The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-12-06
THE MOOR'S LEGACY
(Continued from page thjrteen.)

self. Put finally Pedrillo finished and
the Mortified alcalde, who was one OF
the most overbearing and most corrupt
and gripping curn1udgeons in Granada,
sent out his trustiest alguazil and
hailed poor Peregil before him. "Hark
ye, cu1prit," roared the alcalde at the
trembling Peregil." Everything is
known to me. The Moor whom thou
best murdered was an infidel. and 50.
while a gallOws is the proper thing
for thee, yet it was, doubtless. in a fl
of religious zeal that thou didst kill
him. SO, if you will deliver up to me
the property of which thou hast rob-
bed him ] will be mercifuI and hush
the matter up"
The poor Water-carrier protested
that the Moor had no money or other
valuables on him and told the true
story Of the events Of the night. H
had nothing but a box of sandalWOOd,'
said Peregil which he bequeathed 70
me as my reward for my services"
Where is it?' demanded the alcalde.
I'm the %panniers of my donkey"
''Rring it here" The alcalde examined
the box. but found nothing in it, ex-
cept a piece of parchment written in
Moorish characters. When the alcalde
became convinced that the Moor had
really left NJ money or jewels behind
him he listened patiently to PeregiIs
story again, and, finding there was
~ " NC ifodS out vi III
discharged the watter-carrier. But he
confscated the donkey to defray the
cost Of h investigation, and Peregil
found himself as badly off as when
he first started in business.
So we behold him toiling up and
down the hill to and from the we'll
Of the Alhambra with a great water
jar on his head bemoaning his fate
and cursing the alcalde. Dog Of an
Alcalde,' he would say to himself, "to
rob a poor man Of the best friend he
ever had. Alas! my poor donkey;
donkey of my heart. I warrant me
thou dost miss me and the water jars"
AS for his wife she received him when
he went home with whimpering and
repining, with seedlings and faultfnd-
1ngs. If the children were hungry,
G to your father she would say;
h is heir to King Chico of the AL
ask him to help you out of
the Moor's strong box" Was ever
a mortal SO punished for a good action
as was Pereeil for having pity on the
Moor!
At last one evening Peregil, being
out OF patience, did venture to retort
to his wife. and, his eyes catchlns
Of the little box of sandalwood
it lay half opened on a shelf. he
seized it, and, throwing it to the
ground cried out: ''Unlucky was the
day first set eyes on thee or shelter
ed thy master beneath my roof" AS
the box struck the floor the parchment
had lain within it rolled out.
and Peregil sat staring modify at it
for a while in a fit of despondencv.
he had an idea. who knows"
thought he. but that this writing NAV
be Of some Importance / will find
out what 1T means" The next day he
look the scroll to a Moor, a native of
who Kept a little shop in the
and asked him to explain the
writing.
This SCROLL" said the Moor. us a
form of incarnation for the discovery
or hidden treasure. 1t is said to have
and adamantine rocks themselves will
yield to it." "Pah!' cried Peregil in
disgust, what have I got to do with
enchantments? and. besides, / know
of no hidden treasures" And he went
off. leaving the scroll in the hands of
the Moor.
But that evening when he rested
by the we'll of the Alhambra
he found a number of gossips lettering
at the place and reciting old stories.
Being all as poor as rats they naturally
OF vast riches. great kings and
hidden treesures-and Peregil listened.
One Of the legends which they told was
of a great treasure buried beneath the
of the Seven Floors, where it
under e~nchantment. This set Pere-
gil to thinking. "What if there is hill
den treasure after all-and what if
could get the aid Of that scroll left
with the Moor" This idea grew on
him, and all that night he could
get a wink of sleep for think
Ing Of If.
Fright and early next morning he
visited the Zacatin and told the Moor
all that was passing in his mind. You
can read Arabic" he said. suppose
go partners 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; it must be
read at midnight by the light Of a
candle ~singu1ariy compounded, the in
gradients which are not within nv
Without such a taper the scroll
is Of 70 avail" Say no MORE cried
Peregil <oyfully, and running home, he
brought the end Of a yellow wax taper
had lain in the sandalwood box
with the scroll. The Moor. after fool