The Washington times., 1914-06-27

night he slipped over side and swan
ashore. 1t was not so dangerous as It
seemed. for once he had gained the
shelter OF the jungle no less than a
pack of hounds could have followed
him while the thickets were laced by
a network of trails that gave forth 10
sound to naked soles and the rustling
branches overhead. played upon by the
never ceasipg breeze. drowned all sig
nal of his presence. Once ne had de-
fed the tribal law he knew no further
peace. 1t was like the first taste Of
blood 20 an animal. Thereafter, limo
cencio the outlaw, whose name was a
symbol of daring. became a jackal
prowling through the midnight glades,
casting the scent of the villages and
staring with hungry eyes from Just be-
yond the shadows edge. Rather. he
became panther. for in his caution
was no cowardice, only feline pa
tience. Village after village he hunted
until he had marked his prey. Then
he waited 10 spring.
To be sure he had never spoken with
the girl, nor even seen her clearly, but
the sound of her voice made him trem-
Bile. the sight of he face played upon
by the flace from some broken ember
awoke in him a furious longing.
To accomplish even this much had
taken many trips Of the Espirita: had
meant many sleepless nights and some
few tense moments when only the shad-
ows saved him from betrayal. There
had been times. for instance, when the
quick stimulation of wild pigs grunt
or the purr of el tigre had served to
explain that sound of his retreat; other
times when he had stood motionless In
the shadows. the evil rust red blade
of his machete matched the hue of his
half nude body.
Tonight he crouched behind the
deckhouse and ran his eye over the
schooner in one final glance of caution
1t was well that all should be in readi-
ness. for the moment of his spring
might come within the hour, or If not
tonight, then tomorrow night, or a
week, month, year from tonight, and
then a tackle fouled or block jammed
might spell destruction.
He thrust his head through a loon of
the leathern machete scabbard and
swung the huge knife back until II lay
along the crease between his shoulders.
then he seized the port stay and let
himself softly downward over side. The
water rose to his chin. Without a
ripple he glided into the moonlight
astern and a moment later his round
black head was no more than a piece
Of bobbing drift borne landward by the
current
Down past the village he swan, not
ing the rows Of dugouts on the beach.
He saw a blot in the big mahogany
cayuca, a great canoe hewn from one
priceless trunk. and recognized It for
the sentinel. On he fioated, then
worked his way ashore behind the little
point. Once he felt the hard, smooth
sand beneath his soles he waited until
a cloud obscured the moon. and when
the light broke through again he was
dripping underneath a wide leafed
breadfruit tree at the jungle's edge
Removing the machete from his neck
he wrung the water from his cotton
trousers. Over his head a night bird
croaked hoarsely.
She was at her fathers house. at
tending a fire on the dirt floor. It was
a large house. for the old man was rich
in daughters and by the San Bias rule
their husbands had come to live with
him. He had waxed fat long ago on
their labors and now only this youngest
daughter remained unmarried. But the
ceremony was set. 1nnocencio had
heard the news upon his arrival three
days before and had grudgingly bought
a big store of tortoise shell from the
groom-to-be, knowing full well that the
money was intended for the wedding
celebration. Markeena was the fellows
name. a straight outstanding youth who
more than once had excited the Hay
tian's admiration for his skill with
canoe But since that day the latter
had regarded him with smolderins
eyes.
The big thatched roof. with its bark
hoored loft. stood on posts blackened
by the smoke Of many feasts; there
were no walls. The jungle crept close
TO II from the rear. and hence the
watcher could witness every movement
Of the girl as she passed between the
hammocks or stopped to her task. He
could see. for instance. the play OF her
dark round shoulders above the neck
Of her shift and when some unstudied
pose betrayed q hint Of the full bosom
beneath the garment, Innocence
ground his yellow teeth and gripPed
the moist earth with the soles of his
naked feet as a tiger bares its claws
before the leap.
II was very hard TO wait.
For an hour ne stood there. once
dog came to him and shifted, then rec
ognI5ing a frequent visitor. returned to
the house and resumed its slumber be-
side the fire. From the houses beyond
came the sound of voices, of a child
CRYING uuerulously and Of woman
o,:ietinr il. People came and went. An
old haG began pounding grain in NOR
tar. grooming in a broken voice. The
girls father came rolling into view and
after a word to her struggled heavily
up the ladder TO his bed. He was snor-
in- almost before the structure -had
c.ased to crack beneath him. In the
thicket a multitude OF nocturnal sounds
arose. the insect chorus Of the night.
And then before Innocencio realized
what she UP TO the girl had stolen
swiftly out and past him, so close that
he could hear the scruff of her sandals
on the beaten path. The next instant
he had glided from cover and fallen in
behind. his pulses leaping, his long, 1.-the
musclef ripping. But he moved as ST.
lently as a shadow.
Had he been a less accomplished
bushman he might have lost her, for
she plunged into the shadows unhesi-