The Red Cloud chief., 1912-06-20


OF MS brother were In considerable request all
over the south So some months and even wears
"e"' Wy uu''ng which many hundreds OF animals
passed through the hands Of the Brunels. and
tney became the owners OF comparatively large
troop OF horses. Ascensio though n savage and
"erci'ess rider never during all this time gave
glimpse OF the ferocity which underlay his
character
Al length the two brothers happened in the
naturai course OF their nomadic profession, to
come to the estanca-ths fine word may mean
anything from large residence to a mud hovel
win roof OF tin-of farmer who had recently
sett'ed In the country and who was the husband
OF very pretty wife. a dark beauty OF, It was
Eumored . rather uncertain temper.
Tne farmer gave the brothers q horse.breaking
contract and for some weeks all went we'll
One evening when the farmer. tired from long
day In the saddle. had Just come home, Ascensio
brunei entered and having 1t Is said. put him or
MS guard by making some simple little request
murdered him In cold blood
Inc actual details OF this. Ascensios FIRST mur.
DER are hard to come by. Henri. whom | met
near Ultima Casa. never told the same story twice
running and the only other Witness the wife of
the murdered man. passed through some terrible
experiences and never heard her authentic story
The main fact remains:
AscensiO murdered the farmer In order that he
might carry OF his wife. which he did, besides
driving the whole stock. the CATTLE sheep and
norses OF the dead man. into the heart Of the
wilderness.
Here for a time. the two brothers dwelt with
the unhappy woman. until at last Ascensio quar-
relied with Henri. 1t was not for the first time,
ana Henri went to sleep. thinking It would have
all passed over In the morning. He was wakened
at dawn by q voice shouting to him. and saw at
once that during the night Ascensio had driven
away all the horses and had also removed the
woman.
Ascensio then said he had decided to part com.
pany with his brother for good and all; that at
hrst 1t had been In his mind to kill him in his
sleep. but for their mothers sake he had re-
Tented He added that he had shifted the horses
ana STOCK to safe distance and that II Henri fol.
lowed ne would unhesitatingly shoot him down.
he then rode away without more words
As Henri had neither horse nor weapons he did
not follow. Indeed all his efforts were directed
toward getting out Of the wilderness alive Living
chiefly upon berries, he wandered for many DAYS.
nnaily to arrive. an emacated wreck, at the
estancia OF an Argentine herdsman The latter
tended him and, when he was recovered, gave
him sufficient provision to take him to the nearest
settlement. where he duly arrived.
Proved Innocent Of the murder his brother had
committed, he went back to the life of peon and
shepherd. and SO he passes OF this history for
good
The next act in the drama opens with the ar.
rival In the coast settlement at Punta Arenas OF the
woman whom AscensiO had forced to accompany
him into the wilderness. She had a frightful tale
of cruelty to relate, eliminating In a fortunate
escape.
1t appears that Ascensio had become subject to
hts OF passion SO frightful that they were akin to
madness. and indeed madness of kind had al
ready declared itself In him.
The Tehuelches of Patagonia hold the wellknown
belief. common to many branches of the Indian
race. that when they die they pass to the Happy
Hunting Grounds On the grave OF warrior
they slay his dogs and horses: within 1t they
nights
they kinde great ares. by the light Of which the