The Hattiesburg news., 1910-10-17

The dry thongs cut deep into my flesh.
This was not the worst thing they had
done, however. With care they had
selected stone somewhat larger than
my two fists and had laid it on my
chest. 1t was not heavy load but
each time breathed as must breathe
when lying fiat on my back, my respir-
atory muscles must lift that stone and
sooner or later the extra effort would
tire them to the point of exhaustion,
| shuddered with horror when / realiz-
ed that at last the muscles would re-
fuse to act at all and with my mouth
and nostrils gaping for breath l should
smother because l could not take in
the fresh air
Already l was suffering terribly
from the strain on my breathing func-
tions, l had slept enough that l had
regained my mental facilities and
watched the rising and falling load on
my chest wondering just how many
hours it would be till l could raise it
no longer. All around me on the brush
and wheeling in the air above were
the horrible vultures. Stalking out is
an old and familiar method of execu-
ton among the Indians of the sub
tropic and doubtless the vultures
knew full well when they saw my
eXecutioners placing me on the hill
top that in little while there would
be good meal for them.
The coming of night was some relief
and | found that by using my dia-
phragm l could rest my intercostal
muscles to some extent. | knew | was
merely prolonging my agony but some
how in all the close quarters in which
l have ever been hope has not entirely
died within me at any time. After
what seemed years, dawn came, and
then the sun rose and it began to grow
warmer. All feeling was gone from
my feet and hands save that they
were big centers of throbing pain. AS
the pitiless sun mounted the arc and
it's rays fell full on me | realized that
I could not hope to last much longer.
The vultures appeared to be well
aware of this fact and constantly how
cred nearer. l found myself wonder
ing if they would treat me as I had
seen others treated, lips ripped off and
eyes dug out before any other part of
the body was touched.
1t was approaching the rainy season
but the first great storm had not yet
come, though clouds gathered every
day and how l prayed for a cloud to
rise and shield me from that blasting,
withering sunshine. A perspiration
that sprang out made breathing easier
and realized that were it not for the
sun l might have lasted the day out
but gradually my senses began to go,
tossing phantasmagoria of terrible
shapes and men and things in awful |
pain. | was aware that was raising |
my head and trying to bite the stone |
lying on my chest, then began to for
get and thoroughly aware that the end |
was at hand, | lost consciousness in
the act of studying and observing my |
own mental processes in so doing. One
thought was to try to perceive the
moment when my soul left my bods.
l was eager for that mental exper-
ience.
What did happen though was that
l came sharply to myself again, feel
ing beating wings in my face, feeling
that awful weight slipping from my
chest up under my chin. A great vul-
ture was just rising away from me.
My face was bleeding where his beak
had struck my cheek. There was
great excitement among the others.
In alighting he had perched on the
stone on my chest, had struck me and
as | started or moved he had attempt
ed to rise giving the stone a push
with his feet that displaced it. With
a little shaking of my head got it off
enirely and slowly my natural breath
ng began to supervene The sky was
now and in a little while /
dropped off into deep sleep.
Freed at Last.
When | awoke it was dark The
irst storm of the rainy season had
broken and it was the downpour of
ain in my face that stirred me- Be
ore l realized where l was and how