182

boy, meaning that the greaser was un-
grateful, and we thought so also, although
we did not express it in such choice words.

“Caramba,” howled the Mexican, “lad-
rones, mMarranos, gringos, maleadors,”
meaning that we were thieves, cursed
hogs, greenhorns, and a bad lot altogether.

“Usted muy jocoso,” I replied, meaning
that the greaser was funny, and, insteac
of taking it as a compliment, the fellow
made a lunge at me with his spurs, and I
narrowly escaped a dangerous wound on
the hea.

“Prenez garde,” said Lewey in. French,
meaning for me to be careful, and then he
suddenly stooped, picked up a stone, and
launched it full at the head of the Mexi-
can. It struck him just oyer his nose,
right between the eyes, and he went down
as if shot through the heart, and laid on
the ground bleeding like a stuck pig,
quite senseless.

“WVamoos,” I cried, and left the man
where he fell, and some persons must
have lifted him up, and carried him home,
for we saw no more of him that after-
noon,

We were wandering along, after that
little episode, and wondering what we
should do next, when a big Indian, half
drunk, swaggered toward us, and, in an
impudent manner, demanded some to-
bacco. To my surprise Lewey said that
he would supply the fellow’s wants, and,
to our great joy, pulled out one of his
cherished fire-crackers, and handed it. to
the native, who put it in his mouth, think-
ing that it was some kind of cigarette, of
recent Yankee pattern. He then madea
motion to give him a light. Lewey struck
a match, and touched the slender thread
that led to the powder portion of the
cracker.

The Indian sucked away with drunken
complacency, but when the fuse fizzed he
appeared a little surprised, and was still
more astonished when the explosion oc-
curred,

He uttered a howl that made the Mexi-
can army tremble with fear, under the im-
pression that the Indians had revolted,
and were about to begin a work of exter-
mination. The beggar of tobacco gave a
mighty bound, ran yelling down the
street, and joined his friends, and we be-
xan. to think that we should have rather a

ull afternoon on shore unless something
turned up to amuse us.

While thus ruminating we saw a cock-
fight going on, with the principal men in
town surrounding the ring, and betting
their pesos and reals with all who would
cover their stakes, vaquaro or Indian,
merchant or sailor, it made no difference
as long as there was a chance to win
money.

We stood and watched the sport for
some time, but did not find it very lively,
and were thinking of going away, when
two large and fierce game cocks were in-
troduced, and all the interest of the hour
seemed centered in them. We _ learned
from the murmurs that passed from one
to another that these were the boss fight-
ers of Monterey, and that large sums of
money were wagered on their respective
qualities. Their heels were armed with
steel gaffs, sharp as needes, and there was
blood in their eyes as they were placed
opposite to, each other in the ring.

Bets were made freely on the black or
brown bird; but just as every one had
staked his last dollar, and the cocks were
squaring off at each other, some person
threw half a bunch of fire-crackers in the
ring, and the birds, with shrill cackles of
astonishment, flew to the roofs of neigh-
boring adobe houses, and there crowed de-
fiance at each other, and the swearing
crowd. I believe that all bets were de-
clared off by the umpire, but did not stop
to wait for his decision, as every one was
asking, in the most bewildered. manner,
the natural question: "ae ;

“Qeu este?” or “What is it?” and I did
not blame the Mexicans for feeling aston-
ished, for the crackers’ sounded like a
fusillade of musketry, and many thought
that another revolution had surely broken
out, for the purpose of getting possession
of the few hundred dollars at the goy-
ernor’s house, or among the merchants,
quite an inducement for some enterprising
leader of the people to lift. up his voice for

Pe Prep

Ve skipped away from the crowd, un-
noticed and unmolested, as all the Mexi-
cans were talking at the same time, and

trying to account, for the phen I
had deprived them of a chines i ake oe
lose a few dollars.

As we wandered around, we gs.
the edge of the plaza, two conttry ‘carte,
rude and strong vehicles, with wheels
made from the solid trunk of some hard-
wood tree, with round holes in the center
to admit the axles. On these carts were
extended two large bears, of a dirty gray
color, and each, animal must have weighed
at least five hundred pounds. They had
been lassoed the day before, near the
Carmel Mission, by a band of expert

horsemen, and brought to town to afford |'h

amusement to several wild bulls, and the
people generally.

ere was something that was worth
gtudying, We were all fond ‘of natural

 

GooD

 

    

NEWS.

history, and even Simple Davy was stirred that I could understand him, and the

up enough to say:

“By gosh, them is busters, a'’n’t they?
Darned if I ever seed anything like ’em in
old Vermont, in all my days.”

