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