Vasquez

“ They saw that Vasquez himself had come to superintend the operations, and for a long time, grim faced and determined, the American lay with a rifle in his hand watching him, and heedless of the others.
“'I'll get him if ever he gets careless and comes twenty yards this way,' he said over and over to that poor, faithful old man who lay in the shade of the wall, twisting and biting his lips to suppress his groans. 'Then if we go out, José, we'll at least know we took him along. ”

“ Tomas Vasquez, one of the first conquerors, had a house in Cuzco, and an estate in Ayaviri. (See chapter iv.) He distinguished himself in the battle of Las Salinas, fighting against Almagro. He joined Giron in his insurrection, and commanded the rebel cavalry. At Pucara he deserted Giron, went over to the royal camp, and obtained a pardon. He retired to his estates, but was afterwards put to death by order of the Viceroy Marquis of Cañete in 1557. ”

“ When Diana, for example, who does not belong to our Society, speaks of Vasquez, he calls him ‘that phœnix of genius;’ and he declares more than once, ‘that Vasquez alone is to him worth all the rest of men put together’—instar omnium. ”

“ I asked anxiously of Florencio; "for time is passing, and poor Vasquez is in danger of his life."
"He is there, assuredly," stammered my companion; "for I could never forgive myself if I had arrived too late, and any misfortune (here his eyes became bathed in maudlin tears) were to happen to Don Tomas. Such a worthy man as he is, too!"
After this burst of sensibility, which failed signally in its object, Florencio plunged into the lane, and I remained alone, for I thought that we could no longer proceed together. ”

“ How can any American live without finding life one [15] long thrill of pride that he is part and parcel of the Stars and Stripes?”
“Bah!” retorted Vasquez, impatiently. “Shall I tell you what your greatest fault is?”
“If you care to.”
“You Americans are not honest,” went on the Spaniard. “You lie, cheat and steal, always pouring the pesetas or dollars into your pockets, and laughing at the more simple more honest people of other nations from whom you derive your dishonest profits. Nowhere do you find easier victims than the old-fashioned, simple, trusting, generous, honest Spaniards.” ”

“ While Vasquez speaks, Cortez spies the ladies and goes to them, entertaining Cydaria with courtship in dumb show.
Vasq. Spain's mighty monarch, to whom heaven thinks fit,
That all the nations of the earth submit,
In gracious clemency, does condescend
On these conditions to become your friend:
First, that of him you shall your sceptre hold ”

“ His restless, perturbed spirit saw a rival in every one, ready to deprive him of his property, and he had been told that an individual named Remigio Vasquez had arrived the night before at Guanajuato, with the avowed intention of profiting by the suspension of his works, and claiming them as his own. It would prove a rough blow to Florencio to be deprived of a property which had enriched him before, and very probably might do so again. The Mexicans are very generally in the habit of deciding such cases by the knife. He had therefore vowed the death of Remigio Vasquez. ”

“ At least another witness must be obtained. And Vasquez laboured with all his might and arts and wiles to draw Rubio out of Aragon into the clutches of the justice of Castile. But he laboured in vain, for I had secretly found the means to instruct my trusty Mesa to retain the fellow where he was.
In this inconclusive state of things the months dragged on and my captivity continued. I wrote to Philip, imploring his mercy, complaining of these unjust delays on the part of Vasquez, which threatened to go on forever, and begging His Majesty to command the conclusion of the affair. ”

“ The troops of Garay, including those three companies which landed in San Juan de Ulua, previous to his own arrival, amounted, according to my computation, to about twelve hundred men, most of whom were captured by the Indians of Panuco, and their flesh devoured at their festive orgies. Of the fifteen men who survived the expedition of Vasquez de Aillon to Florida, and joined our army, not a single man is now remaining! ”

“ Accept my figure for it—or I'll take it away from you."
"Do you want me to close your district—tighter than a Chinese drum!"
"I bow to the wisdom of Confucius: 'When thy adversary is in power, yield to him'."
"You're a wise Chinaman. Bring the deeds and meet me at the Poodle Dog tonight."
"Vasquez—the old fool—refused to sell at any price."
"The arrogant ass! I'll have his ranch condemned, and buy it at my own price."
"That's villainous! The Vasquez have owned that rancho for generations."
"Vasquez has a granddaughter—that's what's the matter with Terry." ”

