The San Francisco call., 1898-01-09
CHAPTER XI.

CHAPTER XI.
 Merrily craclled the burning war canoes. The flames lighted the faces of an army of savages, who squatted on the beach. forming a huge semi circle, waiting for the duel between Mah-Coh-Gaa and Ghoor- -Ghee-T Tee, the great war chiefs, the result of which would determine who should have the right to take Binnie's life or to carry him off as a slave. Binnie, bound hand and foot, but placed in a sitting posi- tion. was in the middle of the semi circle. There he would see the duel The lights of the California told him how near his friends were, but he knew that they were powerless to help him. Above him lowered the tall form of a dusky warrior, who held a huge stone battle-ax. This ax would go crashing through Binnie's brain at any attempt to rescue him.
 For the first time the crew of the California was helpless. The beach was lined with savage sentineIs and landing was out of the question. Bin nie's father looked on, pale and angry. Harry Ostend shed tears of anger. The crew burned to fire a whitening broad side among the savage hordes
 "Ha. What is thau?" demanded Ostend suddenly.
 His quick ear had detected the sound of something dropping lightly over the port side of the yacht His quick glance swept the vessel from stem to stern.
 Where is Kemona the Australian?" he asked
 Then he saw the truth. The black man had quietly departed for the shore to risk his life to save Bfnnie.
 Brave man!" said Binnie's father ''He shall fare well for this if he es- capes the savages.''
 Kemona was bright. He saw a huge tree trunk drifting toward the shore and he hid himself among the branch es and drifted with 1t. No savage on the shore suspected that the tree car rted a man stronger, braver, more ac- tive, keener and more tireless than any of them The tree reached the beach and Kemona remained motionless for hours in the branches, waiting. for a chance to safely land
 And now a perfect babel of noises arose on the beach. The appearance OI the T1NdL CIleIS, edCn armed With 8 great war club and stone ax, was the signal for all the warriors to scream and to rattle their spears upon rough shields. Many of the savages were followers of Ghoor- -Ghee-Tee, the chief of the skull hunters, but more were friendly to Mah-Coh-Gaa. They separated into two parties, each deter mined to see fair play. Then forward came the bent and shriveled witch doctors and rattled upon a drum cov- cred with serpent skin, and then the duel began.
 Nah Coh-Gaa was the taIlest of the chiefs. As he swung his club it was met by the swinging weapon of Ghoor- Ghee-Tee. It was like the crashing of great forest trees when the hur- ricane whirls them madly together. The blow that would have cracked -Gee-Tee's skull was turned deftly aside and Ghoor- -Gee-Tee be- beasts they were also as quick, and the rapid play and continued crashing to- gether of the weapons was somethins wonderful. Binnie, in spite of his perilous situation, could not help being interested. The chiefs fought back and forth through the inclosure on the beach, and often the wind of their war clubs famed the faces of the sayages. who shouted approval at the use of the clubs.
 Suddenly Ghoor-Gee-Tee dropped his