Pickering College - Voyageur Yearbook (Newmarket, Ontario Canada)

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lite ary the treasure of bufzaga T THAT TIME NVE XVERE FOUR BROTHERS. My older brother and I were at school, so every morning we had to be up before seven. For that reason we used to go to bed early and sleep all the night through as good children do. But we never went to sleep before our nurse Josephina had finished telling us one of her stories. She had to polish our shoes every night so in the morn- ing we would have time to eat breakfast and run to the school. While she was doing the polishing, she used to tell us one of her best stories. One night I remember well. -losephina was seated between the two big beds with her eyes on the shoes and her mind thinking about some strange ad- venture. In the bed on her right side, two of my brothers sat up listening. In the bed on her left, my brother and I sat up in the same way. Un that night she started thus: There was once in the city of Tunja a poor man called Pito Perez. This man had a very miserable job, which was to sweep the streets of the city. He didn 't have any family or anything to care for. His only possession was a tiny bottle of Holy Water, that he carried with him wherever he went. He was earning only a few centavos a month and he used to eat and sleep in the town jail. After lunch, as he lay in the sun in the patio of the jail, Pito used to think and dream of the old legends he had heard when he was younger. There was one that filled his mind night and day. This legend tells that when the Spanish Conquerors came to Colombia, the powerful tribe Chibcha was ruled by a courageous Indian called Buzaga. When this Indian learned of the proximity of the Spanish Captain Jimenez de Quezada, he decided to take all his gold and jewels up to the mountains and hide this treasure in a cave in a secret place. VVhen the Spanish soldiers came into the city, they found only a few golden coins and jars, and though they tortured and killed all the chiefs, they could not discover the place where Buzaga had hidden his treasure. Pito Perez had long wondered if he could find the famous cave and no few times he had imagined himself driving a car like the governor 's, drinking cham- pagne instead of chieha, and doing a hundred more fantastic things. One Saturday morning Pito decided not to sweep the streets any more, but to go up to the mountains looking for what he wanted. He started to climb the hills early in the morning and at mid-day he found himself in a Fifteen

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chapel 1950-1951 UR CHAPEL SERVICES this year were as usual under the able direction of Mr. Rourke and his colleagues. XVally Meikle was responsible for the fine piano accompaniment for the hymns. At the Easter and Christmas services, Mrs. Rourke, Mrs. Jackson and Mrs. Beer offered some beautiful songs of devotion. Fred Hagan was responsible for the strikingly lovely Christmas service chapel set that was done in a mosaic-like Byzantine style. Through the year, some of the highlights were as follows: Un October 15th, 1950 Mr. Rourke, as a reception for new students, spoke on Sleeping Swords , the idea of the talk coming from the line in Jerusalem,'. Cn October 22nd the Reverend VVm. P. Jenkens of the Unitarian Church, Toronto, spoke to us on the beliefs of his church. Cn November 26th Rabbi Sydney O. Goldstein from the Temple Hesed Abraham, Jamestown, New York, spoke on What Christians should know about Judaism . On December 17th the annual Christmas Candlelight service was held with Mr. Rourke speaking on the text They looked up and saw a star . Many parents and guests enjoyed the service and the beautiful setting. Cn February 4th Dr. Karl S. Bernhardt spoke on Growing Up . February 25th was the service in which the student committee participated. On March 11th Mr. Vernon F. McAdam, Executive Director of the '4Boys' Clubs of Canada spoke on the work of this group and about other schools who are less fortunate than we. He asked for a clothing drive for a school in Montreal and recently we collected a large am-ount of used clothes for them. March 18th marked our Easter Chapel service in which Mr. Rourke spoke on If a man die, shall he live again? A Forest Hill Village High School teacher, Mr. Ted Jarvis, spoke to us on April 15th on the subject Failing Successfully . On April 22nd Dr. Richard D. Jones, Executive Director of the Can- adian Council of Christians and Jews made a powerful and interesting speech on racial discrimination and told of his travels about the world. On April 29th Reverend C. W. Sowby, Headmaster of Upper Canada College, gave a talk on St. Peter. The most unique service of the year was the last but one, held on May 20th, when the masters and students studied the last 20 years' chapel forms and compiled a 12-sheet chapel form, consisting of the most-read lines and most-sung hymns. The purpose was to give the graduating class a permanent memory of what Pickering College Chapel services stand for. At the closing Chapel of the year the Headmaster gave a memorable address to us all, the graduating class in particular, entitled A Date with Destiny . Fourteen

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very strange place that he had never seen before. There was a sort of hut all black outside and a strong sulphur odour in the air. Pito decided to enter the place to see if somebody was around. When he passed the door, he saw a small room with no windows at all. At the back of the room a very little, old man was seated in a chair smoking a pipe. When he saw Pito he grinned sarcastically. You are looking for the Treasure of Buzaga, aren't you? the old man said. Pito was surprised when the old man said that but he took it as an indi- cation that he was on the right trail. Yes, Pito said after a few seconds. 'tBut, he continued, why do you ask me that? Do you know anything about the treasure?', The old man grinned again. He took two or three puffs at his pipe and then he said: Sabe mas el diablo por viejo que por diablo. CWell, the devil knows more because he is old than because he is the devil.j I've been here many years and I have met many men who were looking for the treasure. They asked me the same questions again and again. I told them what I knew about it but they did not listen to me, so they never found the cave. What did you tell t.hem?'l Pito asked eagerly. Listen, the old man said. Listen very carefully. I am going to make a deal with you. If you agree with me, you will be the richest man in this place. If you don't, then you will be as miserable as you are now for the rest of your life. Pito was sweating from his head to his feet and he said nothing. This is it, the old man continued, I know where the treasure of Buzaga is hidden. I discovered the secret a long time ago from an old Indian, who came here with three bullet. wounds in his back. He was shot by two bandits who were looking for the same thing you are. I did all that I could for him but he died after a few hours. But before he died he told me the exact place where I could find the treasure. What have you been waiting for? Pito asked with curiosity. Look, said thc old man, taking away the blanket which was covering his legs. The poor ancient was crippled from the knees down. Now you know why I haven't been looking for the cave. I've been waiting for a valiant. man like you to make my dream possible. Now this is the deal of which I told you before: If you will carry me on your back all the way up, we can go and find the treasure. That would be very simple for you. What do you say?l' Pito was all excited after listening to the cripple. When shall we go? he said at once. Tomorrow morning before dawn, was the answer. The next day they started walking early, Pito carrying the old .man as he had promised. They travelled for about four hours without resting and Sixteen