, 1878-05-24
A HORRIBLE PLANT.


Tm u,>.r,u>u mI ur N'.'.1- 49,.
now Do ,rIlr,E,'nu",.
tromal ..rrm,ul. ...... ..-...n'
Ii,uu,n w.s.. ru H'' aHIi
fr.i Ir.l. H.f fh.,A n uuwH'... "-...-
ul.r d, hl.,. amt d.mpIHI,l Hl'u-. 'uN
viii I1,ra rrul ri. ul rUr 'u.a "i 'Ir
i-,r.. Nlf.H. however. NI- .H' OH" ,".Hf W.
trr Huuul. I.r % dtTh. dIn-N brown, 'lr'
apuJrnfv IuH a. lwn i"W 'n
aIrN oi tu. 'umlrui como 20 .'H lN"
trt Goo diameter eight .rINr~ hung Sheer
in ,hr gIouud. I0Ne uuur- swung MrN "n
their hinge. Ihl.r IuNn,. Nu,h N'r
iuiu,d uu tlr ,up ut thr lr." 10 r-uldI lu-
trlyt,.. where about eleven ar twelve irri
hong. aud shaped very much Hike ihc
American agtvr. orouiury plant They
were two icrt through IN their thlchc,t
part. and three feet wide, tapcrlug To u
sharp point that looked like COWS horn.
very ,oYvcN on the outer hut under sur
face. aud on the inner now upper sur
lacr slightly CoEcavc. This conctyr lace
was thicklv set with very strong thorny
hooks. like those upon the head of the
tca2rl These leaves hanging thus imp
and lielr>S. dead green in color had III APP
pcarance the massive strength ofoak fibre.
The apex Of the cone was Il round, white
,cOhCaye figure. like a smaller plate set
Within larger one. This was not II flower
but receptacle, and there eXudcd into 1t
a clear trcacly liquid. honey sweet, and
possessed of violent Intoxicating soporitic
properties. From underneath the rim. 50
To speak, of the undermoSt plate. series
of long, hairy, green tendriIs stretched IN
every direction towardthe horizon. These
were seven or eight feet long each, and
tapered from tour inches to Il half inch IN
diameter, yet they stretched ont Stitfly As
iron rods. Above these from between the
upper and under cupj six white, almost
transparent, palpi reared themselves to-
ward the sky, twirIing and twisting with
marvellous inCeSsent motion, yet coli
stantIy reaching upward.
fhe natives surrounded one Of the women,
and urged her with the points of their ia
velines. until slowly, and with despairing
face she climbed up the stalk OF the tree,
and stood on the summit of the cone, the
palpi twiring all about her. "Tisk
STOPPING she drank OF the yiscid tlned IN
the cup. rising instantly again with wild
frenzy in her face and cOnNu sive chOrca in
her limbs But she did not jump down
a. she seemed to intend to do. Oh, no.
The atrociOus canniba that had been so
inert and dead came to sudden life. The
slender, delicate palpi, with the fury of
starved surpentS, Quyered for a moment
over her head, then as il by instinct, with
demOniac intelligence, fastened upon her
in sudden coils round and round her neck
aud arms; then. while her awtn screams
and yet more awful laughter, rose wilder.
10 be instantly stmmgled down again into
gTgling moan, the tendris, one after
another, like great green serpents, with
brutal energy and Internal rapdity, rose.
retracted themselves, and wrapped her
about in fold after lOd. ever tightening,
with the cruel swiitncss and savage ten
acity of anacondas fastening upon their
prey. II was the barbarity of the LAGOON
without It's beauty-this strange, horrible
murder. And now the great leaves rose
slowly and stitly like the arms OF Il derrick.
erected themselves in tie air. approaching
one another, and closed about the dead
and hampered victim with the silent force
of an hydraulic press, and the ruthless
purpose OF thunbScrew. A moment
nIore and while | could see the great
lelyes pressing more tightly towards each
other, from their intersticeS there trickled
down the stalks streams Of visid honey
like flued. mingled horribly with the
blood and oozing yscera of the victim.