cotton is a spectacle worth going a long way to a screw firmly fixed to the heavy beam which behold. So it is later in the season, when the supports the roof, and attached to this are blossoms cease, and the plants seem hung with levers, worked by mules, which force down the snowballs. The pods, or "lobes," are about the screw. Beneath is a stout wooden box, within size of a walnut when they burst open longi- which, like a lining, and firmly secured around tudinally, the lovely white, silky down which the top, is the bale or packing-case. Piled near clothes the seeds peeping out between each the press you might see a huge mound of cotton, dark brown segment, and gradually expanding like a small mountain of snow, and when you till it hangs in the long tuft ready to the hand compare the snowy heap with the bale which of the gatherer. you are told will contain it, you might be The seed is sown in spring, and the gathering inclined to doubt the sanity of your informant. begins about August. The entire gathering Your incredulity, however, gives place to astonlasts some time, according to the climate or the ishment, as by armful after armful you see the season, and as the fresh pods ripen in succes- mountain vanish into the box, and subside, sion. The cotton picking, being comparatively apparently, into the earth, as the negroes, light and easy work, was a welcome season to standing on the platform above, push and shove the negroes, and a time for frolic to many of and kneed it to the bottom, making yet room them; the younger and more sprightly having for more. Now the box is filled to the brim; ample opportunities to display their native it is piled up and toppling over, like the snowantics as they proceed from plant to plant, drift on a wall; and, like the snow under the dexterously catching at the delicate tuft, and pressure of your palm, the soft white mass as depositing it in the bag suspended at their side. readily subsides. Twice or thrice the toppling Some become amazingly quick and expert in pile is renewed and kneaded down, and when detaching the cotton from the pod, and will you think not another handful can find place, gather from 300lb. to 400lb. a day. I heard of the indispensable screw is brought into service, one particular Sambo-but he was a remarkable and by its means a heavy block is lowered upon character-who gathered, for a wager, as much the bale, the mules harnessed to the two levers as 800lb. a day, accelerating his work by the frequent use of his teeth as well as both hands, and withal performing a series of capers that would send you into fits of laughter.

pull away, tighter and tighter is the cotton forced into about half its former compass, more and still more is added, until the bale at last becomes a hard, solid, compact mass. It has Under slave labor the average yield of cotton now only to be taken out of the box and roped, was between three and four hundredweight per and after another squeezing by hydraulic presacre. The annual crop of Georgia averaged sure at the port to which it was consigned, still 700,000 bales of about four hundredweight each further reducing its bulk, is ready for shipment before the war. Alabama, the chief of the to any part of the world.

cotton States, produced nearly one million of

bales annually.

From the field the cotton is taken to the "gin" house. To be ginned or cleared from the seed, it is thrown into a large wooden box which has a shelving underside of close iron bars. As the cotton falls against these bars the teeth of a sort of circular saw or revolving comb pass between, catching and tearing away the fibre from the seed; the latter, when entirely cleared, falling through the bottom of the box, the planks of which are placed just far enough apart to permit their escape. The naked seed is of the size of a small bean. One man suffices to manage the gin, and by its means can clear abont 300lb. of cotton a day. Cotton seed -exeept what is saved for cultivation-is fit only for manure, and for this purpose it is piled in heaps and left to decompose, so as to destroy its germinating properties.

The downy heap beneath the rotary comb must now be removed and packed for transportation. It is therefore placed in a screw press used for filling the cases, or "bales." There is

LAST WORDS.

DARLING, 'tis all in vain,

No eager helping of the tender hands
Can ever knit again the failing strands,
The slow waves wash in twain.

Hush, love, no passionate prayer,
No wistful watching of the weary eyes,
Can bring noon's radiance back to winter skies,
Spring's glow to autumn's air.

My little day is done,

The weakening pulse, the feeble fluttering heart,
Have nearly throbbed their last: we two must part
We two, who were but one!

I will not say to-day,
"Would I had loved you better." May be so;
But all that I could give I gave, I know.
The last hours glide away.

And you-you shall not weep;
Tears cannot stay me, and I want to rest
My living head upon your loving breast.
Time comes for woe, for sleep.

You will have time for sorrow
When the grave closes o'er my head forever:

Spoke boldly the Wind in my face.
"All life is contained in a day;
For this day alone I crave grace!

