The Benson signal., 1916-07-29
CHAPTER ll-continued.

CHAPIE lJ-COnelnESC.
While they were eating the appe-
tizing meal that the trumpeter spread
for them upon the camp table beneath
the solitary live oak that stood before
the tent, they watched the sergeant
help the stranger down the hill Ia
king the blind man to the fire, he seat
ed him upon saddle that lay near the
cooking tent, and came forward with
q salute.
He's priest, sir-a padre; and
from what little can make out of
his lingo he's had pretty bad time
of it, sir. Shall 1 bring him up?"
"Yes.''
Kynaston sprang up.
Mrs. Fame, do you and Miss Up
ton object to my asking the old fellow
to take his breakfast here with us? I
hardly like to send him down among
the prisoners to eat. He seems a cut
above them, don't you know?"
Why, of course not, Mr.. Kynas-
ton. Please do exactly as you would
IL we were not here. I am sure he
will be very interesting"
So Kynaston went down to the fire,
where the old man was explaining III
broken English and Mexican patois
to the prisoners, for them to translate
to the Americans that he was more
tired than hungry, but that most Of
all he desired to hold converse with
the commanding officer. Having in
troduced himself. Kynaston asked the
old man to come to his tent and join
him in coffee.
They found the two ladies already
at their meal. Kynaston seated the
old man between the two and poured
him a cupful of steaming coffee that
woke him into speech.
Never before, senior, have / crossed
the line. A Mayan am I, as all my
people were for twelve generations
that stretch their hands back even
unto the days before there were Span
iards in Tenochtitlan
For the space of twelve mems
lives have we lived under the shadows
OF Eel Tio, seeing always the surf break
on the outlying bars. Two years ago
came north, even as Coronado came,
part of the way ON my feet, part on
asses; always with pain, for to the
blind, senior, all paths are hard. And
at last my dream vanished"
"Thy dream?"
AYE, senor, my dream, for know
thou that / came not without an aim.
That aim has been to follow and re-
cover what these thieves of the world
have taken"
He pointed his thumb over his
shoulder toward the fire, where the
prisoners still sat over the bacon and
hard bread that were being cooked for
them by the cooks Of the troop.
And art thou really blind?"
80 that, senior; for fifty years I
have not seen the light Of day."
Mrs. Fame and Dorothy murmured
their sympathy.
$50 have come, senior. For now
three hundred years and my fathers
before me kept the shrine where it has
been deposited since the days when
Cortez came back from the courts of
the old world to hold his court at
Cuernavaca, and, finding there in pow
er the evil mar, Pedrarias, his ene-
my, retired to live upon his estates.
"Ye know, senor and ladies, how it
was said that the conQuistador poi
soned his first wife so that he could
marry q second wife who should ad-
vance his fortunes. 1t was to this Sec
ond wife that he gave those wonder
ful jewels, as all the world knows;
the wonderful emeralds that Queen
Isabella asked for in vain and that
made Cortez the most courted man in
all Madrid. Hast thou heard of them?"
Mrs. Fame and Dorothy looked their
interest. All people are interested in
the mere mention of jewels or pre-
cious stones-even those who do not
POSSESS them.
II have heard" said Kynaston
slowly, the same tale all men know
the tale which Gomara wrote to the
effect that Cortez received as a part
AZ the ransom of the Emperor Monte
gamma five great emerasds, and that