The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1898-10-15

hAAS ACaL Va eAO hthnthoAo wac ASahAI
exercised in mind one morning to dis
cover that Jefe had broken his tether
during the night and left for parts un-
known.
"Oh, thou ungrateful one!" NUT
tered Mariana; and / was to pillow to-
day. Juanito!" he called.
Isl padre" answered Juanito, APP
pearing in the doorway arrayed in
pair of short trousers, his customary
costume.
GOOD boy, to answer in Spanish"
said the father, smiling, and holding
out his hand, which Juanito dutifully
kissed, as all good little Filipinos are
expected to do every morning, and all
bad ones must. "See," went on Ma
riano, shat pig of a Jefe has broken
his rope, and gone probably to the
river bend. Get from thy mother some
breakfast and seek him."
Juanito looked thoughtful. "Per.
haps the crazy Englishmen who ar
rived yesterday have stolen him." he
suggested.
Two naturalists. who seemed En-
glish, had come to the village the even
ing before, and spent the night at the
priests house. Juanito had seen them,
and had thought of little else ever
since.
"Ingleses do not steal carabaos. thou
monkey" answered Mariana. "These
two particular lunatics seek only bugs
and snakes. Thinkest thou that they
coulG put Jefe in their pockets? Haste
away, now, and come not back without
him."
Juanfto secured two plump bananas
from his mother and trudged away
across the fields toward the bend in the
river. Cafabaos at liberty for the time
being always assembled there to sink
themselves up to the eyes in the cool
water, and to doze in comfort, defying
their insect tormentors.
Juanito munched his bananas as he
went along in The cool morning air,
and soon was pushing his way through
the bushes which s,kirted the river, fol
lowing the path worn by the brffaloes
in their pilgrimages. Coming out on
the bank, he saw, apparently floating
on the surface, about dozen huge
horned heads, which tarned slowly and
fixed as many pairs of big, sleepy eyes
on the coming boy.
"Aba!" he exclaimed at last, "there
thou art-thou with the biggest horns!
Come here, Jefe!"
But Jefe was too comfort ble, and
would not come; so Juanit9 finally
took off his trousers, and waded In
until he could climb up on thu. great
beasts back. "Now get up, big stupid"
he shouted, pounding the massive head
vigorously with small fist. Either
the insult or the thumps had the de-
sired effect, and, with many signs and
| grunts, Jefe scrambled laboriousEy ia
his feet almost submerging his com
! panions in the waves created by the
process), and splashed shoreward.l
Juanito secured his trousers, AND
mounting again, urged his ponderdus
steed along the path. AS they emerged
from the bushes, Juanito caught sigh
of two figures across the field, dresselc
in white, with huge sun helmets, aH
parentiy examining something closely
"Hola!" exclaimed Juanito, "the twd
English lunatics. Let us go and sed
what they have found, Jefe."
l may say here that all the ignorant
natives of the far east, being unable
to understand their ways, came to the
conclusion long ago that the English
and American races were composed en-
tirely of harmless lunatics.
| Jefe, having been at last persuaded
to turn his nose in that direction, pro-
ceeded, one leg at time, toward the
two white figures.
Now there is a popularity about
these Carabaos ofwhich Juanitowas un
aware; and that is that, although they
can be controlled and led by a six
year-old native, if necessary, at the
same time, in those parts of the
islands where white man is rarity
the sight of one seems to drive the
creatures frantic, and they will. often
attack with all the fierceness and fury
of wild bull white person who has
not given them the slightest cause;
and their attack is really the more
dangerous to the victim, for cara
boa's horns are each as long and thick
as a mans arm. A single carabao has
been known TO attack and kill full
grown tiger.
| Consequently, Juanito was hardly
prepared when. about half way acros:
the field, Jefe raised his head aloft
and began to utter strange, nasa
grunts, pricking his great ears for
ward; and was still less so when the
hitherto placid beast of burden quick
ened his steps into sort Of side, ant
then broke into numbering, ele
phantine cantcr.
'Haya! qua tiene tn? What has
thou? what is the matter?") shoutes
the amazed Juanito. striving to main
tain his balance. But Jefe's sides wer,
still wet and slippery, and in anothe
moment Juanito tumbled ingloriousl,