Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-09-01

we wound our way among big rocks
and clumps of bushes and at last
reached the top, few yards from the
great spur. Here the bluff was some
twelve yards across. As it sloped
gradually back toward the mainland
it grew wider and was covered only
with stiff, dry grass, till its base was
lost in the forest.
The iguana had made good use of
his time and was not in sight, so I
sat down on the summit to cool off
and relieved my feelings by inventing
approriate phrases and applying them
to Pete. Then l glanced around at
the view, which was superb, with the
sun setting in indescribable glory
over the calm China sea.
In the glow 1 could see steamer,
which 1 knew must be the mail- teamer
from Hongkong, probably bringing
me letters and Easter remembrances
from friends in far-away America
Suddenly the dog jumped up and said
"Woof!' I muzzled him with one
hand and reached for the rife with
the other, with visions of iguanas be-
fore me, but none appeared Pete
wriggled himself loose and "woofed"
again, cooking his ears toward the for
est at the base of the bluff I turned
my head and listened
Now I could family hear the thump-
ing roll of galloping horses, mingled
with the crashing of breaking bush.
AS stood up and stared pony ap-
peared, bursting out of the Jungle,
followed by another and still another.
Almost before | realized what they
were, full 20 of them had come tearing
out of the woods and were charging
up the slope toward me.
In the forest wander hordes of these
native ponies, discarded as old or use
less by their owners, who, as a rule,
are too indolent to dispose of them
otherwise. We had encountered
them while hunting, but had never
seen so many together and was won
dering what could have caused such a
stampede when, just as the last one
appeared 1 saw small, black, M onkey-
like creature dash out after him, fol-
lowed by score of others, driving the
terrified animals up the hill with shrill
Whistles ana SnflekS.
"Negritosp' l thought, remember
ing what we had been told about their
sometimes driving crowd of these
wandering ponies over some precipice
to be killed on the rocks below and
thus afford their pursuers an unctuous
feast of horse-fesh for many days.
This was evidently what the black men
were doing now.
saw that the ponies would quickly
arrive at the top and carry me over
with them if something was not done
promptly; SO I seized Pete by the
scruff of his neck and ran for the head
of the side path by which had come
up; but l was just too late; the fren-
Zied mob of scarecrows was almost
upon me before could get there.
In desperation l waved the rifle
aloft with one hand and poor Pete
with the other, mingling wild shout
with Pete's expostulating yells. So
strange an apparition, combined with
the sounds from the dog, had the effect
of causing many of the drove of ponies
to swerve past me, and heard them
go sliding aud crashing down the other
side of the bluff, while others turned
sharply and ran down the path. One
OF these, however, lost his footing in
turning SO suddenly and fell head
long.
He rolled over so quickly that I had
no time to get out Of the way, and he
struck me squarely on the ankles.
Pete flew one way and the rifle
another as I pitched forward on top
of the kicking brute. We fell just at
the head of the path. blocking the way
for the last three or four ponies, who
halted trembling and snorting.
AS scrambled up I caught a
glimpse of the Negritos, who had
stopped at the sight of me and were
gazing in amazement, calling to each
other with short, sharp whistles.
Their great heads, covered with masses
of frizzly hair, out of all proportion
| to their dwarfed, naked bodies, gave
them most uncanny aspect, like a
crowd of gnomes. I felt as if l were
the hero of some fairy tale in the
power of goblins, and for an instant
experienced the same horrid, creeping
sensation that one feels at the first
shudder of an earthquake.
Every moment expected cloud of
arrows to come whizzing about me,
and remember wondering whether
they would be barbed or smooth; but
the fierce little black men seemed too
astonished to do anything but stand
like statues and whistle. Yet it was
certain that they would soon let fly
their deadly arrows. Bxsome instinct
I grasped the pony's short, rough name
as he struggled to his feet and fol-
lowed alongside the animal as he
headed down the path, keeping his
shoulders and forelegs between my
self and the blacks. Pete had picked
himself up and was close at my heels.
As we disappeared perfect storm
of whistles pierced the air. The
ponies behind, frightened afresh, came
crowhng against my protector, who