The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1911-11-03

Bare feet are stuck in the wooden stirrups. He
and his steed are festooned with bags baskets
and packages, the tout ensemble suggesting an
itinerant Christmas tree. Stuck under the saddle
flap, or elsewhere beyond ready reach is rife
or shotgun of ancient make. probably unservice-
able. and almost certainly unloaded. Everyone
goes armed upon the road.
Occasional reminders of less peaceful times
are seen in a small wooden cross set in the
ground and surrounded by rude rail fence. indi-
eating the spot where some unfortunate met
violent death In the commission of a crime Pan.
falcon rode alongside as l approached of
these unconsecrated burying places that contained
two crosses With emotionless precision he told
the grizzly tale Of two compadres who had fallen
out and here had fought to the death with their
knives.
Compadres are bosom companions, bound by a
bond closer than that of brotherhood. Only a
woman can break that tie and when compadre
turns against compadre hell knows no greater
bitterness. These two hacked each other until
they fell, gaspng and bleeding, and foamng at
the mouth. still jabbing with waning strength.
They were found dead, locked in each others
arms. Perhaps at the very last the spirit of COM
padreship returned to soothe their passing
put this reflection to Pantaleon but he de-
clared It more likely that they died cursing each
other and thinking Of the girl. My conclu
sion pleased me better. but felt bound to defer
to my moso's superior knowledge of the charac-
teristics of his countrymen
Presently the road entered the monte and we
rode between wooden walls reinforced by heavy
underground At long intervals we passed small
clearings where the settler had cut the
ground. burned the debris where 1t FELL and scat
tered his seed with careless confident hand
The machete is the universal agricultural imple-
ment. A pillow has never been seen in the coun-
try. Cultivation is neglected as an unnecessary
trouble Withal. harvests are bounteous and re-
cur with the nallible regularity OF the solar sys-
tenn. ! fields of sugar cane that had yielded
rich crops for fifteen unbroken seasons and
piece of land which has stood in corn contin-
uously for half century.
All over the Pacific slope OF Chiriqui Is top
soil. from to 20 feet thick formed by the vol
ages from the mountain sides It is rich as any
In the world, but not e-hundredthousandth merit
Of 1t has been turned to the account of man.
Outside Of David. the population Is less than four
to the square mile Apart from score Of cattle
raisers and coffee growers. man produces more
than enough to meet his needs whilst markets at
their very doors are crying aloud for the poten-
tial products Of the province. Panama is paying
high prices for jamaican fruit and Cuban sugar
and American tobacco. whilst these and many 9TH
er imported commodities can be grown within
her borders
The pathetic mystery OF It is that tens Of thou
sands are shaving In city sweatshops and facto-
ries, or painfully wringing living from reluc-
tant soil. when land unlimited lies waiting to
richly reward any who win cast handful Of
seed upon it
Ten miles out from David we came to Alanle.