West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-01-18
THE MAN-EATER.

1t was about five o'clock in the even.
ing. The sun famed fiercely as if il
intended TO fire my palm-thatched cabin
with its last red rays. The Caribbean.
dyed scarlet by the reflection of .he
clOudless crimson heavens, broke i'm
lazy swells on the hard strand. Great
pelicans and noisy gulls skinned the
sluggish rollers of this ocean of blood
The cicadas among the bushes behind
the hut redoubled their long strident
cries. Swarms of mosquitoes and gnats
danced like notes in the bands of light
that found their way through the inter
stices of the foliage The hot and
breathless air was refracted tenfold
hotter from the cleaning sand. Every
where, in short, in earth, air and sky,
the genius Of endless summer held full
sway.
Lolling in my hammock with pendant
legs, and cigar between my teeth, !
idly awaited the return Of my two hunt
eTs from an expedition into the
mountains, which my regular BIZ
weekly attack Of fever had prevented
me from joining in. In front of the
cabin withercd Indian woman was
beating an omelette Of turtle eggs up in
Oalabash with a wooden spoon. occa-
sionally interrupting that work TO turn
turtilla, "A hammock of cracked corn,
that was browning on q fat stone in the
middle OF a fire Of red Goals, or 10 take
few puffs at long, slender roll of to-
bacco which she each time replaced
like lead pencil, behind her ear.
Squatting like q cat in the warm ashes
beside her was a little naked girl, her
grandcbild, VINO had lust returned from
fua ho H., A
the river. She, too, smoked, but gravely
and silently, while her grandame kept
mp running fire Of scolding at her for
some trivial ohense.
Suddenly this restful picture was dis
turbed. a rapid shadow passed before
the group, leaving in the air train of
doleful cries. The old woman started TO
her feet with shrill oath in her mOngrel
Spanish, the little girl uttered a scream,
and, springing from my hammock, / con
fronted the peOn and companion Of Vim
eente, my hunter-in-chief.
What is the matter now|' / de
manded. " What brings you here ?
Where Is Vincente|
Dead ~ gasped the fellow, who was
trembling with fatigue, and 20 bathed in
perspiration that he might have risen
out Of the sea. " Dead ~
Dead" shrieked woman's voice
behind me. Jesus Maria DeadY
III Cebado," returned the peon, in a
voice that was scarcely audible " For
the love Of heaven give mea drink Of
WfterW
The little girl hurried away for the
wlter, while the grandmother erowled
between her teeth So 10 Another.
0h2 The old cayman mus be getting
fat. This is now the twelfth human
being he has devoured" "
Until now the woman who had re-
piled with such emotion 10 the peon' n
nrst speech had stood motionless. like
one stricken by thunder-bolt. At the
bid wOmans last words she threw up
her hands and fell seuselcs,, with a sin
gle low, sObbing cry.
She was Anita the wife Of nv hunter
% young Indian Of at most seventeen
slight and graceful as panther. with
skin like new bronze, smooth az velvet
and firm as amber Her long black
hair was arranged after fashion com
mon alike 20 the Central American In
dian and the German peasant women. i'm
two plaits, and ornamented with "a straw
spray of wax white flowers. Her single
garment, 70 Chemise of the soft fiber of
the silk cotton tree was secured at the
Waist with p sash of gaudy Manchester
PRINT. A couple Of strings Of iaguat
and monkey teeth about her neck com
pleted her costume, III costume it cOulc
he called