The Washington herald., 1913-07-27

Ss-
mile from the foothills, where the trat
begins.
Real de Catorce, about IA kiloms. fror
the railway station, is poised on tn
slope of a precipitous mountain sos fee
above sea-level, in the center of on
of the richest silver-producing region
in the world.
No wheeled vehicle was ever seen Il
the narrow, precipitous streets Of tn
town, and good hotels are Just as scarce
c only meson Is that of Senior Rafae
Saleido.
The region roundabout is fairly burst
ing with mineral wealth and there ar
many mines. Cotorce fourteen) derive!
its name from IA infamous outlaws WHIT
once infested that region
Terry's Mexico.
An alert-eyed American of forty. dressed
neatly in a comfortable travelling sui
and Oxford style. sat reading about Ca
torce in his red, hexible-covered guide
book.
The puff-eyed conductor. a polite Maxi
can with sun-shrunk skin stopped besid,
the American traveller and asked in
English. We'll. senior, have you make
up your mind to leave US at Catorce?'
Il believe So" answered the traveller
with a slightly Eastern accent. You
say. you can recommend it because II
isn't tourist ridden?'
Yes. You will find few English-speak.
ing people there. 1t is quite wild
place. You will sleep in a hole and have
d1rncuIty in getting anything nt TO eat:
Sounds tempting, I've an old friend
a mining engineer. believe. he's uI
here pulling silver out of the earth
somewhere. / think I'll step off, if you'll
Eaf vr
Mexico City"
4 minute later the dusty train came
to a stop at q little adobe village con-
sisting of a hollow square of baked
mud houses glaring in the sun, scat
tering OF MANNED, ragged natives. beg
ging piteously in high pitched voices.
I'm centissime, senior. un centissime"'
and a handful Of native women with
large. shapely. small-necked water
bottles of pottery catching scalding
water from the waste pipe of the high
shouldered steam engine.
The traveller stepped down and beck
oned TO a twisty. frog-faced fellow
standing beside group of moth-eaten
horses on the caked earth station plat
formI
"Cargador-Catorce" cried the guide
messenger taking the suit case from
the travellers hand and pointing to the
trail twisting up the mountain to Rael de
Catorce.
The tourist nodded his head and
mounted a scrubby little sand horse
which a boy with a guitar and black
sun glasses brought from a black, cool
stable near by.
Half an hour later a gay little file
of burros was winding through the
foothills up the trail to the mining
town. headed by the American on the
one horse. a five-foot Spanish sword
jangling at the side "f his saddle; be-
hind came the biz I 'pectacled boy
astride a patient / his long legs
dangling to the g IT either side
of the animal. gut. ing on gay
ribbon sliding across lis thin. high
shoulders: next a pleasant-faced old
woman. sitting sidewise on braided
iber pad strapped to a wobbly legged
orrro: tie woman carried a large nat
r'~nl linen umbrella and famed herself
: rlv with 4 palm leaf Behind came
dow h':rros carrying casks. pack
-~es. Ne travellers s"it case. and a
'oad % scmhreros: all being urged
-"e~7 w the E'tln guide, walking
. -,.~~ rror-leCged. shouting "Buhrroo"
- -, ,uuuh'' al the stupid little sand
p 1r--7ors
TIE dusty caravan mounted the steep
'~Hf' ct n rrorotono'Is pace. stonping only
once for drink of water out of a barrel
he~ide a waysde sepu'cher marking the
resting mace OF a woa-v traveller who
never reached Peal de Catorce.
As thev scrambled over the pebblv road
the burro boy pushed his black glasses
tirh on his forehead. and. leaning back
on his little mount strummed drowsy
oriental tune. The American dropped
back beside the boy and watched him
pIav. As the boy finished, the American
smiled his appreciation. and. leaning
over, touched a ring on the bows finger.
asking in Spanish: Where did you get
that
The bov glanced at it with conscious
pride and flashed the white stone in the
sun At first he was reluctant TO reply;
then he said quickly in his native tongue:
IAN American gave it to me for quick
ride down the mountain
When" asked the traveller. idly. in
specting the cheap imitation diamond.
Last night" The boy swung the gui-
tar back to it's place across his shoulders,
slipped off the burro in front Of lane
between two mud walls. and moved his
hand. "Adios." he said. Il spend the
night here with frierd.
The caravan continued for half mile
further through steep streets paved by
Of which indicated that they had served
the sure hoofs of burros for centuries.
At the meson of Senior Rafael Saleido
the American dismounted. paid his guide.
and asked the direction to great silver |
mine where he hoped to find his 1rieno.
Having reached the Office of the mine
through several abrupt. twisty streets,
the American opened the door and asked
a black-haired Mexican youth II MI.
Relcnmann was IN. Inc poy directed MIN
into a second room. and there snort.
stout blond German-American stared at
the traveller. and rushed up to him. grasp |
ing his hand firmly. and crying: MY |
old friend. Chris Poe, by all that
strange" ,
ives: what's the matter. Billie,
asked Poe. as he glanced from low
browed Mexican with saggy stomach
and pouchy eye-lid to an open sate In
the corner and then completed the tri-
angle by bringing his gaze back TO
Reichmann, whom he noticed for the |,
6rst time was perspiring profusely.
.'Oh, confound it." said Reichmann
uuickly. There's the devil to pay
here"
r can understand" said the pouchy little
Mexican firmly. stepping up beside Reich
mann-
..I was only telling my friend I was
in a hole" said Reichmann. knowing
hat Poe could speak enough Spanish to
get along "Senor Terranova, allow me
% introduce my friend Christopher Poe,
he New York banker"
senior Terranova took two military
tens forward, howed formally and put
mi his hand Imply, as though Offering
, dish-rag.