Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-07-27
SH E.:
A History Of Adventure.
TBy H. RIDER HACGARD. |
VIII CONTINUED }

the exception of the periodical passing OF
the vase and the movement neces-
sary To throw fuel on the fire. nothing
happened for the best part of a whole
hour. Nobody spoke word. There we
all SIT in perfect silence. staring at the
glare and glow of the large fire, and at the
shadows thrown by the tlickering earthen
ware lamps(which, by the way were not
ancienD. On the open space between us
and the fire lay "a large WOODEN tray, with
four short handles TO it, exactly like "A
butchers tray, only not followed. BY
the side of the tray was pair of long
handled iron pincers and on the other
side was IA similar pair Somehow | did
not at all like the appearance of the tray
and the accompanying pincers. There |
sat and stared at them and at the silent
cucle of the fierce moody faces of the
men, and reflected that it was ali very
awful and that we were absolutely in the
power of this alarming people, who, to
me at any rate, were all the more formid-
able because their true character was still
very much of a mystery to us. They
might be better than thought them, or
/ they might be worse feared that they
were worse and | was not wrong 1t was
a curious sort of II feast, reflected in
pharmaceutical, an entertainment of
the .3armeclde stamp for there was abso
lutely nothing to eat.
At last, just as | was beginning to feel
as though / were being mesmerlzed, Il
move was made. Without the slightest
warning, man from the other side of the
circle called out IN loud voice:
Where is the flesh that we shall eatf'
Thereon, everybody in the circle an
swered in IA deep measured tone, and
stretching out the right arm toward the
| fire as thew spoke
The flesh will come,
is it goat" said the same man.
at is goat without horns, and more
/ than a goat. and we shall Stay it" they
answered with one voice. and, turning
half round, they one and all grasped the
handles Of their spears with the right hand
and then simultaneously let them go.
is 1t an OK SAID the man again.
1T is an OK without horns, and more
/ than and an OK, and we shall Stay 1t, was
/ the answer, and then again the spears
were grasped, and again let 90.
Then came pause, and ! noticed, with
horror and a rising of the hair, that the
him, pattng his cheeks and calling him
by names of endearment, while her fierce
eyes played up and down his trembling
form. don know why the sight fright
ened me So but it did frighten us all
dreadfully, especially Leo. The caresslng
was so snake like, and so evidently part
of some CHASTITY formula that had to be
gone through. | saw Mahomed turn
white under his brown skin, sckly white
with fear.
Is the meat ready to be cooked2" ask
cd the voice, more rapidly.
1t is ready, ii is ready
is the pot hot to cook it, il continued
in sorte of scream that echoed painfully
down the great recesses Of the cave
1T is hot, 1t is hot
Great heavens rolred Leo, " remem
Der the writing, The people who put pots
upon the heads of strangers.
AS he said the words, before we could
stir, or even take the matter in. two great
rullians jumped up, and Selling the long
pinCers, plunged them IN the heart of the
fire. and the woman who hat been caress
ing Mahomed suddenly produced fiber
moose from under her girde or mocha
and slipping it over his sholders, ran il
light, while the men next him seized him
by the legs, The two men with the PIN
GERS gave a heave, and scattering the fire
tins way and that upon the rocky floor.
lifted from it large earthenware pot,
heated to white heat. In an instant.
almost with a single movement, they had
reached the spot where Mahomed was
struggling. lie fought like a fiend.
shrieking in the abandonment of his dcs T.
pair, and notwithstanding the moose round
him. and the efforts of the men who held
his legs, the advancing wretches were for
the moment unable to accomplish there
purpose, which, horrible and incredible as
it seems, was to put the red hot pot upon
his head.
sprung to my feet with a yell of horror
and drawing my revolver fired it by a
sort of instinct straight at the dlabolical
woman who had been caressing Mahomed.
and she was now gripping him in her
arms. The bullet struck her in the back
and killed her, and to this day | am glad
it did, for, as it afterward transpred. she
had availed herself of the anthropophap.
Gus custom of the Amahagger to organize
the whole thing in revenge of the slight
put upon her by job. She fell dead. and
as she did so, to my terror and dismay
Mahomed, by superhuman effort burst
from his tormentors, and sprngng high
] -. a. I'll LII