Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-09-11
aaliseellauu.
Camp NOteS.-IndiOS Braves. d.

BeasIey, you fell in with the Guatusos
once didn't you? Frazer spoke of it the
other night"
p. | did so. Likewise fell out with one
Of EN-, kerslash, sharp as a Yankee girl
with toothache Now, look We here
Double Dutch. I'm bound to shoot when
riled, an that's considered friendly in a
general way; 50 don't you put in any OF
your burned pepper-sauce, because this
story allurs roughs my skin.
" Frazer told you all about Santa Rosa.
an how we split up after all that awaken
ing | cottoned to four others. all good
men, an We made merry track for the
San Carlos, which was reached safe enough
but nary speckIe Of gold did we find on the
way The night before starting down, |
said: See mere how this is. bows! I'm
not going back to Walker with neither
seal ps nor plunder-not for shame's sake
There's gold here somewheres, an I'm
bound to have my lot in this universe
wherever there's lot to be had Now.
ask no man to follow-we're all free Ran
GERS [ take it-but tomorrow morning |
shall start for the Rio Frio; an them Who
don't notion that voyage, can 20 down the
San Carlos, an | hope they'll arrive safe
to pray for me.''-
Wait Il moment | interrupted.
Heres a map. Let's see exactly where
we are"
I learned my geography mostly on nv
two legs said Beasley, :. but it, mighty
easy to understand this. Here's the broad
San Juan running from the Lake Of Nicar-
qua to Grcytown. Going up that stream
from the Atlantic, the first fair-sized river
one comes across on the Costa Rican bank
is the Serebpiqui here; forty miles above
that j. the san Carlos, an there isn't an
other a. far a~ the lake, YOU see But op-
pO,itc Fort san Carlos here-nothing to do
with the river Of like name. mind YER
about three hundred yards from the spot
Wheir the biz San Juan flows out Of the
IKE, IS marked the mouth Of large river
allied the Frio, flowing into it. You'll
note that the genius who made this map
gu' he did mab-e it too, every bit Of it
has given the full windings Of the Frio.
marked the mountains an all other pretty
things, but over the whole l. scored :. ut
terlv unexplored." which Is nigh the only
truth in his pictur All the land from the
Ncrivalle, Mountains to the San Carlos,
ay. an a. fur as Greytown on the other
bank, they say. Is inhabited by drive OF
- ludioS bravoS." called Guatusos +" by
thc Greasers, an '' Pranzos" by the King
men, No one knows aught about them.
for they're quiet enough If left alone but
there they squat half acros, the continent
free a. Irishmen at elcction-timc. blocking
the Atlantic coast an the San Juan. an
playing etarnal destiny with all the parties
that have been sent aginst them. Now
vou See how the land lay to us from the
u,HelIe of the San Carlos"
=. But why DO YOU notion there's diggins
ou the Frio. Pike p" asked Vansten
Wal, I've not studied muchlv, yer see.
through being born strong an clever, but
] hear tell that tine Conquisadores found
the bullion here in piles like nat'ral eleva-
tons The Indians ate an drank an slept
on gold an Jewels likewise, an | want 10
know where that metal came from Not
from Chontale~-for there's no washing>
there. at least not known, an nary sign OF
Indian mining not from Scgoyia-tor
those diggins scarcely pay for wasted
water not from any part Of Nicaragua
tl''t II ltlNf-tlN tsiNt III Dttii. 4AVHA -'At1-
quito; so where did it come from? Can
you tell me that, boy? | say that it came
from the Frio. an that I'll kinder prove
r We had a long talk that night, quite
friendly, but three OF the party would not
take the woods Seglr jumped up when
first | spoke, saying: - I'm with yer, lem,
to make 70 pile or lose scalp r" Next
day. the other thrcc-good men they was
started down the river on a little raft,
after givin. us all their spare cartridges
an q machete We watched them round
the reach an then tracked off to the north
west
The woods was tall an close as if
they'd not been fired since Indian times,
hun the sun eIinted through the tree-tops
with that bright glare only seen in the lake
forests. There i- greenish sort Of twi-
light under shadow Of the trees in some
parts, but round the Lake Of Nicaragua
the air Is allurs white an clustering. Eh,
sir. what can home-staying folk know of
real excitement Some there is among
them who lose breath at sight Of a stinking
newspaper: others get powerful nervous
on catchin. Il glimpse Of white shoulders
an scented trocks; but the blood Of
true man rises hottest an quickest in the
dazzling shade Of an Indian wood, where.
a~ he knows we'll, every bush may hold an
enemy, where, from minute to minute, the
yellow skin an shining eyes Of savage
may rise suddintIv 10 his sight in the
bright silent sunlight Night brings no
stupid letharey to him. In the white
moonbeams or the ebony shadow, his enc
my must be watched, for the game has life
TOR it, stake. an allurs, alurs the chances
or the cards are aein the civilized man !.
Mind yer, don't say a. the excitement
amt Just IeetIc too neat" TO be whole
some drinking sometimes.
But Segur was as good friend as
could he wished for the Indian trail
strong a. grisly, hearty q jaguar, an
square all ways like yard O wall. We
travelled warily for three days, an then a
little creek was crossed, where we washed
the mud there was gold at the bottom of
the cup n much as would cover dime.
Id never seen such prospecting as that,
barring one or two claims at old Washo.
We stayed there four days to make taSajo
from the flesh Of cimaron [ shot, an then
pressed on agin, skeary that the Pranzos
should see our smoke an sign. At that
creek. | mind seeing a fight between a
black snake an a rattler which were pretty
TO intelligent bystanders.
Fust day after leaving that prospect,
we crossed "a track, shod, but with toes
inturned like Indian. Can you tell me-
sir, why all savages turn their toes inward
while we turn EN- out? They do it, every
race Of EN-. but the Lord alone knows