The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-04-21

fixed in bel, determination to push on.
With Tudor, Adamu Adam and Arahu
were to stop as guards.
Binu Charley led the way. by proxy,
however, for by means Of the poison
ed spear he drove the captive bush
man ahead. They plodded on. pant
ing and sweating in the humid. stag
nant air. They were immersed in
sea of wanton, prodigal vegetation.
Caught by surprise fifteen feet in
the air above the path in the forks OF
dropped Ike a shadow, naked as on
his natal morn. 1t was hard for them
to realize that it was a man, for he
seemed a weird jungle sprite. a goblin
of the forest Only Binu Charley was
not perturbed. he flung his poisoned
spear over the head Of theSdptive at
the fitting form. 1t was a mighty
leaping, received the spear harmlessly
between the legs and, tripping upon
1t, was flung sprawling. Before he
could get away Binu Charley was
upon him, clutching him by his snow
white hair. He was only a young man
and a dandy at that, his face black
ened with charcoal, his hair whitened
with wood ashes. with the freshly
severed tail OF a wild pig thrust
through his perforated nose and two
more thrust through his ears. His
only other ornament was a necklace
of human finger bones. At sight Of
their other prisoner be chartered in
high querulous falsetto, with quicker
ed brows and troubled, wild animal
eyes. He was disposed Of along the
middle of the line, one Of the Poonga-
Poonga men leading him at the end
Of a length Of bark rope.
"Close up he STOP" Binu Charley
warned them in whisper.
Even as he spoke, from high over
head came the deep resonant boom of
a village drum. But the beat was slow.
There was no panic in the sound. The
runway now became deeply worn
path, rising so steeply that several
times the party paused for breath.
"One man with a rife could hold it
against a thousand" Sheldon whisper
ed to Joan. And twenty men could
hold it with spears and arrows"
They came out on the village, sit
uated on a small, upland plateau, grass
covered and with only occasional trees.
There was a wild chorus Of warning
cries from the women. and spears and
arrows began TO fall among the in
vaders. At Sheldon's command the
Tahitians and nga-Poonga men got
into action with their rifles. The spears
and arrows ceased. the last bushmen
disappeared. and the fight was over al
most as soon as it had begun. On their
own side no one had been hurt, while
half a dozen bushmen had been killed.
/ Poor brutes," Joan said. They act
only according to their natures. To
eat their kind and take heads is good
morality for them"
But they should be taught not to
take white mems heads" Sheldon ar
gued.
She nodded approval and said: IF
we find one head Wen burn the viii
lage. Hey, you, CharleyI What fella
place head he stop|
"S'pose he stop along devil-devfl
house." was the answer. THAT big
fella house, he devil-devil."
1t was the largest house In the vii
lage. Into it they went. Crouched be-
fore a slow smoking fire. in the Uttered
ashes of a thousand fires. was an old
man who blinked alphabetically at the
invaders. His task, it seemed, was to
tend the fire. and, hung in the smoke,
they found the object Of their search.
Joan turned and stumbled out hastily,
deathly sick, Keeling into the sunshine
and clutching at the air for support.
See if all are there" she called back
family and tottered aimlessly on for a
few steps. breathing the air in great
drafts and trying to forget the sight
she had seen.