Don José

“ Don José sighed. “I liked him. He is a good, sensible boy, and I hope he will come back.”
The corporal shook his head. “He will never come back. Thirty years I have been here, in this service, only going home to Spain once, and I should know that they are only savages, after all. I think I have said before that the Holy Church makes a mistake in trying to tame them. Let them be brought to hear Mass every Sunday—that would be only fitting, and would doubtless save their souls, if they have any—but books and learning are not for them. ”

“ Even Padre Felipe, in a brief speech or exhortation proposing the health of their host, lent himself in his own tongue to this polite congeniality. "We have had also, my friends and brothers," he said in peroration, "a pleasing example of the compliment of imitation shown by our beloved Don Jose. No one who has known him during his friendly sojourn in this community but will be struck with the conviction that he has acquired that most marvelous faculty of your great American nation, the exhibition of humor and of the practical joke." ”

“ Ho, a merry fellow, full of song and wit. He makes gringos laugh when they fear death and give up their gold. It is better than a fandango to watch him rob them!"
"Name of the devil!" cried Don José. "What have you to do with robbers?"
"God punish the wicked!" said Benito in pious alarm, cringing before José's glance. ”

“ Every eye was turned upon the imperturbable face of Don Jose as he slowly rose to reply. "In bidding you to this fete, my friends and kinsmen," he began calmly, "it was with the intention of formally embracing the habits, customs, and spirit of American institutions by certain methods of renunciation of the past, as became a caballero of honor and resolution. Those methods may possibly be known to some of you." ”

“ We had warning; the people from the countryside came flocking in—workers in olive groves and vineyards, potters from the villages, swineherds and muleteers—and Don José gave them each his task, and with our own people they toiled night and day to make our city strong. Men and women and children, sixty thousand of us, we wrought upon the ramparts. ”

“ A few minutes later the guard was changed, and with the relieving party came the brigadier, Don José, a handsome youth who had some months ago left his quiet country home for the excitement and stir of a soldier's life. On being told by Morales that a pretty peasant maiden had been asking for him, Don José guessed at once that it was Micaela, and rejoiced; for having grown up together, he regarded her with much affection, and even intended to marry her, knowing this to be his mother's cherished desire. ”

“ Why! thou heartless knave! were it not for me, you would long ago have swung a hundred-weight of carrion from a gallows, and now this—this is the gratitude thou showest.’
‘Yes, Don José,’ I said, vehemently, ‘it is. To save a gentleman from committing a base action, is to make the worthiest recompence for a favour he has conferred.’
The Spaniard looked at me from head to foot, raised his eyebrows, and gave a slight whistle.
‘Truly, a pirate of a most moral breed—he reproves incontinence, he rebukes sin. Most righteous of Buccaneers, thou hast mistaken thy trade. Turn priest, man. Ha! ”

“ We shall be even as neophytes making of ourselves Apostles of Truth. I absolve and renounce myself henceforth of my family. I shall take to myself the sister and the brother, the aunt and the uncle, as we proceed. I devote myself to humanity alone. I devote YOU, my friend, and the mare—though happily she has not a Christian soul—to this glorious mission."
The few level last rays of light lit up a faint enthusiasm in the face of Don Jose, but without altering his imperturbable gravity. The vaquero eyed him curiously and half doubtfully. ”

“ Don José and his wife both had in fact a very strong desire to retain my services, when after the trial of a week or two, it was found that I really could make their discordant and turbulent children to some extent obedient and studious during certain portions of the day; and in fact I soon acquired in the whole family that ascendancy which a well-bred person who respects himself, and can keep his temper, must have over passionate and undisciplined natures. ”

“ Then he fell to wondering what Ramon Rotil was doing in a territory so far from the troops, and–––
“Don José is one of the strong men who are hating him much,” confided the child. “Also Don José comes not north alone ever anymore, always the soldiers are his guard. Tio Polonio tells things of these soldiers.”
“What kind of things?”
“They are killing boys like rabbits in Canannea,––pacifico boys who could grow to Calendrista soldiers. Such is done by the guard of Don José and all the friends of the Deliverer are killed with a quickness. ”

