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Show I the wine of the cassiquiare BY CHARLES LEONARD MOORE. . . . ! (Copjriarht. JOU. bj" the "Now Yorl. Herald Co A'l jrWili. rt'crtcfl ) - ' 2,jTOTOnulus- Conccpcion 1" ; iS3r SS Adios, icnor " ' lis? ,y J "SoBor! I'oii arc cold, J" S"ri?l " 'G Jon, who arc cold. I You arc going to lcae a me." "It is only for a week. Conccpcion." 1 "You say. 'only a week.' You do not W Ioe me." y "It 5s a thousand jc-irs. Bnt I will be ! bact." I , "Adios! I must hurry borne. My : fatter will, find that I liave stolen out' : L to part with you. He will lock me up." a "One moment. Conccpcion. Give me r something to remember jou by. Give , mo that ribbon from your neck." . ; ', "0h, you won't waut to remember rnc. . There are Indian glrU where ryu arc so-' W ins. They will steal you from me, I ' il know them."., I ' H l( A'Tberc arc no girls There are oniyjj H Jaguars and boas." , I Alas, they will ent ynu! Why, did . ever love a man who keeps compauy with tigers and snakes!" " "Tou love me! You coufess !t! "One kiss, dear one!" "Let me go!" "On your eyes! On your lips!" "Quick! It is not lucky to cooht them. There, -that is enough. I must so. Adios!" The girl's lithe foim Mid from- Don . Manuel s arms, She stood poised a mo-'Oaent, mo-'Oaent, palpitant her face slowing, her eyes sparkling, and then, waving her hand backward she ran down tl path ro the village. The young man called after her "In one week from this hour I will rc turn, Concepcion. .Meet me here!" The tropic sun had just leaped into the sky. Jt flooded the air with r a light ai of melted diamond?. Jt broke upon the gloomy forest uutil ecry tree drenched with dew, glittered like a cascade cas-cade of foam over black rocks. It smote lu"inky waters of the Kio Xegro until every dimple on them was a cup of gold. It tout-bed, the red tiled roofs and wh:l adobe' walls of the little village in the titer's curve until it seemed a ntst of palcces Manuel stood until- the girl had dis-appeared; dis-appeared; and' 'then "he descended the Lank nnd entered a "canoe. A dozen strokes ofjhc paddle shot the "boat around a little point of land and into the mouth of a small streim. It was ono of the many "igarapeV or w airways which intersect in-tersect the Amazon country. One or two days journey upttarr lh varticu,ar Urcaoi Joined the Casslquiare, that mar-nar.e mar-nar.e link between the isio Negro and the Orincco, Finding the Jar. As Don .Manuel sent his canoe on, shelving beaches and open banks soon : vc way to thick forest growths rising tralght from ike water's cdSe. in loftv, curving ranks. JJThe stream glided through the forest, under the forest, for ere Jong the trees on either hand cot their boughs J in mighty arches to meet anoe it. It 41 I Wax n vrr.ruli- ng .. r- ,. zm r . . .. v.i.c, uuui wnosc roof vines m and orchid plants hung down, the liv-jn; ! stalactites of the place. Lnough sunlight , pierced the foliage to light Dqn Manuel's 1 ; path and dimly outline the flowering J ; growths and grotesque tree forms beside 3 i I Ud nhorti hI,a- IJfcre d tksie saps la M , the Inter'ans canopy let in the morning yS Ua l0 b,otch t,,c "lack waterway with J pools of blood: The place was shrill with I ; the cries of monkeys and macaws, wake.; iflu t 'their daily tatks. nufl ' Afl0r mQCy 1,0UrS ,Jas4:,sc through J l tLiS tV '1FS:bt r noctula, Td the path "J I opened upon runnier albeit cen wilder J tcenes. Judges of rock alout tho banks "di Prvented the cloe growth of forest, and J1 the little ricr itself was strewn with fljl . bo Alders of gigantic size and groteMjuu fj I ! hlKs. Through these Don Manutl had I - t sulde his canoe with care. Far ocr i ; Vhe topi of the nearer iieea be could ee 'A ' lbe LeaVe of distant heights. ,tf A.Dd aow lle youug man began to ex- 7l ' 8lsai of u,ur-,". He looked to hfs . J ufJe that hii ut huud at the bottom of the II ? canoe and Joouocd his revohcr in its m fcntath. And he brought out the little mj. 