The hunters had made “spread eagles”
of the bears, by extending their enormous
paws and legs, and bound them to the

frame of the cart with strong lashings of'| :
| pretty girls of Monterey.

rawhide, while the heads of the savage
animals were secured in such a manner
that they could not move, or use their
powerful jaws on their enemies, as we
almost hoped they would, for the cruel
strips of hide had cut into the flesh of the
bears, and blood was flowing from their
wounds quite freely. The pain must have
been intense, to judge by the moans and
groans of the animals.

After we were assured that the bears
could not escape, and tear us, like the
Bible fable, we punched their bodies with
our hands, and felt of the fur, and even
patted them on their heads. Lewey
wanted to try the effect of a fire-cracker
on them, but gave up the idea when he
saw that they were suffering, and could |
not retaliate in any way, except by low |
growls, and flashing eyes.

“By gracious, here comes Peter, with a
senerita on his arm, and a cap on -his
head,” cried Tom,

Sure enough, we saw the captain sail-
ing down the street, shaping his course
for the bears, and playing the agreeable
to a very pretty little girl, a relative or
daughter of Don Pio Pico, a gentleman
who was for some time Governor of Cali-
fornia, and who gave our forces consider-
able trouble during the Mexican War.
He was one of the most able and valiant
of all the old residents, and very much of
a gentleman, as he had some regard for
his word, when it was_ pledged, while
Castro cared neither for his pledges nor
his Honor,

We felt a little envious of the captain.
He had prevented our dancing with the
half-breed girls, on the pri | that they
were the “scum,” as he called them, and
yet here he was making himself agreeable
to a little beauty, and we could not re-
buke him. In our eyes a girl was a girl,
and areal girl was just as good as any
other girl, and there was: no more to be
said on the subject. Argument was
finished on that point, and laid away,
until we grew up, and knew better.

The captain was escorting Miss Pio to
see the captives, and, for the time, he
had forgotten the young lady at home,
and his accordion, and all the hardships
of a sailor’s life. It was well understood
that the captain of a merchant ship was a
great person in California, in the year
1843, and could have made a desirable
matrimonial match if so inclined. But
the captain was not so disposed, and re-
mained true to his first love, and passed
all along the coast as the bachelor cap-
tain, who did not want a wife.

We stepped one side when the captain
and yoane lady approached, as in duty
bound, but the doncellita did not as much
as cast a look of interest at our young and
innocent faces, yet, at the slightest sign,
we would have fallen down and worshiped
her as a goddess, and _ kissed the
oe on which shé walked, for she had

eautiful black eyes and hair, and a com-
oe that was clear, and flushed with

ealth and pure blood. For the time being
the master had laid aside his beloved
beaver hat, and shipped a cap, as _ being
more convenient, and not liable to attract
the ‘attention of: rude men-of-war’s men,
who were on shore in large numbers.

Lewey whispered that it would be a
good idea to kill the captain, seize the
lady, put her on horseback, and escape
wit er, but gave up the idea when he
reflected that there was no horse near,
that he could not ride very well, and the
old man would not stand still and be
killed, and we did not know anything
about the region two miles from Monterey.

The captain was all smiles and bows,
and the lady appeared to be much inter-
ested in the specimens of natural history
before her, but, like other men, the ol
man wanted to be still more attentive, so
commenced trying to talk Spanish, the
very yong. he should have avoided on that
occasion, had he been wise.

“Este?” and here he stuck, as he pointed
at the brutes, and we waited in silence
for the next sentence, a regular lecture on
the habits and customs of bears,

“Si” (yes), said the lady, encouraging
him with a word, and waiting for more
pretty talk. :

The captain looked a little puzzled, and
then turned to Lewey.

