ound me in mere
glee; he would stop, and look and listen, and seem to drink in the world
like a cordial; and then he would suddenly spring into a tree with one
bound, and hang and gambol there like one at home. Little as he said to
me, and that of not much import, I have rarely enjoyed more stirring
company; the sight of his delight was a continual feast; the speed and
accuracy of his movements pleased me to the heart; and I might have been
so thoughtlessly unkind as to make a habit of these wants, had not chance
prepared a very rude conclusion to my pleasure. By some swiftness or
dexterity the lad captured a squirrel in a tree top. He was then some
way ahead of me, but I saw him drop to the ground and crouch there,
crying aloud for pleasure like a child. The sound stirred my sympathies,
it was so fresh and innocent; but as I bettered my pace to draw near, the
cry of the squirrel knocked upon my heart. I have heard and seen much of
the cruelty of lads, and above all of peasants; but what I now beheld
struck me into a passion of anger. I thrust the fellow aside, plucked
the poor brute out of his hands, and with swift mercy killed it. Then I
turned upon the torturer, spoke to him long out of the heat of my
indignation, calling him names at which he seemed to wither; and at
length, pointing toward the residencia, bade him begone and leave me, for
I chose to walk with men, not with vermin. He fell upon his knees, and,
the words coming to him with more cleanness than usual, poured out a
stream of the most touching supplications, begging me in mercy to forgive
him, to forget what he had done, to look to the future. 'O, I try so
hard,' he said. 'O, commandante, bear with Felipe this once; he will
never be a brute again!' Thereupon, much more affected than I cared to
show, I suffered myself to be persuaded, and at last shook hands with him
and made it up. But the squirrel, by way of penance, I made him bury;
speaking of the poor thing's beauty, telling him what pains it had
suffered, and how base a thing was the abuse of strength. 'See, Felipe,'
said I, 'you are strong indeed; but in my hands you are as helpless as
that poor thing of the trees. Give me your hand in mine. You cannot
remove it. Now suppose that I were cruel like you, and took a pleasure
in pain. I only tighten my hold, and see how you suffer.' He screamed
aloud, his face stricken ashy and dotted with needle points of sweat; and
when I set him free