Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-19
"Heads!."
"What kind of heads ."

'Heads!'
"What kind of heads?''
Human heads. to be sure. They want
them to drive the devil away. In every
Lava village there must be skull for
every house. They are stuck on posts
along the roadside, and cheerful-looking
avenue they make They organize re-
guar head-hunting raids every year.
whenever Lava man meeGs stranger,
especially near his own village, he goes for
his head. If he failed to do so his neigh
bors would so for his own head when he
got home again. They would regard him
as lacking In public spirit and enterprise.
1t there is an unusual dearth of other peo-
| pies heads, or new village has to be
| protected at any cost, the wild Lawas do
not hesitate to cut of the head of the tame
Lawas. Peaceful traders who penetrate
elsewhere with their merchandise give
wide berth when they approach the Lava
country. Still must say that apart from
this one weakness for head-collectirg the
Lawas are said to be an industrious, hard
working, honest race, and very seldom
steal anything. even when they have cut
off the heads of everybody III the village.
And they only cut off heads. as | have
SAID. to protect themselves from evil
spirits"
Even that is scarcely as Dad" said
another. las the blood feuds they have in
| the Afridi country ThCre was one man
there, named Faiz Talab Khan, who won
the hatred OF certain chieftains, who plan
ned his murder. A good nan named Mu-
hamad Var, Nasiri Chiizai. who had
murdered some nineteen or twenty persons
by treachery, was found willing to under
take the business. if he was paid the sum
OF 100 rupees and shawl. This being
agreed to, he left the Jelallabad Valley
and started for the Khyber. A friend of
Faiz Talab Khan's, being informed of the
plot, wrote to him and gave all details as
to the appearance of the man who had
consented to murder him for considera
ton. Strange to state. Muhamad Var
appeared at Faiz Talab Khan's gate and
claimed shelter and hospitality, just as
the letter arrived warning Faiz
Ialab againsts his assassin. The letter
was carefully read, and the descriptive roll
conned, compared and found to suit the
man who had just claimed shelter Faiz
Talab's retainers were for killing the man
at once, or, at all events, turning him
away for good; but their master would
not hear of it, and after carefully search
ing the man to find out whether he had
any arms concealed about his person, he
was allowed to enter the fort, Faiz Talab
declared that they could not murder their
own guest or turn away from their doors
hungry man who had solicitated their
hospitality. The man was most carefully
searched every morning, and was told that
he was never to leave the Enclosure, or as
cend the platform on the tower from
whence he could get down into the open,
and he was warned shat if he was ever
seen he would be killed at once.
For thirteen days this game went on
without any dammage to any one. How
ever a mullah who thought Faiz Talab's
sons were bribed. and through him pistol
was conveyed to Muhamd Var, and date
fixed for him to make the attempt on Faiz
Talab Khan. On the fourteenth night of
this strange guest in his fort Taiz Talab
was reused and heard a man moving about
the platform of the tower, and asked who
it was. Muhamad Var said it was he,
and that being very thirsty he was search
ing for some water. Faiz Talab Khen got
up, and as he went to the man and bent
down to fill cup of water, he was shot
In the hack by his treacberous guest, who
used the pistol, and climbed down the
wall, was soon under the shelter of Feroz
Khan's roof, and from hence he soon fled
to Jalallabak and ultimately towaik Cabul.
He was captured and the news sent to
Bostan Khan, brother to Faiz Talab Kahn
who proceeded at once to Cabul. The
murderer was at one handed over to Bostan
Khan, who took him outside the city and
cut him to pieces.