Yet, never was day less ominous in appearance. The breezy, sunlit
morning brought no hint of coming tragedy. The fine weather which had
prevailed since the _Kansas_ drifted into the estuary seemed to become
more settled as the month wore. Suarez said it was unprecedented. Not
only had he not witnessed in five years three consecutive days without
rain, snow, or hail, but the Indians had a proverb: "Who so-ever sees
fire-in-the-sky (the sun) for seven days shall see the leaf red a
hundred times." In effect, centenarians were needed to bear testimony
to a week's fine weather; whereas no man--most certainly no
woman--among the Alaculofs ever succeeded in reaching the threescore
years and ten regarded by the psalmist as the span of life.
But the miner from Argentina never wavered in his belief that the
Indians would soon muster every adult for an assault on the ship. The
elements might waver, but not the hate of the savage. From the rising
of the sun to the going down thereof Suarez was ever on the alert. He
ate his meals with his eyes fixed on the low point of land which hid
Otter Creek.
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