White May blossoms perfumed the air, Then I stretched out my hands to pray
And fragrantly dropt at my feet:
"O Morning! be kind as thou art fair,
Be tender as thou art sweet!
Thou hold'st all the life of a day,
Cast it down to me graciously!"

I shrink-thou art stronger than I;
Be gentle, deal tenderly!"

My hands fell down; I ceased to pray;
The morning and I were still.
Up rose the Day gloriously,
And smote upon river and hill.
I trampled the blossoms in glee:
Was the morning not rich for me?

them from approaching near enough for that. THREE YEARS IN THE FORESTS OF They could certainly soon starve us out; but I

SOUTH AMERICA.

A STORY OF LIFE AND ADVENTURE.
CHAPTER XIV.

A CARIB CONSPIRACY.

count upon your reverence to save us from the necessity of surrendering except upon terms; that our lives shall be spared, I mean.

666

Monsieur Le Bossu,' added the Carib, 'is the chief in command of the soldiers, and he, I feel sure, though these messieurs may not think so, will give your reverence his word of honor that his patron the Governor of Cayenne will

"Now then that this charming episodical Mestiza story is happily concluded," said De Veron, "you, my poor Penard, can finish with respect that condition.' our equally delightful doings at the same Mis"A chorus of rageful derision burst from us sionary station. We were just got back, you at these words. Le Bossu's word of honor! will remember, after cutting away the bamboo Had the Carib suddenly taken leave of his bridge. And do endeavor, my dear Jules, to senses? imitate, to the best of your ability, the historic “Zulu turned towards us with his back to terseness and brevity of which I have set you the priest, raised a finger to the tip of his nose, so brilliant an example. First, however, in and with a silent grin, ferociously expressive, compliance with our host's invitation, we will as if he had laughed aloud, at once puzzled, and replenish with champagne and cigars. Good! Now, Jules, va en tete."

แ

66

466

in a degree reassured us. The promised infernal trick was possibly in some way associated with "To the devil with such historic terseness and the suggested treaty of surrender. Yet how? brevity as yours!" said Penard; "and who do You, messieurs, may not perhaps know as you suppose cares for your persiflage? Bah! well as I do,' said Zulu, 'how really pious a But to finish with this long Cayenne chapter, of person Le Bossu is, how deeply he reverences which only about the last paragraph remains, a priest. Father Rocca has only to treat him Dieu merci, to be recited. kindly, hospitably, and sure as we now live he We found Father Rocca and the ladies in a will agree to the reverend father's conditions. state of extreme nervous agitation. This was Ha! ha! You shall see!' added the Carib, only too natural, and we should, no doubt, have still gleefully ferocious-Zulu wiser than white subsided into a like condition had that irascible, men! You shall see. But no more talk—your hurrying Zulu allowed us time, which fortunately talk no use-only priest's talk good now. he was not inclined to do. Please messieurs to go up at once. I first "This certainly showed the Carib's cool good speak with Pedro-then come to you? This sense; it being obviously no time for talk or way, Pedro,' added Zulu, leaving the room, foltears. Zulu, moreover, appeared to have so lowed by the lad, This way!' confidently settled in his own mind the exact 'Puzzled, mystified as we were, we could not mode in which we were to play our pursuers the but decide to follow the still apparently confiinfernal trick he promised them, that we in- dent Carib's directions. De Veron and I tore stinctively, as it were, obeyed his directions. ourselves away from our hysterically sobbing "These were simple enough. We, the fugi- terrified relatives, and speedily gained the tives from Cayenne, were to immediately hurry priest's aery.' up, taking, of course, rifles and ammunition with us, to the priest's sanctum.

"The instructions to Pedro must have been briefly given and readily understood, as Zulu "I shall join messieurs in a few minutes,' joined us after the lapse of a few minutes only. added the Carib, with a ferocious grin, " directly The pendent ladders were then drawn up and I have given some very particular instructions we were tolerably safe from being stormed by to Pedro, who must remain here with his reverence and the ladies. We will then draw up the ladders, and our friends the man-hunters will think twice before attempting to clamber up after us.'

escalade."

"I should think we were," said De Veron. Half a dozen resolute men in such a position could have defied a hundred to attempt such a thing, loop-holed as the place was, the possibility of having to defend it against predatory white or colored bandits having been evidently contemplated, and with reason. Go on, Penard. Perhaps the lively little episode that follows may relieve the drowsiness which these late hours, and your lullaby tones irresistibly induce."