“ No. One eet is enough."
"I don't need it either, but I want it. They are mates. Like two lovers. Sell me that gun, Don José—won't you?"
"What has money to do with love, señor?"
"A horse race sometimes has a good deal to do with it."
Don José gave him a surprised look, then his smile broadened:
"Si, señor. Eet was I who rode against Don Miguel's Zapateodor."
"And you will never be forgiven."
"I have the fear, not."
Stewart Dawes, after patiently shuffling and reshuffling as he listened, put out the cards to be cut.
"Don José," said Hales, "I'll deal you monte. My gun against yours." ”

“ Don José sent this intelligence to his kinsman as glad tidings (a lover never imagines there are two sides to that which makes him happy) , and, to add a touch of humor, told how Palmyre, also, was given to the chieftain. The letter that came back to the young Spaniard did not blame him so much: he was ignorant of all the facts ”

“ José, who seemed to be above the lust for gold which sprang up in the hearts of the [Pg 455] other sailors, assumed the command, and bade the men prepare to return to Spain. He thought it best to throw himself and his crew on the mercy of the King, and, delivering up the treasure, to tell of the cruelties of Don Luego. ”

“ Well, this Doña Jocasta has done some killing, and Don José does not give her to prison. He sends her to the desert that she brings him no disgrace; and if another man takes her or sinks her in the quicksands then that man will be helping Don José. That is how it is. Marto says the woman has bewitched him, and he is crazy about her. Some of the other men, will take her, if not him.”
Kit exchanged a long look with the old Indian.
“The house is yours, señor,” said Isidro. “By the word of Señor Whitely, you are manager of Mesa Blanca.” ”

“ He does not wish to say it, Señor Don José, but the truth is that he is writing a book on ‘The Influence of Woman in Christian Society,’ and, in addition to that, ‘A Glance at the Catholic Movement in’—somewhere or other. What do you know about glances or influences? But these youths of the present day have audacity enough for any thing. Oh, what boys! Well, let us go home. Good-night, Señora Doña Perfecta—good-night, Señor Don José—Rosarito.”
“I will wait for Señor Don Cayetano,” said Jacinto, “to ask him to give me the Augusto Nicolas.” ”

“ Well, when the little man of Don Antonio gets in front of the little horse of Don José, does Don José say, 'Bad little man, go to another little square'? No, he says 'Muerto!'—'Dead!'—and takes the little man away. That is the game, to take all the little men off the board, and it is just the same with fighting. But all the white men I have seen, except my teniente, were afraid of the end. My teniente always laughed when the end came. He was born to be a soldier, like me.
"I remember how he laughed at Don Augusto. We were in a very bad province then. All the provinces are a little bad ”

“ That’s where the uncle of our host gave up his Anglo-South-American soul. And, note, he might have run away. A man who has fought with weapons may run away. You might have let me go with Barrios if you had cared for me. I would have carried one of those rifles, in which Don Jose believes, with the greatest satisfaction, in the ranks of poor peons and Indios, that know nothing either of reason or politics. The most forlorn hope in the most forlorn army on earth would have been safer than that for which you made me stay here. ”

“ Really, Captain, it would not surprise me if Señor Mendoza's ball brought about half a dozen weddings. The setting for love-making was exquisite. It might have been fashioned after some fairy scene, so delicately were light and color blended, with that delicious music of the natives permeating it all. Madrid would have gone wild over it! Even the most watchful mamma and dueña felt the spell and laughed and looked away while some fair one allowed the brave Don Juan to hold her hand and murmur nothings to her. ”

“ Certainly he will, señor, and it is to this end that we have been brought here by Don José. If others have been murdered, it is not likely that we shall escape, since Don Pedro will be sure that an Inglese would not travel without a large sum of money. ”

“ Meantime, while things have been settling down, Morales has had a word with Don José.
"A pretty girl is somewhere near here, looking for-75- you, José. She wore a blue gown and her hair is in a braid down her back; she's——"
"I know her; it is Michaela," José declares: and, with the sudden knowledge that she is so near, and that she comes directly from his old mother, he feels a longing for home, and realizes that he has been none too thoughtful or kind toward those who love him. As everybody finds himself in place, Zuniga points across to the cigarette factory. ”