“ Blas Vasquez at length spoke again, while keeping his eye so fixed on the count that the latter began to understand that he and his men were the victims of some odious treachery.
"Señor conde," Blas said, "we Mexicans have a law from which we never depart—a law which, indeed, is inscribed in the hearts of all honest men. It is this: in the same way that the pilot is responsible for the ship intrusted to him to take into port, the pioneer responds with his person for the safety of the people he undertakes to guide in the desert. ”

“ And you," added he, "have you laid your hand on Don Tomas Verdugo yet?"
"No; and, from all I have learned about him, I am more anxious to avoid him now than I was to meet him before." And I recounted my adventure in the ravine with Florencio Planillas. "Your cloak," I added, "served me a bad turn, for it is similar to one that the informer against Florencio wears, one Remigio Vasquez."
At the name Don Jaime turned pale, and cried,
"What! was it Remigio Vasquez that the scoundrel had in mind to shoot? and do they accuse him of a crime which he never contemplated? Ah! ”

“ Don Louis and Belhumeur returning to the mainland on the side of the hacienda, while the chief rode off in the opposite direction. Blas Vasquez remained alone with his peons; but as he had been for many years accustomed to Indian warfare, and understood the responsibility he took on himself from this moment, he felt that he must redouble his vigilance. Hence he posted sentinels at every point, recommended them the utmost attention, came back to the brazier, wrapped himself in his fresada, and went quietly to sleep, certain that his men would carefully watch all that took place on the mainland. ”

“ The three muchachos, on their return with two prisoners, found their leader killed and his rifle in the hands of the released Indians, with the four guns they already had belonging to Katenere. Each party fired at the other, the forest Indians without effect. The three{319} muchachos killed two of the Boras Indians and then returned to the house where Vasquez was spending the night and where he held the wife of Katenere prisoner. ”

“ No one believed it was more than a legend until the mesa was visited by an aeroplane or something and then they found the ruins of an old pueblo. Did you ever think, John, that this cave of ours is the only gate to Red Mesa? If Vasquez blows that up with dynamite we’re all doomed to starve here—another Enchanted Mesa!”
“Yaas,” sighed Big John, wearily. “But Vasquez shuts hisself out’n his own mine, that way, though. An’ whar’s yore dynamite?”
“He’ll have some. Sure about that,” said Sid, confidently. “A man doesn’t go mining without it nowadays. ”

“ When Alonso Palomino and Antonio de Ribera came to the city of Cuzco with the news of the ordinances, the Governor Vaca de Castro sent one Tomas Vasquez, with all the haste he could make to the city of Arequipa with a letter. ”

“ Although the inhabitants of that place, as formerly mentioned, had written to those of Cuzco offering to unite in the insurrection, supposing it the general sense of the principal people; they were now ashamed of their conduct, when they found the rebellion only proceeded from a few desperate men, and declared for the king; so that Vasquez was obliged to return without success. Being now at the head of above seven hundred men, though disappointed in his expectations of being joined by the citizens of Guamanga and Arequipa, Hernandez Giron pursued his march for the valley of Jauja ”

“ In 1562 Juan Vasquez de Coronado was named Alcalde and Mayor of the Province of Costa Rica and Veragua. He founded the City of Cartago which remained the capital until 1823.
Up to 1622 fifteen governors succeeded Vasquez, but disappointed in their efforts to find gold, to enslave the Indian population, or to make the country prosperous, they allowed it to lapse into a barbarism far worse than it was at the time of its discovery. ”

“ A-1 idee!” he chuckled. “Scotty, if I know human natur, that pisen spig, that Vasquez”—Big John spat it out like a curse—“ain’t told them guerrillas nothin’ about no mine. Stolen church property’s what they think they’re after. They’ll be considerable peeved, an’ will begin shootin’ soon’s they sight us. Now if this Vasquez starts gittin’ careless with his hardware—an’ I git one good poke at him with the old meat gun—Sho!—there won’t be nobody know nothin’ about that mine but us, see? Another thing: when he climbs Cerro Colorado and don’t see no Red Mesa, what does he do? ”

