Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-09-22
In THE GUNPOWDER,

guns, others with long spears aud wood
knives, while not a few carried only scythe
blades set straight upon poles; but every
one had weapon of some kind, and looked
as il he knew how TO use it.
One would hardly have thought that this
grim, robber-lke crowd in the heart of these
wild mountains could have anything to do
with a presidential election; yet so il was.
| The chief OF the tribe had just been killed in
battle with the Austriaus, aud the RoumiL
warriors had met to choose his successor.
| As a rule, the chief was supposed to choose
his own successor, provided he lived long
enough to do it; but in the present case
he had been shot dead before he had time
to utter word, so the election naturally fell
into the hands of his followers.
There were two candidates, whose claims
seemed pretty equal and against whom, as
the best two fighters Of the whole district, no
other man in the band would have dared to
set himself up. Indeed, their chances APP
peared to be so evenly balanced that-as one
! of the Younger men whispered to his com
rades, with chuckle--the shortest way of
settling the matter was for the two to fight
it out till one or the other of them was past
making any opposition. He had hardly
spoken when the rival claimants came for
ward into the ring from opposite sides.
The two made fine contrast. Noumah,
the elder, was giant in strength and size,
whose thick red hair, tawny beard, and
broad, massive face, made him look very
| much like lion. He wore plain gray jack.
! ct, and carried no weapon.
Lupuj, who was much younger, and OF
slighter frame, had richly embroidered
dress of dark green, and jcweled Turkish
dagger in his girdle of crimson silk.
If Noumah looked like a lion, Lupuj
would have remained any one of a tiger,
with his long, sinewy limbs his quick,
springy movements, and the half.ferce,
! half.cunning expression in his great, black
eyes Any stranger would have trusted
| Noumah at first sight, but he would have
been on his guard every time he came near
Lupuj.
"Hurrah for Noumah" cried one.half
the band.
"Hurrah for Iupuj!" retorted the other
half, with equal spirit.
1T will come to a fight after all, NUT.
tered the young man who had spoken be
| fore.
This certainly appeared probable
enough, and it seemed likely too, that the
! fight would become general, for several of
! the men were already cooking their rifles or
clutching their knives, and Lupuj himself
had his hand upon his long dagger. But
| just then Noumah suddenly roared {:
Listen to mel" and everything was in
stantly as still as death.
Brothers," said the giant, in tones as
deep and hoarse as the roar OF the waterfall
below, why should we waste our strength
in quarreling with each other instead of
Eul =, Il,
way of settling this business. None but a
brave man should lead Roumn warriors to
battle; therefore let him who is the bravest
among us be the chief"
well said!" shouted the mountaineers
in chorus, naturally well pleased with the
suggestion which, as it seemed to them,
gave every man of them a chance of being
chosen if he could prove his courage.
But how are we to find out which of us is
the bravest?' asked Lupuj, with a sharp,
suspicious look; for, being so treacherous
himself, he naturally distrusted everyone
else.
Come into the house" answered Nou.
NAH, "and III show you"
The Roumins crowded in after him, and
in a moment the long, low room was full to
overhowing.
Noumah went to the upper end of the
chamber and dragged out from under the
bed large cask, which he set up on end.
Then, knocking out its head, he showed that
it was full to the brim with gunpowder.
Now" said he, deliberately thrusting
into the powder one end of a long match OF
twisted tow, such us the miners of Eastern
Europe use to fire their trains, whoever re-
mains longest in this room after that match
is lighted is undoubtedly the bravest of us
ALL for there is powder enough to blow to
atoms the house and everything in it,"
Even the reckless mountain men began to
look grave as they heard the grim proposal;
for, used as they were to every form of dan
ger and death, this was something more than
they had bargained for. But before anyone
could utter a word Noumah lighted the
match, and it began to burn steadily toward
the powder.
The moment the flame was seen to catch
the tow, half dozen of those who were
nearest the door skunk out Of the house al.
together, having quite lost their interest in
the election. The rest staggered, bent their
brows, and vowed bosterously that they
would see the thing out; but it might have
been noticed that they turned their backs
to the flaming match, and looked nervously
round every now and then to see how far
the fire had gone.
With every inch Of tow that it devoured,
four or five more men stole silently away,
till at last the two rival champions. were
left alone-Lupuj, sitting on the bed smol,,
ing his pipe, and Noumah leaning against
the wall with his huge arms folded, and a
face as immovabe as granite statue
The moment the last man had slipped out,
Lupuj turned to his companion, and said, in
a slightly tremulous voice:
Haven't we had enough Of this joke,
Noumah? The fame will catch the powder
in two or three minutes more"
"Who told you it was a joke?' asked
Noumah, coldy.
What do you really mean TO blow US
both up Just for the sake of brag? We
can't be made chiefs when we're dead you
know"
"If you're afraid" answered the giant,
with disdainful shrug of his mighty shoul
ders, you are free to run away"
I'm no more afraid than yourself, cried
Lupui, angrily; but don't want to make
fool of myself. Come, nowl il yield my
claim to you will you give me hundred
horins"
mot one"
Fifty, then?"
Noumah silently pointed to the flame.
which was now within an inch of the pow.
der.
May the wolves gnaw your bones" yelled
Lupuj, as he rushed out Of the room
Then Noumah pulled the still burning
match out of the gunpowder as cooly as il
he were pluckng flower, and walked qui.