Arizona republican., 1892-08-30

| anu SUrlpeS or cOlofeQ cloth stood ln the broad stretch of greensward before the gate of the stockade. Around this pole the children danced and played old English games. A bountiful outdoor repast called the merrymakers from their fun. Hastily eating what was placed before them, the older negroes left ths others at the feast. Going across the clearing they disappeared among the heaps of rocks at the foot of the craggy hills. All the mysterious things Sam Quashee had been laboring upon for the past months evidently were hidden in the cliffs. The children i'm patiently awaited the advent of the weird procession whose grotesque strangeness would cause them that de- lightful terror all children enjoy.
 An hour passed, but as yet there were no signs of life about the heaps of rocks The delay was unaccountable. Sar- Quashee's oldest boy, Bob, proposed that they start across the fields to meet the delayed procession. The other chil- dren eagerly agreed, and off they all started.
 Picking their way over the soft plowed land, they went toward the hills, all the time on the alert, expect ing to turn and flee at any moment be- fore the approach of the Mumbo Jumbo.
 "Why, they are not at the cliffs at all,' said Mary Clark when the chil- dren had reached the middle of the clearing, "Look over the edge of pines."
 Sure enough, they could see dark fig ures among the burned trees at the bor- der of the forest hastily concealing themselves from the gaze of the little crowd so suddenly turned upon them.
 q saw 'emw cried Luke Sanborn. "One of 'em had feather hat on. could see it just as plain, but didn't see anybody on stilts with a false face Let's go over"
 "Its too far away to see any stilts or false faces and we had better stay here" said Patience Penney, the oldest of the group.
 Just at that moment there sounded from the fort the harsh blare of the trumpet used to call the laborers from the fields at mealtime. Looking back the children saw a sudden flash of flame, and deep roar of cannon reverberated among the hills. The next instant the crackle of musketry came faintly from the Merrimac; it was answered from the fort; a blood curdling war whoop htTrct fpp,vn tho Nf t1a al them and three Indian warriors raised from among the stumps and came leap ing toward them
 Almost before they could turn toward the fort loud drum peals sounded from the rocks at the foot of the hills. As if in reply to the war whoops there rang forth the wild, savage, African battle cry. There stalsed forth into the clear ing two immense, hideous giants, ac- companied by four strangely bedecked creatures beating on tomtoms and screaming forth the battle cry of ths Ansgari cannibals. Fearful, huge, red, distorted gashes of mouths, knobby, black cheeks, terribly staring white eyes, altogether diabolical faces had these two giants, stalking stiffly out of the clearing. Scarcely less terrifying were the bepainted creatures with moose horns rising above their heads, who leaped and danced along before the giants.
 Away, with loud shrieks, the children rushed toward the fort. The Indians halted amazed. The giants and their attendants halted too. They had just discovered the Indians. They had thought the firing of the cannon a salute in honor of the day.
 The Indians hesitated, and the Mum bo Jumbos hesitated.
 But one cannot stand still on stilts. The tallest of the Mumbo Jumbos stag gered forward and one of the Indians turned and fled. The other giant ad- vanced, the attendants struck their drums again, and again the horrid Ans gari war song pealed forth, and the sec ond Indian followed the first. The third Indian dropped on one knee, and before the Mumbo Jumbos could turn he drew bead and sent bullet crashing through the wooden forehead of Sam Quashee's mask.
 The giant neither fell nor faltered, and with cry of terror the last Indian rushed after his companions down the river edge.
 Slowly, as behtting their brave con quests and the softness of the ground, the procession of Mumbo Jumbos passed across the field and through the gate of the fort where the children had just pre- ceded them. The idols of Africa had overcome the redskins. The rising gen eration of Clarks, Tennys, Sanborns and Marsdens would never doubt that fact.
 Meantime the white coated body of a French officer went floating down the river, and two canoes rapidly disap- peared up the river. The attack upon Fort Clark had been repulsed. The war with France had begun.-Atlanta Con- stitutiOn.