Tombstone epitaph., 1915-08-29
THE NEEDLE


s~foSs W cdt tu on his way to Mexico. reading about the town of Cstorce in his red. flexible N~>d guide book. He had left New Orleans after setting the Twiriey Twins on the right track. expecting to spend two weeks in old Mexico before returning to New York
 As the train raced along through for. ests of cacu and acres of century giants. Poe re-read the following in formation with much interest:
 Catorce. point of departure for
 the mining town of the same name
 in the adjacent hills The sta
 ton is about one mile from the
 foothills. where the train begins.
 Real de Catorce. about 14 Ri.
 aoms. from the railway station. is
 poised on the slope of . precip-
 itous mountain 9.043 feet above
 sea level. in the center of one of
 the richest silver-producing re-
 gions in the world.
 No wheeled vehicle was ever seen
 In the narrow. precipitous streets
 of the town. and good hotels are
 }tSt o1 oS0ANS. hc ohis AldiSon ID
 that of Senor Rafael Saleido.
 The region roundabout is fairly
 bursting with mineral wealth and
 there are many mines. Catorce
 tfourteenD derives its name from
 II infamous outlaws who once in-
 tested that region.
 The puff-eyed conductor an obseQui- hnwiaan S-fth .E stopped beside the American traveller and asked In English:
 Well. senor. have you made up your mind to leave us at Catorce?"
 T believe so." answered Poe. You say you can recommend it because it isn't tourist-ridden?"
 Yes. You will find few English speaking people there. It is quite a wild place. You will sleep in . hole. and have difficulty in getting anything ct to eat!"
 Sounds tempting, I've an old friend. & mining engineer: believe he's up here pulling silver out of the earth somewhere. I think I'll stop of. If you'll be good enough to wise this ticket to Mexico City"
 A minute later the dusty train camo to a stop at a little adobe village con sisting of a hollow square of baked mud houses glaring in the sun: a scat tering Of mained. ragged natives run ming along beside the train. begging piteously in high-pltched voices. "Un centissime, senor. un centissime," and a handful of native women with large. shapely. smallnecked water bottles of pottery. catching scalding water from the waste-p pipe of the high shouidered steam engine.
 Poe stepped down and beckoned to q twisty. frog-faced fellow standing beside 6 group of moth-eaten burros on the caked earth station platform
 .'Cargador-Catorce? cried the guide messenger. taking the suit case from the travellers hand. and pointing to the trail twisting up the mountain to Real de Catorce-
 The tourist nodded his head. and mounted Q scrubby little sand horse which a boy with a guitar and black sun glasses brought from a cool black stable near by.
 Half an hour later . gay little file of turros was winding through the foot hills up the trail to the mining town, headed by Poe on one horse. a five foot Spanish sword tanglIag at the side Of his saddle: behind came the Gack-spectacled boy astride a patient burro, his long legs dangling to the ground at either side of the animal. his guitar swung on a gay ribbon slid ing across his thin high shoulders; next a pleasantfaced old woman sit ting sidewise on a braided fiber pad strapped to a wabbly-iegged burro; the woman carried a large natural En- @a umbrella, and famed herself slow Iy with a palm leaf. Behind came a dozen burros carrying casks. packages, tae travellers suit case and a load of sombreros: all being urged ahead by the little guide walking along. frog legged, shouting "Buhrrroooo!" and .Stuuuuh!" at the stupid little sand animals.
 The dusty caravan mounted the steep trail at a monotonous pace. s,opping only once for a drink of wa ter beside . wayside sepulcher mark. ing the resting place of weary trav- eler who never reached Real de Ca, tcrce.
 As they scrambled over the pebbly rad. the QUITO boy pushed ais black glasses high on his forehead. and leaning back on his little mount s,rummed . drowsy Spanish tune. Poe dropped back beside the boy. and watched him play. As the boy m tsned. the banker smiled his spprecia. ,;oa. end leaning over. touched ring on the boys finger. asking In Span ish:
 where did you get thatr
 The boy glanced at l. with con. .cIous pride. and flashed the white s.oue In the sun. At first he was re. ,uctabt to reply. then he said quickly In his native tongue:
 "AE American gave 1t me for quick eide down the mountain"
 .Wheny" asked the traveller. idly snspecting the cheap imitation dia snond.
 Hast night" The boy swung the ~u,tar back to its place across his shouidcrs. slipped oR the ourro ir