Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1901-12-27
CHAPTER XIV.
Namampa Meets a Man. /

Namampa Meets Man
A solitary horseman was travelling
slowly across the great llanos that
stretched from the Coroni westward,
vending his way toward the valley
where the Castle of Salvarez was sit
uated. There was this popularity
about this horseman; He had neither
saddle, blanket nor bride. Sitting
awkwardly upon the bare back OF
clumsy little horse, he chung to its
name, and prodding it constantly with
stick to accelerate its pace, he logged
along as a sailor on horseback always
joys.
Suddenly the horseman bent his
head and looked eagerly In the near
distance. He saw man afoot making
toward the north with neither rapid
nor steady stops.
Drawing nearer to the lonely foot
traveller the horseman's eye lit up, for
he had recognized the face.
Hang me If that isn't old Namam-
pa, the herb DOCTOR" Ae said. Il saw
his wizened old face at Lola's funeral
and never could forget it." Then
shouting in Spanish: "Ahoy there.
Namampa! Whittier bound?"
The Carib-for it was really he
looked askance at the stalwart fellow
who had thus addressed him, and
seemed about to quicken his pace. But
1t occurred to him that, whether on
foot or mounted, the younger man was
more than a match for him in speed, SO
he paused, as If hesitating.
Il do not know you, senor," he said.
"You have called my name, but many
know the herb-doctor of the Caribs
whose faces are not remembered by
me-"
well, your face is remembered by
me well enough" was the reply. No
man who once saw it could easily for
get 1t. Not that it is so wonderfully
beautiful either.''
The thin, withered lips Of Namampa
cracked into smile.
"Namampa is DID," he said. "He is no
longer good to look upon. But as the
then comes the full development of the
soul-the brain. No, Namampa is no
longer young nor handsome, but he
knows many things"
"A false estimate of your knowledge,
old man." said the horseman. 1--WE
heard 1t said that an Indian charm
doctor, by his arts and humbugs, can
make his tribe believe he is great
medicine man, but that he could i'm
pose on men who call themselves intel
ligent was surprise to me-"
"Was surprise to your repeated
the Carib, stung with curiosity to know
who the stranger was, and resentment
that his own skill should be SO belit-
tied. What do you mean? Who are
you that you do not believe In Nam
ampa's skill?"
"Well, as to that" replied the horse
man, my name Is Tempest, and l am
one Of those Americans that are not
over-much loved by his Royal High
ness Philip the Fraud. I've Just taken
canter cross country for my health,
and now I'm returning to the Coroni
Valley to look up my friends. What
mean by doubling your skill is this: A
girl was lying i'll in the Castle Of Sal
varez, and you, of all the people this
side of the Orinoco, were chosen as the
wisest medicine-man and the most
likely to pull her through. Did you do
it? No. You mumbled your prayers
and charmed the men who were we'll,
but failed to affect the Pirl who was
i'll. That's sore point with me, old
Carib; not that loved the girl herself,
but I loved her lover, and when she
died his heart was broke and the light
went out Of his life. That was the re-
suit of your failure, Carib. I've a
mind to cut your lying tongue out with
this beautiful knife I stole from the
fellow who calls himself king"
Namampa jingled the gold he had
received from Mattazudo, and looked
calmly and contemplatively at Temp
est, as If considering some weighty
question.
American" he said, "the skill of
Namampa is for him who pays the
best. l knew nothing of your friend.
It was Philip, whom they call king,
who wished to marry the girl, but
Philip offered no gold. There was an
other who"
"Confound you'll" exclaimed Tempest,
leaping to the ground and springing
upon the Carib. "Do you mean to say
you took the gold of Gomez to murder
Lola Cara
As Jack relaxed his grip. the Indian
whispered:
'Let me up! Let me UP! tt can
tell you something"
Tempest took the Indian by the hair
and raised him to his feet.
"Tell on" he said; land unless you
tell something that pleases me better
than what you have told already you
might better be saying your prayers"
Listen, them" the Carib began.
1T is true was called to the sick
senorita. gave her the powder I
make from the bark of the cinchona
tree. She got we'll. But suddenly she
seemed to die. It was not that gave
her the drug. knew nothing of 1t.