Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-02-01
Escaping from Cannibais.

Mr.. Brown, wealthy cattle-breeder
of New Caledonia, came very near be-
ing cooked and eaten by one of the
cannibal tribes, whose chief, doubles,
congratulated himself, like Rowland Of
the dark tower
"Fie foh and FUN,
smell the blood of Britishman !"
t"Mr. Brown was on his way through
the bush from one of the out-lyi ng
cattle-stations to another, when he lost
his way entirely, wandered about till
near nightfall, and then came upon a
large native village.
"Here he was Hospitality entertained,
we'll fed anu most deferentially treated
by the great chief whose village it was
the Chief Atai."
''Atai was all courtesy to his white
guest, and when night had fully come,
conducted him himself in state to the
hut set apart for his nights repose.
fortunately Mr.. Brown was &C.
quainted with the customs of the
country, and among them knew the
common method of putting an end to
travellers preparatory to feasting up.
on them. 1t is as follows:
1.-The traveller is kindly received
nothing occurs to shake his confidence
in his host; he is allotted a cabin to
himself to sleep in.
"The native huts have usually but
one opening, which serves as a door
and window both. When the traveller
is supposed to be well settled in sound
sleep after the fatigue of the day, the
stealthy savage with expectancy pic
tured on his grim visage steals cauti-
ously through the single aperture and
dispatches his victim. This delicate
operation is accomplished by severing
the juglar vein with keen edged knife
that is universally carried in the ma.
tive's girdle. The "fugg, as the corpse
is now called, lies stark and CHASTITY on
the matted floor of the hut till the
morning, when this savory morsal OF
human flesh is dressed and prepared
for the spit.
Mr.. Brown, consequently, did not
compose himself to sleep on being
shown into the hut by his hospitable
host; on the contrary, he Immediately
proceeded to divest himself of his outer
garments and prepare from them an
effigy of himself which he reclined in @
natural position in the darkest corner
of the hut. Anxious to witness the
success of his strategy, Mr.. Brown tar.
ried at o distance outside of the hut
well concealed by the low shrubbery
He had not long to wait. Through the
gloom he discerned emerging from
Atai's hut slender youth-like form
that advanced toward the strangers
hut with fearful, cat-like tread. The
young cannibal,' to whose lot the dis
patching of the belated traveller seems
to have fallen, carried bludgeon in
stead of the customary knife. He en-
ters the hut. A dull thud is heard, and
the youthful, would-be assassin hurrid-
ly retreats from the butcher-house as
i afrighted with superstitious fear.
mr.. Brown knew now that his ingen-
ious plan had worked successfully he al
so knew that the hut would not be revis.
tied before morning, and forthwith i'm
ployed the intervening time by placing
the gratest distance possible between
the entertaining cannibal and himself.
The next morning early he first horri.
fed his friends at the station by his
appearance a la Rip Van Wrinkle, and
next terrified them by his narrow es-
cape from the Cannibals.- Youths Gem.
DdniOn.