The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-01-27
Won HaIbeck's Adventure,
"a Tale Of the Guiana Hinterland
From the Evening Post. In Seven Parts-)
PART VII

From the Evening Post. In Seven Parts)
PART VII.
As the afternoon closed in I was almost
sick with the intense mental strain 10
which was being subjected. But 1 was
to suffer yet more. When the time ar
rived I armed myself with my pistols
and hunting-knife and went down to the
riverside, taking up my stand close 10
one of the stumps 10 which the sling was
fastened. Presently I heard the process
sion approaching, and in few moments
it came in sight. Petarie led the way, ana
a few PAGES behind came Opaie, bearing
in her hand the brilliant flowers used on
such occasions. She looked very trou-
bled and anxious, and took an opportu-
nifty, when no one was looking my way
TO give her a smile OF fragment,
though God knows was i'll at ease. Opale
was led out Immediately and stepped on
to the ledge of rock more firmly than
I had dared TO hope. She stood there IN
that awful place, with the evening light
playing about her exquisite form-a VISION
of loneliness.
How the scene is impressed on my mem
ory! Her beautiful golden skin was the
very color Of the flood of light which the
setting sun poured on her. Her coarse
black hair was blown softly about her
by The evening breeze and mingled it with
ers. What an agony of suspense she
must have suffered. The preparations
were on The stone was braced back and
secured to the hand of the image. Then
a dreadful thing happened. l would nave
howled out loud with anguish, but my
breath was taken away by what L saw
The man who was carrying the buncle
Of sticks across to the base Of the statue
suddenly stumbled and in righting HIM
III Of bnr
water.
was horror-struck, and waited BREATH
:essly for the next move Woul1 they
nut of the sacrifice till the next day in
order that a fresh set OF sticks might
be exposed in the usual way or would
they consider this as an indication that
the victim was to be spared? There was
a short consultation. and then man lett
the crowd and made off in the direction
of the village. All this time l was list
ening for some sign of the exploring par
~. Had Bian failed to meet them, or
were they so far away as to render their
arrival impossible within so short
space of time as had elapsed since Ban
had set out?
[ determined to allow as much time as
possible to pass before I took the affair
into my own hands. Not until the fire
was lighted would 1 give any sign. IL IL
came to that point, 1 would cut my side
of the sling thus putting Opaie out OF
immediate danger, and then act as cir
cumstances might direct. 1 reflected that
such an action on my part would at any
rate still further delay the Sacritlce, and
that l might be able to give an explana-
ton of what ] had done which would
blind the BaraWois as to my real 1nten-
tons This was the more probable as no
one had the least suspicion of my at
tachment TO ODaie.
I was engaged in trying to work out
the situation when the man who had gone
to the village returned, bringing with him
a fresh bundle of sticks. So the sacrifice
was to go on. l glanced round at Opale.
She was standing erect facing the chasm,
and l gathered from her bearing that she
was gaining hope from the delay. The
bundle of sticks was laid the fire applied,
and the first little puff of smoke rose in
the air. There was TO danger for a cou-
pie of minutes longer l determined to
count fifty and then cut the rope.
I felt my pistols-forty, forty-one. forty
two fOrty-three-my Neutrality-suspicious.,
forty-five, forty-six-
At this moment / heard on the other side
of the village a great shout, and the din
of firearms, and above all, Bans shrill
voice crying out for help. The Barawofs
were struck with establishment and rush.
ed off at once in the direction of the out
cries. In an instant I cut the sling, and,
seeing the stone fall harmlessly in the
stream. gave a shout of encouragement
to Opaie and then dashed off to the scene
of action. The Barawois had no chance
from the first, and. after a very short
fight, the affair was at an end
When everything quieted down and the
Barawois were placed under guard, l re-
turned to the riverside to fetch Opaie.
She had walked in to the foot of the
statue, and then, overcome by the terri
BILE mental strain of the ordeal, had faint
ed She lay on her back, and so narrow
was the place that her feet were in the
water on one side, and on the other her
long hair was trailing in the stream.
We got her safely to the bank. and then
7 took her in my arms and carried her
into my house, where Bian was waiting
for US.
of ho ParO0fe a.