The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-08-21

had not been mistaken. The wagons
were there, drawn to one side of the
road, and there, too, in the full light OF
the blaze, were eight or ten dark tur.
baned figures, standing or lying, their
dark faces fixed in terrified astonish.
ment, their white eyebalis cleaning
and startled at the apparition as l
swept out of the shadow above and
plunged into that below them. One
sharp, astonished cry, that sounded like
n wall, was all that heard, and then
was past them and the road gaped be.
fore me like the entrance of some black
cavern. For some moments held my
breath, still expecting tofeel the sting
of bullet or at least TO hear the report
of gun. / die neither. The glow that
followed me died away. had passed
the outpost and VAS free.
1t had been near thing, and it was
some time before had fully recovered
myself BY the tiThe could think calm
ly once more Of what lay before me
felt that must have put several miles
between me and the spot. had made
splendid progress, and now the road
was clearly visible In the new white
light that filled the eastern sky-the
moon was rising. BY its light could
see that the forest through which l
had been passing had changed it's char
acter. The stately trees had for the
most part given place TO tall clumps of
bamboo, graceful, dropping palms of
dozen sorts, and great plumed masses
of jungle grass that bent and trembled
in the scarcely perceptible night breeze.
1t flashed into my mind that | must
have reached the great gorge of which
I had heard such tales. With the
thought a cold feeling passed down
my spine. and inyoluntarily threw
quick, startled glance over my shoulder
--tigersi
The shudder was followed by quick
rush Of blood that tingled all over me
from head TO foot, and l shook myself
TO throw off the feeling, which / knew
TO be one of fear. / partly succeeded,
but IL was creepy still. The moonlight,
on which had been congratulating
myself so heartily only few moments
before, seemed now 20 make IL wc7sc.
The gray, livid light had something
about ii that was surely ghastly; the
little trembling shadows that were
thrown by the gray clumps and palms
suggested something alive; there was
something ghostly in the whisper of
the night air through the leaves. As
the thought passed through my mind
started hardly knew why, but yet
started, and again that cold shiver ran
down my limbs. There was nothing
10 be seen-nothing, that is, but the
moving panorama of leaves and grasses
nothing 10 be heard but the soft sigh
OF the night wind. listenedl Lis.
tened with the intensity which Is i'm.
possible except In moments when the
nervous tension Is almost too great for
endurance. Yet there was surely some.
thing-there must have been-I knew
II, though I could see nothing and
couldn't even fancy had heard any sus.
picious sound
Yes. I@ere was something-some-
thing that was not so much alarming
as strangc-a soft, low. rustling sound.
that was not the movement Of the tall
bamboos. nor the whisper Of the breeze
In the jungle grass. My heart stood
still Tor a moment, but IL was for
moment only. Then the hot swift
blood rushed through my veins in
fiery tide. | didn't think, but I knew
that my one hope OF escape lay In the
speed Of my bicycle. | had naitcrcd
myself that ] might do wonders IL {
chose on track, but no racing track