Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-11-30
TIE ISLE OF FEAR.

80 khs only waite man IN fa<ucA
60 shisf ts<n sf - Hondur~s w~ik>A
Ever si1cs nv ARRIVAL a. the Mos
quito share. tho wAkas had piqued my
eurio~ssy ~ wondsrfui t2iss Of . nys-
errsoss is'sad watch stood In ths raidst
Of an inland lagoon and which. they
s.S3. wss peoplsd BY hid>ons demons
who destroyed al who sst foot on their
terrible territory.
Tears ago the sakia had once ven
tured inso ths lagoon on . search for
rare herts and Reptiles with which 70
work her spells aud inezntztiOns-
"A shs n-ared the island huge mon
sser-. having the Shspe Of rnen and the
eyes Of devils. rushed % the waters
sdr-, and. waving their iong. hairy
arms. uftsscsi thu most horrible yells.
which 90 terrifed the S1kia that aha
bent 20 her paddle ard never ceased her
frenzied strokes until the pitpan grated
On IN. pebby beach 81 tbs village.
And. - though this were not IN itself
. potent enough sign u the island b<ing
eonsecrated 10 LEsa aud his attendant
evil spirita a heAdsgrOug waika buckra.
m a moment Of bravado. had gone to
Dankwarra 10 fight Lassa. and from
that day o. the had never been heard
Of
old Witataia. ths chief II the waikas.
swinging an his hammock within the
srmisiarkness u his bamboo watta. told
me all tins and more.
No. no. buckra he repeated with
. solemn shake o. his gray. woody
head. - 1 tink mo You spose old Vita
tala crazy. hs no take you 10 Dank~ar-
IA or hs No tell you where Dankwsrra
4. Make me hunt de m4natee instead.
Dat plenty fun. an bimeby you forget
Dsnkwarra
Witsfala was obdurate. and l wss
obliged 70 content myself with the pros
psct OF hunt after the manatee. or
sss COW. that remarkable connecting
hnk between quadrupeds and fishes.
which IL 20 tropical waters what the
seal IL % thoss Of the frozen ZONE
AT first xun up" NE made our start
wttst~la. Qaila. his son. myself and .
crew OF four paddlers-
Eight long hours We padded mp
stream until tho river took a strange
and unfamiliar aspect.
Thsn. steering for tho bush covered
bsnk. the crew with their sharp ma
chssss hoped OF a number Of leafy
brxnch@s. which were thrown lightly
over The pitpxn. until 10 resembled .
Hosting tree.
Casting Loose from the bank. we foat-
q down the river with tho current
ons man stood IN tho stern 20 steer
witstala crouched In tho bow with
harpoon and line. while the rest. keep
ing thsir long. keen lsnc-s clear Of Inn
pedin~nts. knelt on the bottom.
After an hour q drifting | wis BE-
ginning 70 think that perhaps the man
sfss had found the tender shoots Of river
gas unpalatabls 10 MS taste. when
suddenly WitstAls launched his hsr-
poon and 81 the same instant gave an
ear splitting ysll Of triumph.
The yell Was followed hy heavy
plange. and the pitpsn started forward
with ~udd.n Jerk. which cost me- a
hard tumble into ths bottom OF tho
canoe.
Before I had recovered myself the
boaghs were all thrown overheard. and
the waikss stood with their long iances
poised for iHsran; use.
The pstp&n tore along 1t incredibls
sped. and small wonder. for at the
othsr end Of the rops fastened % the
fosf wss sn sn1rr1ous creature. whose
blsck body oould BE- seen slidn & beneath
The waters sarfscs Like . krng black
eloud-
When thu uasnates rose for air. the
remaining harDoons flashed into its
bla tipDopotsmasliks side.
The only sffect the spears seemed 70
have on ths uAi3sued creature was 20
sUnr ~ ca g. fresh exsrtions. for. dart
fng from ere side u The river 20 the
other. he whipped AMI isrkad the frail
eraft sf,sr hin, ~ though u hsd been
srvitch q wiI!ow
The unsrhas@s crief Witztaia
cstrhbs hold - The tsat lin. which
held NJ q he ga COW. he gradually
dr-~ the pitpsa nearer - ~.
Ths~ men stood with their swordliks
rnsrfatrs pcised. waiting sor chance ~
hurl ffsr,. sud whsn The rnansts. once
raops arse Tor AR down essh~i the
mscb~tes.
Srme q them struck sni sfssck Nrt
o. thick wss tbe monsters hide that =
eoupie turned their paints and glanced
90 iuso ne rivyr
still ths. rfisnase- kept On N ia mad
siEzax 6ighf. srsii Suddenly " swerv-d
aud u.>sls pr thick ciunp ~ hush~-
ov-rhsnring go bark Al this NV
msnruv~r Witafals uttered terrified
skrs~k o. iis1nsy
"D~akvsrrsf pnrkwarra'" \.
--r-anea -. th@ rnsnate. nakes
80 ths srrsncs 70 rhs lsgcon = Dsnk-
gsrrsi
Tis~ sther wsikss sprsng - 'heir st
and nsds an attempt - cast loose the
ssp-- a fh- NV. bus The tspsicn r-a-
<srs~t if impossible.
I. vAin thy fsusti~d tor their ma
<h~s<- .ni knsv--: -verv bi.sie,l in~srs-
Nseus hsd sirsady b~ep hari-d a TIE
r,snkf<s
Ry fsls tsras fhs monster hsf rr,sbed
- isr.s the sueh h,.idsn mouth 81 .
r~rrrw er-~k. vh..r d<u-sry a ovrr-
hsns.ng fch.ssr sssze,i 70 urn cay into
rirft.
TIE Fissnsyed wsikas east snxicrs
risnr~s e thu pifchv wst~rs. thrungh
watch he eanoe was pfuneing. - n ~