The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1912-02-22
CONTINUED Iast issue)
CHAPTER Xxx.

W Ill uAAOW az HOuE DeIOEe.
The boy sitting down and groap
ing, his arms clasping his bent knees
his head dropped forward and rolling
painfully back and forth. For fear Of
poison, Sheldon had Immediately scarf.
fed the wound and injected perman-
ganate of potash; but In spite of the
precaution the shoulder was swelling
rapidly.
We'll take him on to where Tudor
is lying" Joan said. "The walking
will help to keep up his circulation
and scatter the poison. Adamu Adam,
you take hold that boy. Maybe he viii
want to sleep. Shake him up. II he
sleep he die"
The advance was more rapid now,
for Binu Charley placed the captive
bushman in front of him and made
him clear the runway of traps Once.
at sharp turn where a mans Shout
der would unavoidably brush against
a screen of leaves. the bushman dis
played great caution as he spread the
leaves aside and exposed the head OF
sharp pointed spear. so set that the
casual passerby would receive at the
least nasty scratch
The sun sinking behind lofty west
ern peak brought on an early but lin
gering twilight. and the expedition
plodded on through the evil forest
the place of mystery and fear. OF
death swift and silent and horrible.
of BRUSH appetite and degraded In
stinct. Of human life that still wallow-
ed in the primeyal slime, of sayagery
degenerate and abysmal
They turned aside from the runway
at place indicated by Binu Charley
and came to an immense banyan tree
half an acre In extent that made In
the innermost heart of the Jungle a
denser jungle OF its own. From out OF
its black depths came the voice of a
man singing in a cracked eerie voice.
my word. that big fella marster he
no die"
The singing stopped. and the voice.
faint and weak. called out hello
Joan answered. and then the voice ex
planned:
I'm not wandering. | was just sing
Ing to keep my spirits up. Have ydu
get anything to eat?"
Tudor. having pulled through the
fever and started to mend, was stik
frightfully weak and very much starry
ed So badly swollen was he from
mosquito bites that his faee was un
recognizable Joan had her own oint
ments along and she prefaced their
application by fomenting bis swollen
features with hot clothes Sheldon
with an eye to the camp and the
preparations for the night. looked on
and felt the pangs of Jealousy al ev-
cry contact OF her hands with Tudors
face and body. Somehow. engaged tn
their healing ministrations. they no
longer seemed to him boys hands
The mornings action had been set
tied the night before. Tudor was TO
stay behind in his banyan refuge and
gather strength while the expedition
proceeded. On the far chance that
they might rescue even one solitary
survivor Of Tudors party Joan was
fixed in her 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 be drove the captive bush
man ahead They plodded on. pant
Ing and sweating in the humid. stag
nant air. They were immersed In a
sea of wanton, prodigal vegetation.
Caught by surprise fifteen feet In
the air above the path In the forks OF
q many branched tree, bushman
dropped Ike a shadow. naked as on
his natal morn. 1t was hard for them
to realize that 1t was man, for be
seemed weird jungle sprite. goblin
of the forest. Only Binu Charley was
not perturbed. He fiung his poisoned
spear over the head of the captive at
the fitting form 1t was a mighty
cast, well intended, but the shadow.
leaping. received the spear harmlessly
between the legs and, tripping upon
1t. was flung sprawling. Before ne
could get away Binu Charley was
upon him. clutching him by his snow
white hair. He was only young man
and dandy at that. his face black
ened with charcoal, his hair whitened
with wood ashes, with the freshly
severed tail of 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 he Chartered IN
high querulous falsetto. with pucker-
ed brows and troubled, wild animal
eyes. He was disposed of along the
middle Of the line, one of the Poongar
Poonga men leading him at the emu
Of length Of bark rope
"Closc up be stop" Binu Charley
warned them IN n whisper
Even as be spoke. from high over
head came the deep resonant boom 81
a village drum. But the beat was slow
There was no panic in the sound. The
runway now became a deeply Vein
path. rising 50 steeply that sewers
times the party paused Tor breaih
zone man with ride could bad q
against a thcusand.- sheldon whisper
ed 70 Joan And twenty men reoia
hold il with spears aud arrows
They canae oul 90 The ViliaAe. i'
uated On small. uplsnd plaieso. esaA.
covered and mlsb emily eerassplsal tftfF