, 1888-06-03

to bay by dogs. Then, as our little party
experienced in good time, it becomes q
sort OF bowling, concrete whirlwind filled
with fire and set with fangs.
During the first day OF our excursion
our quest was rewarded with nothing in
the shape of deep wood sights or tenantry
though the very earth seemed filed with
songs and calls OF negritos, mayitos, cab.
reros, z~orales, %totises, chinchinguacos, sol
vlroS, ploreras, ~savaneros, canaries and
hooking birds, which frequent the more
open districts and plantation trees and
hedges; but as we neared the denser tor,
ests, along towards nightfall, we came
upon a little settlement of people well
worth going a long distance to know.
These were the Cuban ~carboneros or char.
coal burners. As all of the cooking, and
much OF the manufacturing requiring heat
In the Cuban cities, are done with char.
coal, charcoal burning provide a sort of a
livelihood for a small and picturesque
class, who fell timber and burn charcoal at
will in the countless island forests.
These carboneros comprise some queer
people. Most of them are inoffensive
and hospitable; but many are refugees
from the late revolution, for the Spanish
soldlery deem 1t wise not to disturb any.
body IN these almost inaccessible haunts.
80, aside from insurgent refugees, in
nearly every carbOnero's camp, will also
be found, If you happen to be in company
with those whose sympathies are with a
certain flag which waved defiance to the
hated Spanish red and gold over the
blood swept fields of Camaguay, here and
there a noted bandit who could never be
taken from among his swarthy friends. |
found other than these of interest. They
were gltanos or genuine Spanish Gypsies,
who, forming more than one half of the
grimy settlement, lived, and labored and
loved in these matchless forests, all UNI
known as Gypsies among their Cuban
brethren.
Our party was known, and we were re-
celved with every manifestation Of de-
light. The best cabin was set aside for
us, our horses were tethered and cared
for, water was brought from a cool re-
pressa or spring for washing in ponderous
ewers, cheap wine, aguirdiente and tobac-
co In extraordinary quantities we're pro-
vided; queer, big eyed and half naked
muchacos and ninas gathered about us;
lookok, wondered, and with silvery bursts
OF laughter fled TO their mothers or the
forests for recovery; a supper of such
proportions, variety and grotesqueness
was provided as never before greeted the
eyes Of civilized man, and during the long
evenings these half wild, happy hearted
men and wOmen-the latter digging out
of old corners of shadowy old cabins
many a bauble and bit of fnery for the
unusual occasion-danced for us and with
us, upon the gTimy smooth worn ground,
such hilarious zapateous, such outlandish
Habaneras and such grotesque landau
goes as 10 fervid pen can describe or V
lax moralis Is approve.
1t was a Gypsy scene indeed, lacking
only the hooded tents and the circling
huddled wagons, for here and there the
charcoal fires fared as Gypsy camp fires
do; mYriads Of %fireflies wove warp and
wool of gold across the dark outline of
the iunglcs, half n hundred swarthy
forms whirled in the half lights and
shadows, and the glowing stars, puls.ng
in their tropic fires, shone through the
weird, dark plumes of tropic verdure
above.
The next morning, after coffee" at the
carboneros camp, we set out at a very
early hour. We had reached the San
Juan river, and following its course for a
rapid rid for a dozen or more miles came
to a series of wide, low bayous or logoons,
which set back from the river in some
places for miles. These were filed with
all manner Of luxuriant tropical yegeta.
ton, and reeds similar to those from
which the Guines valley takes its name,
lnterspersed at intervals with stretches OF
wild cane. Here and there great drifts
OF moss chung from limbs of gigantic
trees to the very surface of the still
lagoons.
The silence of the locality was some,
thing wonderful. Strange birds witt
long, gaunt bodies and trailing legs, cir
cled dolorously above. Not a ripple
broke upon the surface of the Shiny bay.
GUS. The reeds were straight and still.
The gray moss was motionless in the
shadows. The dogs kept close to our
horses heels, and when we halted and
tied the latter, crouched close and silent
beside them. | had noticed Jose at work
upon some old pieces of blackened can
vas. When We |dismounted he removed
his sombrero and put one of these upon
his head, placing others in the waist of
his loose blouse.
Come" said Don Manuel, I'VE will
show you how harmless ~alligators are
when you know them, and what a simple
thing it is for Cubans to kill them!'
Moving stealthily along the edge of the
lagoon We suddenly heard here, there,
beyond, and again as if all about us,
heavy splashes into the water, and the
quick parting and subsequent trembling of
countless swarths of reeds showed where
unweildy objects had made startled pas
sages. We were among a school of ALI
gators. How many2 well may be
several thousand within a square mile!'
answered the Don complacently. Jose
had a tremendous guabrahaca dumped
stick as large, almost as heavy and quite
as strong as a crowbar in his hand. At a
word from Don Manuel he glided forward
and flung himself in a reclining posture
on a firm bit of ground perhaps fifty feet
from the edge of the lagoon, while the
Don and myself hid in the edge of the
jungle.
An almost uncomfortable silence of per-
haps half an hour ensued. Then gentle
splashings among the reeds were heard.
These were shortly followed by many soft
half whistled gruntings. Directly the
heads of two alligators parted the reeds
near where Jose lay m~otionless. For a
time these were almost m~otionless as an
Oriental study in bronze. Then the