The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-01-03
A DAY IN THE CANARIES.
The Courtesy of the spanlara.

The Courtesy of the Spanlar6. ] Once-it was in the days when the
 quasi-English hotel had no national
 riVal-I set out upon q long walk from
 the town of Las Palmas into the hills
 beyond Monte. Seeing q road to the
 left, separated from that which we
 Were on by wide ravine, I and my
 companion-he was an Irish doctor-
 incontinently jumped the fence and
 boldly trespassed upon a long descend
 ing slope of lava ash, thickly strewn
 With dwarf vines of the rich, black
 island grape The grapes were invit-
 ingly ripe and numerous, and we help-
 ed ourselves to them as fearlessly as
 we had first trespassed on their own-
 CTS soil. Presently a group of grape
 pickers engaged on the lower slopes of
 the hill came into view, and one of
 them detaching himself from the oth- CTS, came toward us, stopping once or twice on the way. We felt certain diffidence at the approaching interview. Summary ejectment from the vineyard
 with stones," whispered the doctor
 was the least of the evils we fore saw-a possible prosecution for grape theft s-~ned not beyond the realms of fancy
 As we faced the native, steeling our hearts for the Worst-for his middle aged black bearded face bore no trace of that anliable weakness which much knowledge of tourists and their ways will beget in presence of undoubtedly well-to-do specimens of the kind--he held out to us his hands with three splendid punches of purple grapes in them; and when we had disembarrass- ed him of these and ourselves of un- timely fear, the same hands with al graceful sweep, indicated that the en- tire vineyard was at our disposal We positively blushed; it was heaping red- hot lava ashes upon our heads, and his simple bow, cap in hand, completed our agony. What possible return could we make? Unable to speak his language, not adopts in the currency of smiles which the other sex has al- ways in ready recompense, we could but stupidly stare, munCh the. blue black grapes he gave us, and silently attempt to convey our appreciation in a furtive shilling. He bowed again once more cap in hand--and waved, with no semhance of rudeness, but with absolute resolution, the proffered shilling back into our abashed pocket. We left him feeling as if we had been kicked
 At the foot Of the slope we crossed a little stream and began our ascent toward the road we had in view, trough still more private grounds, which quickly led us upon a well-kept avenue in front of a charmingly pretty residence-probably that of the out ragged proprietor of the vineyard, Re- treat was impossible Had we gone back it would have looked like wanting more free grapes. A mill down stream, | the only other building in sight, had dogs and children already at it's doors watching the intruders; at the back of | the house were stables and servants | accommodations, but no way to the l road save along the avenue, past the | open windows and hall door of the | villa.
 Sneaking along like detected tramps, | we moved past the house with our eyes | fixed steadily on the gate, couple of | hundred yards before US, beyond which | lay freedom and the white hillside road | of our hopes. As We increased our pace, on getting past the windows, steps sounded behind us. We dared not look back Perhaps the propri- etor with dog" panted the doctor; and, abandoning all pretense of digni- ty, we sped with energy toward the gate.
 It was locked The pursuer came up and with apologetic man. ner for his inferior powers of speed produced a key, opened the gate, and bowed us into the high road. It was :oo much-twice such fears in one