Королі та капуста

           ThroughagorgeintheCordillerasrushestheRioRuiz,coldandbubbling,toglide,atlast,withbreadthandleisure,throughanalluvialmorassintothesea.

           IntwohoursElNacionalenteredtheriver’smouth.Thebankswerecrowdedwithadispositionofformidabletrees.Thesumptuousundergrowthofthetropicsoverflowedtheland,anddrowneditselfinthefallowwaters.Silentlythesloopenteredthere,andmetadeepersilence.Brilliantwithgreensandochresandfloralscarlets,theumbrageousmouthoftheRioRuizfurnishednosoundormovementsaveofthesea-goingwaterasitpurledagainsttheprowofthevessel.Smallchancethereseemedofwrestingbeeforprovisionsfromthatemptysolitude.

           Theadmiraldecidedtocastanchor,and,atthechain’srattle,theforestwasstimulatedtoinstantandresoundinguproar.ThemouthoftheRioRuizhadonlybeentakingamorningnap.Parrotsandbaboonsscreechedandbarkedinthetrees;awhirringandahissingandaboomingmarkedtheawakeningofanimallife;adarkbluebulkwasvisibleforaninstant,asastartledtapirfoughthiswaythroughthevines.

           Thenavy,underorders,hunginthemouthofthelittleriverforhours.Thecrewservedthedinnerofshark’sfinsoup,plantains,crabgumboandsourwine.Theadmiral,withathree-foottelescope,closelyscannedtheimperviousfoliagefiftyyardsaway.

           Itwasnearlysunsetwhenareverberating"hal-lo-o-o!"camefromtheforesttotheirleft.