'A I V" Cr0Si Wh,"h buus 4bout hi: ncck. bu- Jj neath hiB bhirt, and pred it to his lips. 2 m tor his mind was, less Intent on the ma- fcrJal danger in his path, jaguar or pec- '"91' r r Watt'r boa' tl,an on lorror bUIjef- jg I . natural and mytciious. lie was ap- -j proacblug u realm of euchantment. Le- 3 I ' s"81PaI"S irbra lip to lip among rlic m bHyhily civilized Indians or (he impio . J I Nlui'-d river folk Sax t0 the legion an J en repute. They told of vanished cities III . racx'3' of animals endowed with J' Cranio intulligcco and supurnutuial life, 4a ft tjwfl whom the hunter1 bullets had no i ,C;: cxnlorers who bad emend this m '"uueffi to return no more. Iu mingled :'9 i a0ubl. 4nd Jar'DS Don Manuel held his TO r .iy into the bciu of these wonders. At i "i T'": h camr,-,d on the river bank and ISj1 ttteamdd horribly. - ' 11lU ""l lno'nin: he resumed his joUi- M nei Cliffs und piiuiclcs o strange col- Mimi n rookB' tv anU -vo,lon' a,ld wh'c P" M I ,WI With fauta8tic creepers, now rose P iM ftbout bi,u- About midday he decidnd to iJ At9. ? vome t0 a hriIt aud raakc bis meal- A "' j& t ' kf rOC ' tll n,i,,dl of thc J'trcam caughi fg00J aud naddlia to it he moored hii PPI fea&t to on of th n projectionj aik y (sprang out. JJetwcen the confusedlj heaped bowlders was a little pool A grea rock, which had evidently lain across it had been toppled aside liy some violenl flood," disclosing a watery erjpt. Some' thing gjqamed in ilia depths of thc reccs. Don Manuel plunged his aim in and could fee! thc surface of abounded, metallic object. ob-ject. It scem6d to be a jar' embedded in the sand. lie was compelled to cuter tho pool nnd work with both hands uwlur water before he could loosen it. Kivn then it was so hcav. that all his strength was required io bring it up to the air. Ho tct the thing on a level table of stoucv.nnd examined incuriously. It was a graceful, urn shaped vessel, about eighteen tnchc? high and ten across -at the widest It was made of sold, which the sand ami the running wafer had kept wonderfully bright. All orcr it was embossed with exquisite design figures fig-ures of men and women intermingled with coiling serpents, crouching tiger, ind flying biul?. The lop scorned to be screwed or cemented on, and after many jfforts to open it he, took his huntiug vnifc and cut a i-ircle throuch the rathei Jsoft motal. He hesitated :i moment In-, . fore removing the cap. What might be jjin this strangely lndc'eu depositar J treasure of precious gems, secret record rof some enchanted past, or liquid of .poisonous funics which linger ttrike him J dead or tciij him raving throbgii tiie ifoiestV The Mysterious Liquid. I nnnllj 'he lifted the lid and looked (within. The vessel vas about two-thirds " full of a liquid, greenish at first, but i which on contact wish the air changed and seemed charged with opalescent i hues. A lire of eolors. white und gold and red. writhed, coiled, bubbled before I his cacs. Fascinated by this, play of i light, he gazed aud gized until Jt last, ' he was drawn to touch the" liquid .with : hl.s finger. .It vas cool and "smooth, and he lifted a fav d-ops up to taste. A shrill scream oicrhcad made him pauses From a vast and grotesquely contorted1 con-torted1 tree on the river bank n great bough reached over the little island: Along this branch, screaming, and grimacing, grimac-ing, scrambled the hugest monkey Don .Manuel had ever seen. He had oiigin-ally oiigin-ally bacn blatk, but antiquity had turned thc most part of his coat gray. A cloud of siher white hair framed his retreating retreat-ing forehead and protruding jaw. t Ag had not impaired his activity, however, for he came down tho bough like irtlnsh. and. hanging for a moment suspended ut its end. dropped on all fours at Don .Manuel's feet. The latter recoiled and drew his revolver, re-volver, but his Aisitor made overtures of peace. Sprawling aj fn" length, he put up bis p.uvsfris to deprecate violence, an'd then crawling forward, bowed, his .Jiead h.unibl before the young man, Uis looks were so venerable, his actiou so piteous, that Don Manuel put his weapon back. Then thc creature, squatting before him. pointed witboitc paw' to tiie 'jar. n'hile with the otlicr he motioned toward his head. Don Manuel, nothing "loath to tcsj lis discovery, made u gesture of. Invitation., I3ut.no: The monkey seemed to desire the vine without rather than within. He made motions ns if scatter-i ing it ovrr his perBnn At l?st Don Manuel stopped forward and. dipping his', I hand into thc liquid, sprinkled a few-drops few-drops on his petitioner's head. What had happened? There In the blaze of the snnlight stood a thing as roynl ns the ;un. It was the figure of. a man, old. indeed, but majestic us the! gods. His hair and beard were white. ,'q's leatures noble, lm eygs solemn and tj mysterious, tie was clad in a purple , i cloak and tunic. -Uelfod by his side was :ja sword in a shenth of gold, and from -pus shoulder hing a curving horn of tiie , 'same metal. Upon liis".'hca"d he" wore a I 'crown, vclrcicin' shone the lustre of Immense Im-mense emeralds. , With .lofty, courtesy this being bowed to Don Manuel "and seemed 'to express 'his'thanks In words; of solemn and unusua! I sound. He pointed to-tho-canoe and to the l ' ' - v - : I ' r . . :. SbMl S -"' In . 