The Maid of the Mountain — page 37: what you’re looking at

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

THE MURDERER’S CANON. 89 “Seftor Americano,” said the Mexican, in a tone which left no doubt of the truth of what he said, “if you were to trice me up by the thumbs for a week I coald tell you nothing about it, because I know nothing. I only know that there és a secret connected with Murderer’s Cafton. I only know that it is a fearful mystery, and that many have lost theirdives in re ing to unravel it. You heard et voice pon oe “ Yes.” ~ “ Did it warn you ?” “Tt did.” «“Thew, Sefior Americano, as you hope to live, as you wish to save the lives of your men, leave this valley forever. No one has heard the warning voice and remained here long with- out Meeting some horrible death. Would you like to hear the story of Murderer’s Cafion ?” “You shall hear it, sefior. It earned the name ‘while the Spanish race held ascendency in California, as they should do now, and shall do again. This romantic place was the scene ofa fearful tragedy. There lived, at that time, on the west- . ern slope of ‘the mountains, a ranchero named De Castro—a relative of mine. He had a daughter, who was regarded as the most beautiful woman in the mountain: region of Califor- nia—a glorious wontan, one born {to swity al! henrts, suitors sought her hand, but she was cold to ull save to one, and that one a dependent—a herdsman of her father.” ‘He had one vindictive rival, a cousin of Julia’s, a hot-blooded youth, jealous-of all who looked with eyes of love at the charming girl. The herdsman, Gonsalvo, was 4° laddsome man, with dark eyes, full of the fire of the Moorish race, whence he sprung; dark, curling hair, and a face almost fe- minine in its mold. Julia loved lim, and when her father would have forced a union with her coitsin, she fled with her ‘lover, and they were nrarried by a priest of the Franciscan order. Then Ganselvo, who knew the m took her to this secluded spot, where he built the cabin you 8ee in ruins yonder. There they lived They were happy. The mountains give thom enough. ‘Yonder, on the exstern side of the valley, he planted a little’ fidd of corm, and this gave them bread. Julia never spoke ‘with ‘? conmicloookks.comn