The record-union., 1894-01-20

ously brought to camp, sending it's
women shriekng along to their huts for
their amulets and their beads.
Even the long midday siesta failed to
soothe him. AS the shadows began to
lengthen among the open riffs of the for
est, he piled Tomasa with plants at Jua-
nita's absence and inquiries as to the way
she had taken. Jose suddenly stood be-
side him, humbly Offering TO show the
don the way. His brow clouded little,
but be graciously accepted the Indians
guidance and was soon painting after him
into the shadowy jungles.
They had scarcely lett the sounds of the
camp behind them when, on breaking
through the tangle of the brushwood
skirting sunny opening, they came face
to face with their quest. Laden with
cages, filled with new-made captives,
these, with her own weird callings, Whist
lings, plaintive and joyous trillings, were
Turing campward almost a cloud of bril-
liant sOngsters which whirled and swirled
about and above her head.
death on you, Jose! Why did you
follow me?" she cried in savage piteous-
ness. ''See!-the charm is done. They
are gonev'
Her hand described swift, tiuttering
circle about her head, most patheticaily
suggestive OF the quick, wild flight of the
birds, and as her face was lowered for an
other vengetul scourging of Jose, her
eyes met those of the Professor.
Sombrero in hand-gallant caballero
that he was!-he stood at the edge of the
opening as if in an ecstatic trance of rapt-
urous wonder ard admiration.
by all the saints, Donna Juanita,"
burst forth the Professor when his tongue
had loosened, and rapidly advancing to-
ward the girl with OutStretched hands,
''you are a wizard! But make me know
these wOndrOuS secrets, and | am your
slave forever!"
Something must be allowed for the old
don's boundless enthusiasm; something
for the tlowery eXuberance of Spanish
adulatlOn; something for a scene which
truly the old naturalist with visions of
professional acquisition and triumph:
and something still for the perfect savage
innocence OF the girl who formed the
central figure and the equally childish
Innocence of the little old man who had
never, until this moment, given any
human being deeper thought or better
place than muSty Latin classification and
label.
But there and then in the widest wi,ds
of Cuba this shrivelled old classic, despite
the scowls of Jose, strobe straight to the
girl, grasped her hands joyously, saluted
her with a stately kiss upon her
barred head, and then, as if instantly
oblivious of girl, of Indian and of all the
wide universe about him. fiuttered
around those cages as tenderly and trem-
ulously as the bride of an hour will
fondle and croodle her priceless wedding
ring.
Thus, pirouetting and futtering, halt
ing and starting, wheeling and circling,
this white old owl of the city schools,
this bird of bright plumage of the carbo-
nero's huts, and this Indian hawk of the
jungles and the forests, made their way
to camp.
donna" before. Perhaps it was this one
magical word that proved the Professors
open sesame to deeper secrets than even
Juanltas most wondrous woodcratt
wilesl
From this moment there was no re-
serve between the naturalist of the schools
ana the naturalist OF the woods. The
Professor was MatagaS' guest, and none
could question his coming and going.
Juanita was Matagas' daughter. She
went and came at will, more feared than
loved even by Matagas himself for her
strange nature-cratt and secret power
over reptile, bird and beast.
1.-TWO crazy children togetherp' Mata-
gas would say with a grave smile TO old
Tomasa, as the Professor and Juanita set
out each morning to the 1lanoS, the
jungles and the forests, but Tomaso, like
so many other women past the glorious
heyday morn Of life, and now trans
formed to bird of i'll omen, would
merely Snitfle and groan, and Iuefully
shake her prophetic head.
The Professor, as pack mule pannier
laden for carrying their spoils, and Jua-
nita, armed with short machete and deX-
trously wrought guiebrahaca club, slen
der as an arrow and with knObbed
head, the whole as heavy and strong as
iron, were continually in transports,
scholasticism for the once standing joy
fully agape before simple nature-wit,
while Juanita, child OF nature that she
was, had never until now quaffed that
sweetest OF intoxicants, the ecstacy of
revelation to one who hungers and who
knows.
In the mighty forests she disclosed to
her companion the marvels of the virgin
woods, and taught him volumes never
found in books: of the guiebrahaca,
toughest of all woods, hard as horn, last
ing as iron, deadly as flint in bandit bat
tie; of the lordly almiqui, statelier and
more crimson in fiber than the noble red
wood of the West; of cedars tremendous
in size and hight. past all record of the
books; of the caobaS, almost touching the
clouds and twelve times her reach from
finger tips to finger tips in circumfer-
ence; of the mantequeroS with its March
drifts of blossoms, like millions of snowy
cameIias, whose browsing odor left the
wood choppers arm lstleSs at his side;
of the silvery gueso, the ''bone-wood' of
the Cuban oxen yokes; of the sabina or
sandal-wood, whose fragrance fills count
less lingerie closets in all the zone of
homes; of the palma de manaea, whose
broad leaves form the roofs of the carbo-
neros' huts for seven years without re-
newal: OF the majestic laurel and royal
palm, and Of the cocoa, mystic and lone,
with the tropic breeZes ever chanting and
soughing among its ky-piercing, pin
nate leaves.
Continuing in her endless surprises
she would fling her machete in the trunk
OF a beautiful tree, the carne de doncella.
Dextrously Withdrawing the blade, Its
edges and point would drip as with
blood, when she would gleefully shout:
"Mirai-la sangre de la Doncella!n
(seei-the blood of the Virginl while the
Professor long since at the end OF verbal
adulation. could only gasp and gesticu-
late his praises and delight.
If in their far pilgrimings they lack ed
for food, it always came at Juanita's bid
ding.
Motlon1ng the don aside she would
glide noiselessly into the forest depths.
Shortly her companion would hear soft
"Che-ip-a-deel Che-ip-a-deel = Che-ipi
che-ipl che-ipw
Rustling and chattering would always
follow. In an instant more the glowing
faced girl would bound back to the don
with q fat, squirrel-Iike huita dangling
from her upraised hand.
So, too, her seductive Turing of the wild
pigeons was astounding to Don Eduardo.