1111 further shore. , as 'though requesting' pa6,ige. Amazed and dazed. Don Manuel enleri'd the boat, and would have! left behind tho golden urn which had, procured him so wonderful an acquaintance, acquaint-ance, but the -stranger lifted it up and placed it in the canoe as a most precious ca rgo Landed on the shore the royal isitanti motioned id grave request for Don Man-1 uel to bear the jar.' "He himself climbed t a ledsc of "rocks from which various animal paths diverged into the forest; aud. obeying as in a dream, the other followed. fol-lowed. Placing his horn to his lips the old man blev.' a few mellow, musical notes. There was a paune nnd then a deep, purring scream came in return Down a forest path glided a mighty beast. Don .Manuel recognized the small head, the dusky augularly bpotted body, the powerful limbs ahd claws of n jaguar, At-sight of the two men the animal halted as though astonished, and then with a quick cry trotted forward. Manuel Stood petrified us the boast., reaching him. rubbed its head, purring, ng.iinst the aim which held tiie jar. Then at u command """ v; i set with rubies. She bore a resemblance to tho kingly stranger, and from the look of joy .nnd affection whichJeapcd between them, Don Manuel sqi' them s down as father and daughter. And. now the young Bbllviari, wau ready for nuything. The. spirit of adventure was on him;, a fide of .desire rose in his veins. The gjil'.s deep, colored eyes flashed upon him, her red lips patted in. a Miiile. The -old man gazed upon them both with satisfaction. Then he 'grew gin.vc.aiid motioned, them-on, Tho,threc took up their march Uirough the forest. ALV frequent 'Intervals as. they .went the with iii.steiious seduction She was 'robed in scarlet aud the fillpted 'band of gold which gleamed iu thelark hair was I ' i : r : : r ' " ": :.-- :3 i Again a Transformation! A Woman Rose Before Him. j from thc old man he flung some of the liquid upon its upturned faec. I Again a transformation! More slowly, thau before as though loath to leave the lithe curves, the splendid dyes the incar- irate power of that tiger shape, a woman rose before him. Jjho was tall; her head was rather suiall. with w-de. low brows: her rounded arms and shoulders were bare, she moved with iuipeiial languor. C -; ( z oW king sounded upon his. horn. 'And at every cull .there would glide upon their nath sonic forest auima to receive baptism bap-tism from Don Manuel's hand nnd upder-go upder-go transformation. Another jaguar turned into a great limbed warrior with glittering glitter-ing arms. A boa-constrictor, coming to them with undulating haste, became a Woman with matronly charms. "MoukeysJ grew into splendid lords nnd a water tapir was transformed iutO a portly counsellor of state. A herd of peccariep trotting into a sunlit gla.de were turned 'into a cohort of soldiers -with clash-ling clash-ling swords and shields. Gaudy lined 'macaws stooped from Uicir heights above and were reborn into glittering sirli. ParrOquets and love birds nnd rich dyed, .1LtttM.M,Vt,M41MM4VlVWVlltti flaiintinj. nioths bme fair children. B? i S a Slorio"5 'Tra,n morlalB lowin 1 ?Ti oom tot blowing bl-owing th.lr king and their deliverer. The hcauty of their lately or graceful forms! ih0?,C-b attr,re. the gleam of , gems and .old and steel, the glow or torches, which they ,t os n5sjlt do?C( n) a .derfifl spectacle In UW august and som-jbre som-jbre intQnor.s. Thoy camped that night m a roelcy .-iniphitheafrc. lit tircj.. ahd the ,-?dic, efpcrDin.MnpiiH-rfi,a his r,ral .companipns wjth food-fruits arid roasted roots -of the forest "" - 1 Marriage-of Don -Manuel. 1 ?VF: 's tb(? 'trocc5slo;i travciScd the ,o s, cojitjmiQlly Increasin-g in'nu'mben, M-Ihug at- last to a great population, won' Manuel "noticed that their path drew ni.-A.ird lo'lhe hill,. The 'trees grew parser aud the rocky passages and har-rjers har-rjers w-erc all about them. At last they entered n Urtuous. almost secret. ""Jefih- in the chills.