"En verite! But I do not relate the story

for your edification or amusement, and as our pursuers, was still a mystery. Could the moreover the recalling to mind of what you Carib be serious, or had he suddenly lost his term a lively little episode will be sure to give senses? me a fit of nightmare, I will with our friends' leave, defer its narration till to-morrow morning. Good-night, messieurs."

"A considerable time elapsed. Zulu still retained the stolid ferocity of expression he had manifested since the soldiers had so nearly clutched us; and remained obstinately dumb to

"The action of the exciting drama," resumed Penard, the next day, "at this stage, proceeded our anxious questioning. I fancied, however, rapidly. The pursuers rode up, drew bridle in our front, reconnoitered the position, and without the preliminary of a summons to surrender, opened fire with their rifles.

that some disquieting apprehension, manifesting itself by an increasing ghastly pallor overspreading his features, and the fierce glancing of his restless eyes-was beginning to shake his confidence.

What had become of the servants, laborers

"They had hidden themselves at the suggestion of Zulu. I forget under what pretence he urged them to conceal themselves."

"This was mere passionate folly. So well were we sheltered that no one of us was touched, "At last there was a stir and bustle distinctly and five of them went down before as many audible from within the mission-house-graduminutes had elapsed, Le Bossu, who kept his ally becoming louder, more boisterous. It was misshapen carcase well covered, unfortunately a sound of revelry which went on crescendo till not amongst them. Had they continued within it reached a riotous pitch-and then as gradually range but a very short time longer all danger of died away, and all was still as death." pursuit from them would have passed away." "Holy blue, I should think so!" interposed all that time?" asked Mr. Gotlieb. De Veron, "what chance had they? Their French blood was on fire, but the intuitive intelligence which distinguishes the soldiers of our nation, rebuked their ardor, and they "Pretence!" exclaimed De Veron-" It was wheeled off, not halting till they had placed the a threatening probability, that some of them, at mission-house between themselves and our bullets. You smile, Monsieur Herbert," added De Veron, with some heat. "You think perhaps with some of your countrymen whom I have read that le feu Francais is mere straw and fire, as speedily burnt out as hastily kindled?" "I had no such stuff in my thoughts, M. de Veron. It appears to me that the soldiers acted with a wise discretion, and that we all know is the best part of valor."

all events, would have been seized and carried off to Cayenne, if only for an example and pour encourager les autres, not to harbor or in any way abet the escape of French prisoners who might come across their path. Circumstances alter cases, and had not matters turned out as they did, I doubt that even the clerical status of the priest would have saved him from a visit to La Gabrielle!"

The

"That is quite possible. The children of "Finish with it, Penard," said De Veron, still Voltaire have, as a rule, but slight respect for in a tone of temper; "I shall not again inter- sacerdotal sacredness. The stillness as of rupt." death I was speaking of," continued Penard, "Complete silence," said Penard, "succeeded" was suddenly broken by a pistol shot, loud to the rattle of musketry. The soldiers stabled screaming, and a frantic cry of women. their horses and entered the priest's dwelling trump of doom could not have more startled by the back way. After a while three or four De Veron and myself. A new horror, the bare unarmed men stole timidly out and came within imagination of which had not crossed our range; one of them waving aloft a white hand- minds, flashed, lightning-like upon us. kerchief, as a flag of truce. They came to withdraw the bodies of their comrades, who though brought down by our fire had not been killed outright. That pious duty would not have been the Carib-lad, Pedro, rushed out, followed by interrupted by us, even had not Father Rocca accompanied the party and held up his arms, beseeching us with earnest gesticulation, not to

fire.

Before the fierce impulse given by that electric shock could be expressed in action, the door of the mission-house was flung open and

Le Bossu, with a revolver pistol in his hand, the barrel still smoking with a recent discharge. He pursued and was again aiming at the boy— with a staggering half-drunken aim, when Zulu with vengeful promptness raised his rifle, fired, and the Hunchback, with a yell of despair and hate fell forward on his face-stone dead!

Their errand accomplished the soldiers did not again reappear, and there could be no doubt of their intention to starve us into surrender. Of course a sharp look out was being kept upon "The lad Pedro, quickly recovering his imus, though we could not see the watchers. The passive Carib coolness, beckoned us to come mode of deliverance contemplated by Zulu, the down. The imp-face gleamed with demoniac nature of the infernal trick to be played upon triumph as he shouted to Zulu in their native