Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-03-16
4 Lively Taic of Adventure.
From the New York SUM-

From the New York SUM-
The Colonel said:
We rode for several hours straight from
the shore toward the heart of the island.
The sun was low in the western sky when
we left the SHY Neither on the water nor
on the land had we felt breath of fresh
air stirring. Over the low range of hills
miles away i'll the interior hung few
copper-coiored clouds. Wind" said
Brierv, kilooa shook his head
Vegetation of all kinds showed the eff
fects of the long continued drought. The
eye wandered without relief from the
slckly russell of the underground, So dry
in places that leaves and stems cracked
under the horses feet, to the yellow
brown of the thirsty trees that skirted
the bride path. No growing thing was
seen except the bclltop cactus, fit to
flourish in the crater Of II living volcano.
kilooa leaned over in the saddle and
tore from ona these plants its top, as big
MS California pear and bloated with
juice. He crushed the bell i'll his fist,
and, turning, flung into our hot faces a
few grateful drops of water.
Then the guide began to talk rapidly
i'll lis language of NOVELS and liquids.
Briery translated for my benefit.
The god Lalala loved n woman Of the
island. He came in the form of fire.
She, accustomed to the ordinary temper
AZURE Of the cline, only shivcred before
his approaches. Then he wooei her as
II SHOWER of rain and won herhoa kakal
was IL divinity much more powerful than
Lalala, but malicious to the last decree.
He coveted this woman, who was very
beautiful. Kakal's opportunities were III
vain. In spite, he changed her to n cac-
tus, and rooted her to the ground undei
the burning sun. The god IElala was
powerloss to avert this vengeance but
he took up his abode with the cactus wo.
man, still in the form of rain shower
and never left her, even in the driest sea
sons. Thus it happens that the belltoI
cactus is IN unfailinS reservoir of pure
cool water
Long after dark we reached the chan
mel of vanished stream. and Kilooa lee
us for several miles along its dry bed
We We're exceedingly tired when the
guide babe lis dismount, A hundred
yards Of scrambling, and we came to {
poor matched hut. The savage raiset
both hauds above his head and uttered {
musical falsetto. not unlike the yode
peculiar to the Valais. This call brough
out the occupant OF the hut, upon whom
Briery flashed the light of his lantern. I
was an an old woman, hideous beyond thu
imagination of a dyspeptic's dream.
"Omanana gelaal y exclaimed Kilooa
"Hail, holy woman, " translated Briery
Between Kilooa aud the holy nag Their,
ensued long colloquy. respectful on hi
part, sententious and impatient on hers
Briery listend with eager attention. Sew
cral times he clutched my arm, as i
unable to repress his anxiety. The wo
man seemed to be persuaded by Kilooa'
arguments, or won by his entreaties. A
last she pointed toward the southeast
slowly pronouncing few words that ar
parently satisfied my companions.
The direction indicated by the hol
woman was still toward the hills, bu
twenty or thirty degrees to the left of til
general course which we had pursue
since leaving the shore.
"Push on ! push on " cried Briery
1--WE can afford to lose no time
We rode all night At sunrise ther
was pause of hardly 10 minutes for tn
scanty breakfast supplied by Our havel
sacks. Then we were again in the saddle
making orr way through thicket thG
grew more and more difficult, and undo
n sun that grew hotter
"Perhaps," | remarked finally to m
taciturn friend, "you have no objectio
to telling me now why two civilized be
ings and one amiable savage should b
plunging through is Internal jungle, as
they wcro on an errand of life {
death q
eyes, he said, lit is best you shoul
know"
Briery produced from an inner breai
pocket letter which had been read an
re-rend until it was worn in the crease
"This," he went on, sis from Professc
Quakversuch Of the University of UpsalI
1t reached me at Valparaiso"
CHANGING cautiously around as if
feared tina. every tree fern i'll that tropic'
wilderness was mn eavesdropp5r, or thu
the hoodlike spathes of the giant cali
dums overhead were cars waiting
drink in some mighty secret of science
Briery read in low voice from the lettt
of the great Swedish botanist
"You will have in those islands," wrot
the Professor, "a rare opportunity to il
vestigate certain extraordinary accoun
given me years ago by the Jesuit mi
sionary Buteaux concerning the Migr
tory Tree, the ecreus ragrans of Jai
senus and other speculative physiol
gists.
''The explorer Spohr claims to ha,
beheld it but there is reason, as va
know, for accepting all of Spohr's stat
ments with caution.
"Ihat is not the case with the asse
tions of my late valued correspondent
the Jesuit missionary. Father Butear
was learned botanist, an accurate o.
server, and most pious and conscientior
man. He never saw the Migratory Tree
but during the long period OF his labo