The Bee Hunters
st, the last skirts of which dwindled aw
oot up hap-hazard, crossing and interlacing each other, and sometimes leaving large spaces comp
ve almost attained the size of their former props-the diversity of foliage forming here the most agreeable contrast; others, concealing within their hollow trunks a hotbed, formed from the remains of
nking under the weight of ages, by clothing them in a mantle of gray moss, which hangs in long festoons from th
itself in the shape of a mountain, to descend suddenly into a muddy swamp, peopled by hideous alligators wallowing in the green slime, and by millions
he black swans, which let themselves carelessly float down the currents; while rosy flamingoes, poste
en clearings sometimes open out prospects pictu
break in these mysterious regions-the grand voices of the solitud
o, find refuge; here and there one meets with paths incessantly trodden for centuries by jagu
the savage beasts. How many hardy pioneers have died thus, without the possibility of the veil being lifted which shrouds their miserable end! Their blanched bones, discovered at t
moment when the sun, quitting the horizon, had left the earth to darkness-darkness rendered still denser in t
nd under his horse's hoofs would let him, following unhesitatingly the capricious deviations of a wild animal
hout having slackened the pace of his horse
istance, on right and left, the hoarse growlings of the jaguar and the mocking
tinued his route, although the forest as
ees, and the acajou, whose sombre branches formed a vaulted roof of green eighty feet above his head. The path ha
stranger halted; then, without dismounti
tance; no noise was audible, save that caused by a slender stream of water, which, trickling t
idst a sea of whitish clouds, cast her silvery rays in profusion on the hillock, whose sides, fantastically lig
ess as a statue, listening to the faintest sound, r
l disturbed the silence of the solitude, he prepared to dismount, when su
rose from amidst the bushes, and, bounding to within a short distance from the cavalier,
nded over the dry leaves, crushed under its feet
se gradually to the foot of the hillock, with his head always turned in the
tly to the ground; and, making a rampart of his horse's body, levelled
le the tread of several persons was
is temporary shelter, passed his arm through his horse's reins, and, uncocking his rifle, let the butt drop on th
arted, and five person
almost carried in their arms. And, what was most wonderful in these regions, the strangers, whom it w
e presence of the unknown, who, still motionless, m
e strangers happen
an, with lively satisfaction; "We are
erved the unknown came rapidly towards him,
nt, what is seldom refused in th
replied, threw a search
s temples; his figure, upright and compact, had no more bent an inch, nor his black eyes lost a particle of their fire, than if he
nswered the unknown: "the first, in approaching me without precaution;
the stranger, with astonishment. "Do not a
wn, with a sneer; "but in the wilderness, the sight o
recoiled in
w creatures to perish in these horrible solitude
e prairie. What have I in common with you men of towns and cities, natural enemies of every being that brea
red a single prayer to you. Life is not so dear to me, that I should seek to prolong it on terms repugnant to my honour; but it is not a questi
turned away, as if reluctant to
his companions, who had hal
he asked
nted," sorrowfully re
remained for some moments fixing his eyes on the
ned abruptly, and rush
ted, and was on the
alled the
dded fiercely, "Let me begone; and thank God that our unforeseen meetin
ords disturbed the stranger in spite of him
an be as cruel as you wish us to believe. You are too
n laughed
o heart,"
e name of your mother
e no m
e of the being you love most u
ve no
, shuddering; "Then I pity you,
glow stole over his face; but soo
let m
ore I learn
nity, with a hatred towards all men which nothing can ever appease. Pray to God you may never
And may God have mercy on you, an
lations sweet and melodious as the notes of the centzont
r!" it uttered. "Where ar
stranger tenderly, as he turned quic
odious accents; his blue eye flashed like the lightning. He placed hi
rse to make a sudden bound forward, and pl
hat?" he asked in
aughter, who is dy
the unknown, stra
eated the girl in a voice w
full height; his face assumed an
e!" said he in a
oined th
closed, her face pale as a corpse; the feeble gasps of her b
r in profound sadness, while tears rol
ing her hand and covering it with kisses, while his face was inundated w
ombre and pensive eye. At last, after several minutes of
is girl?" he
lment: she has been bi
till his eyebrows
st indeed," sai
My daughter, my
sing himself: "How long i
ely an
ment, during which the bystanders anxiously bent towards him, a
said he at last. "Th
r uttered a
nswer for i
I will answer for nothing, except that I will attempt
exclaimed the father; "And, whoe
e this girl for your sake; and, whatever may be the motive
arbour such thought
e already lost too much time in idle words; le
ere s
own look
at the edge of the forest; over their heads the las
amined them carefully, apparently in
nife fastened to his right knee, he cut a branch from a creeper, and
rf), "strip all the leaves from this branch, and pound them. Be q
elf actively to t
nown turned
he body has this c
below the
e much
do yo
! Time
s quite worn out;
no longer; the operat
cried the stra
rather she
eration ind
e already lost
t. God grant yo
part round the serpent's bite, terribly t
a moment to spare. Hold the child so that sh
n had assumed such an accent of command, th
made his preparations. Luckily the moon shone at this moment so clearly, that her vivi
he unknown grasped the blade of his knife an inch from the point, and, lowering his brow with terrible determinati
ish; for she gave utterance to a dreadful s
e with admirable coolness and skill he pressed the lips of the wound, so as to forc
eon r
their juice on the palpitating flesh. Making a kind of plaster of the same leaves, he applied it
experience a sensation of great relief; the nervous spasms began to abate; she closed her eyes; and fina
w," whispered the unk
breathing of the patient proved her
or father, clasping his hands in e
surely; "bating unforeseen acciden
y remedy you have employed to
r a short hesitation, yielding perhaps to that secret vanity which induces us all
in parading their false science before us poor savages. Nature hides not the secret of her mysterious harmonics from him who ceaselessly pries into the darkness of night and the brightness of day, with a patience beyond proof, without suffering himself to be discouraged by failure. Th
hose real character was an enigma to him, and who at every moment showed h
have a direct influence on his personal welfare, not caring to make inquiry into her simplest actions. So, for instance, the region in which we now are, being low and marshy, is naturally infested with reptiles, which are so much the more dangerous and to be dreaded,
t how were the virtues of this creeper discovered?" said th
, the serpent contrived to wound the guaco, the latter immediately retired from the combat, and flying to the mikania, tore off a few leaves, which it bruised in its beak. It afterwards returned to the fight more resolute than ever, until it had vanquished its redoubtable enemy. The hunter
te his project?"
s the prick of a thorn. That is the manner in which this precious remedy was discovered. But," added the unknown, suddenly cha
before you have t
ll this perti
s that of a man to whom I have vowed a gr
"It is useless to pronounce to you a name wh
e, you cannot prevent my making you acquainted with my own-I am called Don Pedro de Luna. Although until today I have never penetrated thus far into the prairies, my resid
ding to the opinion of those who dwell in cities. So much the better: if it does belong to you, I do not envy
u! You will
ink I intend to remai
ld not leave unfinished the
derstand you
nt state, lost in the wilderness, without the means of escape,-in
A violent struggle seemed to commence in his bosom; he remained silent f
ance I have a jacal (hovel), as you would call the miserable calli (cottage) which she
id the strang
eat: believe me, and remain here. Nevertheless, if you persist in
will not stop on such an hypothesis:
Do you decide; only make your resolve quickly
rrowful look at his daughter
ughter cannot stay here; you have done too much for her n
conically. "I have warned you; t