“ A sudden rigor of suspicion stiffened the company; the ladies withdrew their eyes; the priest and the Sepulvidas exchanged glances.
"Come," said Colonel Parker, with apparent unconsciousness of the effect of his disclosure, "let us begin frankly. You have, I believe, some anxiety in regard to the mental condition of Don Jose."
"We believe him to be mad," said Padre Felipe promptly, "irresponsible, possessed!"
"That is your opinion; good," said the lawyer quietly.
"And ours too," clamored the party, "without doubt."
"Good," returned the lawyer with perfect cheerfulness. ”

“ Don Jose Avellanos depended very much upon the devotion of his beloved Antonia. He accepted it in the benighted way of men, who, though made in God’s image, are like stone idols without sense before the smoke of certain burnt offerings. ”

“ But beware! if Navarro wakes, he’ll jump for his blunderbuss, and then look out for yourself! I have gone too far to go back; take care of yourself as best you can.”
The rascal was already in the saddle; he dug both spurs into the horse, and I soon lost sight of him in the darkness.
I was very angry with my guide, and decidedly uneasy. After a moment’s reflection, I decided what to do, and returned to the venta. Don José was still asleep, repairing doubtless the effects of the fatigue and vigils of several days of peril. I was obliged to shake him violently in order to rouse him. ”

“ Curse [Pg 280] it all! I am the first man in the world. Don José says so, and he speaks the truth."
He threw his sombrero on to a divan, as if he were divesting himself of a glorious crown which oppressed his brow, and went staggering to lean with both hands on the writing bureau, fixing his eyes on the enormous bull's head which decorated the further end of the office.
"Hola! Good night, my fine fellow!... What are you doing here?... Muu! Muu!"
He saluted the head with bellowings, imitating childishly the lowing of the bulls on their pastures and in the Plaza. He did not recognize it ”

“ In a moment those men will be in the forest again and can see nothing more for half an hour. We must do nothing while they watch—there! they have gone."
He shouted to the vaqueros to saddle six fresh horses, and ordered the house servants to pack the bags with food.
"There is a cave in the mountain on the other side which I defy anyone to find," said Don Jose. "If there were a war my sons should fight, but I need them now."
While the horses were saddling, Roldan and Adan consulted together. At the end of a few moments the former went up to Don Jose. ”

“ There was the shadow of a smile on her lips, and she was humming a tune.
“What does he want with José—this Sebastiano?” said Jovita, grumblingly.
“Who knows?” said Pepita.
“He wants something,” Jovita went on. “They don’t make friends with those beneath them for nothing, these fine ones. They all talk of you, these foolish fellows, and he has heard, and makes friends so that he can see you.”
“What do they say of me?” asked
Pepita, without deigning to look up.
“Men are all fools,” grumbled Jovita; “and they think girls are fools too. They say you have a pretty face ”

“ Don Timoteo Pelaez was reaching the pinnacle of fortune, and the reality surpassed his dreams. He was, at last, marrying his son to the rich Gomez heiress, and, thanks to the money Simoun had lent him, he had royally furnished that big house, purchased for half its value, and was giving in it a splendid fiesta, with the foremost divinities of the Manila Olympus for his guests, to gild him with the light of their prestige. ”

“ The Indians who had harried the sheep and cattle—who had attacked the hacienda of Don Juan—who had fired the rancho and carried off Rosita—were Colonel Vizcarra, his officer Captain Roblado, his sergeant Gomez, and a soldier named José—another minion of his confidence and will. ”

“ Our peons throughout the year can call hither from that region the supplies we need." Thus Don Antonio Peralta.
As he concluded the other leaders bowed to him solemnly.
The dapper Zelaya indicated to his host, who was yet standing, his wish to speak.
The quiet humor in the heart of Señor Higuera stole again into his eyes and over his face and reached his tongue. "Swiftness in the feet means quickness in the mind directing those feet. Let us hear Señor Zelaya."
The lord of the rancho San Lorenzo looked musingly at his friend. ”