The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-13

uD 20 their heads, crauled out aud Law be-
fore them, right In their track, with my
hands open TO show them that / had no
weapons, and meant no sort OF harm
Il heard afterward that was the first
white man they had ever seen, and that the
sight OF my breaches and shirt gave a terri
bic fright. and they showed II. for no sooner
had the young things wheeled about 70 go
back home with their filed water jars on
their heads, and their eyes full on me, then
with a shrill chorus Of shrisks they dropped
their burdens, and scattered In all dlrec-
lions. excepting mine.
''All but Oviro, the prettiest and tallest;
she had come the closest to me before she
saw me. and whether she was Drawer than
the rest. or that my eye being fixed only on
her held her steady, don't know, but there
she STOOD as II turned into statue, In front
OF me with only a few PAGES between US,
and the forest as II left to ourselves, still
balancing her filed jar on her glossy black
head, the whites of her eyes and teeth
showing out as she stared at me with all her
might.
81 knew that l must make haste before
the other girls brought along the men IL
didn't want spear through my back, so l
spoke to her quickly and softly and told her
that was alone, tired, hungry, thirsty, and
without the means of hurting any one or
even Of taking my own part.
81 saw that she both understood and be-
lieved me after bit, for the fear gradually
left her face, and at last she motioned me to
rise and drink out her jar, which she lifted
from her head and held out TO my mouth.
Then with that one act we were friends
at once.
sits natural for a man when he falls in
love with woman. / suppose to talk soft
and gentle to her, and l was Ia love with
Oviro, for that was her name from the first
moment clappped eyes upon her, not the
ind ~ AnIr
wenches when we are thrown among them,
but deep, respectful kind of love that
made me grow shy and awkward before
her, something like what the forest had
filed me with before she came along, so that
felt as If l was lifting up my eyes to some
thing far above me, while her flneness and
perfect beauty made me think more of my
own coarseness and ugliness, and wish that
was younger and better looking for her
sake, 80 that I might win all her heart to
myself and be able to live and die with her,
l expect It comes TO us all at one time of our
life, and 1t had come on me in this lonely
forest, just like a bad attack of the fever.
She must have read something of how l
felt In my face, for she took the upper hand
of me at once, and told me to follow her
and she'd see me right through with her
tribe, and there | trudged along, she ffoated
before me like spirit, so lightly and charm
ingly did she walk, with her water jar on
her head, sticking out her bare arms and her
hands on her hips, while her long hair al
most covered her from my eyes like a seal
skin cloak, and coming after her like a
mongrel dog and feeling like one In my de-
votton and respect. l didn't care now
whether was walking to my death or not,
80 long as could follow her to it.
"Lor' mates l never could have be-
lieved that a man could grow so helpless
and spoony all at once for a stranger
woman, as was over that girl. She drew
me, regularly drew me along as IL each hair
OF her head was a magnet and had become
q needle.
I'VE were met by a crowd Of fighting
men, with the women behind them, afore
we got TO the village, who when they saw
her coming on unhurt and me behind, stood
still and waited for her TO explain.
This she did to their satisfaction, and
then she introduced me to her father and
the rest of the warriors, who at once flung
their weapons to the girls to carry home
for them, while they made me welcome to
their village with great heartiness as If had
been a brother instead of a stranger.
"Of course they were cannibals, but you
know, mates, that's how cannibals behave
when they've no cause to 'scoff' you, differ
emit altogether TO the treacherous, sneaking
yam-eaters who turn up their noses at the
flesh of an enemy, yet will murder him all
different also the mean, suspicious Ger
mans who sent me adrift, with storm COM
ing on.
1--WE were very soon at home with each
other and great friends They made me
free to every house from the chiefs down,
only as Oviro had found me first and they
saw that could not live out of her sight
hardly, for savages see these things mighty
quick, they let me go where my inclination
took me, and settled me on her father as a
THE chief of this tribe was a young
man, and the tallest and finest looking fell
low ever met anywhere, he was nearly
feet high. and shapely all over; Laloka
they called him. and his wife was the elder
sister to OSiro. and by name Dwia; she was
just turning 20, and had a little son years
old, who was one of the liveliest and most
amusing little 'cusses' that ever / played
with, and taught to square up English fash
ion.
''The father of Oviro wasn't very i'm
portant man in the tribe, which was a good
thing for me, and what was better, afore
come on the scene Oviro hadn't fixed upon a
sweetheart, so that I caused no jealously
among the young fellows when I courted
her, and it was all pretty fair sailing with
me when l got over my first bashfulness.
There were plenty of pretty girls in the
tribe fer the young men to pick and choose
IrOIn SO Cnat no one lnbor1ereQ Win me,
and as was novelty with my pants and
shirt, Oviro took kindly to me in couse-
qence, and before very long got to love me
as much a. could have wanted, and hun
dred times more than deserved or even ex-
pected.
at was HAPPY village that, If ever there
was one on earth. They had beaten off
their enemies, and taught them lesson not
TO come near them for long time, so that
they could go about their work or pleasures
with light hearts, and sleep soundly at
nights. while all round them for miles lay
friendly tribes with whom they bartered,
and who would warn them Of any coming
danger.
"Their gardens and fields were ia flour
ishing condition, for the ground about these
parts is very rich and don't want much
scraping to yield, SO that a couple or three
days a week Of labor was all they needed to
do, and the rest of the week they spent IN
junketting, lovs-making or hunting for
game in the forest. We all helped in the
gardens and fields on the working days, and
enjoyed ourselves she rest of the time.
"pve heard tell Of paradise and the Gar
den of Eden, but it couldn't have been q
better place than that village, and / want
no better heaven when l die than the
months | spent with Oviro and her people.
Every day the sun blazed down warmly on
the earth, sending us into the gardens and
forests for cool sheter-in the gardens,
where the palm and sage trees waved and
the banana and nanny apple trees hung
over II lilx0 nn,hraIlo I'm tha woods Uvhara