Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-09-24

PRISONER AND ExECUTIoNER-
saulting savagcs, with the same result as
in the case of the first victim The odds
| were too great, however, in a hand to
hand cu%lict, ana in q few moments tn
CAPTAIN lag PROSTATE upon the ground Sc
curely bound 1t had evidently been the
purpose Of the natives 10 capture him alive
If possible. for no attempt was made at
any time to use weapons against him
without waiting TO attempt to resuscitate
the victims of the cuptuin's powerful
blows the savaGCs placed their captive in
"a litter and started away tlrosgh the for
est mt u sharp trOt.
Fer two days they travelled with scant
rest. when they reached the abode of the
hostile king. The p: isoner was taken be-
fore his dusky majesty, who had Il witch
doctor as companion and adviser. For
some little time they talked together, when
suddenly the doctors face lighted up I'M
der an evidently new suggestion. In q
moment hc laid il before the king, who,
Judging from his manner, fell heartily in
with il.
Then the doctor, addressing the captain
with q smile Of lendish cruelty and hatred
upon his ugly face, said: 'Our usual way
of dealing with such people as you is to
chop off their heads; but, inasmucA as
you are great hunter and have Travelled
many miles o hunt, we have decided 70
forest of the Monovo, but \ few miles dis
tant, there roams a very fierce lion, who
hungers only for the flesh of man. He has
devourcd very many of our people, and, al
though many efforts have been made TO
kill him, they have failed III every in
stance. The Judgment of the king i that
toward night you be taken into that for
est, and there left securely bound. Being
such n brave hunter, You will probably
lot ffaar 2 f fTIr n
This last was said in very taunting.
derisive manner and was received with
shouts Of laughter and approval by the
crowd.
Truly a most horrible fate was this, and
worthy the fiendish cunning of the witch
Doctor Prepared rs he had been for death,
the captain felt his Heart sicken with hor-
ror at the contemplation of this friGhtful
fate. but he would not afford the savages
the satisfaction of Witnessing any display
of fear on his part, and he listened TO his
doom with calmness that was absolutely
impcrturbablc.
Late in the afternoon he was again
placed in the litter, and after journey of
two or three mSes the party stopped in the
midst of a dense forest The captain was
taken from the litter, carried TO a sinai,
tree near by and securely fastened to IT.
Then. after "a farewell salute Of taunts and
hooking laughter, the party disappeared
in the surrounding forest, and he was left
alone Just before they left him. how
ever one OF the men either in bravado or
with u more serious intent hurled
scgai at him Its keen blade was imbed-
ded deeply in the tree just above his head.
and there il remained firmly fixed.
soon daylight gradually began to fade
away and in n short time the forest was
wrapped in TIE sOmbcr gloom of night.
Strange sounds here and there came from
ont the darkness. and several times the
captain saw dark bodies gliding stcalihily
10y. once a prying jackAl approached
him. and shifting along his legs and feet
for a 1noInenr raised his bead and emitted
a howl 50 weird and Colorous that to the
captains fcvcrish imagination it seemed
the heTalding OF deaths avant courier.
short time after this u larger animal ap-
preached him. and. hating few feet dis
tant. stood watching him intently for sew
eral moments. Owing 70 the darkness he
was unable to distinguish Just what IL
was but the intensely offensive odor which
soon came TO his nostrilS clearly proclaim
ed il 10 be hyena- \ colony Of monkeys
in the tree above chattcd away at times in
a lively manner a. though excitediy dis
eu=sing the strange situation down be
log. while three OF four times a great
n.Sht bird swept by in close proximity. as
though endsavoring 70 make out the nIys-
terry surrounding this strange, iInmoyAbie