Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-01-25
STRUTHERS' ADVENTURE
Result of His Efforts tn Save the
Sukia's Daughter.


Struthcrs was disconteuted, so was
Bones; the causes were different but
the effect the same.
Struthers had Knocked about Central
America for almost four months ON a
vain quest for adventures which would
make hiscullege vacation n unique one,
aud GIL his room at the Hall" with
trophies and the boys ears with thrill
ing stories.
Bones was beginning to rebel ut the
society of native ours, whose combined
forces did not suffice to give him u
semblance of the delightful scrin-
images he was wont to have in Cam
bridge.
Struthers' latest vagary-and owing
TO his fathers libernlity he was able 70
indulge In many such-was the charter
ing Of q small native schooner With
a crew of six black Caribs he was now
skirting the Mosquito shore Of Hon
duras Oh his way 10 Cabo Gracios q
Dios, where he expected to catch a
hop'eward bound steamer
He yearned for the delights OF civili-
cation and ice, and felt that, after all,
the conventional pleasures of tennis,
canoeing and dancing at Bar Ilarbor
were perhaps preferable to the uu.
certain joys II mule back and hunting
in the wilds Of Central America
The outfit, or what remained OF II,
was rusty and battered, but the hard
ships which had wrought Ibis 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
chigocs aud garrapatas very little Of
his glossy coat was left, save In shrcds
and patches
ITS too bad, Bones, old fellow; they
haven't left you much hair" said
Struthers, Never mind, your troubles
will soon he over / say, OssoriO." turn
| ing wrathfully upon the Carib captain,
what is this bcastly, old country Of
yours good for, anyway haven't had
IA derent adventure or seen anything
worth tclling, Ia the whole length and
breadth of I'll"
You haven't seen him all, Duckra,"
| Itlllttl Nilt lilb,
| that race of seni-civilizcd black smug-
gicrs, who dart along the Caribbean
coast in their swift dOries.
way yondcr," he continued, point
| Ing toward the west, us de Ian uL Ge
| Wai,Sas; plenty FUN dcrc; but white man
no sabez him. No white men dcre, not
chen Spanish man, only Waikas,
| Bucl.ra, only Wailas."
Perhaps you're right, ossorio, about
the plenty fun. At any rate, III have
another try at amusement before cut
the country; 81 PIT about and make for
some river you think your friends, the
| Wailias, may live near"
Soon they were sailing along the low
sandy coast which lay To the left, and
AS they rounded little cape Struthers
cried out. Look, there's the mouth of
the river"
IL see him." answered the Carib,
make we put in dere tink me,
praps, see Waika town soon Ly."
The Carib's superstition was correct,
for the schooner was soon near enough
for chem to perceive the high-peaked
matched roofs and bamboo walls Of
the 1ative houses uestling among the
waving palms and pluny cocoanut
trees which lined the river bank.
The schooner was over the bar and
abreast of the village before the ma
tives were aware of their presence.
Then they came running and jump
ing down to the river Tank like so
many children, in high glee over the
arrival Of strangers aud the possibility
of beads, and perhaps a little ram
The landing was soon Lade, and
the Carib, polyglot that he was,
acted as interpreter in presenting
Struthers 10 tho old chief, Dana iisanO,
who at once hid the strangerq welcome
and conducted them to his watla, or
house.
Installed in a wide hammock within
the semi-darlkness of the watla, aud
a large gourd Of cool pineapple mishla
at his side, Struthers forgot his discon.
tent and asked many questions OF
Pisano through the Carib,
lie learned that the music they had
heard was part Of the ceremony attend
ant upon the death Of an old sukia or
"uedcine man," whose funeral was TO
be held on the following day
Tomorrow, at first sun up, de
fun'ral begins Dana Pisano asks you
II you wan to SEQ him--better you do
maybe II muse you" said the Carib,
with unconscious sarcasm
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 large pit.
pan (dugout) coming slowly down the
river. while on the bank abreast of 1t
marched two columns OF Waikus, the
men constituting one column, the wom-
en- the other.
In the pitpan was the dead medicine
man. his three widows and n solitary
paddler
The pitpan made n landing, aud the
coffin, followed by the crowd Of silent
Waikas, was carried along narrow
trail into the forest
The open space Of the burial ground
was in the midst OF the great Jungle
a small circle OF light surrounded by
impenetrable darkness
| Room was made for Struthers, Os-
sorio and Bones, and at Il signal from
Pisano the crowd fell back, the new
suliia stepped forward and the cere-
monies began.
] Bending low over the swathed body,
the sukia began In low, rapid muir.
muir TO bewail his loss and recount tho
good deeds OF the dead man; one by
] ono Tho tyornar, fnipaI in tho chant Ia.