Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-03-06

the water-accompanied by one or two OF
my men, l would journey inland in
search of the beautiful. Or we would
| drop down the river, cross the bar, and,
! putting out to sea, spend weeks in and
about the numerous lovely little lagoon
islands that lie everywhere near the coast
south of the equator"
Just at this point the seafarer appeared
for time to forget entirely that he had
promised story OF adventure. He let him
self drift, as it were, hither and thither on
the tideway of his recollection; he gave
Memory the tiller-ropes to hold and per-
united her to steer him wheresoever she
pleased.
1t was strange to sit there in semi dark
ness and silence, buried beneath the snow,
on this bitter January night, and listen tc
the graphic description which this stranger
had to give of far off sunny lands, of crys-
talline seas slumbering under MONDAY
heat, and rejecting the blues and puppies
of the skies above them: of coral islands
| fringed with green, that seemed to float
on the liquid horizon; of marine gardens.
| wide and wild, deep down beneath the trans
| lucent waters, where shells of every shade
and color, marvelously painted fishes, and
| creeping things, grotesque and horrible, had
their homes amid foliage forever gently way.
| ing to and fro as if instinct with a mysteri
| ous kind of life; or in groves of sub-oceaniC
| shrubs. whose very stems were opalescent
and their branches and fronds radiant with
more than rainbow beauty: of the broad
| bosomed rivers rolling seward from tho IN.
| teriors: and of the great forest-lopds that
| stretched like an ocean from horizon 10 bori.
zon. silent as the grave by doy. awakening n,
| NIGHT IN shrek of wild bird and hungry ron,
| of lion. II was strange. I saw, to listen 10
descriptions of this kind in such n situation
strange, vet pleasant.
"Tbe first mate of NV little craft. ~ con-
tinued the seafarer. "was n man whom I
had always trusted. Judged physiopnomic.
ally. none would have said that puile lurked
in that handsome, open face Of his. with
its laughing ewes of blue, and fair soft
beard | know now why this fellow played
me false. and all have to say is that if
there be an excuse for such villainy MS he
was guilty Of, Lawson-that was his name
had it.
"Just nj the bend of the River I,amoo
some ninety odd miles from the sea stands
beautiful little Portuguese village and set.
Element. II has its Governors house. its
few white inhabitants. its forti6cation. and
its small detachment of soldiers. The woods
and forests around are constantly scouraJ
by bands of armed Somali Indians. who
bear no Goodwill 10 either Portuguese n,
Enol;sb
"NIy welcome to this little VILLAGE Ind
been n very genuine one, Seated in the
hospitable and almost European-like draw.
inc room of nv friend. Colonel J,ucos. en-
loving quiet game of draughts of an even
mo, or listening TO music his danohter-
who now sits beside us-prcsidin9 nj tbe
niano or accompanying her own song with
The sweet. dreamy notes of the puitar, I
c,nl seldom get myself to believe that we
we're indeed in the center of n savage and
all Int hostile country. II was so. however
Yon had but TO 90 to the ycrando of n NIGHT
to hear the lions roar. AWAY over there in
tIe depth of the gloomy forest. thew lived
and prowled; and, too. on the plains and
hllsides beyond the woods burned the
oo,,,, ,iros ot tina S,i;, ,h,,,os, ,,oool
"ant I,d;, ", hat tha ,ar.h hoidS > u
~ lron, H., VII :" addah
ai na,.,o u, i've =, ,oa,, ,,,ro,, ,,o ,.;ro
e -; ~ os ~ ,,.' f,;oo, ,In' a',a 'i ,',
" i' ., 40 so,an,; .l IN INV H." "i'N
ta, W. nv, Yacht ,"ns laJar ~ Iast ,,;n,
,,.,';,,l, ~ RI al ,n',a,;aiI =, NJ
vi, T - -, Inv "Y ,,,,, ~ CIV ~
,;u'as ,s s',r 10 ba ha"t Eor t,yn ,rhnIa
Years never changed one of NV officer, or
mon
"Teresa has told me since that she used
TO look ont for me and count the DAYS and
hours that must elapsa before the week of
nv probable return. Well. Won know. sir.
I nsrd always to bring her little presents of
plants and flower seeds. the last new books.
and the latest music out
Next to mvs ,lf-dont think me vain in
saving so-Lawson was the most welcome
enest ot Colonel Lucas' bungalow. can.
not even give Lawson the credi. of NOT
knowing the state of nv feelings toward
Teresa. for, indeed. | had made him nv
coptidaut. | treated him almost as a broth
er. and so too did Teresa. He had a differ
ent kind of regard for her. and | dare saw
he came to look upon me as the only barrier
to his hopes and happiness.
II was much surprised one morning, ms.
before setting ont upon long expeditions
inland. to hear Lawson expires, wish to
be.ome one of our party. He was usuallJ
more inclined to cniov the dolce far pirpt1
than ANYTHING approaching to an active life.
| was not sorry to tlke him with me, how
over. He would he company. and. besides.
his servant. or boy. was an excellent cuid,,
~ hnsbm, onl mine n, that time yoS Io;J
mill.
.,uu,. wal, v.;.b w.. Wa h,o,o1 -.,
wen. ".', wv, '1,, many
in, Aa Sa1 S' hathar h,. ; ;',i ou"I,
III 4f.h la,. l'a1 had,, t,l.o, ~! "''s'
80, n i.I" ; ,'.,' oii'