The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-02-01
NNWNMN
XTHE WORLDS y =
az az az STORY DEPARTMENT. # =
Observation-Disclosures NNlMNNNMMNMMNNM

.Ntt"fnttftf t1NTtsttf "NntSf fNAttttf t-tf+EE Hf''t 4"
looked al one another and said again:
THAT Is very stranger
And then we both laughed. and Car
limos said: "But Il might have been
some herdsman looking for q stray COW
or sheep"
But | noticed that carlinos looted
after his cartridges q little more close
ly. and held his gun 10 a position TO
use Il. II necessary. And just then the
cliH hat Ferrara had described came
into view, about a hundred yards away.
and we turned of from the path
toward this place In which the panther
had been so often seen.
Scarcely had we started In that d.
~rection when we were startled by the
long. fierce scream Of the panther
itself. As nearly ns we could Judge II
was ut that yer, moment at the base
kof the cliff. We stopped invoiuntarily
at the sound. ind then went stealing
down the slope, with eyes wntchfnl
and nerves stretched 70 the utmost.
Yet we went on and on, without seeing
Il and suddenly found ourselves almost
1T the base 81 the cliff. which had been
hidden by the thick and tangled brush
through which we had passed.
Then we stopped and looked around,
pecring here and there through the
bushes. II was easy To see that the
spot Of ground on which we stood had
been the haunt Of some Wild animal,
fer all about us bones lay bleaching on
The ground. But nothing was to be
seen The face of the cliff, up to n
height Of twelve or fifteen feet, WINS
covered with the matted tendriis Of d
dead vino, apparently. IL suddenly oc-
curred to me that the p~anthcr's den
might be back under the cliff, hidden
bg the vine, and | was about TO inyesti-
gate when just behind us, not ten feet
away, sounded the horrible scream Of
the panther.
Both Of MS whirled, and arlinos
stepped back q little. In tho moments Of
confusion | failed to notice him, but in
nm instant he gave a hcart-rending cry:
"Ilclp! helpt quick. tho tree! The
man-eating treei'
Never will | forget that cry, o the
sight that met my eyes, In stepping
back he had stumbled against the dead
zine, as ! Ind thought It. And then IL
d moment every tendril had become in
stinct with life, and was twisting and
writhing about him with the most hor-
ritsly snake-iixc motions, matted around
lhi3 body and legs, holding his arms
Hight aud drawn across his face and
elasped about his throat Already
when ] looked around he was helpless.
During the single moment while ! stood
there looking at him motionless with
horror his face had begun to turn pur-
lPle. And then nil at once I recovered
myself a little, and snatching my hunt
ing knife from my belt began cutting
and slashing at the horrible, writing
tendrils In the effort to cut their victim
loose.
But before had made three strokes
something caught my arm and held ii;
then something crawled swiftly about
my neck, and then there were others
around my hands, over my head, across
my face-everywhere at once | was
seized and held, while wherever the
snaky monsters touched went fierce
pains, as though my flesh were being
torn from my body. | felt my con
seriousness slipping away; but as 1t was
going suddenly the dark face Of Fer
rara peered out Of the bushes in front
Of me, and he cried out with mocking
laughter:
hope yon enjoy yourselves, senors-
The panther Is not far away, believe
me! Oaig wait for him until he comes.
Adio9. Asiosf'
The si,oos; IF anger reused me a little
in the midat Of my racking torture,
and saw Farrara turn TO go away;
but all at orcc, amid q chorus of nale4
dictions, u to2an hands seized him and
piniored him Down, and we were SUR
Grounded Nv q crowd of laborers from
the laEtatioa. With long knives they
cut ard fac2sel at the limbs that were
suclStaS tie taoad from our veins, and
ia a few moments they hads us free.
How they got us home I never knew.
It was not until the next day that l re-
covered consciousness, and | was un-
able to tura in my bcdcyen, for two
weeks, The excoriations on my face
and hands left painful wounds, which
were a long time in healing, and which
made dreadful sears. These have all
gone, however, except the one on my
neck, wlt4eh resembles the scar left by
a ccntipcde,
As for Carlinos, he lay as If dead for
several days, and there were times
when he was pronounced really dead.
Then he went off into fever and deliri-
nm, and it seemed that he could not
possibly recover. After awhile,
Ethough, he did struggle back into life,
but his health was wrecked, and he
was never again able to walk as much
as a hundred yards.
How did we happen to be rescued?
Why, some Of Ferrara's fellow serv-
ants had heard his muttered impreca-
tons against us, and, when we had gone
and they saw HRS sneak away after us,
they held a consultation and decided to
follow have always believed that
Fcrrara circled around us, got in ahead
and initiated the cry OF the panther
himself to lure us on. | have never
been able to find ont, however. When
had regained strength enough to feel
some little curiosity, and asked one Of
our recusers what they had done with
Fcrrnra, lie answered with the utmost
unconcern;
1--WE gave him 70 the man-eating tree,
~senorl''
4 Broken Thread.
4 E - 80 -~..