Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1899-06-30

from the service. lie nung around
Honolulu for a few days aud then dis
appeared.
Some person set FIRE to the Nuuauu
Hotel, and it was burned to the
ground before the laggard fire depart
ment got TO work. / never saw o
more exasperated man than Seacamp.
/ saw him day or two after the fire,
at the head Of a lot Of workmen, tear
ing away the charred ruins Of his once
famous inn.
"What afe you up to?" I asked.
"Going to rebuild the Nuuanu?'
"No, sirl' he almost roared II
am not going to rebuild the Nuuanu.
The Nuuanu is gone forever. No
more shall hotel of mine bear that
heathen name. But l am going TO
build hotel, and / am going to call
it The American. Yes, sir. The
American. Well see how the blamed
niggers like that. Aud il they burn
it down, I'll build another, Let the
eagle screaml Beat the drums? Let
the eagle scream? He is muzzled just
now buthe'll scream again. Don't
you worry about that.
Seacamp's patriotism was earnest
aud true, but somewhat inhammatory
in its nature.
A few days after this I met Gordon
in town.
II was going to hunt you up" he
said. There was look Of eagerness
on his face.
"Have yoa heard anything?" 1
asked, anxiously.
mot definite. I received word
from a scout, just few minutes ago,
that baud Of natives were encamped
at the extreme end of the valley, and
were performing some of their
old-time d9viltries--idols, sacrifices
and all that There is going to be
great dance tonight, and sacrifice
offered to the goddess Pele, or some
other heathen deity, to obtain help in
restoring the queen. We will take
file Of soldiers and witness that affair,
and see who is to be sacrificed. Tha
daughter of a Portuguese sailor is miss
ing, and French girl who was q SER
want in in the family of Mr.. Seldom.
The fanatics must have one of these
or Winnie. Whoever it is, we will
save her."
With about twenty soldiers we
started off up the Nuuanu Valley. We
Travelled as rapidly as our horses could
carry us. The soldiers were mounted
on horses from a livery stable, the
popular idea among those who saw us
start off being that we were scout
ing party looking for hidden enemies.
At the end, or rather the beginning
of the Nuuanu Valley, it opens out
into wide plain bordered by forests.
1t was moonlight when we reached the
place. Not living thing, human or
beast, could be seen.
''We will leave our horses here in
charge of four men, and go through
the woods to Lake Maliwai," said Cor
don.
Cautiouslywe made our way through
the trees. We wanted to surprise the
camp.
There they are" whispered SOL
dier, pointing to an opening in the
thick growth of bushes and trees
around us. Through it we could see
a camp, on the border of the lake.
Steathily we took our positions to
watch.
We looked upon strange, fascinat-
ing, horrible scene.
A group Of natives, probably two
hundred in all, sat or squatted upon
their launches, in large semicircle,
in the center of which burned fire.
On either side of the fire was hideous
idol or heathen god. These gods,
while still holding a mysterious power
in the minds of the older natives, had
of late been seldom seen. There may
have been, perhaps, fifty or hundred
of them in Honolulu, but they were
closely guarded by their possessors.
These horrible extrayaganzas in wood
and laya-stone were supposed to be
Under the unusual excitement that
had existed so long in Hawaii, all the
old superstitions were revived, and
the natives descended to their former
level Of idolaters and stone-worship-
ers.
keep quiet" said Gordon to the
soldiers. LET us watch them
There were men, women and few
children. But little clothing was worn.
The fanatieism under which they were
had discarded clothes.
The entire crowd were putting their
bodies through various methodical CON
all in unison, and they chanted
/ weird, solemn dirge that had not
leen heard in Oahu for many years
before.
Ito be continued)