The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-01-25
Won HaIbeck's Adventure,
"a Tale of the Guiana Hinterland
From the Evening Post. In Seven Parts.
PART V

She is a virgin set aside for Sacriflce, ana
until it be known which of the two,
Opaie or Malkoona, is to be the victim,
it is as though she were not at all"
True" 1 replied but my people, when
they see a woman like that seek a better
fate for her than that she should be offer
ed up TO please a craven image whose
eyes are blind and who knows naught Of
the beauty of women
well, Kaboot, il may be that the other
one, Malkoona, will be chosen
And then Opaie would be free?"
'.She would be free; but the chief, Pc
tarie, would then take her for his wife.
1 know his heart in the matter
But I, Bian. have other plans for thy
sister, and it shall be seen who is strong
err or thy chief, Petarie."
But Bian laughed at me and said: "Ka-
boot, thou are indeed q fool, for all thy
fair skin and golden hair"
But fixed determination had seized me.
If 1 was indeed to remain all my life
among these people I would at any cost,
have Opaie for my wife.
From the day on which I saw Opaie I
sought every opportunity of speaking
with her. 1 had become fairly proficient
in the language of the Barawois, which
differed but little from that of my unfor-
tunate guide, Bantapie, and so by using
great precautions I succeeded in estab-
fishing an understanding with Opaie. AS
the months passed l was fortunately able
to win Bian over to my plans, and she
promised to help me in any way she could
when the time came.
Opaie was by no means so Indifferent
to her fate as her sister had appeared to
be when L had first spoken on the sub
ject to her. And at last, after much care
f,,l+ Alon ha
cessful carrying out of which would set
Opaie free and leave me master of the
situation.
It is needless to dwell on the exquisite
delight of my stolen meetings with Opaie.
1 was indeed fortunate. Not only did the
naural desire for life work in my favor,
but Opaie gave me her love. 1 may say
here that I never understood Opaie. A
heather, absolutely uneducated, almost
naked, she possessed a mind that was all
a woman's mind should be. Tender, gra-
cious, and sympathetic, knowing no
shams, thinking no evil, pure as the sea-
wind, passionately anxious to live, and
full of a Wondrous love for me, each day
only served to add to my admiration for
her and my establishment that she should
be what she was
The plan which we eventually decided
(Opaie's death we never thought of, so
far removed did death seem from such
perfection of life,) then the selection of
victims would take place. If Malkoona
were chosen, we'll and good. In that case
1 was to shoot Petarie q had powder and
shot in my belt, which had not been taken
from me- and rely on the effect produced
by my pistol to insure me subsequent
safety.
If, on the other hand Opaie were chosen
the position would be far more serious
The Barawois We're intensely supersti-
tious and no pistol shots would serve to
save the victim from the sacrifice. STRAIT
egg was the only method which offered
any hopes of success if Opaie were cho-
sen as the victim.
l have already described the way in
which the sacrifice was performed. The
sticks of which the fire was composed
We're twenty-four in number and of GER
tain dark-colored wood, heavy but easily
ignitable. The sticks were each wrapped
up in dried leaves, which furnished the
necessary material for giving the fire a
hold on the wood. After these sticks had
been cut and properly prepared, they We're
placed for a whole day and night on the
top of the carved pillar in the center of
the village, so that the god might dry
them with sunshine or wet them with
rain as appeared fit to him. 1t was our
intention to prepare twenty-four sticks of
a wood similar in color and weight to that
used for the sacrifice but of a different
texture, being extremely hard and scarce
ly to be burnt except in great fire. This
bundle of sticks was to be substituted for
the real one during the night preceding
the sacrifice, when the sticks would be
on, he nf he Mill a
being wrapped in dried leaves, it was not
likely that this substitution would be de-
tected. Presenting that nothing went
wrong the result of our plan would be
that the rope would not burn on the eve
ming of the sacrifice and Opaie would re-
turn to the tribe, and exercising her priv
iege would choose me as her husband, as
Petarie could not under the circumstances
do anything to carry out his intention of
marrying Opaie himself for fear of en-
raging the other members of the tribe,
who would see that Opaie's rights as re-
stored virgin were respected. In the IN
fortunate event of any unforeseen hitch
occurring, we arranged with Bian that
just before the fire was lit, she was to
cause a diversion from the business in
hand by raising a great cutlery on the 9TH
er side of the village, calling out that
strangers were attacking the place, and
Opaie and J. profiting by the confusion
that would ensue, were to make away TO
a spot fixed upon by Bian who knew the
country around the base of the plateau
very well. Bian was to join us at this
spot as soon as possible, and we would
then make the best of our way to the civ
ilized country.
These plans were discussed frequently
during the long monotonous months. and
every detail was carefully gone into. At
first l had hoped TO effect an escape by
passing the sentries some dark night. but
after several attempts to pass alone as
a sort of trial, I found that an untiring
vigilance was maintained. Our only
chance would be on the day of the sac
rifice. when the sentinels were withdrawn
in order that they might witness the
CHASTITY ceremony. Should everything so
well for us on the day of the sacrifice
and I was duly married to Opaie, we had
decided TO wait one year and then, on the
corresponding occasion, make our es-
cane. We would in that case have the
whole year in which TO mature our plans
So the months passed. and did my ut
most latter finding out the futility of try
ing to pass the sentinels) to give Petarie
and his people the impression that was
content Life among these people was
absolutely colorleSs. and had II not been
for my secret meetings with Opaie and
the interest OF arranging our escape. I
do not know how I should have RETAINED
from blowing out my brains. In the
morning the men went out 20 fish or hunt,
and the women worked in the Cassava
beds. and the village was practically de-
serted until late in the afternoon 1 was
not compelled TO work. but lately, as much