All-Story Weekly, Vol. 112, No. 1 — page 77: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

LAND OF THE come him and to talk with him apart, call- ing him “ Taita” (father). Sometimes it was a wrinkled Cholo crone, grinning with toothless gums and ceaselessly twirling her spindle as she gabbled rapidly in the ancient language; sometimes it was a stalwart young shepherd of the hills. . Whatever were the reports which they made to the don, he seemed to derive scant consolation from them. He was often moody and thoughtful, bending his lean, worn face over the head of his mule and twisting at his great mustache. At Puncao, next stopping-place beyend Puntou, los Americanos had an opportunity to observe just how favorably these Cholos look upon the stranger within their gates. It was necessary to procpre fodder for the mules; and Jones, seeing a number of well-stocked coops in the village, asked Don Castro to negotiate the purchase of a plump pullet and a few eggs for Katherine’s dinner. To the door of one of the most pros- perous-appearing of the lew, thatched hovels rode the don, accompanied by Tomas, sub- during with their fierce cries of “ Za! Za!” a half-dozen miserable and savage dogs, which disputed every inch of their approach. De Ulloa dismounted, and, hat in hand and in his most courtly manner, interviewed the senora of the place, a middle-aged In- dian woman, unwashed, uncombed, stock- ingless and shoeless, yet proudly conscious of the finery of her six skirts and her flat hat of plaited straw, bedecked with bits of dirty ribbons of all the hues of the rainbow. “Has the gracious senora any alfalfa to sell?’’ queried the don. “No hay, sefor (1 have not, mister) ,” replied the woman indifferently. ‘“ Any barley?” persisted. the don. “ No hay, senor.” “ No hay, senor.” ‘““Any chickens?” | “ No kay, senor.” At least a dozen fowls were clucking within a rod of the door. Capita, senor!” cried the woman, sud- denly becoming animated; “ your mule—he is eating a hole in my house!” It was literally true. The hungry beast had taken advantage of his momentary SHADOW PEOPLE. 67 liberty, and was calmly munching the grass thatch of the low hut. De Ulloa took out Wis purse to make settlement for the dam- age, and at the same time passed a wink to Tomas. A cleverly aimed pebble from the hand of the Aymara laid one of the hens kicking in the dirt. “Dios mio, senora!” exclaimed the don in feigned consternation; “my servant has misunderstood, and has had the misfortune to kill one of your fowls. What is the price of it?” “‘ Ladrone! Picaro! Bruto!’” shrieked the enraged senora, and then began to curse Tomas m Quechua with all the fluency of a muleteer. Presently, under the influence of one of the don’s cigarettes, his continued courtesy, and a few small coins, she became appeased, brightened up, and ended the comedy by offering quantities of all the articles which previously she had refused. ‘“ Poor people,” said De Ulloa, “ money has little value for them; and they have been so often robbed that it is small won- der that they are suspicious of all strangers. They fear all strangers may be soldiers, and they abhor the soldiers as they do los demonios. They have the foolish notion that the government makes wse of human tallow for the greasing of the soldiers’ car- bines, and that it is obtained by the kid- naping of luckless Indians.” Beyond Punchao the character of ‘the country changed rapidly. The valleys were more frequent and more green; the sun shone warmer; here and there. grew small groves of trees; thickets of willows bordered the water-courses; clumps of blue lupinus nodded about the edges of the tilled fields; viglets and stitchwort bloomed near sunken boulders; and there were meadows aglow with yellow buttercups, grassy slopes span- gled with dandelions, and_ high, nodding mustard encroaching on the Cholo gardens. In succession the travelers passed the village and bridge of Chuquibamba and the towns of Chavin de Pariaca and Tanta- mayo. Above the bridge of Chuquibamba they had their first glimpse of the Rio Maranon, here a swift mountain stream dashing through the rocky, gorges on its way to the lower reaches of the Montana and the Amazonian plain beyond. comiclboolk C©