Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-04-24

WIN 'SNi'S s'NJ D''NNN at ihOt III pei
ton; then interest grew. This was their king, blind
and degraded, that stood and howled before them.
Each man glanced furtively toward his neighbor to sec
what he would do.
"Kil himl kill the bald monkey shrieked Bottle
john, hurting a heavy axe. 1t plunged into the ground
between Ferreira's feet He stopped and picked it UP,
and, ccasing to howl and rock, he drew himself up to
his full stature and stood motionless, silent as white
men stand when death is imminent.
"Kill him! kill him - screamed Bottlejohn again,
This time a murmur went up like the hum Of hiv-
ing bees, or the low growl of lions when they scent
blood; again like the anger of wolves against the
stricken member Of the herd. They closed in, teasing.
haunting, snarlng, %yapping, and batting their king, yet
waiting to rouse their b~loodthirst before they satiated
And ADRIAN Ferreira, raising his weapon, began to
swing with it ~rhythmically. his senses strained upor
their advent.
Suddenly a Makololo, holder than the rest, raised
his spear and rushed forward. At the exact instant
the axe descended, smashing his skull like an egg
shell. The man crashed forward upon his face, tore at
the dust and lay motionless.
Then the attack began. They came unon Ferre;ra
from every quarter, thrusting with spears; one stamped
behind while his companion attacked in front; but in
the melee they could not free themselves, and the
broadaxc cleft a clear path within the circle of its
descent. Seven times it fell, and every time it crushed
out another life beneath it
SOMEBODY crieo, lie sees, he sees1 and they drew
back in CONSERVATION, painting and tremulous, watching
their king fearfully. Gradually a slow, shutting sound
broke in upon their ears. 1t was the blind baby.
crawling out from the hut in search of Ferreira.
dragging its length serpentwise through the sand. All
eyes were focused on its slow approach.
When it reached the body Of the first slain Makololo
1t stopped, scratching and pulling; then, diverting its
course, it came toward Ferreira again, leaving a broad
trail behind it. Fear seized the assembled throne.
"It ic HE yi1or - +Iny L;.o.- .--.,
their knees shaking beneath them.
But Ferreira had heard the soft. stea]thv movement
Tic raised his arms, he swung his weapon and whirled
it hercely downward. The shutting was stopped short.
A gasp went up.
He has killed his wizard" cried Bottleiohn from
out of his corner. Kill him; he cannot harm VOL"
The axe fell from the Dutchman's hands. A groan
burst from his lips, and, with no thought of resist
ance, he sank down on the ground. So they came in
upon and bound him, while he made no resistance. His
head loled drunkenly upon his shoulders; blood and
saliva tr1ckled from his h~alf-opcn mouth.
AT BottleJohns command one brought honey-comb
from the silos, squeezing it over Ferreira's head.
He understood, and once more the desire for life
came over him. He writhed under his bonds. strug-
Cling for freedom. His arms, which pounded the
earth like fails, sent up great clods of mud. His skin
burst under the ropes, blood oozed from his nostrils.
Bottejohn crouched over his in ecstasy.
You stole my wife, Baas Adrian" he chanted,
putting at his cob pipe. you kicked me and called me
a babaan. Ha! Presently your bones shall be picked
cleaner than carrion. Take spades, you dogs, and carry
him to the ant-hils."
stomach through the tall mealie stalks and into the
jungle. There, hidden behind a cactus tree, she saw
twelve men go past. carrying their burden. An hour
afterward, at dawn, she saw eleven return.
She crept along the trail ~stealthily till the tail ant
hills came into view; then, ~wriggling from mound to
mound, she gained the shelter Of a large heap that
sloped toward a depression in the ground, with Jumps
OF earth and clods surrounding it, as though it had
been freshly excavated. Here, not twenty feet distant,
Bottlejohn sat. smoking his pipe and running hi.
thumb along the edge Of his knife, while he muttered
and eesticulated downward.
Beside him was a human head, a head apparently
severed at the neck, yet OF a living man. a CHASTITY
shaven thing, with pits for eyes, dilated nostrils, jaws
slightly apart, The thing was turned sidewise. as
though listening. 1t was all visible through a yellow
film that dripped, drop by drop, to the ground.
Hendrika could hear the very faintest and yet con-
tinual rustic of leaves. Then she perceived that the
whole mound on which she leaned was alive with
little white moving things, like grains OF rice, that
poured forth in a steady, ~unending stream toward the
place where Bottlejohn sat beside the head. And all
the trail was marked with ~droppings of honeycomb.
The Hottentot was fighting with sleep to glut his
vengeance. His head dropping upon his breast. drunk
with the fumes, from time to time he would open his
heavy lids to snarl at the thing beside him.
you stole my wife, Baas Adrian - he shrieked
then his eyes closed and he relapsed into momentary
Inconsistencies. Hendrika crept nearer, nearer.
Bottleojhn started up once more.
"You kicked me and knocked me down" he shrieked,
thrusting his yellow face within two inches of the head
OF the Dutchman, his yellow iangs protruding over
the loose chops that he licked ceaselessly. But the
head remained motionless, bent slightly sidewise, az
though in mockery, the Jaws slightly apart. There
was no sign that it had heard. Hendrika crept nearer.
Hal! they are coming. the little white soldiers"
cried the Hottentot, starting forward once more,
They are here, They will devour you piecemeal, till
there is not so much as one mouthful of flesh left on
your bones" Hendrika was close behind him now,
AS he thrust out his face she gave him a quick push
that sent him sprawling forward, and instantly the
jaws snapped close, catching him by the heshy part of
the throat, He shriekcd and writhed, pounding the
emotionless head; then, as the strong teeth crunched
through sinews and carriages he screamed with mortal
terror and pain. And the cenched teeth bit steadily
through, the face emotionless, set slightly sidewise, till