Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1910-02-04

examined the instrument Of death.
1t was a little over a foot long, of n
hard looking green wood; the handle
of gold was coarsely moulded in a bar
barrie fashion round the turquoise
stones, and these, Of all hues from
green 70 the paIest of blues, were en-
bedded like Jumps of quartz in the
rough gold. Round this strange imple-
ment there fingered a rich and heavy
perfume, sickly and sensuous.
"See herei" said Jen, pressing, or
rather squeezing, the handle. Il tight
en- my grip upon this. and the sting
of the serpent shows ITSELF" Where
upon Etwald glanced at the end of the
wood and saw a tiny needle of iron
push itself out. When Jen relaxed his
pressure on the gold handle. this iron
tongue slipped back and disappeared
entirely.
Il got this at kumaSsie," explained
Jen. when he had fully exhibited the
gruesome mechanism Of the stick. 1T
belonged to the high priest. Whenever
he or the king disliked any man, who
was too powerful to be openly slain,
they used his wand. What excuse they
made I don't know, but I suppose it
had something to do with fetish-wor-
ship. However, the slightest touch OF
this needle produces DEATH"
1T is poisoned at the tip?"
Not exactly. The needle within is
hollow, and a store of poison is con-
tanned in the handle up here. When
| squeezed these turquoise stones press
a bag within, and the poison runs
down to the point of the needle. In
fact, III whole Internal continuance is
modelled upon a s]erpent's fang"
but 1t is quite harmless now" said
David, as Jen replaced the wand in it's
old place on the wall, else you
wouldn't have 1t there"
We'll, no doubt the poison has dried
up" said Jen, with a nod. "All the
same I shouldn't like to prick myself
with that needle. 1 might die" finished
the Major, with the naive simplicity
Of a child.
Etwald said nothing. With his~eyes
fixed Upon the devil-stick, he meditat-
ed deeply. The barrister, whose be-
lief was that Etwald NEW more about
the wand than he chose to say, watch
ed him closely. He noticed that the
doctor eyed the stick, then, after a
pause, let his gaze wander to the face
Of Maurice. nother pause, and he
was looking at David, who received
the fire of this strange man's eyes
without blanching.
There was something so mesmeric
in the gaze that David felt uncomfort-
able, and as though he were enveloped
in an evil atmosphere. To his sur
prise. he found that his yes also were
attracted to the stick, and a longing to
handle it began to possess him. Clear
ly Etwald was trying to hypnotic him
for some evil purpose. BY an effort
of will David broke through these
nightmare chains and rose to his feet.
The next moment he was in the open
air, in the cold moonlight. breathing
hard and fast.
Within, Maurice and the Major were
talking gaily. and the sound of their
voices and laughter came clearly to
the ears of David. But silent in his
deep chair sat Etwald. and the burning
glance Of his eyes seemed to beam
menacingly through the air, and COM
pei the young man to evil thoughts.
David looked at Etwald dark and
voiceless: and over his head, in the
yellow lamplight, he saw the glitter
ing golden handle of the devil-stick.
CHAPTER III.
Some little distance from the Majors
abode stood a long. low rambling house
on a slight rise. Surrounded by deep
verandahs, 1t was placed in the mid
die Of emerald green lawns, smoothly
clipped; and these. lower down, were
girdled by a belt of ash. and syca-
mores. n poplars. which shut out
the house from the high road. The
mansion, with its fiat roof and wide
verandas had a tropical look, inc in
deed 1t had been built by a retired In
dian nabob, at the beginning Of this
century. When he died h house had
been sold. and now it was occupied by
Mrs. Dallas, who leased it because of
its suggestion of tropical habitation.
She came from the West Indies. and
had lived in 1.-The Wigwam," as the
house was called, for over ten years.
Mrs. Dallas was a large. fat, and
cminentiy lazy woman, Who passed
most of her time in knitting, or sleep
ing, or eating. Her husband had died
before she had come to this country,
and it was the desire to preserve her
daughters health which had brought
her so far from the sum baked islands
which her soul loved.
Her languid Creole nature and leth-
argic habitS were unsuited to brisk,
practical grey skies, the frequent all
sence of sunlight, n the lack Of rich
and sensuous coloring. Often she
threatened to return to Barbados. but
h was too lazy to make the effort of
again settling herself in life. With all
her longings for the fairy stands of
the West, she was out of place in this
northern land, and SO was Dido.
This latter was a tall and massively
framed negro woman, with very little
Of the black about her. She looked
rather like a priestess. with her stern
face and stately mien; and, indeed. in
the West Indies, it was known among
the negroes that Dido was high in
power among the votaries of Obi. She
could charm, she could slay by means
of vegetable poisons, and she could
az the negroes firmly beiieved-cause
q human being tn dwindle, peak. and
pine, by means of incantations.
This black Gambia had left a terrible
reputation behind her in Barbados.
Dido was not a favorite in the ser
wants part of THE Wigwam," III for
this unpopularity h cared little, be-
ing devoted to Isabella Dallas. She
adored her nursing. The girl was
about twenty years Of age, tall and
straight. with dark hair and darker
eyes. with q mouth veritably like Gu
pidss bow, and q figure matchless in
contour. With her rich southern col
oring and passionate temperament