Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-07-21

A Bat.

One more bat is flying through my head.
in the train Of those have already spoken
of;-but this last one is immense. it be-
species which inhabits those regions of the
earth where it is always warm
| used to know upon the coast of Guinea
an old pirate called Father Barez- q was
then twenty-three wears old. and had al
ready visited the five quarters of the
worldly
A very bizarre old man was Father
Barez and well known in all the factories
along the coast-a type which has now
ceased to exist mulatto originally from
God knows where-ex-pirate and SLAYER
selling as soon as he was tired Of them, his
negresses together with their children (his
own off spring. to the highest bidder, all
a, the same time Trading in everything,
and always duping the purchaser.
Otherwise he was right good fellow.
He would often show his white teeth in a
hearty laugh, and say: MY friends.
when swallow my boathook lie. ''die')
can at least say that l have had fine
time in my day. And it was true he
had lived the eccentric and furious life of
the old pirates: he had even had his hour
OF fortune and of splendor; and in some
out-of-the-way part of the Mandingo coun-
try there were long visible the remains OF
fantastic palace he had had built for the
purpose of giving extraordinary entertain
ments.
Having turned hermit in his old days,
he had managed to obtain from the French
government the command of the Pongo
river And he filled the duties of the
position admirably, thanks to the alliances
he had made in other years with the black
chiefs he was just the man for that
place.
One day news came that Father Barez
was dead; and we fastened at once to the
Pongo river region. which bad, immed-
lately upon the old mans decease, be-
came a prey to faction and anarchy.
When we arrived, the cabin of the old
pirate, slumbering under the shadows OF
huge exotic trees, was bolted and barred
none had entered therein since the dead
had been carried forth. and they were
waiting tor us to make the division of the
property.
When the door was opened, there es-
capped from within a concentrated heat, an
irrespirable air. Extraordinary objects
were scattered all about in sinister confu-
sion, and hanging to the wall was great
reddish-b'own bat, sleeping with its head
downward as it is the custom Of bats to
do. 1t woke up in terror on seeing the
light and extending its naked wings, flew
here and there with all its might, knock
ing itself madly against every object in
its way.
A terrified Breton sailor struck it down
with stick, saying:
That is the old mans soul ~
And | forthwith shared the brave fel.
lows opinion lit must indeed have been
the old mans soul unable to rise toward
the sky it had returned under hideous
shape to cling against the cabin wall.
That ereat bat is still in my possession
i keep it at home in certain cabinet
devoted to the preservation of all sorts
of incredible things. and to the stuffed
souvenirs of my travels through the world
1t is preserved in a jar of spirits of wine
wherein it floats with head awry. and
tongue protruding and inasmuch as it
is not nice thing to look at, | have part
ly concealed it behind stuffed caiman
On the jar there is a label, somewhat fad
ed and yellow by dint of long sea-voyag.
ing; but hereon may still be read the
words-''Soul of Father BareZ''
During his lifetime the old SLAYER had
been won't to declare that the devil would
inherit his soul. He was mistaken; il
was who got it at last