The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-07-20

1 dancing to strange chants, clappirg up
l on one anothers outstretched hands.
! Was he asleep or awake. he wondered
Here were girls with a bowl-a kaya
: bowl-and naked men with tattooed
bodies. Then came a picture of huge.
white-frilled rollers. breaking in end
less succession on a ragged reef. and
another vision of strange, translucent
!. depths OF water. where weeds of red
and green and brown rolled back and
forth, and parrot-fish. like living gems.
shot to and fro: where scarlet SWIM
ming things darted among white brain
| corals and monstrous shells of glim-
| mering iridescence. But, oh. sleep
/ sleep! That was all he wanted.
! Then there broke through his numb
! ed consciousness a sharp. persistent
! sound. 1t was very familiar. but he
/ could not place it. 1t went on and on.
apparently for ages. He had an i'm
preston that it was important, and
must be noticed. Again it came-clear.
intrusive-a jangling, PAIRING. ripping
sound. oh. yes. he remembered; it was
/ a bell. He did not care TO move; he
was so tired, so comfortable. What
made him think that somebody want
ed him? Oh, yes-the telephone. Some
one must be ringing him up.
Then the savage people with the blue
tattoo closed about him once more.
drowning with their chants and clap
pings the ear-piercing call of civiliza-
ton. Now they sat on the sunlit beach.
posturing and swaying. Now they rose
and moved back and forth in unison,
till they closed in a solid phalanx-
closer and closer until they melted into
one gigantic evil face, face with up
tilted eyes of shining jet, filed with
fierce, unwinking hate; black hair fall
ing like dark and ripping river about
brown, oval cheek. A mouth that
Knocked and laughed without laughter;
a nose hibh-bridged. thoughtful. and
sensitve-the face of Neula, the witch
womani
Again the sound of bells, shrill, ag-
gravating. This time he was reused
in irritation. He would put stop to
the noise. He lifted himself with diff
ficulty. his legs heavy with a night
mare weight, and staggered to the tele-
phone. He hardly realized what he was
doing, until he took down the receiver.
and heard his own voice, dim and far
away, say: 'Hello,"
What is the matter with your wire
We have been ringing for a week."
came in angry tones over the line.
Say. we have sent your men. Have
they Gomez"
The question broke through his leth-
argy like flash of lightning, il:umina-
ting the situation.
For Gods sake he stammered.
"send a doctor! Tell him coffee, coffee
and keep me going, or l.
What the came over the wire;
but Furtzhofer had dropped the tube
and was staggering and swaying.
He tried to reach the table or the
arm chair for support, but hug war
rior in woven armo- and shark-skin
belt pushed by him, causing him to lose
| his balance and fall. A wild crowd of
scowling faces closed above him. He
| threw up his hands to push them off
| and knew no more.
Furtzhofer awoke with a strange
tuzzing in his ears, with q sense of
WEAKNESS past all endurance. He be-
| came conscious that his legs were
| working, -sorely-against his will. He
was leaning against something or
somebody, who was making him walk.
He tried to free himself and sit down,
but he received a resounding cuff and
an order to Keep on" Some one
! shook him savagely. He protested,
! though the effort cost him untold tor
lures.
Hes coming to. did you hear that?"
he heard a voice close to his ear, say
to another voice on the other side,
which answered in the affirmative.
Here, take this said some one else.
forcing a burning liquid between his
teeth.
Again he objected, but no one needed
| his wishes. The fiery substance was
literally forced down his throat. and
the walking began once more Grad
ually his limbs became accustomed to
the motion. He did not resist now;
be became vaguely conscious of objects
about him. His attention fixed itself
first on a lamp-shade, and from that
drifted to the open lid of the piano
Then ne saw face close to his own;
he recognized his friend the chemist,
and on the other side a doctor. He
nodded affably and called them by
name; whereat he was set upon, beat
en-. and forced to further walking.
Slowly the mist cleared; he began to
think Surely he had been poisoned.
He shook himself and set his mind to
work in a concentrated effort to throw
off the last effects of the drug. Then
came more coffee, and he was able TO
talk coherently. Still the vigorous exer-
else continued, till at last his tormen-
tors pronounced him safe, and sat down
to their much-needed rest.
How did Sou find me?" asked Karl,
from the place on the sofa where his
friends had deposited him.
ION the floor beside the telephone,
and almost dead" replied the chemist
Better thank your stars, old man,
the doctor added, as he wiped his
streaming forehead. you've had joi-
~ close call, with your bunch of inocu-
lated hananas!"
Thought as much" observed the
victim. When did you get here?''
Police station telephoned. 1 was at
home, fortunately for you. l took my
bike and got here in two minutes
and not one too soon, either. Then
BeIlew came in and helped. and a fat
Kanaka lady. She said you were her
only child. and took on like mad when