Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1889-12-28

night, an awning covered vteA dheet-tgeA
and whitewashed was carried ever 10
entire length d the deck, the Gmeke-
! stack alone rising through it. Wide shut
| ters of white iron closed in the sides. %
| that the entire deck could be converted
into single, long room, at will
By night this suf6ced admirably to keep
out both Wild beasts-when the little
craft was moored to the bsnk-and hos
tile natives. Nothing could get aboard,
save, perhaps, at the small, hinged win
dows. one or two of which were generally
left open for ventilation.
This odd deck.house worked SO well
that the voyagers did not often feel it
| necessary to do guard duty by night,
being assured that the noise of an attack
| outside their iron shield would rouse
them in time to repel the assailants.
The engine was constructed to burn
wood instead Of coal. The party and
crew consisted Of Mr.. Marin and fell
low-e1plorer, Mr.. G. p. Luth, an Ameri-
can engineer, hired in Buenos Ayres,
whose name was Sacket, q cook called
Lugar, and two gauchos Of the cowboy
stamp, natives of Rosario in the Argen-
fine country. These latter were wood
| cutters, fremen, and men Of all work to
the party.
| The launch left Asuncion on the Sec
ond day of December, which, in the
southern hemisphere, corresponds to
June with us. On the day before Christ
mas, after various experiences, the party
reached the foot of what Mr.. Marin terms
the Third Rapids Of the Pilcomayo,
| which, however, the water being slack,
the little craft was able to surmount, by
the aid of a line and an improvised wind
lass, for few hundred feet of the most
rapid current.
The day before Christmas was thus en-
ployed; and late that evening they tied
up in the shadow of some lofty msnau-
ma nut trees, to the bank above the
rapids, all being much fatigued from the
| hard labor.
The night was warm and there was
bright moon, the silvery radiance from
which fell through the foliage of the
branches of the giant tree which pro.
jected out over the water. No Indians
had shown themselves during the day,
and after hearty meal the tired explor-
ers turned in, their arms, as usual, being
set ready for instant use both fore and
aft.
ave soon fell sound asleep" Mr.. Marin
relates, Into that overpowering slumber
| which comes from heavy til, and will
| hold person in its embrace for ten hours
without waking. But not long after mid
| night I was reused by an indefinite kind
of noise which at first thought was made
| by the wind causing q branch to scrape
| the top of our iron cover.
Il was about DOING off again when
considerable bump. as Of something fall
ing on the shield overhead, set me broad
awake.
my companions did not waken, how
ever. I thought that it might be some
small wild animal that had either fallen
or leaped out of the branches which over
hung the boat, and SO lay still, listening,
for some moments. thinking, too, what
An odd Christmas Eve it was and how
different from anything had ever pre-
viously experienced.
Shortly after, heard curious inter-
mittent rustic and stir of the trees, which
knew could not be due to the wind; yet
it sounded as though one or more large
branches were swaying heavily. That
puma was in the treetops over US, was my
first surmise; and rising quietly from my
bunk, I took up my gun and then peeped
cautiously out at the window-ight which
was swung half back, to admit air. But
could distinguish nothing, and suppos-
ing that it was probably sloth or a wild
cat, lay down again.
Il had scarcely taken a reclining pos
| ture, however. when there was a heavy
splash in the water, on the opposite side
| of the boat; and few moments Liter the
little craft tipped perceptibly to that side,
as If very heavy man had stepped sud-
| denly aboard.
Immediately, too, I heard a grating,
scraping noise. which began on the side
of the boat near the guards, and passed
over the iron sheeting of the cover as if
big hawser was being hauled athwart
us. The sound walked Mr.. Luth, who
started suddenly from sleep into sitting
position.
Owing to the moonlight it was not
very dark. He paused moment, then
saw me sitting up. and whispered, What's
going on outsider
Don't know I said. Santa Claus.
perhaps: hard Shedding in this countryv
"The scraping, grinding sound moved
forward
It's Indians, 1 believe muttered
Luth, trying to get big line on us, and
haul us ashorev
Improbable as this idea was, there was
yet something in the strange, grating
noise that strongly suggested 1T. l heard
Sackett, or some of the others who had
their hunks farther forward, rouse up, as
II to listen. Then the sound moved aft
again.
-Luth reached for his gun and then
stepped to the window, but instantly
started back with an exclamation of as
constituent or alarm, and saw what
took for an Indians head and neck ap-
pear in the moonlit aperture, as if trying
to look in.
Il heard Luths gun-cocks click, and
| whispered, Don't shoot for T tbonoht
possibly this Indian is only peepine about
for mere curiosity.
Don't shoot! sneered Luth. Then
shoot, yourself. and be quick! Why,
Marin, don't you see that tbs tremend-
GUS serpent?'
Before his words were articulated, the
creatures head was thrust in at the little
window, darkening it. With that We
both raised our pieces and fred, and
then by mutual impulse ran around the
engine to the forward end of the boat.