The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1889-12-27

III CattOO, the yOuth-
full ruler of Tong
taboo. the Sacred Isle. as he walked
along the shore of his domain II beau
tiful morning in December.
1t was the day before Christmas. aholi-
day at that time unknown to the majority
OF h disky natives of that benighted
isle. but which was soon destined to be
celebr tc1-in n manner that caused n rad
tcal change in the customs of the blood
thirsty nation of man-eaters.
Primo Bongtongtattoo was not ahand-
some man, a cording to the civilized idea
OF beauty, hut he was the Adouis of his
tribe and the idol of the dusky damsels
who ga2ed Mt him in humble alteration.
His chocolate-hue skin shone like bur-
nishea copper in the sunlight. lie wore
q goatskin petticoat which came to his
knees, a pair of huse brass rings in his
ears and n spur OH his left ankle. His
rank was designated by bands of brass on
his arms aud les, and his long black
mar hralde to resemble Il crown. Alto
, gether, he was more picturesque than
pretty. but he had n big heart aud felt a
great deal better than he looked.
The reason he gave utterance to the re-
marks which open this story was that the
previous night he had been converted by
the good old Baptist missionary. RAJ hael
Carroll, who lived Mt the ey. mo SOUTH
ern end of the island. RI .,nael was the
only surviving member of Il bando of brave
missionaries who years before had landed
on the inhospitable shores of Tongnta-
boo with the intention of converting the
c nnibalistic inhnbitants from the error
of their ways. All of the missionaries,
with tho exception of Raphael, had shared
the fate Of all white men who ever set
foot on that shore. an the soup" was
the expression used by the cann;bals
when asked by American traders where
were the good men who had been seut TO
bring glad tidings to them. Raphael, it is
rumored, escaped the terrible fate of his
brethren because he was addicted to the
tobacco habit, and consequently the fas-
tidious barlarians turned n cold shoulder
to him. When he discovered why the ma
tives ostracized him he devoutly con.
graduated himself on having acquired a
taste for tobacco, and fearlessly sought
the society OF the ficnds whose souls he
desired to ave.
Prince B~ongtongtattoo was indebted to
Raphael for saving his life, oncs when
attacked by "jim-jams" snakes, and was
SO excessively grateful to the good old
man that the latter was in q state of
mortal terror lest the Prince nigh. sooner
or later convert him into sausage meat or
consomme. But tho Prince assured him
that his intentions were honorable, and
that he desired only to emulate the ex-
ample and adopt the customs of white
men. An intimacy spr..ng up between
the two which ,esulted in The conversion
of the Prince.
Thus 1t was that he came to the con-
clusion that the cannibalistic customs
and heathenish practices which chatac-
terizcd the roign of his late unlamcnted
father, who had been eaten with great
pomp and ceremony ly his super atfec-
tionate subiectsn month previous, should
be forever discontinued.
Prince Bongtongtattoo felt suprcmely
peace with the world aud himself. He
stuck his stone-headed spear into the
sand and meditated.
Why should l not show my subjects"
he said, that I have met with o change
of heart? What can I do 10 give them
ocular evidence of the newborn faith
within met"
He arose and looked around. Away to
the south a the little island of Tonga.
he derived no inspiration from that
source. He turned his face to the north
aud gazed at the dim, blue outlines of
Vavao. 1t suggested nothing. AS his
eyes swept the horizon he discerned the
PARKWAY volcano on Tafooa. A dim
wreath of smoke hung like a cloud over
the distant island.
.Aha!" he exclaimed, there's trouble
brewing over there" and he shuddered
with fear, for we'll he knew the portcnt
Of that smoke. He had once experienced
the elects of IN earthquake, and dreaded
a return Of the awful visitor.
Suddenly he caught sight of two large
square cases on the beach a few hundred
feet away. His eyes slistcned with pleas
ure, for lie knew that the boxes were the
remnants of some wrecked vessel that
Ind come ashore. Selling his strong
! spear, he stole stcalthily to the cases and
! eyed them eagerly. He looked cautiously
around. but there was no danger of his
boing disturbed, for none of his subjects
ever came to that end of the island, as it
was the promenade of the Prince, and
death was the penalty for trespassing
upon that portion of the land set aside
for royal recreation.
The Prince pried open one Of the cases
with his spear. and found it filed with
large packages wrapped in brown paper.
His month watered, for he was hungry,
having eaten only u couple Of cocoanuts
and q small pig for breakfast. Like the
children in the familiar Christmas poem,
Visions Of sugar -plumsd danced through his head
and he hurtiedly tore off the wrapper OF
one OF the parcels. He gave one startled
ito contents, then emitted ar
~uneerthly yell and Aed from the spot.
An enemy has done this ha moanad