The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-01-06
STRUTHERS' ADVENTURE
Result of His Efforts to Save the
Sukia's Daughter.

Sukia's Daughter.
Struthcrs was discontinued, so wa
Bones; the causes were different, bu
the effect the same.
Struthers had knocked about Contra
America for almost four months on
vain quest for adventures which woul,
make his college vacation a unique one
and ill his room at the Hall" witt
trophies and the boys ears with thrill
ing stories.
society of native ours, whose combinet
forces did not suffice to give him
semblance o: the delightful scrim
mage he was wont to have in Cam
bridge.
Struthers' latest vagary-and owing
to his fathers liberality he was able t.
indulge in many such-was the charter
ing Of 4 small native schooner. Will
a crew of six black Caribs he was nov
skirting the Mosquito shore of Hon
duras on his way TO Cabo GraciOs ;
Dios, where he expected TO catch
homcward bound steamer.
He ycarned for the delights of civil
the conventional pleasures of tennis
canoeing and dancing at Bar narbol
were perhaps preferable to the un'
certain joys of mule back and hunting
in the wilds of Central America.
Ills classmates would hardly have
-...r;,,l - .h,g l-,ns.l f,,al rrhit.
clad young man, %sprawling On the deck
of that little craft in the caribbean sea,
the immaculate Struthers, who hau left
Cambridge such Il short time ago, rich
in hopes and the possession of a most
complete and painfully new hunting
and camping outfit
The outft. or what remained of it,
was rusty and battered. but the hard,
ships which had wrought his change
in his ''iInpedimenta" had been vastly
beneficial to the owner in hardening
his muscles and broadening his shout
derS.
With Bones things had not gone so
well: an almost steady diet of bananas
had made him thin. and between the
chigoes and garrapatas very little of
his glossy coat was left, save in shreds
and patches.
Its too bad, Bones, old fellow; they
haven't left You much hair" said
Struthers. Never mind, your troubles
will soon be over. | say, Ossorio." turn
ing wrathfully upon the Carib captain,
what is this beastly, old country of
yours good for. anyway? haven't had
a decent adventure or seen anything
worth telling, in the whole length and
breadth of it!'
You haven't seen him all, Buckra,"
replied the Carib, a~splendid specimen of
that race of semi-civilized black snug
glers, who dart along the Caribbean
coast in their swift dories.
Way yonder," he continued, point
ing toward the west, rs de Ian ub de
Waikas; plenty fun dere; but white man
no sabez him. No white men dcre, not
chen Spanish only Waikas,
Buckra, only Waikas."
Perhaps you're right, Ossorio, about
the plenty fun. AT n rate. I'll have
another try at amusement before | cut
the country; so put about and make for
some river you think your friends, the
Waikas, may live near"
Soon they We're sailing along the low
sandy coast which lay to the left, and
as they rounded a little cape Struthers
cried out: Look. there's the mouth of
the river"
Il see him." answered the Carib,
''makc we put in dere. ! tink me,
p'raps, see Waika town soon by"
The Caribis superstition was correct,
for the schooner was soon lear enough
for them to perceive the high-peaked
matched roofs and bamboo walls of
the native houses nesting among the
waving palms and plumy %cocoanut
trees which lined the river bank.
The schooner was over the bar and
abreast of the village before the ma
tlves were aware of their presence.
Then they came running and jump
ing down to the river Lank like SO
many children, in high glee over the
arrival of strangers and the possibility
of beads, and perhaps Il little rum
Queer lot" unused Struthers. survey
ing the dusky crowd which watched
with intense interest the preparations
for landing. Don't look so much like
darkies, in spite of their assorted de-
grees Of color-Spanish blood, | sup
pose. mixed in. What costumes. Breech
clouts for the men and scanty skirts for
the women, but ! fancy sealskins and
ulsters would be rather out of place in
this climate"
The landing was soon made, and
the Carib, polyglot hat he was,
acted as interpreter in presenting
Struthers to the old chief, Dana Pisano,
who at once bid the strangers welcome
and conducted them to his watla, or
house.
Installed in a wide hammock within
the semi-darkncss of the watla, and
a large gourd of cool pineapple mishla
at his side, Struthers forgot his discon-
tent and asked many questions of
Pisano through the Carib.
He learned that the music they had
heard was part of the ceremony attend
ant upon the death of an old sukia or
medicine man." whose funeral was to
be held on the following day.
Tomorrow, at first SUI up, de
fun'ral begins. Dana Pisano asks you
if YOU wan to see him-better you do
maybe it muse you," said the Carib,
with unconscious
At sunrise the next morning he was
suddenly aroused by the rattle of mus
kerry. followed by doleful bowls and
lamentations.
Rushing out of the watla, where he
had spent the night, he saw n large pit
pan (Gugout) coming slowly down the
river, while on the bank abreast of it
marched w columns of Waikas, tie
men constituting one column, the WON
the other.
In the pitpan was the dead medicine
man. his three widows and a solitary
paddler.
The oarsman gave ven to his feel
in wailings, which were astonish-
ingly loud in proportion to his size.
The marching crowd on the bank was
save for the occasional discharge
of musketry, to brighten away, the
Carlo said, Lassa, the devil, and his at
tcndant evil spirits.
The pitpan made a landing, and the
followed by the crowd of silent
Waikas, was carried along a narrow