The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-12-18

entire length or the Jack, the smoke
stack alone rising through it. Wiae shut
tiers of white iron closed in the sides, so
that the entire deck could be converted
into a single, long room. at will.
by night this sufficed admirably to keep
out both wild beasts-when the little
craft was moored to the bauk-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 we'll
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
crew consisted of Mr.. Marin and fell
low-explorer, Mr.. G. Z. Luth, an Ameri-
can engineer, hired in Buenos Ayres,
whose name was Sacket a cook called
Lugar, and two gauchos of the cowboy
stamp, natives of Rosar in the Argen-
tine country. These latter were wood
cutters, tiremen, 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
uuS Win Ou udy DelOIo tnIlsb
mas, after various experiences, the party
reached the foot of what Mr.. Marin terms
the Third Rapids of the Pilcom1yo,
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 ed
up in the shadow of some lofty manau-
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, fheir arms. as usual, being
set ready for instant use botk fore and
aft
I'VE soon fell sound asleep, Mr. Marin
relates, into that overpo WeriHg slum Der
which comes from heavy toll, aud will
hold a person in its embrace Tor ten hours
without waking. But not ieng after mid
night l was reused by an indefinite nd
OF noise which l at first thou ght was made
ny lHo Nluu CAUSING u UIGECu 10 SCRAP ,
the top of our iron cover.
L was about doing OF sgain when a
considerable bump. as of sc netting fail
ing on the shield overhead, set me broad
awake.
My companions did net waken, how
ever Thought that it might be me
small valid animal that lad either fallen
or leaped out of the bran hes which over
hung the boat, and SO day still, listening,
for some moments. thinking, too, what
an odd Christmas Eve 1t was and how
different from anything l had ever pre-
viouslyvexperienced
Shortly after, l heard a curious inter
mitten. rustic and stir ,of the trees, which
l knew could not be due to the wind; yet
1t sounded as though 'one or moro large
branches were swayiGg heavily. That n
| puma was in the tree5qDS over us, was my
first srrmise; and rising quietly f,om my
bunk, took up my gun and then Ioeeped
| cautiously out at the window light which
was swung half back, to admit air. But
/ could distinguish nothing, andtuppos-
ing that it was probably a sloth or a wild
cat, llay down az lin.
-I,Ead scarcely taken a reclining pos
ture, elowever. when there was a heavy
| splash IN the water C n the opposite side
of the boat; and a few moments ter the
llbAlc ait tilDtu Hti'fSD llOlN 10 lthI hluc,
as if,e very heavy man had stepped sud-
| denly aboard.
Immediately, too, j heard grating,
scraping noise, which began on che side
of the boat near the guards, and passed
,oyertte iron sheetinC of the cover as if
a big hawser was being hauled athwart
us. The sound walked Mr.. Luth, who
started suddenly FROM sleep intoe. sitting
position.
Owing to the moonlight it ,Syas not
very da-k. He pausa6 momeT t, then
saw me sitting mp. anS whispered, What's
| goingc outsider
| Don't know I said. Santa Claus,
\ perhaps; hard Shedding in this coCntry!
/ "The-scraping, grinding sound moved
, forward
! It's Indians, iieelieve. m1ttered
! Luth, tying 10 get big line on as, and
haul us sshorer
"ImprCb able as this idea was, there was
vet something in the strange, grating
noise tina. strongly suggested 1t. l heard
SaGkett, ior some of the others wko had
their hunks farther forward rouse Cp, as
l. to listen. Then he,gound moved aft
again.
Luth reached for his gun and then
stepped to the window, but instontly
started back with an exclamation of as
| PUNISHMENT or alarm, and i saw WHAT
took for an Indians head and neck APP
pear in the moonlit aperture, as if trying
to look in.
e heard Luth's gun-c0cG,s click, and
whispered, Don't shoot for thought,
possibly this Indian is only peeping abe ut
TOR mere curie Sity.
Don't shontv sneered Luth. Then
shoot, yourself. and be 9uickl Why,
Marin, don't you see that It's tremenG-
Gus serpentY'
Before his words were artGculated, the
creatures head gas thrust in at the little
windog, darkening it. With that we
both raised our pieces and fred, and
then by mutual impulse ran around the
engine Go the forward end of the boat.
\ Sackett was trying to light hts lantern;
4 while the two gauchos, crying out,
"Cuebrss culebra grandeI (suakel big
! snakeD threw down one of the 0hutters,
and jumped into the water waded ashore
/ followed by Lugar, tke cook.
Indeed, we were not a little inelin ed
60 do the same thing, for from the rack ct
att it was evident that the reptile was
aboard us, aud tumbling about amid our
hunks, and whether our shots had dis =
abled it, we could only snrmise, 1t was
thrsshing around, and its tail banged
against the engine repeatedly.