Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1892-06-09
BY HASSAR POST.


temerity or desire to penetrate it. The
stream wound away, now IN deep chan
nels, now gliding over treacherous quick
sands or leaping sunken rocks; hemmed
in by the forest and luxuriant vegeta-
tion that fell over the edges and hung
pendant in the stream, licking up the
drift until veritable floating islands were
formed, affording rest for turtles and
other small animals. At rare intervals
there was beach where the sand had
been thrown up in an eddy, presenting
a sparkling and brilliant contrast to the
green.
On such beach lived Manuel Saliva
dea, famous as a hunter and fisherman
1t was he who killed jaguar single
handed with his knife. 1t was Salvadea
who swung across the roaring Matos
upon vine and saved seven or eight ST
his people from the flood, and it was he
who, when held up as a hero, scorned
the term and asked, lis it not mans
duty to do right.' SO it will be seen
that this Indian was unique in his way,
and his comrades or the people of his
tribe looked upon him with something
akin to reverence.
To secure Salvadeas services was a
guarantee Of game or fish; yet for fish
ernan he entertained some peculiar
ideas. He objected to taking fish for
pleasure, and had been known to lift a
colnrade and hurl him into the water for
killing q fish known as the hassar. He
seemed to be the self constituted cham
pion of the finny tribe. Why. Let him
tell his own story:
81 protect the fishes, senor, because
they cared for me when / was helpless.
If an animal does you a service, you can
but return it. | did not always think
SO; it was this way: Two years ago
lived on the upper branch of the Querto,
the little stream which we believe rises
far away III the up country, where th=
white peaks reach toward the heavens
In the season the river was low, and
then we caught turtle, iguana, and the
game upon which we live. | knew of a
certain place where game was plenty,
and one day, without saying a word,
left the camp and padded down the
river, and leaving the canoe tied to a
liane cut my way across country to the
spot. You know, senior, that the water
is always washing away the banks and
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 ia places, and pools
were left everywhere alive with fish.
As unIoaded any basket and net
heard loud crash, and turning to see
the cause, sa~ large mona Tree falling
upon me. IL was toe late to escape, SO ]
threw myself upon the sands, The next
hours were a deep sleep. l knew moth
ing, and when l awoke it was dark |
was lying partly in the wafer and over
my leg was a branch of the tree. I was
powerless and could not move, and |
knew rain would produce a freshet
that would cover me ten feet deep in as
many minutes. All this, senior, came
over me-a sudden dream. 1t was use
less to shout, as | was miles away and
had taken good care to tell no one where
I had gone Morning came, and | then
saw my condition fully. | was held by
my legs and right arm; my left arm was
free, but l could not reach the sand at
my feet TO dig it away: was bound az
fast as they say our kinsmen in the 1aprth
country bound their victims for sacri-
fee. At the end Of the day / was very
weak and ate the leaves.
ssThe next day / ate the mud and
water and some worms which | found.
The stream was growing lower, the
water about me evaporating in the hot
sun, and the insects bade 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, senior:
They do, though it is only at certain
times that we can interpret them; our
nerves must be turned to higher ten
sion, as 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
lanes, and soft notes rose everywhere,
and imagined they were talking to me.
Five days had passed, the water was
gone and was SO weak that | waited
for death. AS the sun rose, and was
thinking how hard it was to give up life,
/ felt something touch my hand. AT
first l thought it imagination, then by
an effort l turned my head-Santa
Maria.-to see miracle. On my out
stretched hand was fish we call the
hassar. 1t had crawled into it, and
lay painting, opening and shutting its
gills and looking at me with its dark
eyes. | thought / must be dreaming
but l clinched the fish, which slipped
away, but caught it again and ate it.
1t came to me sacrifice, gave itself to
save me, and when l looked around
again to listen to new rustling- sound,
and / saw that the ground was covered
with fishes, all moving slowly down the
dry bed of the stream, standing erect
upon their fins i'll search of water. They
came by hundreds, climbed over me,
falling upon my face, and l caught
them, ate them and piled them up about
me.
Hope WIS raised again; yet could
not move, and my only chance was that
some one would find me. Days passed,
and / fingered on. / had dug hole
with my free hand, and enough water
oozed through to sustain me, while the
fishes that still crawled by me provided
me with food. How long it was | know
not; but one day / saw above the trees a
smoke, and knew that my people were
near. was too weak to cry aloud, SO
lay and watched. The fishes still went
on and I passed the hours by counting
them and watching their curious ways.
They used the two fins like arms legs,
sometimes toppling over upon their
sides; now entering the little pools to
refresh themselves, but soon leaving the
water to crawl along again.
"While ! watched them it came to
me that they were going 10 tbs mouth
Of the river to avoid the drought, and
could not send message to my peo-
pie? 1t was an easy matter to tear my
shirt, and with my teeth | shaped bits
Of white cloth until had hundred
or more. Then | began to catch the
fish. Every one that passed me left
with bit of white cloth pushed upor
the spine OF its upper fin. The next day
did the same, and for three days sent
these messengers to my people. The
| fish were black, senior, and the white
cloth ronld be seen unite a distance.