Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1894-09-28
A MEETING WITH cANNIBALs.
Adventure in New Guinea With Some Very
Tough Savages.

adventure IN New Guinea with some very
Tough Savages.
On the sixth morning from the start
we were treated to a. surprise party
which | shall never forget. suppose
| was the first to awake, and what
woke me was something whistling
over my face, as if it had come from
below. | opened my eyes and listened,
| could hear what sounded like the
hum of voices at no great distance, and
the next moment something whistled
past my face again, then another, then
two, then three, and then a perfect
shower. They were arrows-there
was no mistake about that if they
were poisoned, the slightest scratch
from one of them, meant death in nor
rihle agony within an hour / saw
that the three guides had already slid
noiselessly from their beds and were
lying fiat on their faces among the
creepeis, with their eyes just peering
over the edge of the foliage. My mates
and ] did the same. There we saw our
surprise party. At the foot of the bluff,
cutting us off from our trail through
the forest, stood fifty or sixty of the
grimmest figures ] ever saw. They
were immensely tall men, each with
great winged mask or helmet over
his head, and long hair standing out
like a fringe beneath it, a cumbrous
cuirass of the same dark brown and
yellow color. and greaves or leg pieces
to match. When the first shudder OF
surprise had passed, recognized the
arrow proof armor of tortoise shell
worn by certain warrior tribes of New
Guinea, a specimen of which had seen
in the British museum; and / knew we
were face to face with some of the
most bloodthirsty wretches ON earth.
They carried their testimonials with
them. AS they came nearer and nearer
to us I saw that each had a string of
human heads slung around him, still
dripping with gore and smearing the
tortoise shell armor at each stride the
warrior took. | called hoarsely to the
guides to know what we were to do. ]
felt my flesh creep all over when saw
that they were gone. We three I'M
armed whites were at the mercy of
these CHASTITY monsters.
How | knew what was the right
thing to do, or how l nerved myself to
do it, | can not tell. But | did it.
Whispering to my companions not &c
stir, slid down from under my bed
place, opened nay white umbrella, and
walked slowly down the slope to meet
the mail-clad phalanx. l don't be-
lieve was in my senses, but the effect
was just as good as if
had been in the habit of receiving
visitors of that kind every morn
ing. They all stood still and stared al
me in blank astonishment, exactly as
have seen mob of wild cattle do wheT
| have suddenly turned and faced then
in the Australian desert. Steadily ad
vancing. gave them loud saluta
ton which they ulnstantly returned
with strange, melodious cry like
choric song. 1t was neck or nothing
now. Marching straight up to tn,
foremost warrior, who had thrown
back his mask and displayed
his hideous face, i placed che palms
of my hands against the palms of his
already stretched out to meet me, and
standing ON tiptoe, pressed my nos,
ES1ly against his and my cheel
against his cheek. My mouth anC
rostrils and throat filed with a stencil
so frightful that l felt my very bowel
rise. / knew only too well what i
was. 1t was the fetid smell of human
blood with which the wretch wa
gorged. But my own life and my com
panions' were at stake, and gulpe,
down my horror and completed tn
loathsome embrace 1t was quite sue
cessful The huge, ponderous bar
barians. with their rafting armor an,
their rocking trophies, clustered roun,
me. paving me over like great dogs
and indalging their speechless curl
ositv by opening and shutting my um
hreila and feeling the texture of m,
ianpel clothes. -Lippineott's MsgE
sE~.