Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-11-10
Child Buried
Alive
To Guard a Dam, Accord
ing IL az Old Mexican
Superstition.

After day on the plantation Simp-
Son discovered that the late proprie-
cor had tarried on his property but
two months, then placed it in the
hands OF his agent to dispose of at
any price. And incidentally Simp-
son found that the late proprietor
was the fourth for that year; he de-
cided to investigate.
He was returning late one after
noon from the cane fields along the
river which ran through a part of his
plantation. His horse was one of
the best and the trail through the
fields was in good condition, but it
was a long ride. and he knew it
would be after dark before he reach
ed his hacienda house Already the
shadows were stealing through the
twilight, drawing down the curtain
OF darkness which precedes the play
of the moonlight. Suddenly he stop
ped, halted his horse with a sharp
check and listened. No, it was moth
ing, and yet he could have sworn
that he heard a cry of distress.
He spurred his horse on-then,
there it was again--to the right. Low,
like a dying moan, il stole over his
senses; he first felt it in his finger
tips, then it crept cautiously up his
arms--his heart stopped still. He
shiyered, though the air was warm.
1nvoluntarily he checked his horse
again, and listened. Not was not
a woman's cry; it was not mature,
though it was not like that of any
child he had ever heard The cry
was low and weak, weird and plain
tive. though it was incessant and
seemed to have a supernatural
strength in its weakness.
Simpson glanced around and saw
that he was in washout which was
probably an arroyo during the rainy
season; it was not very wide or deep.
He peered through the dim light to
his right and saw at some distance
away what appeared to be a black
wall; on riding nearer he perceived
that 1t was the ruin of an old reser-
voir dixie, built out of big blocks of
stone. He did not ride around to see
whether or not the reservoir
was dry, but fom the crumbling
condition of the dixie he decided that
It was. And all the while the low
cry continued, insistent, like a sob
which will not be choked down. 1t
seemed to come from the wall of
the reservoir.
1t was just three days later when,
without any apparent warning of the
coming catastrophe, there was a
cloudburst up the mountains The
little streams, swollen with the
heavy rains, rushed down the noun
tain sides like mighty rivers. 1t
was the worst flood in years. The
valley was yelled in tears, and the
only sign of Simpsons plantation
was the spot where his house ought
to have been.
Like the true optimist that he was,
Simpson was delighted to discover
himself safely sitting on top of some
floating wreckage. He rightly rea-
soned that it was a wonder he was
on top. and not in watery grave
under his household furniture.
But Simpson thought nothing in
particular of a strange sight which
surprised him as he drifted down
stream for the low hills to the south.
The dead body of an infant in a per-
feet state of preservation passed him,
floating with the wreckage. drowned
men, women and cattle. 1t was the
unclothed body of baby girl She
f1oated by him, her rar stringing
in wet strands behind her. In one
hand she clutched tortilla; in the
other a piece of piloncillo.
Years ago the poor poems of the
haciendas thought that an infant, in
closed alive in the wall of a reser-
voir or the dam of a stream, would
give warning with cries at any ap-
preaching danger-such as a storm
or flood. So it was considered
commendable act for peon mother
to sacrifice her child. and such a
odSliASS ndS uOI WiIuOul mercy. "A
tortilla in one hand and a piece of
brown sugar in the other-these were
supposed to sustain the little one so
that it would have sufficient strength
to cry out in time of danger Then
the wall was compfeted-the baby
boy or girl being buried alive.
In the course of time-say, forty
or fifty years-the wall of the reser-
voir might crumble in places, though
the part protecting the tomb might
perfectly preserve the body OF the
infant. Should a flood or storm Of
sufficient danger be imminent the
departed spirit of the infant might
give warning with cries of distress
and these cries might be heard by
some one in passing. Shouli = flood
finally come and wash away the
crumbhng tomb of tls infant the
drifting body might be seen by the
same one who heard the cries
but who would believe the talef-
Modern Mexico.