Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1891-08-29
nseond day after leaving the old town


that prolific Stretch Of country which
lies ABOVE the junction Of and between
the Toca ntins and Rio del Tigre river. |
A wonderful land, indeed! whose amaz- !
ing richness of tropical vegetation,
gorgeous bloom of endless flowers,
myriad birds of brill an. plumnge and
incredible wealth Of sea rcely less bril- |
liant insects, on every side delight the
eye; but whose groves and swamps,
dark forests and deep-grassed plains
TEEN, alas! with noxious, venomous
life, and in the green-scummed waters
of whose stagnant lagoons deadly ma
laria forever turks.
We had lain down beneath the
shade Of a clump of vine-clad cypress
and gum-trees to sleep away the hot
noontide hours, and discovered only on
awaking, that Tom Grant, never
firing entomologist, had disappeared.
but had it not been for Blake's warn
ing words, none OF us would have felt
the least misgiving as to his safety.
Now, however. all were anxious to
start out at once on the search: and
extending ourselves into u line. with
an interval of about fifty yards be-
tween each two men, we set off up
stream, Knowing that our comrade
must have taken that route, rs the
rivers junction lay Immediately be-
low us.
Every now and then as we pushed
laboriously along through the almost
inpenetrable woods, one or another
of us discharged Il signal shot in hope
of hearing an answering halloo: but the
only effect of our fire was to scare
from their hiding places or to drive to
deeper cover hundreds of screaming
parrots, chattering monkeys and the
thousand and one flying and creeping
deniZcns of the forest wilds.
No human voice responded to our
summons, and yet we felt assured of
being on the right trail, for three sew
eral times we had found half burnt
matches. and once had picked up a
fragment of drawing paper which we
knew to be Toms. We had spent fully
two hours in going, perhaps. as many
miles, and not having lately come
across further signs of our friend.
Charlie Blake gave it us his opinion
that, if still alive. he had lost himself
and was probably wandering in a circle
somewhere in the labyrinthinc depth $,
where the sun, his only guide, could not
penetrate.
And, boys" he concluded. ''if we
do not find him before nightfali
we shall never again see him in this
world
1t was now past four o'clock, and al
ready the gloom about US was sensioly
deepening, and prowling beasts of
prey began occasionally to cross our
path. Joe Burke l<n ocl<ed over stink
ing wolf, and Frank Austin brought
down a wildcat from the top of a lofty
gum: but neither of these shots brought
hail or shout from our absent friend.
We were still advancing in toler-
ably straight line, always keeping
within speaking distance of each other,
when suddenly we broke out of the
dark forest into a large. trecless savan-
ma, where the sun shone gloriously and
the rank grass was breast high. I'M
mediately on reaching this, Hugh KIM
ball called out:
Il say. boys, something has passed
along here not long ago. Look at this
narrow path where the grass has been
parted
We all hurried to the spot, and Blake
at once said:
Were on Toms track. sure enough!
You see the trail is widest at top,
whereas if made by a wild beast crawl
ing along. it would be widest at the
bottom
We now fred three shots in rapid
succession, and, after waiting n mo-
ment, We're about to shoot again, when
Austin held up his hand with
"Whisht!' and each one strained his
ears to listen. Yes: there was no mis-
taking it: far away from toward the
declining sun came faint halloo, once,
twice. thrice repeated, and five lusty
threats sent up cheer after cheer as we
realized the joyful fact that our com
radc was indeed found.
Dashing along, now wading. tearing.
scram bling through the long. wiry
stems as best we could, we made our
way for half-mle, seeing nothing as
yet, but ever more distinctly hearing
the same "Halloo! Halloo. Halloo,'' al
ways promptly answered by our own
encouraging shouts. At las; we caught
sight of broad sombrero and the
shoulders of a man above the tall herb
age. backing slowly toward us.
Hush. boys. hush.' cautioned Charlie
Blake, there's something unusual
hero and. being now within easy
speaking distance. he softly hailed
Grant. and asked: What is mp. Tom
The young fellow never turned his
head, but. while his right arm seemed
to be gently moving up and down. and
strange, flashing. dazzling CLEANS of
binding light played fitfully beyond
him, answered in a curiously restrained
voice:
Boys, there's a laundering big
jagnar following me up. not twenty
feet away. I've been standing him off
for the last half-hour by flashing the
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