The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-03

cults. After reporting the passage of
the circus trains I leaned back in the
chair and took up my dime novel. With
each new development in the thrilling
adventures of the characters in the
book my fear increased I was startled
by the slightest sound--the creaking of
the stoveppe was sufficient to cause
my hair to stand upright.
And that novel! ! remember it as
we'll as though I had read it but now.
Fifteen years have elapsed since that
time, but every character and every in
cident is as wildly before me this mo-
ment as it was then. The story told of
a shipwrecked passenger in the South
Pacific, who drifted about in mid
ocean for days. and finally landed on
a cannibal island. There he lived for
20 years. He was taken into the tribe
and became one of its chiefs. He was
easily the first warrior Of the nation
and his prowess in battle had stricken
with terror those savages against
whom he warred. His name was Ches-
ter Leford, but the chief of the canni-
balls had named him Hajau. After his
20 years stay on the island he was de-
scribed by the novelist as being a per-
feet demon. His hair and beard, un-
shorn for score of years flowed in
long, tangled masses to his waist. His
face was that of a fiend, with eyes
that shone like Goals of fire and teeth
that were fangs. His only attire was
a long mantle which flowed from his
shoulders. Altogether his aspect was
terrible.
l had proceeded beyond this grue-
some description but a few pages when
! was startled by a tap at the VIM
dow. I trembled in every muscle. The
thought that there might be a tramp
outside was enough to terrfy me.
/ Then 1t occurred to me that the
person outside might be one of the
boys from the dairy. I was in great
fear, but when the tapping had been
t repeated several times I decided to
raise the blind bit and peep out. 7
took hold Of the blind with nerveess
| fingers. 1t tipped from my grasp and
flew up like a fash
My God, what a horrible thing was
| this T looked upon!
| There, outside the window. his de-
moniacal face glued to the pane, stood
| Hajau. The strong light of the office
lamp shone directly upon the terrible
features, which were made the more
clear-cut by the inky blackness of the
outside might. 1t was Hajau! There
could be no mistake. There was the
long. matted mass of hair and the black
beard flying in the wind. The eyes
We're living fire. The flowing mantle
| hung from the shoulders and was
tossed hither and thither by the gusts
of wind. His lips parted in a smile.
| God, what a CHASTITY smile that was!
More terrible, it seemed to me, than
that described in the book The part
ing of the lips revealed the tusklke,
| glistening teeth.
| 1t required but one glance to see all
this. I felt deathly feeling come over
me. My brain reeled. A fearful pain,
| the like of which I had never expert
| enced before, nor have I since, shot
| through my heart. I swayed from side
heavily forward in swoon. My head
| fell on the table with considerab BILE
| force. That was the last l remem-
bered until I regained consciousness,
half an hour later. When I awoke the
table in front of me was covered with
blood which flowed from my mouth
| had bitten my tongue. 1 was power
less. I could not move. I was trem-
bling as with palsy. My fright was so
great that dared not look at that Win
dow, even had I the power to turn my
head. Another look at that horrible
thing would have killed me. 1 lay in
| this semi-conscious state for a long
time. Vision after vision, all of them
| frightful, chased themselves through
! my mind.