Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-08-15


ment above land still unsubdued b,
man after thousands of years of civil
cation, the ruthless fecundity, savage
vast as the ether, invincible as thu
ocean, took possession of, dominated
and amazed the mind of James Mac
Carthv, and filed his heart with n full
ness of poetic grandeur. Behind hin
followed humble son of India, Bavad
lee, the runner, slender, with high
shrinking shoulders, formed from 3.
minimum of matter, cut with goot
head, and intelligent and gentle mouth
Before him went Djouna, the guide
provided by the village of Nardonare:
to pilot him to the lair of the tigress
the man-eater, who had that day carried
off laborer. As they advanced, ster
by step, the murmurs of the night be
came louder and more terrible, the
growing of the animals re-echoed owe,
the plain, the huge bats foated athwart
the orange light.
Bavadice drew closer to MacCarthy
his fright was balanced by feeling OF
pride in serving the thick-set Irishmar
with the belligerent eyes, with the
rough, kind face at once irascible and
good-natured:
"Are We near?" asked James.
eyes, Sahib."
at the entrance TO O rocky defle
Diouna halted tremblingly. He signed
with outstretched hand: '1t is there. u
Before them lay sinuous surface,
one of these secluded corners of the
H. e.
forces, the struggle Of the instincts OF
animals and plants create splendol
and putrefaction. The moonlight
embroidered tho fig trees, the sombel
trunks, the masses of the foliage. Il
wove delicate lace work over tbs
great bindweed, the ichens, the castor
oil plants, over n pool that was chol,e6
with old bark, with half-withered
rushes, with bright green water plants
The sky seemed made of scintillatine
consultations; wild creatures of wooc
md water roamed stealthily through
the underground, lay in waiting fol
their prey, or fled at the approach o
danger. In the intervals of silence
were heard the sighings of mysterious
rivulet which seemed to be subterra
mean, and the distant plant of iackals
1T is there?" repeated MacCarthy
'sDo You know the exact position?"
Gone day in winter" answered
Djouna, in n low voice, "when I wen
in search after strayed heifer-I say
tho man-eater at the mouth of hel
cavern" In an almost inaudible voice
and trembling in all his limbs, h,
added: ''She was devouring the re
mains OF young woman! Since thel
Chandranahour, he who was carried
off this evening, witnessed at the SAM
place a similar scene"
'.Ah !" calculated MacCarthy. ''Then
can you lead me to the very spot?"
- can" answered the Hindu, will
gentle resignation.
They rounded the dense thicket Ant
came 20 natural pathway cut by tn
winter torrent. The moon, midwa.
from the zenith, sent penetratin:
CHATS of light through the branches.
The three men advanced lightly an,
cautiously, with eyes fixed on the dark
ness. The fret of their clothes agains
the plants, the tread of their feet o,
the ground were indistinguishabl
from the sound of grazing animals ant
the slight rustic of the fig leaves.
rott, budeful GOODNESS emanated from
the underlined denseness of thei
surroundings Peril. like IN cvi
spirit, roamed around them, transfigur
ing the aspect of every tree they passed
inscribing fantastic, gruesome symbol
everywhere.
DavGdjee and Djouna, at the newt
able approach OF danger, fell into sor
of hypnosis, the source of the passive
bravery of SO many Orientals, of theil
gentle, obstinate resistance befor,
which the Occidental has at times re
coiled.
With distended pupils, with though
iulled to passivity, they walked ik'
somnambulists, whereas with Mac
Carthv, his will, nerves and reason
were fighting sharp battle. In spit
of his keen realization OF possibilities
his purpose never wavered. He be
lieved in the strength of his arm, IL
the clearness and precision of his sight
and he felt al the electric elation o
the brave man face to face with danger
which permits of no regrets.
While his mind vaguely dwelt ol
these things in the non-analytic man
ner of q man of action, he saw Djoun,
suddenly had stopped and turned ner
vously to him: "We are there-tha
clearing behind that block of stone.
They stopped. James took one O
the rifles which he had allowed Bav
adjee to carry in order to assure supple
ness and steadiness to his arm at tn
supreme moment. Silently, y witt
ightest steps, FALL three reached th