India rubber world . ecent rains that the many hum-ming birds, the gorgeous butterflies, and the rich tropical flow-ers, were hardly noted. The swarms of horseflies that swoopeddown upon our patient beasts could not be wholly ignored,however, and all soon became most expert in killing them. Asusual, a stray starving dog appeared from nowhere and silentlyattached himself to our party. Although we knew he wouldcrawl under our hammocks at night to give his fleas an oppor-tunity to emigrate to richer pastures, he was accepted withoutprotest. He had his virtues. Nothing could tempt him tosteal, alt
India rubber world . ecent rains that the many hum-ming birds, the gorgeous butterflies, and the rich tropical flow-ers, were hardly noted. The swarms of horseflies that swoopeddown upon our patient beasts could not be wholly ignored,however, and all soon became most expert in killing them. Asusual, a stray starving dog appeared from nowhere and silentlyattached himself to our party. Although we knew he wouldcrawl under our hammocks at night to give his fleas an oppor-tunity to emigrate to richer pastures, he was accepted withoutprotest. He had his virtues. Nothing could tempt him tosteal, although starving—he would allow a wild pig to cut himto ribbons that the hunter might get a shot, and he wasafter all the friend of man. During this ride a strange thing happened: Cruz asked whatthe Americanos used the rubber for ! It was the first time inthe memory of the Pioneer that any cholo (civilized Indian)had ever shown the slightest curiosity in that direction. I 146 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [February i, doubt if he appreciated some of the uses described, but themaking of waterproof clothing caught his fancy at once. Formost of the Indians have a little bag made of cloth and coatedwith rubber, mixed with gunpowder, if they can spare it, tohelp the sun cure it. In this, or a purse made of Iguana skin,they carry flint and steel, a bit of cotton wicking with one endlet into a bone extinguisher, and tobacco for cigarettes. Theyare a quiet, anemic race, very superstitious, and so fearful ofspirits and tii^res that if overtaken by night in the forest, climbtrees and tying themselves to the limbs, remain until have a horror of gold, not the coin, but the raw material,always denying all knowledge of it, theprobable reason being that the story ofthe cruelties of the Spanish gold seek-ers are still in vogue among are, all told, on the Soo squaremiles of the Azuero lands, some 400souls. On the other side of the moun-tain ranges, however, are large tow
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