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

H'i W VuueClousnees were unaValling,
until a three-year old boy, naked and
shaPely as a bronze Cupid, came toddling
out OF the thicket. At the sight of her
/ PROSTATE figure he threw himself upon
1t, screaming:
Mamma mammal
The piercing voice of the child ef
iected what all our attentions had failed
10 do Anita opened her ewes, gasped
TO life.
My husband - she cried in a broken
voice, clutching the old woman hy the
wrist, as she bent over her. "Vincente
Where Is heG What has happened to
him. ."
The twelfth victim" grumbled the
old crone, dwelling on the number with
that species of hideous satisfaction her
class always takes in the horrible and
the revolving. "El Cebado is living
well. The twelfth one he has eaten in
six months"
And the last he ever will eatW ex-
claimed the beautiful Indian, bounding
To her feet with a hoarse cry, like the
dangerous snarl of an angry beast.
But, Anita, | cried, seiEing her arm, ,
what are you going TO do?"
TO avenge my husband" she re-
sponded, glaring at me with eyes that
fairly blazed. "Csramba, senior. let
me 60"
And wrenching herself free, she
caught up the child in one arm, and her
free hand seized a long, iron-shod staff
which | used in my mountain climbing.
! knew the spirit of her race too well
to oppose her, and hurrying into the
cabin, seized my rife and ran out again.
buckling on the belt which supported
my machete and revolver. Brief IA nv
absence had been, she was already hun
dred yards away, bounding over the
beach like a greyhound, in spite Of the
by no means despicable weight OF the
boy whom she had perched upon her
shoulder
Weak as ! was from my late fever I
could not keep pace with her In pros
eouting the survey of the coast on which
was employed, we had cut rude path
through the tangle of brushwood and
virgin forest that ended only at the
beach, in order TO avoid making a long
and useless detour about a rocky point
Down this path she plunged, tearing her
feet on the therny ground, crushing, as
she ran, innumerable of the blue backed
crabs which, at morning and evening.
swarm out of their burrows in countless
numbers. Even had / not been able TO
keep her in sight, could have traced
her by her bloody footprints and the
massacred crustaceans on the ground.
But did rot lose sight of her. When
] reached the end of the path, and
emerged on the broad bank beyond
which the Culebra River rolled it's vel
low waters swiftly and silently into the
sea, she was standing on the verge of the
stream, loOsening the sash from her
waist. 1t was at the ford which crossed
the river here that Fl Cebado, the
dreaded man-eating alligator, had been
for the past year lying in wait for prey.
His favorite haunt was a sand bank
which rose from the middle Of the river,
and even as | looked in that direction
commotion disturbed the quiet food,
and the monster himself numbered out
upon the bar He was, indeed, a hideous
brute. An alligator of the largest size,
so old that his horny hide was covered
with shelly parasites, and dripping with
mud and water; he was a revolving ap-
partition, enough to inspire the most in
trepid heart with terror. There were a
couple of cranes stalking about on the
strand when he emerged from the river.
At sight of them his vast and savage
jaws opened and closed again, the fierce
teeth coming together with crash, like
the springing of bear trap. and the
birds flew away, uttering harsh cries Of
alarm.
AT this noise, Anita, who, with 70.
teeth and rigid face, had been staring
into the river at her feet, looked up.
She saw the monster, and uttered saw
age exclamation. Leaping forward
snatched the child from her shoulder,
and seized her wrist just as she al
lowed her chemise TO fall about her
ankles, and prepared to plunge into the
water.
The peon, in spite of his fatigue and
terror, had followed me, and / threw the
child 70 him. The youngster, who evi-
IDENTIFY regarded the entire proceeding
as a treat got up for his special benefit
began TO bawl at being taken from his
mother.
Garry the child back at once, An
tome" ] commanded. az will see TO
the mother"
BueDor, senor," was the response,
and the fellow hurried off,
Now then, Anita" / continued,
" come with me. Follow your child
home rather than your husband 10
death"
The girl turned on me two eyes like
glo wing Goals, and shook the staff, which
she clutched as II in fear that ! would
wrest IT from her, at the alligator.
Never May God strike me dead.
senior, If do not kill III Cebado first"
she replied, hOarsely.
What nonsense" ! expostulated
How can you hope TO-"
Before ! could finish the sentence. she
took advantage Of momentary relaxa.
ton OF vigilance on my part, slipped
from my lOosened grasp, and in second
more was swimming out into the river
She reached the bar before / had
hauled my boots Of, and rose out Of the
tawny food dripping like an Indian
Venus newly born.
Her passion had rendered her utterly
insensible to fear AS she appeared on
the bank the alligator, startied-as is
always the case with his species when
out Of their native element-by the sud
den appearance Of human figure
made a dash for the water on the other
side. She cleared the distance between
rrraN D. 90