The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-04-04

the fierce glare or the sun, and
smudged the stripes of white clay with
which they were daubed,
When the last criminal was led
trembling away, the two Ju Ju priests
advanced towards fire Of scented
wood round which lay a number of
brass vessels; and as the chief raised
his hand bloodthirsty roar broke
from the excited crowd, while the
guards dragged forward the white
painted victims, and loosening their
bands, placed one on either side of the
fire. A huge naked negro with a neck
lace of bones now advanced, heavy
straight sword in his hand, while the
priests threw armfuls of an aromatic
wood on the fire, so that the whole
square was filled with the odor. The
executioner stepped forward and
swung his sword round his head, while
fresh howl like that of pack of hun
cry wolves burst from the crowd, when
the chief rose to his feet and ordered
him to desist.
Towards the outside OF the square the
crowd were shouting, pushing and
struggling, and a few moments later
fell away left and right, while down
the clear passage came Captain Wayne
at the head of ten Haussas with fixed
bayonets. His Karki uniform was torn
and plastered with mud, and the cap
tain, between weakness and fever,
could scarcely stand erect. But keep
ing himself in hand by desperate eff
fort, he walked up to the two shivering
wretches and laid his hand on the
shoulder of the nearest; then, turning
to the chief, he said in his own tongue:
Il demand these men in the name of
the White Queen" There was a roar
of fury from the crowd, while the chief
waving his hand for silence, said: II
wish you no harm. Go in peace, for
desire no war with the White Queen;
but it is not good to NEEDLE with the
gods of the Shantee. Wherefore go
while you are safe, before my people
tear you limb from limb.
Though we are but one white man
and ten Haussas, yet for every one of
us who die we will kill ten of your peo-
pie Also the arm of the Queen is long,
and afterwards the, troops will come
and burn your town and stamp it fiat. ;"
AS he spoke, the captain fixed his
eyes on the chiefs face, and the latter
lowered his head and moved uneasily,
then he whispered for little with his
Ju Ju priests. At length he lifted his
hand and said. Your words are good;
take the men and go in peace"
At the head of his troopers the cap
tain turned and faced the angry crowd
the prisoners, now unbound, standing
between two files of Haussas. In front
and on every side surged a furious
mob, shouting and shaking their
barbed spears and fiintlock guns.
Fix bayonets, Haussas-march!"
called the captain as he drew his re-
volver, and the angry negroes fell
away on either side before the line of
ghstening steel and the calm, unmoved
man. So they passed slowly and DELHI
erately through the village, while the
natives howled and shook their spears
and guns, none daring to strike the
first blow.
The captains heart thumped and his
breath came in quick gasps through his
parched mouth and throat, for he knew
that the slightest accident would pro-
woke a bloody encounter, in which eve
ly IHdll VI lllC iilllC party WOulQ NC
wiped out, after which the colony
would have to undertake little expe-
dition in punishment, that would cost
much money and blood. However,
GOODNESS and courage won the day. and
they reached the last hut scathless
Here the crowd swept upon them with
a rush, but stopped when the bright
steel held by the unmoved Haussas
lay within an inch of their naked
breasts, and one savage, STOPPING I'M
der the line of the bayonets, drove a
light spear into the captains leg. In
stantly the latter raised his revolver
and lowered his arm until the bead of
the foresight rested on the center of the
black forehead. Another instant and a
fierce fight and the subsequent annihi-
lation of the party would have fol-
lowed, but the self-control Of the Off
Ger was equal to the occasion. He low
cred the revolver, and stopping down,
broke off the haft of the slender spear;
then he called out: IT will come again
with more soldiers for that man; Haus-
sas-advance.
The troopers took a step forward,
and as the bayonets pricked their flesh
the crowd opened up on either side and
the little band marched out of the viii
lage.
With clenched teeth the captain held
his place until they were out of sight
among the trees, then the reaction
from the strain set in, and weak and
broken down with fever and the pain of
his wound, he pitched forward head
foremost into a clump of the fragrant
African lilies. How he regained the
station he never knew, but the faithful
Haussas, who would follow an officer
they admire down into Hades If he
babe them, after much difficulty at last
| carried him into his room, where he lay
| for many hours in troubled sleep.
| Awakening, he found himself burn
ing with fever in room which had the
temperature of an oven, while through
the open window little draughts of air
like the breath of a furnace played in
| and out
Calling Sergeant Akoo, who had
faithfully watched every moment while
| ne slept, to raise him, he passed his
| hand down his wounded thigh till his
fingers touched the iron head of the
spear Now there are many kinds of
| West African spears; a few carry a
merciful leaf-shaped head, but many
have points covered with cruel barbs
and hooks, so that once III the flesh it is
| impossible to pluck them out. The one
q n at,lyn :,,1.