The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-06-16
DICK
Or. The Adventures of
An Eton Boy.
nv JAMHa ~

An Elton Boy...
HY JAMES

s
CHAPTER XXXII.-(Continued.)
4 looked keenly and cautiously about
me on every side, but saw only the
slender and countless stems Of the tall
bananas, whose broad leaves, as they
spread under or over each other. inter-
rupted the rays Of the sun, and formed
q shade that was pleasing and gloomy.
Now, when about to cross what
seemed q hole or hollow in the jun
gle, by stepping from the strong ten
drill of one creeper to another, q naked
arm and great human hand came up
from amid the mass of leaves!
! was seized by the right foot, and
In an instant found myself dragged
down through the foliage and inter-
twisted plants-down-down-1 knew
not where; and before l had time or
breath to cry or resist, l lay PROSTATE
on my back in a hole-a lair under
the matted ~jungle-with q man above
me. his knees planted on my breast,
his strong hands upon my bare throat,
and his fierce wild eyes glazing like
those Of a hyena into mine.
Then, how terrible were my emotions
on recognizing in the light that fell
through the mass Of foliage above, as
through q vine-covered trellis-now
o%verspread with hair, as beard and
whiskers were all matted into a mass
tho dark and %ferocious face of An
tonic. whom l believed to be drowned
and lying at the bottom Of the sea
Antonio ell Cubani!
"Silenxio!" said he. In q low voice,
like the hiss Of a serpent In my ear;
but the Injunction was unnecessary,
for so completely was l taken by sur
prise-so utterly at his mercy. and 10
destitute alike of breath or weapon
that resistance was impossible.
Perceiving that l was almost stran-
gled he relaxed his fierce grasp a lit
tie. but still kept the sharply prick
Ing point Of his knife at my throat,
~ q hint to remain quiet.
1t would. be impossible for me to de-
scribe the emotions of my soul dur
Ing this time, which seemed an eter-
nifty to me! Utter fear was one, for l
thought the fellow had something SUI
Notwithstanding truly demon
about him; that he could neither be
drowned nor destroyed: and l lay still
In that dark hollow, painting in his
fierce clutch without q thought Of re-
distance. =
Now ! heard my name shouted re-
peatedly.
"Rodney-Mr. Rodney-Dick Rod
anywhere are your"
It was Tom Lambourne and others,
my companions, who had now attained
the summit Of the rock. and were
scrambling over the jungle, and push
Ing between the stems OF the bananas,
searching for me. rather than for the
drst object Of such mystery.
Ny disappearance alarmed them.
Can he have gone adrift over the
blum I heard Tom Lambourne say,
cor Is he only having q game with US
BY hiding himself?"
..Oh. yes!-that Is It," replied Pro-
bart, the carpenter; The can't have
gone aloft into n Of these bananas,
for they are as clear Of branches as q
spare topnaast; 80 let US sheer on to
the mate. and Mr.. Rodney will soon
come down after U.s."
Well. my lads, there are neither
Wild men nor wild beasts here" said
LAmbourne! so we shall return back
70 Master Hislop, who is hanging in
the wind halfway down., and then be
on to the hut. We've earned a stifr
class Of grog by this bout, anyhow"
Ny emotions became almost suffocat-
Ing when I heard them turn away to
descend and rejoin Hislop without me.
saw and heard them pass and re-
pans over ~. the creepers Of the jun
sie yielding their weight.
The leg and foot of one, named Hen
81 Warren. came down through the
green network Of leaves and actually
tcuched me.
ISdrsw . long, gasping breath. and
the Atroci0us Cubano, believing I was
about 70 cry aloud. compressed my
throat: 30 tightly with his muscular
banda. that . thousand lights seemed
% Hash before my eyes, and I must
have become senseless for some min
utes, as the next incident that dwells
n my memory ID seeing him sitting In
: crouching attitude. with his elbows
- his knees; his black bearded chin
resting n the hollow OF his right hand.
ma With his knife-his murderous
Alhacete cuchillo-clenched In his
white teeth. while he surveyed me
With strange and sardonic smile il.
n desply-set black eyes. which gilt
tired like those off, snake In the rays
y Ssunliight that struggled through the
woven ROOT Of sleavessabout us.
IEhssEd no mors the voices Of my
sAip1netesa They wore gone. and I was
lset alone and nnArmedS With this man
- dsyil--asAyst Ii knew not which he
wae;shutsIsk knew that ~ heshad the; win
- had aasuredly the power. TO kill and
gleav0 mesAh his lair, or to cast me, 4
nangled heap, to the bottom Of the
cat3 WhersupOn he lurked.
OHAPTDn xXXIII.
Il smishht have besn about the hour
oestSeas 4nd " were sstill lettering on
- mo0nlit MISUNDERSTANDING cry 3 IA
III m si1sht.ss made every heart leap
W5ldly and With hops.
TWas Pom IAfnbournrue who spoke.
ssbit xaEtyI IN ssAusht ths ship 81 once.
aN4 tyAiasthose rho had been dosing
1andkDf within the hut;
ma On khe baacha ma mo.
4 = 1stSkchinlg their handa toward
atth s9oyNN5xnd oxidation. but the