-aud passintr through thLs.came upon a wide, -well watered valley, (shut in hy perpendicular cliffs. Tn the centre of the vale was a grat. square topped eminence, emin-ence, up which, by" an ancient roadway choked, and, overgrown wjlh vegetation, they toilsomely made their way. On the: suminjt of 'this equare topped mount were the ruins of mighty walls j and gateways. Or, rather, these structures, struct-ures, were almost Intact, but so over- grown with trees and vines, so buried .in the mould of years a, to seem resumed, into nature. The transformed multitude, working with order and discipline, soon cleared a passage through one of the gateways and spaces in the streets and fiqii.it es beyond. Out of pavements of jasp'er. through windows of marble, aboVc roofs of gold, were- thrust the boughs of trees. Foliage canopied the streets, vines nnd creepers clothed the house fronts. "The iguana raskod upon the .stops of palaces Jaguars littered In the basins where fountains liad plashed. Yet of such indestructible matQrial& wap thc city builded that It only 'needed to clear out the intrusion of the forest, to dig away the mould and repair the occasionally occa-sionally shattered walls and it was icady for habitation. Them were many hands for hueh repair and restoration, and sooa the city resumed' re-sumed' its primal aspect of gorgeous beauty. Its -streets were thronged -with stately life. The King reigned as of o'd. The various orders of the. people feli ij'.'o their old places and occupations. Nothing Noth-ing was changed, but that Don Mauucl, whqui all regaided and reverenced as a deliverer, was with them. Iii him. however, all was changed. As the forest luxuriance had obliterated the city, so a giant growth of feelings and desires overcame in his mind all memory of thc past. He forgot Concepcion. He forgot Ins father's home. He forgot the white vt ailed village by the Ttio Xogro. He thought of nothing but the daughter of the King. And she, with something of a catlike cruelty still tlumbcriug In her nature, exultant in her power ovr the eaviour of her race, played and wrought upon his passions. By this time he had come to under-j under-j stand something of the language of his hosts, could gather tho import -'of their solemn utterance. One day the King called him aside nd said: "Noble .joutb, I see that you love Inirida. and that she. afte'r the .manner of wo'men. ploys With. your devotion. "It is time that all airs were settled between, be-tween, you and the succession to" my throne secured. If ive of this old race had been content with our "transformation, if we could, have bprne imprisonmentin those hideous, bestial shapes, the bnjeful magic iWould'have inspired us, perpetual life. For centuries w;e had roamed yonder forests; for centuries more we might hav'c'crawle'd or climbed or flown about its precincts. But we. too, bear noble minds. With you, our deliverer, came the e-hacce of escape to thc form erect and lofty thought of man But becoming human again, we accept the penalties of humanity sickness and age and death. My dai. I know, is nearly done, but before I depart I would I ce you wedded to my daughter'' that our ll royal line may live." So the marriage tjm decrid and a great H "eael declared in the city. Wines that had been buried for age in secret crypts were H Jlsinterred. Jewels that had Iain amid H the forest debris were brought to light to IH adorn the forms of men and women' IH radiant fronts. Ey day the .trects were H paved nnd canopied with flowers ; bv night H bonfires and torches flared under the IH tropic stars. And am,"d these rejoicing H Uon.Manuel received tho wild, impflrions, H giacious Inirida into his arms. I Time pawd on. Tho K;D?, dhd and M Don Mannel wore the emcraid crow H rhcre "s inueh to do. The indnsies M which sustain life had to b, directed; the H am which ennohfe'it encouraged. His H br.de was tamed to a matron's sweataek 1 jot with flashes of ntnn fi f H winch puzzirf ahd entrano-d. Children IH came to them, budded, bloomed. wr M Playthings, comrades, counsellors, "Die H though old ,, came ap3Ce upon him. H III. hair .vlntoncd, his form grew bent H He sat in the sun ant, iet tfie oth(JW act H One day he came upon the clothes h H Jd worn on his arrival in-the city. He H had forgotten them and their appearance JM caused Inm a shock. Old memciioa gath- H crod m,stlI iD b;s mj.n ln he m hd aS bl0US he found a ribbon. H faded , dwcoloted-a ptry lhingt Bllt H n a fasi, , ,c recalled nterc he had seen H 1 1,-i r,f t rCa,M ConP"ons throat. H J, B It The ribbon B hifrale a"d eDt & thri1' thTOash 1 PrSlnnt ?? PSt