A Threatened Saint.

21

Antonio don't you hear me? Man, what is this? Take care!"

Perhaps her threat implied that she would leave him in the dark by not burning a light for him.

CHAPTER III.

CANA CARUTO.

I WENT up with Don Carlos Gerilleau and his partner to see their place, and to look at the land Gerilleau had selected for me.

Half-a-mile from La Ceiba the river turns with a sharp bend. Towards the western bank which forms the outer angle, there runs a creek into the river, and as the waters of the river and the creek meet with considerable force, an eddy is formed which is dangerous to light craft. Gerilleau's plantation was up this creek, which is called Caña Caruto; but at the point of land at which the caña meets the river, which in the lower part is called Caña Colorado, and throughout its length called El rio del Guarapiche, that gentleman had a small house of two rooms and a gallery.

The building looked neat at a little distance, and was well situated as commanding both the river

Wattled Houses.

23

and the creek. It was wattled, and had a coating of mud overlaid; but it had too few windows, was imperfectly ventilated, and was dark, damp, and dismal within. Buildings in the alluvial districts of intertropical America, and especially in marshy places, require to be of wood, at a good elevation from the ground, and with thorough ventilation. A trench was dug on the property, leading to the caña, with a koker or trapdoor, by which not only was the land drained, but a trap was formed by which the owner was enabled to eat fish with the trouble of only picking them up.

We had some fish for dinner, boiled with pepper and salt. The early part of the night was passed in agreeable conversation, chiefly concerning our plans and prospects. The two partners also talked of their principal work, which was the cutting and squaring of ballata or bullet-wood for the Trinidad market.

I fell asleep during this part of the conversation, which did not particularly interest me, the more inclined thereto as for several nights before I had not had much sleep. I was aroused after a while

by the loud quarrelling of these two men, in which the words cheat and liar were frequently iterated on both sides, and threats expressed of shooting and cutting down. I begged them to keep the peace, and have respect for the drowsiness of a sleepy man, especially as they might take all to-morrow to settle their grievances, which I dared say needed only a little mutual explanations

and concessions.

The next morning Hills got into the only corial on the place, that in which we had come from La Ceiba. His partner, who seemed to have been watching his motions, quickly went out and told him that the corial was wanted to carry him up the creek. Hills replied that he was going only to La Ceiba, and would either return directly with the corial, or send it on without unnecessary delay. They were both obstinate respecting it. To whom the corial belonged I do not know; but I am satisfied it was not to either of them, and whether borrowed by Gerilleau or Hills I am also ignorant. They both appeared to possess very oblique ideas of right and wrong; and the

vehemence of their indignation was no infallible cue to the justice of their cause. Gerilleau was in a great rage; he stamped his feet, tore his hair out, and took up a large ballast-stone, and raising it with both hands above his head, declared that if Hills did not get out he would dash the corial to pieces. Below, for the tide was low, sat the American smiling; but it was a smiling devil that gleamed through his eyes, when he took up his gun and said—“ Gerilleau, it is no use, I shall have to shoot you; but I would be ashamed to do so, only because you threw a stone at me."

I was disgusted and alarmed, and begged the one to allow the corial to go to La Ceiba, and the other to send it back quickly to enable me to see my land. This was ultimately agreed to, and within a quarter of an hour an Indian brought the corial back, and the three of us started up the Caña Caruto.

Why Caruto is called a caña-channel, arm, creek, unless it means the channel by which drainage is effected-is, to me, as inexplicable as why most of the tributary rivers in British Guiana are