Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1894-01-20

my comrades; while you-Bienl-csranba
you are still slsveI"
Don Eduardo drew himself MP as hsueh-
tily as his sore limbs would permit, but
the other continued, scarcely noticing the
unconscious assertion of professional dig
nifty, as he threw the panniers over his
arm and began leading the donkey and it's
rider Into camp, "You have heard of Ma
tagasP
'Jssul-Aarisl You are not Matasas,
the outlaui"
"Si, Sd, senior; none other"
The old don trembisd violently, and
would have fallen to the ground had not
Mstsgss supported him.
"And worth, that Is my head Is worth,
twenty thousand pesos to any one who will
His Exoellency, Governor General Sabss
Marin"
The professor grosned outright.
"Have NO fear; havs no fear. We are
all honest oarboneros here" continued
Matsgss soothipgly. "Look there beside
that choza- Do you sect There Is my
wife. Tomssa. There Is my daughter,
good d-for-nothing, bird-catching Jusnita"
Reassured, the don peered sharply among
the camp fires and huts. he saw yellow
old crone doing In the shadow of q hut
stature sitting beside her, softly thrum-
ming a guitar, while Q score of strange
birds few in and out of rude willow cages
hanging against q near tree-truuk, now
and then po!sipg and fitting about her
head, arms and face. Fear instantly de-
parted from the old don's face, and his
dark eyes lighted gloriously.
''SiI-seven-ninel" be broke forth In
almost boyish gIee, "and not one In my
collectiopl"
Matagas turned quickly and almost cav
sgely, but observing the naturali.ts eyes
alone gloating upon the tvittering birds,
he smiled again and nodding his head
little said sadly and ruminstively, "Yes,
yes. I understand it somewhat. was
once In the University" and then, sloud
to the don, "You see you are as safe with
us ss in your own bed. Even Matagas
could not harm a guest where these are,
Don Edusrdoi"
"No, no, mol" responded the professor
impetuously, as though the outlaw thought
only of the birds, and slighting from his
donkey with youthful alacrity. II pray
You take me at once to Juanits and the
birds"
"Manans!-msnana. Tomorrow, senior.
Jusnits and the birds will wait. You
shall FIRST have food and rest"
In q few moments more a mestizos at
the call of Mstsgas had tethered and fed
the donkey, and Mstsgas had conducted
the professor to a comfortable hut. Wa
ter and wine were first brought, and then
some substantial food. AS the don rs-
venously began his meal the outlaw start
ed to withdraw; but his guest, now that
the genial influence of wine and IN
grudging hospitality was upon him, begged
him pstronizlngly to remain.
Where might he bsi How many folk
were In the outlaws bsndi how far
could 1t be to Cienfuegos, to Trinidad,
to Guines, to Hsvsnsi Would Juanita
spare him come of her specimensi Were
there strange and peculiar beasts, rep
tiles, insects, birds and fora near the
campi Indeed would not Matsgas psr-
NIT him to unpsck his psnniers that his
host might enjoy a view of his splendid
specimens there at oncei These and
countless other questions fell gsrrulous-
ly from the professors ready lips.
Many were deftly psrried; some were
answered Gnhesitatingly; others were 81
lently tolerated; until with kindly shrug
of his shoulders, as though the old don's
childish simplicity and endless coltem-
plation of his single life aim had put
him quite outside the metes and bounds
of other men's measurement, he bsde the
absorbed scientist kindly "Bueno noche!"
and took his way to his own little hut.
There in the frellght a moment later he
could have been seen explaining It all to
Tomsss ard Juanits; tapping his shaggy
head significantly, making many merry
and derisive gestures toward Juantta's
bird cages, his stout sides shaking with
laughter; while old Tomsss's face slowly
changed from merriment to something
akin 10 passive reflection; and the face Of
the girl beside her, at frst as mirtbful as
her mothers, settled gradually into q
grave, glowing look of indehnsble hunger
and desire that had never before touched
1t in her whole wildwood life.
The professor elevated bunk, laid with
the silvery white and downy lengus de
vaca grass, was where he had an almost
unoSxtructed view, through an aperture In
the palmetto eide of the cabin, of the car
boneros' picturesque camp. If he reflect
ed upon sught besides the wonderful prom
ise his situation gave of increasing his sci
entiho store, the strange scene before
him, what the outlaw had with perfect
frankness disclosed, and what he must
himself have known, could not but give
q marvellous interest to his surroundings.
Here were hundreds of families living
In the forest In true communistic manner.
Their common outlawry, in the eyes of
hated and merciless Spanish Law, had
brought them all together. The endless
heart-sob of Cuba for freedom, ever strsn-
gled by Spanish tyranny, ending again and
sgain in uprisipgs, revolution, butchery
and despair, was their one tie of brother
hood Csrboreros and lstrsdors, char
coal-burners and wood choppers, they were
now, here and there in the countless and
almost inaccessible Cuban forests, noun
tain forests surely inaccessible to the COW
ard Spanish soldiery; with now and then q
daring fellow like Matsgss- at their head
who terrorizsd only Spanish hirelings, and
those most through the frenzy of their own
guilty fear; bnt all living lives of ArcadiAn
peace and simplicity, until anew should be
raised that glorious standard of white and
blue and red, gsmmsd with q single star,
which had waved such terror to Sparisrds
over the blood-swept fields of Csmsgusy.
All this Is what the professor could have
known, or knew.
As IL was still early evening, what be
heard was the tuueful thrum of the gui-
| tar, the tremulous notes of the bsndurris,
| the Ginning twang of the mandolin aud
| the sharp click of castsneis, In soft &C.
/ compartment to Cuban rongs of love, of
| daring and of war. Now and then these
rose to startling choruses among the huts
| and far out beyond, where the night
watches vers busy at the smolderipg pyres.
At last the spell OF the melody brought
| them all together before hstagAs' hut.
II AEcIc lurtc uhpp1-hcaE0t0
and women, big-eyei and half naked
muchschos and ninss, louush gusrdsbos-
/ queros and coauettish maidens, danced
i upon the grimy, smooth worn earth such
hilarious zspsteos, suoh outlandish Hasan-
eras and such grotetques faadsugoes as
would have caused even q plaster Spanish
saint TO wink, and so dszsd the old don's
| eyes that he turned them with q sigh TO-
ward the glowing stars pulling 10 their
tropic fires above; aud then fell softly to
| his slumbers, wherein he Was haunted by
swarthy forms, huge machetes and one
| dssp-forest beauty's face. starred round.
about with marvellous specimens and un-
known birds, throughout the l!vslong sum
mer night.
| Don Eduardo slept late into the morn
ing. When he awoke and had psrtaien of
the fruit and focd placed beside him, be
found the cArboneros' camp droning along
peaoefully In its everyday aspect. His
precious panniers were safe: No harm
had befsllen him The weird experiences
of the previous night seemed like half
caught memories of some fantastic dream.
Yet there were the burning charcoal
4 pvres Tethered not far distant stood his