WM aU fn a and 1 hH J f SCCn,ed a 'oathsome thinT B "c could hear his wife moving throa-h the rooms beyond, and he shnddereS l-r r e the glare dnel H r 0l :hi c,t thwueh the window and M it seemed a precinct of appalb'ng helk B ,"C,ta J,D,81' throughout that dsy H and when all was still at night he cabins oja, garffl j, as;de aQd aasDmed H half rotted garb of his youth. Concep- M cion 9 ..bbon he tied about his neck, and M thus accoutred he stole forth into thc JM sleeping city and by many devious patfis aLi found exit unseen. M Ho knew his way through the defil B at gave approach to the vallef and from M hence on some Instinct scemod to lead him. He retraced thc path through the M h'lb nd the rocky wilderness. He PluiiKcd into vthc great forest and the LLi right direction seemed blazoned on his aH mind -Finally he came to the banks of M the little stream, and there was ft, M strangely shaped islet of bowlders, the H chamber of the accursed wine. H Concepcion d la Torre.- H Some time he apent In fashioning -with LH the nunting knife and sword machete ha H had brought with him a canoe'fit to float H on those waters. He worked with ager- H nes.s, but when he had Sniahed th bo?it H he hesitated. He "gazed at the reflection H of himself in the black pool below the H bank. His hair was white, his limbs H shrunk, Ills motions feeble. Why should H be go back, he thought? Nobody would H know liim. Concepewn might be dead. H His father must long be sone. The very name of his family might be forgotten. jH Xo matterl He would return to his be- trothed'5 grave. He would lire in sight jH of her house. He would tread the patha her foolstops had hallowed.' So doubting no longer lie launched his boat upon tlfe stream and glided downward. M All that day he moved as fast as his M failing strength could impel the canoe. At nighl he alept under thc solemn arches of the caverned waterway. Starting again early next morning it was only a. little after dayjbreak that he emerged at the month of the igarape. Landing at the M point whence he had started, he let 'his M canoe drift out into the great ri-ver, -rriile he ascended thc bank. H At the top of the slight rise a figure- started up before him. It was that of a. M girl, slender, fresh, crowned with flow- M ers. To his old sight it seemed an appi- H rition the ghost of Concepcion herself. M He fell at her feet in agitation and da- M 'Who are you, senorila?" he asked. M "I am Concepcion de la Torre," ehe ansi-pred, stooping to help him. H "Ah!" be said, satisfied that ehe ws VM ficli and blood. "You are the daughter H of the other Concepcion, then?" H "No, ScDor," she said, "my mother's H name was Kosario." H "But it is impossible,'" he etammered. H "Tou are not the Conccpcion I mean! IH You are not the betrothed of Manuel H Prndo!" H "I do not know how you knew it, H So nor, but it is true. I am Conception. H the betrothed of Don Manuel Frado. He H left me for a voyage in the woods s. H week ago and bade me meet him hero at H this hour.' H "But do you not know me, then. Con- H cepcion?" H "Xo, SeAor! I cannot think I hare H ever seen you. But you arc old and H feeble. Lean on ni arm and T will H guide you to thc village. Don Manuel H "Txok at me, Concepclou. Do you not M recognize my features?" H "Alao, no, Sefior! Your face is kind B and noble. 1 feel no fear of you, in H Upitc of your insistence. But I know j-qu r "Do you know this ribbon. Concep- H j "The ribbon! It is old and faded, bnt B it looks like one I save to Manuel & HBVJ week ago. It is his! What have you IKS 'done with Don Mauuel, Seiior?" M "Do you want Don Mauuel. Con- M cepcion?" HBS "He is my betrothed. I love him. BS Have you robbed him? Have yon mur- H dercd him? Such was the fashion of H the clothes he wore. Where is he? Tell H me, I beg you, Sefior'" HBV "Listen, Concepcion. I would not tell H jou. but f am dying. It may make it IKVJ easier for ypu to know. Yon will not HBV think yourelT deserted. I am Don IBV Manuel! I am that unfortunate being! H I ho,vc been under enchantment in tne HBV forest. I have lived a lifetime in a week. JHV I have dreamed and now I wake to learn HBV in. lo. Pity me, my love! Piry me. ConcepCHjn. Kiss me farjwoll. If you HBS can. Adios! Adio'.s!" H The old man sank back into Cop- IH cepcion's arms and his eyw filmed in IH death. The girl, o'erwrought wifh awe H and grief aud horror, hung above luni PH and shrieked hie nam6, "Don Manual, H Don .Manuel!" M jT x ' " "--aMB |