinced that the Moor had really left no money or jew els behind him he listened patiently to Peregils story again, and, finding there ) was nothing to be made out of the affair, discharged the water-carrier But he con- fiscated the donkey to defray the cost of the Investigation, and Peregil found him self as badly off as when he first started in business.
 So we behold him toiling up and down the hill to and from the well of the AL hambra with a great water jar on his head bemoaning his fate and cursng the alcalde. Dog of an Alcalde," he would say to himself, ito rob a poor man of the best friend he ever had. Alas! my poor donkey; donkey of my heart! war rant me thou dost miss me and the wa ter jars" As for his wife she received him when he went home with whmper- ing and repining, with seedlings and faultfindings. If the children were hun gry "Go to your father" she would say. "he is heir to King Chico of the AL hambra; ask him to help you out of the Moor's strong box" Was ever a mortal so punished for good action as was Peregil for having pity on the Moor?
 At last one evening Peregi being out of patience, did venture to retort to his wife, and. his eyes catching sight of the little box of sandalwood as it lay half-opened on shelf, he seized it. and, throwing it to the ground. cried out: !, I thee or sheltered thy master beneath my roof As the box struck the floor the parchment which had lain within it rolled out ands Peregl sat staring mood fly at it for while in fit of despond- ency. Then he had an idea. "Who knows" thought he, but that this writ ing may be of some importance. I wilR find out what it means" The next day he took the scroll to Moor, a native of Tangier, who kept a little shop in the Zacatin, and asked him to explain the writing.
 This scroll.' said the Moor, Ifs a form of incantation for the discovery of hid den treasure. It is said to have such power that the strongest locks and ad- amantine rocks themselves will yield to it." "Bah!" crier Peregil in disgust, what have got to do with enchant- ments? and, besides know of no hid den treasures" And he went off, leav- ins the scroll in the hands of the Moor.
 But that evening when he rested him self by the well of the Alhambra he found number of gossips lettering at the place and reciting old stories. Being all as poor as, rats they naturally talked of vast riches. great kings and hidden treasures-and Peregl listened. One of the legends which they told was of a great treasure buried beneath the Tower of the Seven Floors, where it lay under enchantment. This put Peregil to think ing. What if there is hidden treas ure after all-and what if I could get 1t by the aid of that scroll left with the Moor" The idea grew on him, and all that night he could scarcely get wink of sleep for thinking of it.
 Bright and early rext moning he visited the Zacatin and told the Moor all that was passing in his mind. You can read Arabic" he said Suppose we go part ners and try the charm; it will do no harm to try; we cannot be any worse off for it. "Ah." replied the Moor, but this parchment is not enough in itself: 1t must be read at midnight by the light of candle singularly compounded, the ingredients of which are not within my reach Without such a taper the scroll