Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-06-18
BY HASSAR POST.

snakeliks lianes that few men had the
tsmsrity or desire 70 penetrate II. The
stream wound away. now in deep chan
nels. now gliding over tFeacherons quick
sands OF ieaping sunksn rocks: hemmed
in BY shs forest and luxur.ant yegeta-
ton that fell over the edges and hung
pendant In the stream. licking up the
drift until veritable floating islands we're
formed. sdording rest for turtles and
thsre was beach where the sand had
been thrown up in an eddy, presenting
. sparkling and brilliant contrast 10 the
green
On such . beach lived Manuel Saliva
dea, famous rs hunter and fisherman.
IL vas he who killed . jaguar single
handed with his knife. II was Salvadea
who swung across the roaring Mstos
upon vine and saved seven or eight IF
his people from the food, and il was he
who. when held up as . hero, scorned
the term and ASKED. lis il not a mans
duty to do righty" So 1t will be seen
thai this Indian was unique in his way
and bis comrades or the people Of his
tribe looked upon him with something
AKIN TO reverence.
To secure Salvadea's services was a
guarantees Of game or fish; yet for a fish,
erInan he entertained some peculiar
ideas. He objected TO taking fish for
pleasure, and had been known TO lift a
ccmrade and hurl him into the water for
xoh h. u
seemed TO DC the self constituted cham
pion Of the fnny tribe. Why. Let him
tell his own story:
u protect the fishes, senior, because
they cared for me when was helpless.
II al animal does you q service, you can
but return il. did not always think
80; il was this way: Two years ago
lived on the upper branch of the Querto.
the little str am which We believe rises
far away in the mp country. where tbs
white peaks reach toward the heavens.
In the season the river was low, and
then va caught turtle, iguana, and the
game upon which we live. l knew Of q
certain place where game was plenty,
and one day, without saying q word. !
lett the camp and padded down the
river. and leaving the canoe tied to a
hane cut my way across country TO the
spot You know, senior. that the water
is always washing away the banks ard
undermining the trees. Well, so it was
on the little river. When reached it /
found it lower than ever; so low that
the sand was bare in places, and pools
were left everywhere alive with fish.
"As unloaded my basket and net
heard loud crash, and turning to see
the cause, saw q large mona tree falling
upon ma It was too late TO escape, so !
threw myself upon the sands. The next
hours were . deep sleep. knew moth
was lying partly in the water and over
my leg was branch Of the tree. Twas
powerless and could not move, and l
knew . ruin wsuld produce freshet
that would cover me ten feet deep in as
many minutes. All this. senior. came
over me-a sudden dream. II was use
less to shout, as was miles away and
Lad taken good care to tell no one where
had gone. Morning came. and / then
saw my condition fully. was held by
my legs and right arm; my left arm was
free, but could not reach the sand at
my feet to dig it away; was bound az
fast ~ they say our kinsmen in the north
country bound their victims for sacri-
fee. AT the end Of the day was very
weak and ate the leaves.
The next day ate the mud and
water and some worms which / found.
The stream was growing lower, the
wafer about me evaporating in the hot
sun. and the insects babe fair TO destroy
me. At night the jaguar's cry fell upon
my ear. and every rustic Of the leaves,
the signing Of the wind. aroused me.
Did you ever hear the leaves talk. senori
They do. though il Is only nc certain
times that we can interpret them; our
nerves must be turned to a higher ten
sion, ~ Father Moreno says; then we can
respond to them. ! seemed to hear
sounds Inever heard before. The leaves
made music. the wind sighed among the
lianes. and soft notes rose everywhere.
and imagined they were talking to me.
Five days bad passsd. the water was
gone and I was 90 weak that I waited
for deskh. As the sun rose. and l was
thinning how hard IL was TO give up life.
! felt something touch my hand. At
first thought it imagination. then by
an effort turned my head-Santa
Mariai-to zee q miracle. On my out
stretched hand was fish we cali the
hassar. 1t had crawled into it. and
lay parting. opening and shutting its
gills and looking AZ me with its dark
eyes. thought must be dresming.
bat I clinehed the Ash. which slipped
away. bus caught II again and ate 1t.
II came 20 me . sacrifice. gave itself TO
save me, and when I looked around
again 70 listen 20 new rustling sound,
and cav that the ground was covered
with Hsises. all moving sloviy down the
| dry bed q the stream, standing erecs
| upou their fms ia search Of water. They
came BY hundreds, climbed over me.
falling upon my lace, sad I caught
them. ate them and piled them MP about
me
"Hops vas raised again: yet could
nee move. and my only chance was that
some one would find me. Days passed.
and I fingered GA. | had dug hole
with nv fYee hand. and enough water