The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1900-06-16
DICK RODNEY:
Or, The Adventures of
An Eton Boy.
BY JAMR@

BY JAMES GRANT.


l 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-
rupteo the rays Of the sun, and formed
a shade that was pleasing and gloomy.
Now, when about to cross what
seemed a hole or hollow in he jun
gle, by stepping from the strong ten
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-I 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 a v~ine-covered trellis-now
overspread with hair, as beard and
whiskers were all matted into a mass
the dark and ferocious face Of An
tonic, whom l believed to be drowned
and lying at the bottom Of the sea-
Antonio ell Cubani!
"SilenZio!" said he, in a 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 so
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,
as a 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 a thought OF re-
s~istance.
Now l heard my name shouted re-
peatedly.
"Rodney-Mr. Rodney-Dick Rod
ney-where are you?"
1t 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
first object of such mystery.
My disappearance alarmed them.
Can he have gone adrift over the
bluff" l heard Tom Lambourne say,
"or is he only having a game with US
by hiding HIMSELF"
"Oh, yes!-that is it," replied Pro-
bart, the carpenter; "he can't have
gone aloft into one Of these bananas,
for they are as clear of branches as a
spare topmast; 80 let us sheer off to
the mate, and Mr.. Rodney will soon
come down after u.s."
We'll, my lads, there are neither
wild men nor wild beasts here" said
Lambourne! so we shall return back
to Master Hislop, who is hanging in
the wind halfway down, and then be
off to the hut. We've earned a stiff
glass Of grog by this bout, anyhow"
My 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-
pass over US, the creeperS of the jun
gle yielding their weight.
The leg and foot Of one, named Hen
~ Warren, came down through the
green network of leaves and actually
touched me
I drew a long, gasping breath, and
the %atrocious Cubano, believing l was
about to cry aloud, compressed my
throat 80 tightly with his muscular
hands, that a thousand lights seemed
to flash before my eyes, and I must
have become senseless for some min
utes, as the next incident that dwells
In my memory Is seeing him sitting in
a crouching attitude, with his elbows
on his knees; his black-bearded chin
resting in the hollow Of his right hand,
and with his knife-his murderous
Albacete cuchillo-clenched in his
white teeth, while he surveyed me
with a strange and sardonic smile in
his deeply-set black eyes, which gilt
tered like those of a snake In the rays
of sunlight that struggled through the
woven roof of leaves about us.
! heard no more the voices OF my
shipmates. They were gone, and / was
left alone and unarmed with this man
or devil-as yet l knew not which he
was; but l knew that II he had the will
he had assuredly the power, to kill and
leave me in his lair, or to cast me, a
mangled heap, to the bottom of the
cliff w%hereupon he lurked.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
1t might have been about the hour
of ten, and we were still lettering on
the moonlit beach. when the cry of "A
sail in sight" made every heart leap