The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-18
when | heard Joe Maxted's voice shouting
"Mr. Martin! Lie down on your face!
Flat 6nmn Tor Go6,ca alrni'

w ibC.
MI Martini! Lie down on your face!
Flat down tor Gods sake!'
1t saved mp life. l Just turned an in
slant, In time to see my two poor able
bodied seamen on their backs with a dozen
arrows in the body of each, and Joe on his
face on the ground. The whole wood
seemed to bs alive with the most horribly
rugged Tartar villains l over set eyes on.
Some had masks on their faces and all car
ried ~jayelins and great swords. Well, l
threw nip my hands. Icouldn't do less.
In an instant We We're surrounded, and,
leaving the two dead bodies wheie they
lay, we were dragged along until we came
to a large clearing about a quarter of q
mile away, the existence of which We had
never suspected. Here was a sort of vii
| lage of bamboo huts, little mora than an
~encampment of about eighty or a hundred
men. Not moe. We were in the hands of
the pirates we had coms to exterminate.
There WIS nothing for it. They would ex-
terminate us. We had not a chanca. Our
men wouldn't come after us for two days.
There was no nope of # release. We might
| just as we'll make up our minds to it.
Up to this time we had been SO far apart,
separated 10y our guards, that we could not
speak to each other or suggest any plans.
When we reached the clearing, however, we
we're brought together, and marched before
the most villainous looking rascal / ever set
eyes on-eyidently the chief of the band.
Joe was filling the air with the most lovely
and choice selections from his truly mag
nificent vocabulary of Billingsgate, and
calling upon each II every separate Tar
tar to let him have the use of his hands
IL his cutlass and meet him on fair
ground. What would they do with US? We
were very soon TO know.
With n hospitality We could not under
stand, the chief signed for Us to sit down,
and presently a great dish of delicious rice
was placed before us, and we were, BY
signs invited to eat. Our morning trim
had made Us both hungry, notwithstand-
ing that we had already had some break
fast, and not even the sad memory of the
death OF our comrades could prevent our
pitching in" Then came bowls of most
refreshing, sparkling spring water. What
would come next?
We noticed, as we finished our repast, a
perfectly helllsh grin spread over the fea-
lures Of our host. He made a sign and said
understand. Two fellows came UP and
evidently said all Was ready, for at an
otner few words we were seized, made to
stand oil our feet, our arms bound securely
to our sides, our ankles tied together, and
we were dragged OF. does oaths were n
caution. | wish ] could print ono Of them!
They world Brighten ii Bowery bartender.
Presently we came to u spot where not a
tree OF any kind formed the slightest pro-
tcctlo from the suns rays, ana where at a
distance of about six feet apart we saw two
large deep holes.
Now, what arc they going to do?" asked
Joe.
1 lad no time to answer, for in a minute
we were dumped, feet foremost. one into
each hole. Then the beggars begin Shovel
ing the soil III IN top of US.
They're going 10 bury ia alivev' said
Joe.
1T was worse than that. That would have
KILLED US t. soon. They only bE-ied us 10
tne neck, leaving our heads free, but so Sc
cufely LAed III the ho!l That we looked like q
coupe OF ieaus on a maoiclau'a table.
Great Cod! what horribly conceived torture
was this, While wa were brrieo naIpiese
there a brute caino and with a sharn tuise
carefully shaved Il Ioand patch from tho
tops OF our heads, then another smeared
some stlcHy Substance the con. We're thoy
gong to sat ire to US? Worse even than
that! ~
40 you suppose that all this Was done in
sIlsnce. BY no means. A horrible. yelling
leerlnp, hootinR crowd surrounded US. and
now they game and threw beastl!aess al
eVery description at us, spat in our faces
and slap, eJ Ca with fat pieces of bamboo
Ii went on for ii couple oil hours, ana tht
sun WAS beating Town upon 2a with aIlnos,
unbearable power. then the flies came IN
myriads and bit and stung rs. ana Che
stencil from the filth that hal been thrown
at US was sitting and inconceivably sicken.
ing. Then came Ii cry f om Maxted, which
L quickly echoed:
I'm bu sting! If this don't stop soon III
burst.'
The rice and water we had swaIIowed W.,
sWeIiiug, and the weight Of the soil creatipl