FOREST FOLK 



with her strong and supple arms embraced him fondly, 

 caressingly, and laid him back comfortably to rest. 



She now rose quickly to her feet and swung round and 

 with defiance in every line of her body faced me — the 

 first white man she had ever seen in her life. 



I must admit that I had been deeply moved by this 

 spontaneous display of affection for a helpless old man 

 and as I looked at her, even as she was all trembling with 

 rage, I loved her spirit. Spontaneous recognition of good 

 will followed, and in an instant she was transformed. 

 Such is the force of intuition in these children of nature 

 that without my having spoken a word she instinctively 

 knew my sympathy and felt that I was their friend and 

 would not harm them. 



By this time the babies were quietly sobbing, with 

 their little arms clasped tightly about her bare limbs. 

 Her first instinct was to soothe them, which she quickly 

 did, for now, completely relaxed, she squatted near by 

 and drew her babies to her breast and gently rocked them 

 to and fro, leaving me to talk to the old man. 



After the recent display I was convinced that more 

 harm than good would be done by removing him, for 

 said the old man, "If I leave this forest I shall surely die. 

 My father and my father's father have lived here always." 

 The woman joined in his entreaties that he should be left 

 where he was. "For," said she, "have I not tended him 

 well? Is he not my man? Who then can care for him 

 better than I?" 



57 



