The Mena weekly star., 1912-02-15

and white Mary such as they knew
Joan to be, they could expect safe
and delightful time. Besides. the great
master had told them that the eight
gigantic Tahitians were going along.
Plenty strong fella fight" Sheldon
warned them in conclusion.
They grinned and shifted delighted
ly.
"S'pose bushmen kai-kai along your
he queried.
mo fear" answered their spokes-
man. one Koogoo, a strapplng. thick.
Tipped Ethiopian looking man. "Spose
Poonga-Poonga boy kai-kai bush boy"
Sheldon shook his head, laughing
and dismissed them and went to over
haul the dunnage room for a small
shelter tent for Joan's use.
1t was quite formidable expedi-
ton that departed from Berande at
break of day next morning In feet
of canoes and dingeys There were
Joan and Sheldon, with Binu Charley
and Lalaperu. the eight Tahitians and
the ten Poonga- Poonga men. each
proud in the possession of a bright and
shining modern rife.
Binu Charley led the way onward
into the rolling foothills. following the
trail made by Tudor and his men
weeks before. That night they camp
ed well into the hills and deep in the
tropic jungle. The third day found
them on the runways of the bushmen
narrow paths that compelled single
file and that turned and twisted with
endless convolutions through the dense
underground.
Here. in the midmorning, the first
casualty occurred Binu Charley had
dropped behind for time and Koogoo,
the Poonga Poonga man who had
boosted that he would eat the bush
men, was In the lead. Joan and Shell
don heard the twanging thrum and
saw Koogoo throw out his arms, at
the same time dropping his rife, STUN
BILE forward and sink down on his
hands and knees. Between his naked
shoulders, low down and to the left.
appeared the bone barbed head of an
arrow. He had been shot through and
through. Cooked rifles swept the bush
with nervous apprehension, but there
was no rustic, no movement; nothing
but the humid, oppressive silence.
"Bushmen he no STOP" Binu Char
ley called out, the sound of his voice
startling more than one of them.
my world Look IN that fella." he
continued, brushing aside the leafy
wall of the runway, and exposing a
bow SO massive that no one bushman
could have bent it.
The Binu man traced out the me
chanics of the trap and exposed the
hidden fiber I'm the tangled under.
growth that at contact with Koogoos
foot had released the taut bow.
They were deep In the primeval for
est. Binu Charley took the lead as
they pushed on. and trap after trap
yielded its secret lurking place to his
keen scrutiny. The way was beset
with a thousand annoyances. chiefest
among which were thorns, cunningly
concealed. that penetrated the bare
feet of the invaders. Once. during
the afternoon. Binu Charley barely
missed being impaled In staked pit
that undermined the trail. There were
times when all stood still and waited
for half an hour or more. while Binu
| Charley prospected suspicious parts Of
| the trail.
Where a slight runway entered the
main one Sheldon paused and asked
Binu Charley If he knew where It led.
PLENTY bush fella garden he stop
along there short way little bit" was
the answer "All right you like m go
look I'm along. Walk I'M easy" he
cautioned a few minutes later. CLOSE
up, that fella garden. S'pose some
bush fella he stop. we catch m"
Creeping ahead and peering into the
clearing for a moment. Binu Charley
beckoned Sheldon to come on cautious
ly. Joan crouched beside him and to-
gether they peeped out On one edge
of the clearing was a small grass
house. open sided mere rain shell
ter. In front of 1t, crouched on his
hams before a fire, was a gaunt and
bearded bushman. The fire seemed TO
smoke excessively, and In the thick OF
the smoke round dark object hung
suspended. The bushman seemed abb
sorbed In contemplation of this object
| Warning them not to shoot unless
| the man was successfully escaping,
| Sheldon beckoned the 'oonga- Poonga
men forward. Before the bushman
could shoot his swift enemies were
! upon him. He was rolled over and
over and dragged to bis feet. disarmed
and helpless.
"why. he's an ancient Babylonianr
Joan cried. regarding him. He's an
| Assyrian. a Pboenician! Look at that
straight nose. that narrow face. those
high cheek bones and that slanting.
oval forehead and the beard and the
eyes too
sand the snaky locks" Sheldon
laughed
"My word. bush fella kai-kai along
that fella boy. Binu Charley remark
| ed.
| So stolId was his manner of utter
/ ance that Joan turned carelessly to see
what had attracted his attention and
found herself face TO face with Co
goomy. At least II was the head of
Gogoomy-the dark object they had
seen hanging In the smoke.
Nor was Joan's horror lessened by
the conduct of the poonga- Poonga
boys. On the instant they recognized
the head, and on the instant rose their