“ The whole party set out to return to Morelia through the forest, having lost Henrique and his rifle. Soon after they began their march in the morning they met in the path a child—a little girl—who was said to be a daughter of Katenere by another wife he had once had, not the woman they now held as prisoner. This child, Chase states, was quite a young girl, some six or eight years of age. She was frightened at the sight of the armed men, the Indians in chains and tied up, and began to cry as they approached. Vasquez at once ordered her head to be cut off. ”

“ The boy, however, pleaded so hard for Repetto's life that the Sheriff agreed to the messenger's returning alone with the money. Soon after, Rowland and several deputies started out along the same trail; but a lookout sighted the approaching horsemen and gave the alarm. Vasquez and his associates took to flight and were pursued as far as Tejunga Pass; but as the cutthroats were mounted on fresh horses, they escaped. Even while being pursued, Vasquez had the audacity to fleece a party of men in the employ of the Los Angeles Water Company who were doing some work near the Alhambra Tract. ”

“ Forty-two years before, Lucas Vasquez de {70} Ayllon, a high official of San Domingo, had visited this coast with two vessels. The simple and kindly natives lavished hospitality on the strangers. In return, the Spaniards invited them on board. Full of wondering curiosity, the Indians without suspicion explored every part of the vessels. When the holds were full of sight-seers, their hosts suddenly closed the hatches and sailed away with two ship-loads of wretched captives doomed to toil as slaves in the mines of San Domingo. ”

“ They never before came so far into the interior."
"What shall we do, then?" the count asked with some hesitation.
"Return to the colony," the capataz replied. "I see no other means."
"Shall we abandon Don Sylva and his daughter?"
Blas Vasquez frowned. He replied in a solemn voice, and with much emotion,—
"Excellency, I was born on the estate of the Torrés family. No one is more devoted, body and soul, than I am to the persons whose names you have pronounced; but no one is bound to attempt impossibilities. It would be tempting God to enter the desert in our present state. ”

“ In that time, as I need the money, I will draw on the account," said Ned.
"Very good," said Senor Oje; "I will draw up the agreement."
"Now," continued Ned, addressing Major Honeywell, "what is your interpretation of the message of the Spaniard?"
"Of course Vasquez's words must be modernized. What he termed the Tune Cha Mountains begin in New Mexico and extend northwesterly into Arizona and Utah. In many places their plateaus rise eight thousand feet above the sea. Their thousands of peaks and canyons are fit rivals of the wonders of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado. ”

“ But Niltci did not hear for he had crept up to a better position. He had seen nothing of Hano’s [211] race as he was too hotly engaged with the Mexicans on the hillside.
Big John peered out of his rocky lair, looking for “that ornery Vasquez.” A glimpse of him showed high among the rocks; then his rifle barked and the bullet spanged the rocks near by. The other Mexicans were now well concealed in the crags and the crack of their rifles and the whine and smash of Mausers about Big John’s position told him that the battle was on in dead earnest. ”

“ Even the despised Chinese have taught the youth of California, none indeed of their virtues, but the debasing use of opium. And chief among these influences is that of the Mexicans.
The Mexicans although in the State are out of it. They still preserve a sort of international independence, and keep their affairs snug to themselves. Only four or five years ago Vasquez, the bandit, his troops being dispersed and the hunt too hot for him in other parts of California, returned to his native Monterey, and was seen publicly in her streets and saloons, fearing no man. ”

“ The boys thrilled as they looked at it, for they were now nearing the Papago Reservation and it was quite possible that Vasquez had forestalled them by train from Tucson.
Big John reined in the white mustang. “Nobody to home, thar, these days,” quoth he. “The Injuns is all away at the cornfields. We gotto ride in thar [68] though, an’ help ourselves to water afore these hosses kin go further.”
Sid would have preferred to keep away, but there was no choice. Water was king in this country! They had to get it, if it meant encountering a thousand malignant school-teachers. ”