The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-01-21

beside hin, humbly offering 10 snow uie
40, ,,,a 80 TIis brow clouded little
| but he graciousiy accepted the tnuia aIa >
| guidance. and was soon painting ai'ef MN
| into the shadowy jungles. -, cha
| They had scarcely left the sou"as -. a.
camn behind them. when, OH breaking
| through the tangle Of the prush"oou
skirting a sunny opening, they came race
! 10 face with their quest. Laden WIN
| Cages Glled with new-made captiVes'
| those with her own weird callings, WHIST
lings plaintive and joyous triiiings, were
| Turing campward almost cloud OF bril-
| liant songsters which whiried and swifiea
| about and above her head.
death on you, Jose! Why did you
| follow me?" she cried out I'm savage
| plteousness "See,-the charm Is done.
They are gomez
Her hand described a swift fiuttering cir
Gle above her head, most pathetically sug-
gestive OF the quick, wild flight OF the
birds: and as her face was lowered for
another vengeful scourging OF Jose, her
eyes met those Of the professor.
Sombrero in hand-gallant caballero
that he was!-stood at the edge Of the OPP
ening as If in an ecstatic trance OF rap
turous wonder and admiration.
by all the saints. Donna Juanlta,"
burst forth the professor when his tongue
had loosened. and rapidly advancing to-
ward the girl with outstretched hands,
you are q wizard, But make me know
these wondrous secrets. and / am your
slave forever"
Something must be allowed for the old
dons boundess enthusiasm; something
for the fowery exuberance Of Spanish adj
uiation; something for q scene which tru-
~ thrilled the old naturalist with visions
Of professional acquisition and triumph;
4.
innocence Of the girl who formed the CEN
trail figure. and the equally childish inno-
cence Of the little old man who had never
until this moment given any human be-
ing deeper thought or better place than
musty Latin classification and label.
But there and then in the widest wilds
of Cuba this shrvelled old classic, de-
spite the scowls Of Jose, strobe straight TO
the girl grasped her hands joyously,
saluted her with n stately kiss upon her
barred head: and then. as if instantly OBJ
lvious of girl, of Indian and Of all the
wide universe about him, futtered around
those cages as tenderly and TREMENDOUSLY
as the bride Of an hour will fondle and
crocodile her priceless wedding ring.
Thus. pirouetting and fluttering. halt
ing and starting, wheeling and circling,
this white old owl of the city schools
This bird Of bright plumage of the car
boneros' huts. and this Indian hawk OF
the iungles and the forests, made their
way TO the camp.
And Juanita had never been called
Donna" before. Perhaps ii was this one
magical word that proved the professors
open sesame TO deeper secrets than oven
Juauita's most WondrOus woodcraft vileS!
From this moment there was no reserve
between the naturalist of the schools ana
the naturalist OF the woods. The pr0ies-
sor was Matagas' guest, and none conlh
question his coming and going. Juanita
was Alatagas' daughter. She went ana
came at will more feared than loved even
by Matagas himself for her strange ma
ture-craft and secret power over reptile,
bird, and beast.
1.-TWO crazy children together" Matagas
would say with a grave smile 10 old
T'on1asa, as the professor and Juanita set
out each morning TO the llanos' the Jun
giles. and the forests; but Tomasa, ike
so many other women past the glorious
bevday morn of life and now transformed
10 a bird of ill-omen. would merely shltne
and groan. and ruefully shake her pro-
phetic head.
The professor, as pack-mule pannierr
laden for carrying their spoils, and
ACKNOWLEDGMENT guiebrahaea elub,
slender as an arrow, and with knobbed
head the whole as heavy and as 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 quafed that
sweetest OF intoxicants. the ecstacy Of
revelation to one who hungers and who
knows.
In the mighty forests she disclosed 10
her companion the marvels of the virgin
woods. and taught him volumes never
found in books: OF the guiehabraca,
toughest of all woods, hard as horn. last
ing as iron. deadly as flint I'm bandit
battle: of the lordly almiqui, statelier
and more crimson in fibre than the noble
re lwood Of the West; of cedars tre-
mendous in size and height, past all re-
cord Of the books; Of the caobas, almost
touching the clouds. and twelve times
her reach from finger-tips to hnger-ups
In circumference; Of the mantequerOs.
with its March drifts Of blossoms like
millions of snowy cameiias. whose drows-
ms odor left the wood-chopper's arm list
less al his side: Of the silVery guesO, the
homework OF the Cuban oxen-yokes;
Of the sabina, or sandal-wood whose
fragrance fills countless lingerie closets in
all the zone of homes; Of the palma de
, manacd, whose broad leaves form the
roofs Of the carboneros huts for seven
years without renewal; of the majestic
| laurel and royal palm: and OF the cocoa.
mystic and lone. with the tropic breezes
ever chanting and soughing among its
sky-piercing. pinnate leaves.
Continuing I'm her endless surprises. she
would fling her machete into the trunk
Of beautiful tree, the carne de doncella.
DexterOusly Withdrawing the blade its
edges and point would drip as If with
blood when she would gleefully shout:
"Mira,-le sangre de Doncellaw (See,-
the blood Of the VireinD While the pro-
fessor. long since at the end Of verbal adj
ulation. could only gasp and gesticulate
his praises and delight
IL in their far pigrimings they lacked
for food il always came at Juanita's
bidding
Mouoning the don aside. she would glide
noiselessly into the forest depths. Shortly
her COMPANION would hear a soft "Che-ip-
a-dee Che-ip- -dee,-Che-ip. che-ip, che
ipr'
Rustling and chattering would always
follow. In an instant more the glowing
faced girl would bound back TO the don
with fat. squirrel-like huita dangling
from her appraised lard
SO. too her seductive Turing OF the Wild
| pigeons was astounding 10 Don Eduardo.
| With her two hands she first made loud,
sharp clippings, gradually softeniug these
| TO a perfect imitation OF the wing-flapping
| OF homing Wild fowl. This would be fol-
lowed by her vocal call so like that of a
wild pigeon, that one seemed really nest
! ling there above their heads. To these
| would come low. half-douhting answers
from the interlacing branches of the trees.
Again the tremulous voice call of the girl