Oxford Democrat., 1915-03-02
oeeoooooooooooooooe
Capturing
a Bride
Failure Meant Her
Death.
9 By ESTHER VANDEvEER =
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On the western coast Of Centra
America Is a tribe Of Indians who ar
very proud Of their ancestry, tracing
1t to the Aztecs, who were a semi-civ
fized people. They trade with othe
races, but marry only among them
selves. Nature In tropical climates
supplies food In such superabundancs
that the natives may exchange what
they don't need for what will provide
other necessaries than food.
The principal food produced amons
this tribe of Central America Is cocoa
nuts. The Indians do not need tt
climb the trees to gather them. fol
when they are ripe they fall to the
ground. All day at the harvest season
there is a constant dropping. and at
night one who is unaccustomed to the
sound will be kept awake by 1t.
There seems to be natural law that
those who don't have to work for q
living consider themselves better than
those who do. Whether it was this i'm.
munity from labor or the fact Of the
blue Aztec blood in their veins. these
Indians would admit Of no union
among their people with any other.
Their cocoanuts brought ships to their
shores. and the sailors necessarily came
ashore to load them. This was always
done by daylight, but when night came
every man on the island must leave.
The Aztecs described by the Spanish
conquerors were a delicately made
race. and some Of their women In their
dusky way were beautiful. So 1t was
with these Indians Of Central Amer
lea. They would 60 to the shore In
groups while the sailors were loading
their boats with cocoanuts. and doubt
less there were glances between them
and the Jack tars. But the girls knew
that there must be no further counting.
for should there be the life Of one or
DOtn WOulQ De IOrIelteu-
One day a ship was loading cocoa
nuts on the shore Of these proud
people. Several girls stood on the
bank watching the yawls come to the
beach. take on a load Of cocoanuts and
start back for the ship. This getting
q boat over the breakers Is always an
entertaining sight. Several men walk
ing In the shallow water would pull
the boat out to where the oars might
take hold; then the oarsmen. watching
an opportunity between waves, would
pull Justify In order to pass the next
wave before 1t broke. Unless the boat
was skillfully handled 1t was liable to
be capsized.
The morning when the girls were
watching the sailors the breakers were
quite high. The rudder Of a boat COM
ing from the ship was unshipped by
striking a bar short distance from
the shore. and. the coxswain not being
able to keep her straight for the shore,
her side was turned to the incoming
waves. and she was capsized. Some
of the men In her got ashore, and
some were drowned. One was washed
ashore some distance below where the
boat was to have landed. There he
lay, rolled hither and thither by each
succeeding line Of foam that slid high
up on the beach.
The men who succeeded In getting
ashore alive were helped by the girls,
who waded into the water for the pur-
pose. One girl. seeing the body that
bad been washed ashore some distance
from the others, ran to him.
Lying unconscious on the sands, his
light curly hair stirred by the ever
moving water, he was picture Of
manly beauty. He was Ned Phillips,
considered by bis mates the daredevil
Of their number. He never went
ashore that he did not get into scrape
and on several occasions had been
saved by some Of them from getting
dlled.
The girl kneeled by him and lifted
nls head in her arms. Whether 1t was
their warmth or the change Of posi-
don or that he had been revived by
The air. he opened his eyes and looked
nto a dusky face with sympathetic
.yes, all of which seemed very beau
hful to him. He had become exhaust
ID shortly before being thrown up Oh
The beach and was therefore not very
,ar gone. he returned the look Of
ympathy with one of gratitude. admi-
ration. love. Then. staggering to his
leet. he pulled himself together. and
he two rejoined the others.
But Ned was not In condition for
anything but rest He lay down on
the sand. and the girl who had raised
him from the water sat by him and
hnned him with tropical leaf. For
D time the other girls stood about them
boxing down at Ned's pale face and
limp figure. But young people soon
letest the mating Of those about them,
md one by one the girls stole away
md left them together. Presently one
pf the other girls came and whispered
something In the ear Of Ned's mata,
md with a frightened look she rejoin-
I'd the others. Some native men were
soming.
In due time, the sea having gone
bwn. the process Of leading was re-
,umed. Phillips. with two other men
Who had suffered by the spill. was left
IN shore to recuperate. This was bad
,olicy 30 far as he was concerned. for
he girls resumed their position ~
watchers. and Ned caught few mo-
nsnts when no native men .wefs
,resent to endeavor by signs and q
tsw Spanish words he knew-some Of
which the girl who had taken him In
her arms understood-that he was
grateful.
Forbidden fruit Is the sweetest Fhis
girl knew that by encouraging this
white man she was bringing upon her
self the penalty Of death, and Ned, too.
was aware of the fact. While native
men were present both were circum-
spect: when no one except sailors saw
them they failed to conceal the bonds
that were quickly being bound around
them.
An old adage is Love laughs at