Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-31
Continued From Preceding Page

parting with his friend at such time seem
ed almost as if they were parting forever:
Il shall be back before morning unless
something has detained the schooner repled
Val; and then he shook hands with MI
Swazey, saying, as he did SO, Il snail CONF
right back to this place, and the tran IS so
well defined now that L can't have any uou
BILE in following it." ,u.4
"Of course YOU won't, son-no fear OF that
Good-by"
Val said adieu once more to Fred, then to
Arthur, and moment after he was walking
swiftly back toward the river, the sahof Keep
ing pace with him at his side.
The boy had too many sad thoughts TO care
to enter into any conversatlo with ms CON t
panion, and he walked silently along ll lnteHe
only on bringing back force iarge fe+bar ec"e or
to make an attempt to rescue hls la'iiSi' -
at least learn his fate. III:
He hardly noticed where he was, Walking
leaving the sailor to follow the trall, uhtI
slight rusting, as of snake craving over
the dry leaves, caused him to step aside al
At the same instant that he did so, a rough
cloth was thrown over his head, and oraWn
SO tightly that it impossible Tor MN TO
make any outcry, while his arms were nelu @
as if in wise. Although he was thus taken
completely by surprise, he was not at loss
to understand the meaning OF the outrage;
he knew as well as if it had been tGid 70
him that the Parentintins had followed
SWaZeyS party as they ndQ Ills IdtuSA oAAN
that he was their prisoner.
Whatever might be his fate, he would nave
the satisfaction of knowing where ms iatn-
was, and this thought caused him to walk
more boldly, as the strong arms from behlno
forced him on at rapid rate, without beng
able to see where he was going.
Whether the sailor had been captured also:
or allowed to 90 free, he had no means OF
knowing, for the covering that was fastened
about his head prevented him from hearing as
well as from seeing.
On and on he was pushed, until he believed
he had been walking half an hour; when his
hands were dexterously tied behind his back,
and the covering taken from his face.
The sailor was nowhere to be seen, and Val s
first thought was of Joy that he had escaped to
carry the news to Mr.. Staples. He was guard
ed by two savage-looking Indians, who appear,
ed even more hideous than nature intended
they should on account of the tattoomg OF
their faces and breasts. One stood on each
side of him, with his blow-gun and quver OF
poisonous arrows ready, and, by the most un-
mistakable signs, ordered him not to look
back.
Val was perfectly willing to comply with
this silent order, for the one glance he had
taken showed him that his former compan-
ion was not there Then he looked straight on
toward a collection of huts, which were evi-
IDENTIFY the destination Of the Indians.
In one of those huts his father, if he was
still alive, was confined, and this thought urg
ed Val to move quite as fast as his captors
could have desired.
AS the three approached the village, the in
habitants came out to meet them shouting
and laughing, but not attempting to ill-treat
him IN any way, which, in view of the stories
Mr.. Swazey had told of the cruelty of the
Parentintins, surprised him as much as any
thing could have done.
VaPs captors paid no attention to the crowd
that gathered around, but marched their pris
oner on toward hut that stood apart from
the others, and was built much more strongly
That this the place where the Indians
kept their prisoners was certain. for two men
fully armed, stood before the door, who ad
vanced to meet them. The men who had cap
tured Val spoke few words to those who
were evidently to act as his jailers, and then
turning him over to them, they walked swift
ly back in the direction they had come.
The jailers marched Val up to the door Of
the hut, one holding him securely, while the
other took down several bars that served as
fastenings, and then, with his hands still tied
behind his back, he was thrust rudely into the
dark and noisome place