Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1893-03-08
The Poison Berry.

DhS iOAiONh . iiSAuOhb'
"In April, 1855, we anchored of
the Ascension Islands for wood and
water. The natives came aboard in
canoes loaded with fruit, which they
traded for tobacco. etc. The girls
who visited us were very pretty.
Many wore wreaths around their
foreheads. Their hair was very
long and black, shining with cocoa
nut oil, and their forms light and
graceful.
MY chum and | persuaded one
of the girls, named Wikoola, to take
breakfast with us. We were much
amused at her manner of handling
her knife and fork. She would
hold the latter like a pitchfork and
the other by the end of the blade.
She was a merry little creature,
with large black eyes, and a voice
like the noise of tinkling bells.
When she laughed she revealed Il
row of teeth as white as pearls and
perfectly even. Her hands and feet
We're small and beautifully shaped.
Before she left us I made her pre-
sent of IL silk mantle, and IL china
teacup, which | procured at Hong
Kong. She was much pleased with
her presents, and said she would al
ways be my friend.
ION the next day two boats were
sent ashore for wood. ] pulled the
bow oar in one of them. We glid-
ed swiftly along a beautiful stream,
winding among breadfruit and
cocoanut groves, the branches of
the trees in many places dipping
into the water. Birds of variegated
plumage, huttered among the
branches, and the odors of curious
flowers greeted our nostrils.
"Soon we arrived at the spot
where two sturdy islanders had pill
ed up for us pyramid of logs
chopped from a neighboring wood.
The poor natives were much fa-
tigued by their exertions, and each
sat painting by an axe. | could not
help admiring their stalwart
frames and well developed arms and
legs, the muscles of which stood out
like bands of ribbed steel.
suddenly, one of them pulled a
handful of red berries from bush
and swallowed them, when his COM
panion uttered a cry of horror and
disappeared in the woods.
"Such behavior surprised us UNI
til we saw the man who had eaten
the berries, jump to his feet, trem-
bling in every limb, and his eyes
rolling wildly. Soon he commen-
ced dancing about the banks of the
stream, hourishing his axe above his
head, and uttering the most terrible
cries. His motions became more
violent every minute, and suddenly
with a yell that reverberated like
the shrek of some unearthly ghOul
through the woods, he sprang into
the boat and made blow at me
with the axe.
81 lodged it, and caught his arm.
My shipmates then endeavored to
seize him; but before they could do
so, he threw his arm around me and
dragged me into the stream. Up
to our necks in water we struggled
desperately, until the islander sue
ceeded in forcing my head beneath
the surface. My friends, however,
now came to my assistance, the
native was dragged ashore, and ]
was helped into the boat, bleeding
and nearly senseless. Suddenly, /
heard a terrific scream, something
dark passed my head, and the next
moment there was loud splash in
the water, as the islander, who had
succeeded in breaking loose from
my shipmates, and had "a second
time sprung toward me, missed his
hold, and fell headlong into the
stream.
'He never rose alive. When we
pulled him out, we discovered that
he was quite dead.
subsequently, | learned the cause
Of the singular behavior of the ma
tive. 1t seems that the girl to
whom | had given the presents, was
the betrothed of the dusky wood
man, to whom, ever since her visit
to the ship, she had spoken many
times, of me, in such "a manner as
excited the jealousy of her lover.
Accordingly, when he saw me,
he resolved to put an end to his own
life and mine at the same time, and
thus accomplish terrible VOW of
revenge, formed against his pretty.