Waterbury Democrat., 1902-12-02

only knew aJnaJ i knew nlIl. lie soon
told me where we were.
The place was a tropical island in
1.-The south seas. The name is as hazy
in my memory as everything else COM
nected with that extraordinary ex-
plot, but it was some thing like Ma
zunaland.' The bronzed beauties
were cannibals and how my friend
could explain no better than myself
the king. He had been washed from
the deck of his ship one night in
storm, had seized a floating log and
came to his senses three days. later
on the beach Of neighboring island.
He had kept his hat, but he had ex-
pected to lose his life. They had told
him TO get ready and he had seen the
preparations for a feast. The evening
previous there had arrived one of the
black midgets then at my side. The
pot was already boiling. The savages
were dancing around him and bowling
to a slow chant. But at the appear
ance of the messenger all quoted.
Soon he was taken to his palm-leaf
bed. The next afternoon the ten
chosen men of the tribe departed in
canoe, and at sunset, as had seen, he
lad been led to me.
| 1t is all plain before me now-my
friends face, the beach and its peb-
bly, sand, and somber attendants, the
wonderful sunset, the monotone of
the sea; yet Il hold in my hand my
friends letter telling me of his ar
rival at Manila. What happened that
night I do not remember, except that
we slept together in the bamboo hut
behind the throne. 1t was, / pre-
sumo, the royal palace. The next
morning. [ sent one of the dwarfs
to the island and the ten came back.
To them / announced my purpose.
/ My friend was to be their ruler, UNI
der my sovereignty. They were to
obey him implicitly in all things.
The mandate was received in silence,
hut with perfect complaisance. The
II departed as they had come, with
my friend seated in the stern of the
canoe >.1s 49, .s..>-.s. .,..4
|. From then on what happened is
like the mosaics in a Kaleidoscope.
/ can see. the retrospect and remem-
Der the brilliant variety, but in detail
the tumble is inextricable. 1t is like
a great, city seen over the top of an
embankment4 from a5railroad train
as it rushes through one of the sub
ways; i remember the confusion and
the jar, but little of events. All
seems tropical and misty. In the
main we prospered. The great OBJ
jeet of my reign was to win the cam
lanibaIs from their savagefy. To do
this / instituted an elaborate reli-
gion, founded on their tribal idols,
and consecrated every tenth boy to
| priesthood. I was told of the exist
ence of the royal hafem. I abolished
it and took to wife the greatest belle
Of the neighboringS tribe. There is
one absolutely inexplicable thing,
even if I could account for my king
ship; stayed to observe the rule of
my dynasty into the thirtieth gen.
Grafton.
One morning was aroused from a
dangerous and ftful sleep by a
shaking which seemed rough to one
accustomed to the most gentle treat
ment. was not ready to arise, for
I was tired; I had been on hunting
expedition the day before. 1 opened
my eyes. Instead of the swelling
Pacific which had always enraptured
me was looking into dirty stable
yard. i Before. me was "a vehicle
which, ina dim past recollection,
seemed a police ambulance. 1 was
sitting on chair. One foot was
covered with an old cloth, the piece
of asdiscarded trouser leg. My head
began to hurt. Two. men came from
the ambulance and picked me up with
as much unconcern as: If I had been
a ward politician and not the king
of a tropical isle. AS we left the
yard I asked where I was. I was
told not to bother my head about it.
AS we drew up to curb "a few min
utes later, and while a stretcher was
put out for me, saw the newsboys
and corner loafers crowd around and
cape. Then / knew.
In turning, quarter of an hour
before, the horse had slipped and we
had gone down together, 1 under.
NV right foot was smashed and my
head scratched enough to put my
senses out. I tried to explain about
the tropical island to the surgeon,
to my father and to a friend with
whom started riding. They told Dne
/ was hysterical and that / must keep
quiet. So there is but one recourse
left-print. I have not ceased won
dering in all the weeks that 1 have
been nursing my foot if my savages
ever reverted TO cannibalism. The
dream is too wonderful to keep. I
am a reporter by trade and must tell
whatever out of the ordinary has
happened before my own eyes. This
is the true story of 1000 years lived
in Is ninutes.-Los Angeles Herald.
Women Smoked in Station.
The manager of the Big Union sta
ton OF the Chesapeake 81 Ohio and the
Seaboard Air Line railways at Rich
mond, Va, has just issued an order