The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-05-08

mee-"an old black man, dressed in
red muslin" Mammees most sacred
fetish was a scarf woven from the hair
Of many human beings and beasts. and
ornamented with the feathers and
claws of birds and the teeth of fero-
cious animals and deadly reptiles.
This he supposed added to his proWess
in war and protected him from enc.
mics, but his priests told him that its
powers could be greatly increased if.
at a coming festival, the splendid
fighter, Quobah, were sacrificed. to the
spirit Of the scarf Quobah was con-
demned to die by torture, but when
told of the fate awaiting him he curled
his lips in scorn, and said he knew
how to die like an Ashantee warrior.
Before the day of sacrifice arrived,
however, two lions came to devastate
the homes of Mammee's subjects. who
lived in huts beyond the palisaded
walls of the village. The planters fed
to the village for safety, and for time
the people were as closely besieged
as if an army of Ashantees lay in the
forest. In the face of this danger the
priests quickly decided that safety
could be obtained only by an imme-
date sacrifice of the stalwart pris-
oner, and late in the afternoon of the
next day, after the lions had driven
n tte planters, Quobah was conducted
to the center of the enclosed village,
where every inhabitant had gathered
to see him die.
Out of the desperate straits into
which he had fallen Quobah was able
to find way of escape from the
priests. In most polite speech he
told the people that the way to use
him as a sacrifice was to give him
arms and let him go forth to meet the
lions at the hour when they came in
search of further victims. The king
and the priests accepted the offer,
thinking no doubt that if he we're
killed fighting the lions the wrath of
the evil fetish would be averted. Ac-
! cordingly, as the sun sank to the west
ern horizon, Quobah walked forth from
the palisaded town, armed with his
spear, his broadsword, and his light
carbine. The priests, with faces paint
ed white, chanted a dismal strain,
the women howled, and the soldiers
clashed their swords and spears to-
gether as he passed the gate. And the
gate was not yet shut when the male
lion came to the edge of the brush
and with main up, and tail flashing
from side to side, galloped towards
the wall. But Quobah, who had boast
ed that he knew how to die like an
Ashantee warrior, now advanced to
meet the beast, and finally sank on
his right knee, with his hand grasp
ing his huge spear which he placed on
the ground with the point well to the
front.
At that the bowling of the people
within the village died out entirely,
and the lion crouched and leaped for
ward, while Quobah lifted the point
CT the spear so that it pierced his
shoulder
The impact Of the heavy brute upon
the spear broke the shaft just below
the head Quobah, by leaping to one
side, avoided the brute, but it was soon
on its feet again ready for another
spring, in spite of the steel blade
through its shoulders. Quobah raised
the carbine to shoot the beast, but
before he was able to aim the weap-
on a roar was heard in the edge OF
the brush, and a lioness, with toe
large kittens, came galloping into the
clearing. Hearing the approach Of
these, Quo bah turned to look at the
new danger, and as he turned his head
the lion sprang at him once more
Quobah saw his danger in time
and as the lion landed and fell over
on its wounded shoulder, he fired &
bullet into it's brain.
Dropping mis- carbine beside the car
cass of the lion, Quobah drew his
sword and turned to meet the lioness
An instant later she rose in a hyinl
leap straight at the big Ashantee, bu