Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-03-22

helped to swell our party, for Mongessi
was over ready to show his liking for
the white man, and it was feather in
his cap III he had only worn one) to be
q sharer Of our hunting exploits.
My servant "Tati," 10 coast native !
had brought up with mel and Glave's
little native cook, youth OF twelve or
so named Mocbindu, came also to at
tend on us.
We padded steadily on for several
hours between thick walls OF foliage
through narrow channels or out upon
broad stretches Of the river Lit up by q
glorious moon.
Toward one q. m. the men feeling
tired they suggested halt for an hour
or two's rest, and seeing fires shining
amid the trees on an island some half q
mile of we made toward them. AS we
drew in nearer the shore we could see
many figures squatting around the fires
which lit up the. bare tree trunks OF the
forest background apd revealed several
little grass huts scattered on the edge
of the clearing. AS our approach be-
came known the gathering round the
fires broke up. Wild yells arose from
a score of lusty throats and voices in
the Ronki dialect shouted to us not to
dare to land and that we should all have
our Threats cut If we put foot on shore.
Spears and knives were brandished,
guns seized and pointed at us Told flint
lock muskets from far down the river
which had passed through dozen
tribes in reaching their present owners)
and an indescribable hub-bub ensued.
We called out that we only wished to
rest for few hours, that we were
friends and would do no harm, but 1t
was all in vain.
The fires were scattered and only q
few red ashes remained, and we could
see that any attempt to land on our
part would mean q fight. So, calling
out that we were going away, we showed
of and commenced padding out into
the stream.
AS we got about thirty yards from.
land, bang! went gun in among the
trees and charge of shot whizzed past
us. followed almost Immediately by an
other report, and this time one of our
men was wounded in the thigh. Glave
and were in the same canoe, and, with
our headmen Bionelo' and Bakunn, two
Waugatta natives who carried extra
rifles of ours, we replied with our EX-
press and Martini Henry rifles, while the
other canoe, of which Mongessi took
command, poured in dropping fire
from four or five fiint-locks. We were
out in the full light of the moon, while
our foes were completely hidden in the
darkness Of the forest bank. Loud
cries of derision and shouts from the
shore greeted our fusillade and, pad
ding slowly upstream, we gave another
broadside in the direction of the smol-
dering fires, which this time was re-
ceived in silence.
Feeling we could do nothing that
night, while IL we remained near we
offered capital aim to our hidden foes,
we determined tc make for the opposite
bank of the channel, about three hun
dred yards across. A thick, floating
mass OF interlacing sedge grass clinging
to the bank prevented us reaching the
shore. Accordingly, fastening our canoes
to this, we stepped out on to the grass.
which bore our weight, although 1t rose
and fell beneath each movement. We
promptly stretched ourselves out on
this grassy couch, and although leg
would sometimes break through and
reach the river flowing beneath we man
aged to keep afloat and get some sort Of
rest in spite of mosquitoes and q
drizzling shower of rain. had an india
rubber ground sheet with me, useful for
stretching on the floor of ones tent or
sleeping on at pinch, and this / now
underworld to rig into shelter from
rain and mosquitoes by throwing it over
my head and budding my knees up to
my chin, while could feel myself
slowly making deeper impression in
the grass raft and gradually settling
down in the sedge until l expected
every moment to go through altogether
and take plunge in the river.
My comfort was of short duration, for
Mongessi objected to rain and mos
quitoes as much as did-and observing
that it was an unpleasant night for an
al .trescO entertainment on floating
island, he, followed by his wife and two
or three Of the men, promptly crawled
under my extempore tent and huddled
up close around me. / was banked in
by o solid mass Of warm flesh and could
scarcely move q finger, and although
the mosquitoes were now effectually ex-
cluded from every square inch Of my
person, soon became aware of the
fact that there are things worse even
than mosquito bites in this world of
ours, and amongst them / was COM
PEELED to reckon the atmosphere under
that ground sheet I delicately limited
to MOngessi, in. broken tones, that /
thought his wife very nice woman at
/ Ifeko.na ond that ah0uld Ia Aa-