Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-09-11
yer scientifics who t.l.,el the world round

III Dack-parIOr, an fOOG out the universe
from their front entry.
-Four days more we voyaged without
seeing sign Of Indian, nor meeting any dam
} ger to speak of, though tigers, danlars, and
: pumas seemed thick there as Turkey buz-
: yards round a slaughter-yard We was
getting to feel quite a confidence in the in
: stitootions Of the land, when, one after
| noon, Segur caught my arm suddintly an
dropped. So did |, o. course Then
] voices reached our ears, sounding closer
! an closer, an then dying away. After a
f quarter Of an hour, when all was still, we
rose up. Fifty yards further was an Indian
road, not unlike the tracks cut by black
ants, but multiplied by human natur. 1t
feet maybe, an all the tracks in it were
: shod not even a child's naked foot among
; 'em, nor sign Of any dog, which made US
2 cock our hats, | guess, an think small
things Of Providence. We jumped across
/ an on the other side Segur said to me
: . Its getting warm, Jem." Which way
does the road lead, dye notion ?" To
/ wards one Of the rabbit-warrens on the
: Frio, | should guess Shall we 90 for tn
see how things air done in them secluded
: grotS Jem ," Why" | said, after
thinking matters over, :. it won't be safe
to tramp by daylight now, an the Guatusos
aren't likely to travel at night; no forest
Ind ans do. This road is bound to lead
Frio-way. Its plain they don't take dogs
on the travel with them, if they have any
= al all. What do you say" = If you re
the man to lead, I'm the one to follow, p"
r says Segur. So we lay down in the bushes,
an | tool, watch for the first three hours
Several parties passed along as could be
hecrd, but we were safer there than we'd
ha been further off, always barring dogs
Towards two o'clock, | woke Segur, an lay
down till dusk; an then we jumped into
the road to tramp along the shadowed side,
with eyes an ears skinned, [ tell yer Just
at dawn we came to a town or village an
scrambled into the bush sharp as rabbits !;
but the location was found to be a swamp
an burned uncomfortable lying. Deeper
an deeper we went on, for it would mt do
to camp too close, with children running
round, an maybe Indian dogs about sharp
eyed an vicious as country virtue. We
camped 80 Ear off that can't say much of
the town. more than that II was rounded
with high palisade, an over that was tall
matched roofs an paln-trees, an standard
poles. On t'other side we Strove to hit
the road, but couldn't find the track But
u creek was struck, an there agin we
.. found lie" but not 80 free as before. Up
the bank we went along some way until
reaching a lot of plantain patches an
thatch-built nuts, which | guess were the
town farms, but only used when the fruit
crop was gathered. for, though we didn't
20 near them. there was no :. sign" " about
Next night we struck another road, an
travelling over it, was mighty near caught
by a late Indian. | was Just staggering at
some Joke Of Segurs, when voices was
heerd in front. To get out was impossi-
bile, for it CHANGED that the wood was thin
there, an our figures must have been seen
on the ridge, 50 we dropped along in the
black shadow, squeezing to the bank.
They came on. two men, talking loud, an,
as it seemed to Us. drunk. One of EN-
stumbled over my head, giving me a kick
I ike 4 horse. but the other laughed an
they passed on. poor cusses, never knowing
now near they'd been to their last kick in
this worlds shoes. Better watch was kept
after that.
50 thing, went for fortnight We used
the road as far as was safe an passed one
or two towns much like the first, 50 fur as
could be seen One morning. mind that
/ lay well-we was tramping along YEARLY
enough, for our belts was heavy with gold
said Seeur to me We must be nigh the
Frio hos, There's big travel over them
.uperliue roads, an the Cold River can't
be far away, | take it." He'd scarce
/ finished. when he shot slash into the water,
right oycrhcad an when | fished him out
an prospectcd through the bushes, we
I found ourselves on the bank Of slow
muddy stream, some sixty yards across.
-- That the frio." said | did you find
it cold. old man IN then we went TO
sleep, cheerier than since leaving San
! Carlos.
That afternoon we prospected all round,
an found the dust in bucketfuls . If this
toes on 80. says Segur, . well need a con-
tract and bcllcart 70 carry the plunder.'
/ Every cup gave big pay, an in twenty
I four hours we'd most more than could be
slowed Our buttons bust one by one, we
were that proud But at dawn, in round
ing little bend, we came suddenly upon
an Indian fishing \ fine tall fellow he
were: six feet high, light-colored, an
handsome, with head Of long black hair,
that hung down his back like a horse-tail-
Comanche chief, by Thunder :" muttered
>iegur; an he did look just that. lie stood
upon "a little raft, stark naked, with tigers
skin between his feet
Before we'd got over the start, the Indian
dropped his spear, an snatched bow from
the raft. pointing a five-toot arrow at me.
Scgur dropped him slick, an he fell into
the water,
But we were badly scared I've seen
many buck an I've fought free over
most prairas, but such pluck that Qua
tuso'- never see. It's time to track
out hoss. with the plunder,' said Segur.
:. They call this Cold River but its too
hot for our CONSTRUCTION. Guess We'll
make that dug-out now quick time" So
We found likely tree, dropped it, an set
it a-burning, an meantime washed gold.
At the end Of fortnight we launched the
craft, an driftcd down stream. Queer
things [ saw on that wage, though it was
but seven days long. The banks were
thick with plantains an here and there
was little hut, built of three poles like
} dOg-kcnne. There was deep-cut roads,
too, that opened on the river, an at every
; such wharf, if one may call 'em so, ferry
: raft was moored. Maybe you've seen
! Guatuso boat, sir; they find 'em on the
: lake sometimes, an floating down the San
Juan. 1t is ID raft made of two boughs
tied fast together with ratans, an about
hn fpcn