The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-01-19

parently. 1T suddenly appeared to me
that the panther's den might be back
under the cliff, hidden by che vine.
and I was about to Investigate when
behind us, not ten feet away, sounded
the horrible scream of the panther
Both of us whirled and Carinos
stepped back a little. In the moment
of confusion / failed to notice him.
but in an instant he gave heaTtrend-
ing cry: s'Helpi help! quicki the treei
the man-eating treelH
Never viii forget that cry. nor
the sight that met my eyes. In step
ping back he had stumbled against
the dead vine, as I thought It. And
then in moment every tendril be-
came instinct with life. and was twist
ing and " rithiug about him with the
most horrible snake-like motions.
matted around his body and legs. hold
ing his arms tight and drawn across
his face and clasped about his throat
Already when 4 looked around he
was hel pless During the single mo-
ment while I stood there looking at
MIN motionless with frozen horror.
his face began to turn purple And
then all at once I recovered myself a
little, and. snatching my hunting
knife from my belt. began cutting
and slashiEg at the horrible, writhing
tendrils in the effort to cut their vic
tim loose.
But before I had made three strokes
something had caught my arm and
held it. Then something crawled
swiftly about my neck; and then
there were others around my hands,
over my head. across my face
everywhere at once was seized and
went fierce pains, as though my flesh
were being torn from nay body. I felt
my consciousness slipping away, but
as it was going suddenly the dark face
Of Ferrara peeped out Of the bushes ia
front of me and cried with hooking
laughter:
Il hope you enjoy yourselves. Sc
nors- The panther is not far away,
believe me. Only wait for him until
he comes. Adiosl Adiosi
The shock Of anger reused me a lit
tie in the midst of my racxiug torture,
and I saw Ferrara turn to 60 away,
but all at once. amid chorus Of mall
edictions, a dozen hands seized him
and pinioned him down, and we were
surrounded By a crowd Of 1aborers
from the plantation With long
knives they cut and hacked at the
from our veins, and in a few moments
they had us free How they got us
home 1 never knew
1t as not until the next day that I
recovered consciousness. and was
unable to turn in my bed, even, for
two weeks The excavations on my
face and hands left painful wounds.
which were a long time in healing,
and which made dreadful scars
These have all gone. no vever, exec pit
the one on my neck, which resem es
the scar left by a centipede.
AS for Carlinos he lay as If dead
for several days. and there were times
when he was pronounced really dead
Then he went OF into fever and
raving delirium, and it seemed that
he could not possibly recover After
a while, though, he did struggle back
into life, but his health was wrecked
and he was never again able to walk
as much as 100 yards.
How did we happen to be rescued2
Why, some Of Eerrara' s fellow servants
had heard his muttered impre cations
against us, and when we had gone
and they saw him sneak away after
as. they held "a consultation and de-
cided to follow have always
believed that Ferrara circled around
us, got ia ahead and initiated the cry
of the panther himself to lur us on.
have never been able to find out.
however When I had regained my
strength enough to feel some little
curiosity, and asked one Of my
rescuers what they had done with
Ferrara, he answered, with the utmost
uncOncern.
I'VE gave him to the man eating
tree, senorI2