Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1898-11-03
LEAKESVIlLE GREENE COUNTY, MISS THURSDAY NOVEMBER


Their great heads, covered with masses
of frizzly hair, out of all proportion
to their dwarfed, naked bodies, gave
them most uncanny aspect, like n
crowd of gnomes. / felt as if l were
the hero of some fairy tale in the
power of goblins, and for an instant [
experienced the same horrid, creeping
sensation that one feels at the first
shudder of an earthquake.
Every moment / expected cloud of
arrows to come whizzing about me,
and l remember wondering whether
they would be basbed or smooth; but
the fierce little black men seemed too
astonished to do anything but stand
like statues and whistle. Yet it was
certain that they would soon let fly
their deadly arrows. By some instinct
| grasped the pony's short, rough name
as he struggled to his feet and Col
lowed alongside the animal as he
headed down the path, keeping his
shoulders and forelegs between my
self and the blacks. Pete had picked
himself up and was close at my heels.
As we disappeared perfect storm
OF whistles pierced the air. The
ponies behind, frightened afresh, came
crowding against my protector, who
lashed out viciously and started to
run down the narrow path. Seeing
there was danger of being crowded
over the edge, swung on his back,
holding tight to his name, and let him
take his own course.
Fortunately for me the little beast,
although abnormal y bony and NANCY
in appearance, had retained his eye
sight and the wonderful sure footed
ness that all Philippine ponies pos
sess. He was evidently accustomed
to rider, for he picked his way down
the rough passage at sliding sort of
trot, closely followed by the other
ponies and Pete, who must have been
having precarious time of it among
equine legs and hoofs.
Far ahead 1 could hear the clatter-
ing of the ponies that had gone down
first, while over all else were the weird
squeaks and piping of the savages.
They must have been in close pursuit,
but unable either to pass the rear
ponies or to get shot at me on ac-
count of the windings of the path. I
crouched low and held on with all my
might expecting at every step to feel
the blow OF some barbarous missile.
Before realized where we were [
found the pony crasAinv through the
bushes at the base, and we ,ome on
the rocks where had first sighted the
iguana The rocks proved too much
for my gallant but ancient steed, for
when halfway across he slipped and
pitched me of. l rose, uninjured,
just in time to grasp his name afresh
and run along beside him.
The leading ponies were well ahead,
and as they went pounding and thun-
dering by the camp saw the fellows
who were lying about on the beach
jump up and get out of the way.
Wild was their amazement to see me
tearing along the beach with ten-foot
strides, hanging on to the name of a
bony and terrified horse, followed by
several more ''caballos" equally spec
tral in appearance. The villainous
fox-terrier scudded along in rear of
the procession, telling everybody what
jolly fun he had been having. 1 let
go the pony and tumbled into the
crowd, answering their frantic de-
mands for an explanation by pointing
to the bluff and gasping "Negritosl"
The boys jumped for their guns, but
there was no need of warlike prepara-
ton, for the savages had stopped just
outside of the bushes on seeing the
group. After gazing moment they
turned and disappeared one by one,
while the last of the ponies plunged
into the woods at the other end of the
bench and was lost to sight.
All that night we heard the little
black men signaling to each other
around the camp, but saw them no
more. The next day we climbed the
bluff in a body and found my rifle safe
and sound.
Or the way back, by great good
luck, shot au iguana four feet long,
whicI. l had stuffed in Manila and af-
terward sent home by sailing vessel.
It's delivery, some four months later,
by Mortified expressman at my fam
ilys home in peaceful Boston sub
urb created a scene of CONSERVATION
fully justified by its appearance.
Charles B. Howard, in Youths Com
panion.