“Here, you boy,” he asked, “vhat is
bear in Spanish?’ :

“Borrico,” answered that bad _boy, giv-
ing the name of the first animal he could
think of, and that was a mule. _

“Este borrico,” said the captain,

The young lady laughed, and clung to
the old man a little tighter than neces-
Sary, and I thought that Lewey would

Hee he tried so hard to keep from grin-

 

The captain looked a little suspicious,
and just then Sewey recovered enough to
say, in arapid and distinct manner, so

young lady at the same time:

“La nujer del capitano le gusta la vista
este Oso.’

Or in English, “The captain’s wife
would very much like to see this bear,”
thus intimating that the old man had one
wife somewhere, while he was passing
himself off as asingle man among the

Miss Pio slipped her hand from the cap-
tain’s arm, looked somewhat surprised,
and a little suspicious, while the’ master,
who did not comprehend what was said,
although he afterward acquired a good
knowledge of Spanish, glanced first at
Lewey’s face, Pe then at’ my. own, as’ I
answered, quite earnestly, in Spanish:

“Yes, indeed.”

“Vot de duse you boys talking about?”
asked the captain, but before we could
frame a response there was a ‘shout-in the
plaza, and a dozen voices took up the cry

of :

“El toro! el toro!” and sure enough we
saw a wild, black bull charging down
the square, and half a dozen vaqueros gal-
loping after him, and swinging their
riatas, and yelling like fiends, while one,
more venturesome than the rest, dashed
forward, caught the bull by his long tail,
and almost cast him end for end. Then
another horseman launched his lasso,
and it fell over the horns of the bullock,
and the next instant the latter was roll-
ing in the dust and mud.

Every one was so much occupied in
watching the scene that the bears were
forgotten for the time being.

But Lewey and the rest of us boys were

uite as much’ attracted by the bears as
the bull. We pitied the sufferings of the
one we were near, for he .groaned and
sighed, and the straps cut his flesh, clear
into the muscles.

Lewey looked at me, and then at Tom,
and made motions to the knife which he
wore attached to his neck.

We understood him at once, and nodded,
He glanced at the old man and the pretty
girl. Neither was looking’at‘us. No one
was, except a drunken Indian, who wanted
to go to Hedp on the street, and did not
know whether it would be safe, as he
might lose some of his clothing, which
was rather scant.

“Now,” motioned Lewey, and three
sharp knives made short work of the lash-
ings on the fore paws and head of the
beast. The grateful aninial raised itself
partly up, but could not arise, as_ its
hind feet were fastened so securely. Then,
in the joy of its partial deliverance, it
uttered a roar that made us quake with
fear and consternation.

“Santa Maria,” cried the senorita, “el oso
libre,” and she made a plunge that nearly
took the captain off his feet in her efforts
to escape.

“Curse. dem boys,” roared the captain,
but he did. not stop to say more just at
that time, as he caught the lady up in his
strong arms, as though she was but a
child, as indeed she was, as far as years
were concerned, and made all haste to
gain the shelter of the nearest house,
while we thought it best to escape as
soon as popaibie from the vicinity, fearing
we might be suspected of doing some-
thing wrong, as the innocent are some-
times accused, and most unjustly.

(TO. BE CONTINUED.)
Only.an Irish.Boy;
Any Burke's Fortunes and Misfortunes,

By HORATIO ALGER, Jr.,

Author of ‘Ragged Dick,” ‘Fame and Fortune,’
“Sink or Swim,” ‘Tattered Tom,” “Brave
and Bold,” etc.

cameeameeens > comets

(“ONLY AN IRISH Boy” was commenced in No.1
Back numbers can be obtained of all News Agents.]

CHAPTER XXXYV.

PRESTON IS UNPLEASANTLY SUR-
PRISED,

M RS. TOWNLEY, who knew what
J We

MRS,

/\\ her husband was about, came into
the room.

“Well, Henry,” she said, “is
the pone important?”

“IT should say it was. It is Colonel
Preston’s last. will and testament ”

“Is it possible?’ How does he leave his
pronet ?”

“He leaves five thousand dollars for a
town library.”

“Does he remember Andy Burke?”

“He leaves him five thousand dollars,
and gives his mother the house. they used

to live in.”
lendid! But what will Mrs.

BSr

“That’s s
Preston say

“That remains to be seen,” said the doc-
tor, laughing.

