The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1897-12-23

Suddenly l gave a violent spring
with hands and feet that threw my
hearers to the ground, as they were
totally unprepared for anything of
the kind. l went to the ground with
them, but was up in an instant We
were not six feet away from the foot
of the execution stone, and the head
of one of my late bearers touched it.
with the agility of a cat-for l
was great deal younger then now
/ sprang to the top of the mound and
right in front of old Tanoa. l flung
my arms wildly about and then drop
ped to the ground at his feet af-
terward learned that he thought |
was invoking the vengeance of heaven
on him for the great peril / had pass
ed through, and my prostration was
to indicate that he was the greatest
of terrestrial sovereigns. Ireally had
no thsnght further than to ask that
he would spare my life, though had
counted npon the dramatic effect of
having released myself from my
bonds and standing before him.
"A wild shout went up from the
crowd, and the king sat as though he
had never been more surprised in his
life If l had been down by the
stone should have been finished off
in minute, but at the feet of the
king l was safe until he ordered 9th
erwise, as it would be highly improp
er for the warrio.., to mount the plat
form while his majesty was there.
The seconds seemed like hours while
| waited for the kings decision, which
he finally gave:
The dead are dead, and shall be
eaten; the white man shall live.'
''The bodies of those who had been
killed were cooked and devoured; 1
was allowed to go abont wherever /
pleased, but was always accompanied
by two warriors. They offered to
show me the ovens; but I had no lik-
ing for the horrible sight, aud indi
Gated my desire to get as far from it
as / could. Besides my ineffable dis
gust, l was fearful that the king
might change his mind or that some
of his subjects would take upon
themselves the task of executioner
and dispatch me without che royal
leave. But l must do them the jus
tice to say that from that time on
they never manifested the least de-
sire to harm me.
81 was sent back to the village
where l was first taken after my cap
ture, and became the slave of a chief,
but my slavery was Of the lightest
sort. l was treated more like COM
panion than servant, POSSIBLY for
the reason that as the Feejeeans can
practically live without work there
was very little work to do; l learned
good deal of their language, went
with them in the forest and in pursuit
of fish, and lo'tered around the coun
Gil hall when there was nothing else
to do.
L lived there nearly year. and if
| could have been assured that there
was no danger of being slaughtered
and eaten, | should have been per
fectly willing to stay among those
people the rest of my life. They
were unwilling to have me leave
them, and twice when ships came in
for water they hurried me away from
the coast to make sure that [ did not
escape; whether they desired my so
ciety or were actuated by the fear
that should tell about their customs,
| never knew, but certainly they tried
every means in their power to prevent
my leaving them.
I'm course of time they grew less
watchful, and occasionally went off
by myself for few hours without ex-
citing suspicion. / always went to
ward the coast, but invariably took a
circuitous route; when in sight of the
sea 1 scanned it carefully for a sail,
and if none was in 81 ght Immediately
retraced my steps to the village
Toward the end of the year / did this
every day or two, or as often as
thought it safe | generally returned
with a bunch of bananas or cluster
of bread fruit, SO that my absence
was ostensihly in search of food
'One day my heart came into my
month! As | looked through a rift
In the trees ship was standing into
the little bay where our old whaler
had anchored at the time | had my
fight with the mate and threw myself
into the arms Of the cannibals, Away
| went down the path as fast as
could run, luckilyI didn't meet any
one, and went at sucE a pace that no
pursuer could have caught me- Out
/ came on the beach just as the anchor
went down to the sandy bottom;
looked back and thought some of the
village people were coming. l didn't
wait to make sure of it, but plunged
in and swan off to the ship.
1T was long swim, and l was
near drowning, but I got there all
right and was hauled on board. The
captain heard my story, then ordered
me to be dressed and set to work, and
/ went to work with will. He was
rough, blunt, good hearted man
from New Bedford; his mate was
pretty severe with the men, but vast
improvement on my old one All's
we'll that ends well, and I have moth
! ing particularly to regret in that
eventful residence in the Fejes.
J afterward learned that my formel
ship went down with all on board a
few weeks after l deserted her; and
J so my escape to the man eaters was
my salvation"