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

| could II be to Cienfuegos, 10 TriniiGd,
| TO Guines, to Havana Would Juanta
! snare him some OF her specimens Were
| there strange and peculiar beasts, reptiles,
| insects birds and flora near the camp
| Indeed, would not Matagas permit him %
unpack his panniers that his host might
! enjoy a view Of his splendid specimens
| there, at once? These and countless other
questions fell garralously from the pro-
| fessor's ready lips.
Many were DEITY parried some were
answered unhesitatngly; others were
| silently tolerated: until with a kindly
| shrug Of his shoulders, as though the old
| don's childish simplicity and endless con-
| temptation of hts single life aim had put
him cutie outside the metes and bounds
| Of other mems measurement. he babe
! the absorbed scientist a kindly "Bueno
| noche." and took his way 10 his own
| little hut.
| There in the freight n moment later,
| he could have been seen explaining it all
| To Tomasa and Juanita; tapping his shaS-
| gy head sinSniiicantly; making many mer-
| ny and derisive gestures toward Juanita S
| bird cages, his stout sides shaking with
| laughter; while old Tomasa's face slowly
| changed from merrimeDt TO something
| akin to passive reflection; and the face OF
! the sirl beside her, at first as mirthful as
4 q 4, :
glowing look of indefinable hunger and
desire that had never before touched it
| in her whole wildwood life.
| The professors elevated bunk, laid with
| the silvery-whte and downy lengua de
vaca grass, was where he had an almost
| unobstructed view. through an aperture
| in the palmetto side OF the cabin OF the
| carboneros' picturesque camp II he re-
| hected upon aught besides the wonderful
l.~
, his scientific store. the strange scene be-
| fore him. what the outlaw had with per d.
| feet frankness disclosed. and what he
| must himself have known. could not but
| give marvellous interest to his surround
| ings.
| Here were hundreds Of FAMILIES living
| in the forest In true communistic manner
| Their common outlawry, in the eyes OF
| hated and merci'ess Spanish law, had
brought them all together The endless
| heaT-sob of cuba for freedom, ever
strangled by Spanish tyranny, ending
| again and again in uprisings, revolution,
| Dutchery ana despair, was their one tie
| OF brotherhood. CarboneroS and lahra-
! doris, charcoal-Durners and wood-choppers
they were now, here and there in the
| countless and almost inaccessible Cuban
| forests. mountain forests surely inacces-
! slb!e 10 the coward Spanish soldiery: with
NV e''tN 'H'H al bdiiifS itifoN Ike M1faEUS
at their head who terrorized only Spanish
hirelings, and those most through the
frenzy OF their own guilty fear: but an
living lives OF Arcadian peace and sim
| pncity, until anew should be raised that
| glorious standard OF white and blue and
req, eemmed with a single star. which
nad waved such terror TO Spaniards over
the biood-swept fields of Camaguay.
All inns IS what the professor could have
known, or knew.
AS 1t was sim early evening. what ne
heard was the tunefuI thruu of tho o,,i-
tar, the tremulous notes of the bandur-
rHl the Ginning twang of the mandolin.
ana the sharp click of castanets. in soft
accompaniment TO Cuban songs of love. OF
caring, and Of war. Now and then these
rose TO startling choruses among the hints
ana Tar out beyond, where the night
watches were busy at the smoldering
pyres.
AT last the spell of the melody brought
them all together before Matacas' hut
There these half-wild. happy-hearted men
and women, big-eyed and half-nakea
muchachos and ninas. loutsh guardabos-
queros and coquettish maidens, danced
| upon the grimy, smooth-worn earth such
hilarious zapateos such outlandish Haba-
neras, and such grotesque fandangoes. as
| would have caused even q plaster SPANISH
1
eyes that he turned them with n sigh To-
ward the glowing stars puising IA their
tropic fires above; and then fell softly 10
his slumbers, wherein he was haunted by
swarthy forms. huge machetes and one
deep-forest beauty's face, starred round
about with marvellous specimens and I'M
known birds, throughout the liveong sum-
| mer night.
/ nnn E1tor1o ctant LAD ts.4o A.
ing. When he awoke and had partaken OF
the fruit and food placed beside him. he
found the carboneros' camp droning along
peacefully In It's everyday aspect Ills
precious pannlers were safe. No harm
had befaiien him. The weird experiences
Of the previous night seemed like half
caught memories of some fantastic dream.
Yet there We're the burning charcoal
| pyres. Tethered not far distant stood his
faithful donkey Faint and distant thud-
dings. like the proud boomings of the
| prairie fowl In northern frosty spring
time mornings, told Of the wood-chop-
pers' steady toll. Women and children
were carrying tree-limbs and stacking
them in pyramidal piles. Ninas and maid
ems were going and coming between cab
ms and mountain-side fountains. Wise old
Tomasa stood beside hep hut-doIr, strip
ping some cocoa leaves and roots which
were TO serve for the coming meal; ana
out there at the camp-edge was Matasas'
| still bareheaded and barefooted moving
with fine strong tread toward an almost
completed pyre, with an ox-team's load
of timbers upon his splendid shoulders
| aud head,
"A strange bandits stronghold" thought
the don, where on every hand are serious
labor and sturdy love"
All, the witchcry of that last word.
| Why did this weazened scientist. the
instant Il escaped his lips. as If with some
swift and subtle sympathy OF relevancy,
A., let his eyes eagerly sweep the camp-side
| for Juanita and her birds? And where
! H. the pen to trace that subtler instinct
of human sympathy and human emula-
| ton, which. long before the don had
arisen. had prompted this wild thing of
the camp TO gather together her cages
| and birds. and set out fieetiy with fame
in her cheeks and thrill on her tongue,
| 10 the llanos and sunless woods
1t was a lonely day for the old don.
He fretfuly bothered with a few noun
tain insects; passed in Impotence the
wondrous mountain ferns: petuiantly
examined the rare and almost
unknown virgin woods about him:
and was scarcely even scientific
ally interested In huge raja,
most hideous and harmless OF CUBAN rep
tiles. which Jose. metisoa wood-chopper.
of steaithy Indian blood had victoriousiy
brought TO camp, sending Its women
shriekng to their huts for their amulsts
and their beads.
! Even the long midday aastA tailed Ia