The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1892-09-24
BY HASSAR POST.

It was on a tributary of the Amazon,
far up in the mysterious country, SO
bound. interlaced and entangled by the
snakelike lanes that few men had the
temerlty OF desire to penetrate it. The
stream wound away, now in deep chan
nels. now gliding over t~reacherous quick
sands or leaping sunken rocks: hemmed
in by the forest and luxuriant vegeta.
ton that fell oyer the edges and hung
pendant in the stream, licking up the
drift until vcritable floating islands were
formed. atfording rest for turtles and
other small animals. At rare intervals
there was a beach where the sand had
been thrown UP i'll an eddy, presentin.
a sparkling and brilliant contrast to the
green.
On such a beach lived Manuel Saliva
dea, famous as a hunter and fisherman.
It vas he who killed a jaguar single
handed with his knife. 1t was Salyadea
who swung across the roaring Matos
upon a vine and saved seven or eight ST
his people from the food. and it was he
who. when held up as a hero, scorned
the term and asked, rs it not a. mans
duty to do right So it will be seen
that this Indian was unique in his way,
and his comrades o the people of his
tribe looked upon him with something
akin to reverence.
To secure Salvadea's services was a
guarantee of game or fish; yet for a fish
erman he entertained some peculiar
ideas. He objected to taking fish for
pleasure, and had been known to lift a
comrade and hurl him into the water for
killing a 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.
II protect the fishes, senior. because
they cared for me when l was helpless.
II an animal does you a service, you can
but return it. l did not always think
80; it was this way: Two years ago !
lived OF the upper branch of the Querto,
the little stream which we believe rises
far away in the up country, where til,
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 q word, l
left the camp and padded down the
river, and leaving the canoe tied to a
lame 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 waa
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 I unloaded nay basket and net |
heard . loud crash, and turning to .ee
the cause, saw . large o tree falling
upon me. It was too late to escape, SO /
threw myself upon the sands. The mex
hours were q deep sleep. knew moth
ing, and when l awoke it was dark. !
was lying partly in the water and over
my leg was q branch Of the tree. | was
powerless and could not move, and |
knew q rain would produce o freshet
that would cover me ten feet deep in as
many minutes. All this, senior, came
over me-a sudden dream. It was use
less to shout, as I was miles away and
had taken good care to tell no one where
l had gone. Morning came, and l then
saw my condition fully. l was held By
my legs and right arm; my left arm was
free, but I could not reach the sand at
my feet to dig it away; l was bound a.
fast as they say our kinsmen in the nortl
country bound their victims for sacri.
fee. At the end of the day I was ver,
weak and ate the leaves.
"The next day / ate the mud ant
water and some worms which / found
The stream was growing lower, the
water about me evaporating in the he
sun. and the insects babe fair to destro
me. At night the jaguar's cry fell upo.
my ear, and every rustic of the leave:
the signing of the wind, aroused me
Did you ever hear the leaves talk, senior
They do, though it is only at certai
times that We can interpret them; on
nerves must be turned to a higher tel
sion, as Father Moreno says; then we ca
respond to them. | seemed to he,
sounds l never heard before. The leave
made music, the wind sighed among Il
lanes, and soft notes rose everywher
and imagined they were talking to l.
Five days had passed, the water W.
gone and | was so weak that | watt
for death. As the sun rose, and | ".
thinking how hard it was to give up If
/ felt something touch my hand. (
first | thought it imagination, then |
An effort l turned my head-San
Aaria!-to see q miracle. On my ou
ptretched hand was a fish we call tt