Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1899-07-07

/ CONIANbEDs
One, a high priest, stood out befor
them, painted and adorned most hid
eonsly, and led the ceremonies witt
contortions and chanting more violen
and weird than the others. His lonl
brown arm would outstretch toward
portion of the semicircle, and that sec
tion Of it would throw themselves
upon the ground and beat themselves
calling aloud the name of Liliuokalani
II was evidently an invocation to The
gods to resore the queen.
The priest made adetour of the wor
Shipping line, touching first one, ther
another upon the head, all the while
emitting horrible cries, groans, shrieks
TO the chant they kept up constantly
Those so touched arose and followed
him, throwing their arms about, roll.
ing their eyes and mi. cking theil
leader and, if possible, outdoing him
in awful noises. Gradually this pro-
cession increased and the excitement
of the crowd increased also. The leader
struck into wild, fantastic dance, and
those following took it up. Then they
who still remained in the semicircle
beat the air with their hands, smote
their palms together and emitted
strange cries.
Larger and larger grew the circle
and fiercer grew their passion.
Suddenly, the dancing column hav-
ing grown to over half the number of
worshipers, it came to a pause. The
followers of the priest stood trem-
bling, quaking with excitement, their
feverish thirst for religious extremes
shown in their bloodshot eyes and
painting bosoms.
Apart from them was tent. To
this tent the priest danced slowly, his
worshipers keeping up the chant and
standing expectantly, as if something
desirable were to come.
The priest emerged from the tent,
carrying small white kid.
He took up his old position near the
fire, aud facing his horde of fanatics,
he chanted solemnly over the kid.
Then, putting it on the ground. he
drew knife across its throat, catch
ing in a cup the blood that flowed from
the stricken innocent. The kid gave
bleat and fell over-dead.
Now the feryor was at its highest.
The priest took the cup of blood.
and dipping his finger into it, auointed
his followers on the forehead, as he
danced along the line. They howled,
shrieked and groaned most horribly.
The women, losing all control of them
selves and casting aside their reserve,
threw themselves out from the circle
and performed wonderful feats of
writhing, twisting and suggestive con-
tortions.
All the time the subject of their
chant, the sole idea in their shrieks
and cries, was therestoration Of Queen
Liliuokalani. The sacrifice to the
gods was to propitiate them and make
them smile upon the deposed queen.
/ felt a sensation of chilly horror when
l looked at these fanatics. If their
bloodletting sacrifices stopped short
of human blood it would be a gratify-
ing surprise, so ferocious did they
look.
The dance began again, more fervid
than before
The priest stopped down and picked
up the dead kid.
He chanted prayer, and threw the
carcass on the fire. saying as he did
so: "This is but the offering before
the feast, and kept on his way. The
smell of roasted flesh filled the air.
aud seemed to enhance the ardor of
the fanatics.
Again the dancing procession
stopped, and again the priest waltzed
off toward the tent. This time he took
another with him.
They were in the tent some few
and then emerged, carving
between them a burden. This bur
den was covered by large white cloth,
but it seemed to be human body on
a litter.
Now there was a surprise for us.
Behind the two natives walked Cap
tain Pericles Jobbs, solemn, stern
looking, dressed in the uniform Of the
rank he had once held.
"Jobbsw whispered Gordon. "What
can it meau?"
''St?" / said. "We will soon see. .
The priest and his helper were
greeted with louder chants than ever.
They laid down their burden and the
priest commenced the dance again.
The crowd were now insane with
their consuming passion. They filed
The air with cries for Liliuokalani. !
Jobbs stood stolidly looking on, but |
even in his eyes there was a look of |
The priest waved his long knife in
ihe air and exhorted his followers to
irther efforts in dancing. This was .
necessary, for some were even now
from exhaustion.
Then the looking priest made
Ieveral passes over the covered BODY.
md, stopping down, raised the cloth I
md flung it aside.
"Great Heayens!" calculated Cor
Ion, seizing his sword.
"Can it be Winnie?" 1 cried, my
hroat parched and my tongue almost
efusing to act. "Seel He will kill
Ieri'
Forward. menp, shouted Gordon.
No life there is sacred but the girl'si"
A soldier stopped, raised his rifle
nd took aim.
We could not reach the priest before
10 had committed his act. He turned
nd saw us. With fierce cry he
nade sweep downward with his cruel
nife, his face working with passion. |
"Fire!" shouted Gordon, forging |
head.
CHAPTER XII.
At Gordon's command, a dozen
ifies sent their destructive fire into
1