The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-12-07

upon the horrible reptile, whose scaly
folds and open jaws were horribly life
like.
""hy you no eat de pap carry down
TO you ?" demanded the negro in his gut
teral utterance mice zap, wild good
hog.grcase in it; and carry down light
for YOU, aud all. You guinc to eat now 2
Come"
He took teacup from the shelf and
tried to force spoonful of the soft mess
it contained into the chiid's mouth.
Eat; it'll be de bess for you. Well,
you won't, and dat's dc eend of it. Neb.
ber'll fatten, sure. Ef dat been 'possum
! cctch now, an put in barrel an feed
dat way, he done fattcn pound or two in
dis time; bu! white chile too 'tubb0rn.
He won't eat; get poorer, tiddy fattcr
Well, eff dey won't eat, dey'll have to be
eat all de soonerA,!a.'s Ell. Dis ones in
pretty good order. Lemmc see agin."
With his great, black claws he felt of
the child's legs and arms, pinching her
so hare that an involuntary exclamation
of pain escaped her lips.
Hush !" he bisscd, with u horrible
grim ice. ''Hab snake round your neck
in no time"
Once more he shufflcd to the door.
stopped and listened. Then, muttering
"ias, yas; good night for good supper,h
he proceeded to throw more pine-knots
on the fire, and to hang over it pot he
had filled with water. Then he took a
large knife from the shelf and began to
sharpen it. Every now and then he
turned to glare at the chill !, who followed
his movements with stupid stare in her
dilated eyes like that of bird or a squr-
rel charmed by snake. He tried the
edge of the knife, and seemed satisfied
that it was sharp; then, thrusting it in
his bosom, he took up the snake, wound
it around his neck, and struck up chant
and shufiling step, with which lie moved
in circle before the child with his eyes
fixed upon her, and drawing gradually
nearer until he paused and stretched out
one hand, while with the other he drew
out the knife from his breast.
The poor victim sat like charmed
bird or lamb beneath the butcher, her
wide eyes fastened on that terrible face,
now full of the carniverous ferocity and
eagerness of the beast that scents blood.
But before the blow descended, the mur-
dercr was startled from his anticipatcd
feast by heavy crash upon the door
from the axe that Karsle had caught
sight of ON the ground in CLEAN of
lightning. Another heavy blow and the
door was burst open aud the Texan
leaped in and darted for the coniuror,
who, with his back braccd against the
wall, stood at bay, the big knife brand
ished in his hand, dull, desperate glare
in his reptile eye. He sprange at Karlse
as the latter advanced upon him, and
made lunge at his breast; but the
Texan caught the knife by dexterous
movement, and twisting it from the
blacks clutch sent it whirling to the
other end of the hut. The next instant
the cannibal felt the cold muzzle of a re.
volver at his head, and he dropped on
his knees gibbering for mercy.
With his teeth clenchcd and breathing
hard with disgust and Indignation, Karlse
drew stout halter from his pocket and
tied the wretch securely, fastening hi.
feet and hands together. When this wa.
done, inc turned to the child, who SAT
where she had been placed rigid and
movcless as a corpse. He took her in
his arms and kissed her.
care you hurt anywhere, Rosie9-are
you scared out of your wits, poor little
one? You are safe now you shall GO
home to Jules anI Maline."
A long shiver passed over the child ;
she clasped her deliverer's neck convul-
sively, then burst out crying and sobbng.
"Thank Godl" exclaimed the Texan,
for he knew those tears had saved the
reason, perhaps the life of the child.
When he had seen her sitting with
dilated eyes aud ghastly face, he believed
that terror had parnlyzed her senses into
hopeless idiocy. Still, as yet she had
not spoken. He soothcd her rs tenderly
as Maline could have done.
"The black man," she whispered at
last, as she lay upon his shoulder. "Hc
had knife; he shurpened it to kill me" )"
Hell never harm you now, Rosie.
You see where he lies tied on the floor.
He'll never have chance to lay fingc,
upon you or any other child-the black,
inhuman devil |"
"And the snake-the dreadful SNAKE
sobbed the child.
1T was dead; it couldn't bite you.
See."
He picked up the voodoo symbol from
the floor, and threw its great coils on the
blazing wood Goals.
You want me to take you home now,
little Rosic7 They'll be 80 glad to see
you; they hunted for You everywhere. y
~ heard then," whispered the child
II heard them once calling nv name. II
was Maline's voice, and wanted ia
answer, but he said if 1 did the snake
would jump Mt me and bite me, and then
he put me in that black hole in the
ground"
Don't think of it any more. Come
let me carry you home to Maline, before
she cries her eyes out. Then I'll come
and attend to that lump of African devil.
try here, and give him part Of his
deserts"
He stopped and carefully examined
the knots that secured the cord around
the wrists and ankles of the conjurOr.
and then, carrying Rosie in his arms, he
made his way with some little difficulty
to the thicket where his horse wus tied
and mounted, placing the child before
him. A rising moon, nearly full, had
now begun to struggle with the clouds
ard shed faint light ON the path along
which Karles' wiry mustang went, with
his steady. regular gallop, that soon
brought them to Rosie's home.
Maline WAS walking the little porch,
unable to be still, or to listen to the we'll
meant consolation of some of the neigh
bors inside, who had come back from
their vain search for the lost child, and
stopped with jules and hiaiinc 10 COM
fort them by their company.
She stopped short as Karlse rode up
in the dim light she did nc. scc his bur
den.
"You have no news, know" she
began, then checked herself with cry as
karles laid her sister in her arms.
1T is Rfsie-warm and living. Never
pult