Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-02-18

make out now across the zenith, but
owing to the precipitance Of the cliffs
and the rise of the arroyo bed it was
impossible to see more. Handy Solo
mon felt the defenses carefully.
"a man would think, sir, it was
cannibal island" he observed. GAN so
tight and tidylike here. 1t would take
ships guns to batter her down. A
man might dig under these here two
gate logs if no one was against him.
Like to try it, sir?"
NO" l answered grufly.
From that time on l was virtually a
prisoner, yet so carefully was my sur
veillance accomplished that l could
place my finger on nothing definite.
Some one always accompanied me on
my walks, and in the evening l was
herded as closely as any cattle.
Handy Solomon took the direction of
affairs off my hands. You may be sure
he set no very heavy tasks. The men
cut 4 little wood, carried up a few
pals of water. That was all.
Lacking incentive to stir about, they
came to spend most of their time lying
on their backs watching the sky. This
in turn bred languor which is the
sickest. most soul and temper destroy
ing affair invented by the devil. They
could not muster up energy enough TO
walk down the beach and back, and
yet they were wearied to death of the
inaction. After little they became
~ nj,
suspected the other of doing less than
he should. You who know men will
realize what this meant.
The atmosphere of our camp became
surly. recognized the precursor of its
becoming dangerous. One day on a
walk in the hills / came on Thrackles
and Pull lying on their stomachs gaz
ing down fixedly at DR.. Schermer-
horns camp. This was nothing eX
traordinary. but they started guiltily
to their feet when they saw me and
made off. growing under their breaths
All this that have told you so brief
ly took time. 1t was the eating
through of mems spirits by that worst
of corrosives. idleness. conceive it
unnecessary to weary you with the de-
tails.
The situation was as yet uneasy.
but not alarming One evening
overheard the beginning of an absurd
plot to gain entrance to the valley.
That was as far as detail went l be-
came convinced at last that | should
| in some way warn Percy Darrow.
That seems simple enough propo-
sition, does it not? But if you win
stop to think one moment of the diff
fculties of my position you will see
that it was not as easy as at first il
appears. barrow still visited us in
the evening. The men never allowed
me even the chance of private COM
munication while he was with us. One
or two took pains to stretch out be-
| tween us. Twice | arose when the as
sistant did, resolved to accompany him
part way back Both times men reso-
| lutely escorted us and as resolutely
separated us from the opportunity OF
a single word apart. The crew never
threatened me by word or look. But
we understood each other.
/ was not permitted to row out to
the Laughing Lass without escort
Therefore | never attempted to visit
her again. The men were not anxious
to do so. Their awe of the captain
made them only too glad to escape his
notice. That empty shell of n past
reputation was my only hope. II
shielded the arms and ammunition.
AS I look back OH it now the perioC
seems to me to be one of merely pc
tential trouble. The men had not tax
en- the pains to crystalline their ideas
l really think their compelling emo
ton was that of curiosity They want
ed to see. 1t needed definite i'm
pulse to change that desire to one o.
greed.
The impulse came from Percy Oar
row and his idle talk of voodoos. Al
usual he was directing his remarks II
the sullen niger.
"Voodoos?'' he said "Of coursl
there are Don't fool yourself for
minute on that There are good one
and bad ones. You can tame then
If you know how. and they will d.
anything you want them to-" Pull
chuckled in his throat You don't be
lieve it?'' drawled the assistant, turn
ing to him. well, it's so. You know
that heavy box we are so careful of
Well, that's got tame voodoo in it."
The others laughed.
what he like?" asked the nigge
graveiy.
Hes a fine voodoo. with waver
| arms and green eyes and red CLOVIS.
watching narrowly Its effect he swun
of into one Of the genuine old Groom
ing poodoo songs, once so common
, down south, now so rarely heard. N
one knows what the words mean-the
are generally held to be charm word