The herald., 1893-08-13
A HAMMOCK STORY.
Don Ezekiel Passed Night In Unplsas-
ant Company.

Don Ezekiel Passed Night In Unpleas-
ant Company.
Every traveller in India has q right to
take shelter under the roof of the public
Oak Bungalows. In Central America
the cabildos (city hallD have rooms eet
apart for wsyfarers. But in Yucatan,
whose people are among the most hos
pitable on the face OF the earth, villages,
towns and cities are provided with q
building called royal house (casa realD.
Each one is in charge Of two Indians,
bound to give their gratuitous service for
q certain number of days. Persons seek
ing shelter in the house can, for tri-
fling consideration, engage the services
Of these men to procure food and fodder
if needed. One may be provided with .
steed and carry well.flled purse. yet
find himself obliged to take shelter in
the casa real II there ID no inn and he
has no ecqpaintancee, especially II the
night b far advanced.
This Il just what happened to Don
Ezekiel H, an over taetidioue gen.
tleman on whom q horrid trick was
played. A physicisn Of renown, he had
been called some distance from the cap
ital to attend . patient, and, the case
being grave one, was unable to start
homeward until late. He was but half
way home when he arrived at q village
long past midnight. His horse being
weary and he himself exhausted, he
alighted at the thatched building which
served 80 casa real. Not that be relished
the idea, for he was fussy about his sur.
roundings and knew we'll enough that
A.. nok a a NV
tense OF evicting vermin from the public
shelter.
Many sportive insects Abounded there,
rs if to compensate for the entire lack OF
all furniture. Each conner is expected
to bring his hammock. Don E. had
several ct home, but none with him.
However, he noticed that two hung in
tho room and that one was empty. The
men said it belonged to them. He Of
fered very liberal sum for the use oft,
but loan their hammock they would
not.
In the other one lay a man who did
not move or speak. The Indians pointed
to him and said that the hammock was
very wide and they saw no reason why
the new conner should not rest by the
eide of the man who was sleeping 90
eoundly. G
The only light was the feeble glimmer
afforded by wick burning in cup of
oil ON the floor in one corner of the
room. The tired doctor could see only
the outline of the sleeper, but having to
choose between the hammock and q
rather Objectionable aoor, he decided in
favor of the former and was soon asleep.
Voices aroused him. In the gray light
OF early dawn he perceived two men at
the door. One was saying:
"We have come for the dead man."
Don E. jumped to his feet echoing the
words dead man 2"
There he is," retorted the Indians,
pointing to the man in the hammock.
The indignant don was simply furious.
The keepers grinned with delight at his
anger. One of them said:
"He died yesterday afternoon. We
could not turn him out of his own ham,
mock, and he has not hurt you, for you
slept WELL"
This travellers tale is perfectly true
one. The doctor himself told us of the
occurrence, and added: ''If the man
had died OF smsllpox those wretches
would have played me the same trick,
for there is nothing that an Indian will
not do to white man ~