The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-03-22
VALANDA'S
C0NTE ENTED,
HAPPY LIFE
Only Cloud Is the Mischance
With the Spear.
HIS SAN BIAS SKILL
Just Once Forgot, but Won a
Wife From Sea.
HIS SAN BIAS SKILL

| Valanda, a San Bias Indian, and his
wife are now living contentedly together
on the island, apparently careless of the
! fact that ya1anda stole the woman in a.
most shameless way from her husband
The truth of the matter is he speared
her out of the water while he left her
husband. and his own cousin, to be eaten
by sharks.
The only cloud over valanda's happi-
ness is the recollection that in spearing
his wife he did not display the skill he
and his kind deem necessary part of
proper San Bias Indian education.
Valanda and Ntanga, his wife, are
types of their kind and live on the little
island which is still a closed book to the
outside world. The Indians are cordial
to visitors up to a certain part, and
there they stop short. All efforts to gain
their confidence and get permission to
explore the land for the gold that is
known to be there have so far proven
proftless.
The spearing of Ntanga by Valanda was
the critical incident of a trip from a
little key just off the island to Porto
Bello.
A prospector had visited the island in
hope of getting permission to make a trip
into the interior for gold. He had met
an old Indian acquaintance, and had
traded with him for the desired good will.
but all TO no avail. He was banished
from the FL Dorado at shutdown and set
across the bay on to the little key where
all strangers are asked to remain at
night. From there the prospector asked
for boatmen TO take him across to Porto
Bello. Then it was that he made most
exciting journey and saw Valanda spear
his bride.
The story of the prospector, told in his
own words, gives a graphic account of
the affair. The son of this Indian friend
and his nephew were told off to conduct
the stranger to Porto Bello.
THE son, Santiago says the prospec-
tor, was a comely looking fellow, with
the usual stunted San Blas figure Val
anda, the nephew 1 had not seen, but
when they began pushing the big canoe
down the sandy beach l thought HIM no
more than the ordinary squat mache, |
except for a pair of intelligent and spark
ling eyes.
With usual Indian matter of actness !
Santiago and decided to take his wife |
Ntanga, and her little brother. Manga |
was just about the prettiest Indian 1 |
had seen from Belize. to mouth of |
the Orinocco. so L couldn't object.
AT last we were off. The canoe was a |
Carib rigged dugout of quite large di- /
nensions. I never liked a Carib rugged |
Doat, but, as there was every promise OF /
fair weather, / contented myself
Before being half day in that boat
it was evident to me that Ntanga was
more in love with Valanda than her hus-
band. Any one could look at the form
er's eyes and tell that they held only
longing for the little woman. Bound by
tribal tradition, he could spy no word of
love to her. But his eyes We're dynamos
sending off sparks not to be mistaken
And hers were a pair of sparkling, re-
sponsble little magnets. receiving all that
came within her range
Late in the afternoon il began to look !
murky off TO the east. and steadily grew
worse. 1t was evident that some bad
weather was bearing down on US but
whether 1t was only squaIl or regular
heavy weather could only be conjectured.
One never knows what is going to hap
pen in these climes until it IS full over
with. However. we were prepared for 1t.
wanted one of the sails lowered. but
San Bias thinks he can carry all sail
until the first puff OF a squall hits him
fair.
FINALLY. it was on us, and we were
thinking ourselves in for nothing worse
than few minutes OF wind and rain.
when there was a lull and all the air that
had been pushed to the westward seemed
to have gathered and started back with
the force of half a hundred demons The
foresail jibed-strained for the fraction of
4 second as the canoe careened over and