Dr. ‘Townley thought it best to con-
sult with the town authorities as to the
course to be pursued, since, as it ap:
peared, the town was interested in the

 

 

will. It was decided that the doctor and
Mr. Graves, who was the Chairman of the
Selectmen, should go to Boston the next
day and: inform Mrs. Preston of the dis-
covery of the will. Until after this inter-
view it was deemed best not to mention
the matter to Andy or his mother.

Mrs. Preston was established in a showy
house at the South End. At last she was
living as she desired to do. She went to
the theater and the opera, and was think-
ing whether she could afford to set up a
carriage. Godfrey she had placed at a

rivate school, and was anxious to have

im prepare for admission to Harvard
College, but in this hope she seemed des-
tined to be disappointed. Godfrey wanted
to See life and enjoy himself, and had no
intention of submitting to the drudgery of
hard study.

“Godfrey,” said his mother, one morn-
ing, “I have received a letter from your
teacher complaining that you don’t work.”

“I’m not going to work myself to
death,” answered Godfrey.

“I don’t expect you to hurt yourself
with work, but I want you to go to col-
ege.”

“Oh, well, I’ll get in somehow.”

“Don’t you want to stand well as a
scholar?”

“T leave that to the poor fellows that
have got to work for a living. I am rich.”

“You may lose your money.”

“T don’t mean to.”

“Suppose you do?”

“Then I will go to work.”

“T should like to have you graduate well
at college and then study law. You might
get into Congress,” said his mother.

“T guess I’ll know enough for that,”
said Godfrey, carelessly. “I want to have
a good time.”

That was not the worst of it, however.
He extorted from his mother a large al-
lowance, which he spent at bars and billi-
ard saloons, and one day was brought
home drunk by a school-fellow.

“Oh, Godfrey, how can you do so?” ex-
claimed the selfish woman, for once fairly
alarmed on another’s account.

a “Hush up, old woman!” hiccoughed God-
rey.

Mrs. Preston was mortified to think this
should be said to her before Godfrey’s
schoolmate.

“He does not know what he is saying,”
she said, apologetically.

“Yes, I do,” persisted Godfrey. “I’ma
—a gen’leman’s'son.’ I don’t want you to
interfere with gen’leman’s son.”

He was put to bed, and awoke the next
morning with a splitting headache. It
was the morning of the day which the
doctor and Mr. Graves had chosen to call
on Mrs. Preston. She was preparing to
go out, when a servant came up stairs to
announce that two gentlemen were in the
parlor, and wanted to see her.

“Two gentlemen! What do they look
like, Nancy?”

“One of ‘em looks like he was from the
country, mum.”

This referred to Mr. Graves, who did
have a rustic look. The doctor would
readily have passed for a Bostonian.

“Did they give their names?”

“No, mum.”

“IT will go down directly. .I suppose
they won’t stay long.”

Mrs. Preston sailed into the parlor with
the air of a city lady, as she proudly im-
agined, but stopped short in some _ sur-
prise when she recognized her visitors.
Of course she did not suspect the nature
of their business.

Dr. Townley rose as she entered.

“Good-morning, Mrs. Preston,” he said.
“T hope I find you well.”

“T am quite well,” said Mrs. Preston,
ee for she had never liked the doctor.
She had an unpleasant feeling that he
understood her, and was not among her
admirers. “Good-morning; ,Mr. Graves.
You come to the city occasionally?”

“I don’t often get time to come. up, but
the doctor thought I ought to come.’

“Indeed! I am sorry to say that I am
just going out.”

“T must ask you to defer going till we
have communicated. our business,” said
the doctor.

“Business !” repeated Mrs, Preston, seat-
ing herself in some surprise.

“Yes—business of importance. In short,
your husband’s will has come to light.”

“My husband’s will!” exclaimed Mrs.
Preston. , “I thought——”

She checked herself suddenly. She was
about to say, “I thought I had destroyed
it,” and that would have let the cat out
of the bag with a vengeance.

“You thought that he left no will,” said
the doctor, finishing the sentence for her
e He really left. two——”

“That is, he executed two—exactly
alike. One he left in my hands.”

“That is a likely story!” said Mrs. Pres-
ton ,excitedly. “If that is the case, why,
I ask, have we heard nothing of this be-
fore?”

“Because it was contained in an envel-
ope which I was requested not to open for
six months after his decease. The time
having expired——”

“May I ask, what are the provisions of

ee

>

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