The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1901-07-27
Senor Tuk-yoo.

Viyidly do the terrors Of prison soil
tude appeal to the imagination-the
rarely broken silence, the long, drag
aafe hours. the anxious waiting for the
footsteps of the attendant who brings
the scanty meals, and the nameless
dread as night approaches, and fainter
grow the feeble rays of light strag-
eling in through the gratings OF the
window.
Although a year has passed since my
release, shudder even now as my
memory wanders back to the time
when those horrors were no matter
of imagination to me, but grim reality.
Amid<rthe.. gloom Of those recollec-
tions. however, there shines out
brightly one little CLEAN that still
leaves a grateful warmth in my heart.
II ia with a regretful longing that
fancy seeing him now, my little prison
ibmrade, standing before me and
sweetly warbling his name: "Tuk-yoo
--tuk-yoo-tuk-yoo-o-o." God bless
him!
But forget-you have not the pleas
we az his acquaintance (all the worse
for your, and an explanation is neces-
sary.
Over year ago 1t was my fate to
he a captive in the hands of the Fill
pino insurgents, and an unsuccessful
attempt at escape had brought upon me
the punishment of solitary confine-
iaent in an out-of-the-wa room OF an
old Spanish convent Hardly large
enough to pace up and down in, my
cell offered no other amusements than
staring at blank wall outside the
window, or lying OIL small iron bed
stead. gazing at the ceiling. contem-
plating the spiders at work weaving
their webs Down below echoed the
never-ceasing 'tramptramp" and
.shufle-shuffle" of the barefooted SEN
try. With an occasional Alto" as he
challenged some passer-by. My God!
the torturing inactivity! Only book,
or even a pencil, with which to scrib-
BILE on the walls-yes, even a child's
top to play with!
The misery of that first night will
never be forgotten. Sometimes l fell
into htful dozes, only to awake again
with a weight upon my chest, as if
some goblin Of the darkness sat there.
At last l slept. Suddenly l awoke
with q violent start. seemed to have
heard the unearthly shrek of some
demon of the spirit world, and spring
Ing up into a sitting Position, l lis
tened my forehead wet with beads OF
perspiration. Again came the voice.
fearfully loud and distinct. "Tuk-yoo,
tukyoo, tuk-yo-o, tuk-yo-o-o.oo."
ending up with with a low purr.
With a long sigh of relief, reached
I. for my matches, for the voice, If voice
may call it, was familiar; had heard
1t before. Who in the Philippines has
not?
Striking 4 light. beheld the mid
night vocalist sitting on the table,
glaring at me with indignant eyes.
Evidently he regarded my presence in
thi3 long deserted room as an intrusion
upon his privacy.
In aspect he was far from pre-
possessing, seeming to- be, in fact, a
cross between dragon and croco-
dile. and quite as terrible to look at,
poor fellow, until you learned to know
him and he you. His one redeeming
feature was his size, which scarcely
exceeded that of a mouse, and this
seemed in measure to mitigate the
lerocity Of his appearance.
"Hello!" l cried; "who are you?"
No answer; he only advanced step
Or two and glared at me menacingly.
Either he failed to understand English
or my familiar tone displeased him.
Again addressed him. this time in
spanish, and with pronounced air Of
respect:
"Buenas noches. senior; will you
non0r me with your name?"
These words produced some effect.
HhathrOat swelled until it seemed
ready to burst.
nk-yoo-tuk-yoo." he shouted, ex-
plcsfvely, with final whir that seemed
% say That's my name; how do you
Ike ,itr
An so We continued conversing. until
my supply Of matches was almost ex-
haugeed, when, with loud goodnight
ME-yoo" and a whisk Of his scaly lit
ue whip Of tail, he disappeared.
Next morning. as sat eating my
ofeakfast. wondering il should GER
.sala gee my little midnight visitor.
&c Suddenly appeared on the window
M With loud shout, which l inter-
tFeeed as Good morning."
A. good morning. Senor Tuk-yoo,
'eead;;.hOW do you find yourself this
.ofning. Will you join me at break
AeG.s
No he wouldn't Join me-had al
ssaay had his breakfast, he. gave TO
0derstand quite expressively in his
le dialect of "tuk-yoo." He seemed
70 accept my presence with
aaimity; perhaps 1t was even with
made Of interest that he listened to