The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-22
NNINtSYs::

The words Guaranteed Under the
Food and Drugs Act on label are no
assurance that the contents of pack
age are pure, according 10 DR.. Carl L..
Alsberg. chief Of the Bureau of Chem
istry, who spoke before the Association
of American Food, Dairy and Drug Of
ficiak, at Mobile, Ala. DR.. Alsberg
was speaking of the limitations Of the
federal bureau under the federal pure
food law, appealing for closer co-opera
ton between federal and State author
ties and for uniformity of laws.
.s..ssss......s...s..ss...s.
back with one of his assegais. We
rolled over and over and at last
got him by the throat and started to
choke him into insensibility, though he
still struggled furiously.
Hurry up, Haigh." came the cry, in
a familiar voice. THE niggers are here
in hundreds. and there's not mo-
ment to spare
Help" | shouted. "Pve got a fellow
down here, and If I let go he'll stab
me-" With that, down through the hole
dropped my chum. OLeary In an in
slant he had sized up the situation, and
gave the Matabele crack over the
head with the butt end of his Martini,
which effectively quieted him
Rescuer Trapped,
raft 70
said. "kneel down, so that can reach
the top with my hands, then I'll be
able to pull you out"
| bent down, he got on my back and
| shouldered himself up through the
shaft.
A second later he came down again
like a shot
Good heavens" he cried "The brutes
are back again. and they spotted met
| We We're now in quite fix. learned
from O'Leary that he had come back for
me alone, the rest having gone on as
hard as they could to bring up Raaf
| so as to attack the Matabele in force
O'Leary had his rifle and about 80
| rounds of ammunition, also a revolver
and few cartridges The revolver he
| handed to me. We then retired to nv
corner and listened
There was hot argument going on at
| the mouth of the pit, but no one ven
| tured down. All the better for u.s. we
| thought for every moment meant that
help was getting nearer.
| Presently we heard a shout, and soon
learned what it mean Down the shaft
came a bundle of lighted thatch then
another and another. In half minute
| the smoke binding.
| O'Leary kept his head we'll
Put that stuff out" he gasped.
| Throw grain at it, Get it out some
| how, or we're done for.
| For the next few minutes we worked
| like fury. but the Matabele gave us no
| rest, throwing down more grass till the
| place was aglow with fire and thick
| with pungent smoke.
Look here,' yelled OIeary. We've
got TO plug that hole. Where's that
| blasted nigger?"
| Turning round, he snatched at the un-
| conscious mans shoulders, bade me catch
| hold. and by main force we heaved the
warrior up the shaft lie had only been
stunned, and l could feel him kick feebly
as we lifted him. Suddenly we felt the
natives weight taken off our arms. He
| began TO go up the shaft.
Hang on to his Leg" shouted O'Leary.
They're trying to hoist him OUT
l hung on with all my strength, but I
could still feel him going up. There must
have been quite lot of Matabele pull
ing at him.
Bend his leg over, or they'll have him
out snapped O'Leary
| pulled one way, OLeary the other
but it was a mighty hard job to keep
our human ''cork' in position. The I'M
fortunate negro had by this time recov-
cred his senses and was shouting his
opinion of the proceedings in no uncer-
tain voice, kicking and struggling like a
madman, so that 1t was all we could do
to Keep our hold on him.
I-anf H..
strength, the Matabele up above now
tried another plan, and incidentally showed
US what little value they attached to
human life-even that of their own kith
and kin. Bringing up a musket, the 3
showed II down alongside the poor wretch
in the shaft and pulled the trigger, no
doubt hoping to hit one of u.s. In the
confined space the report sounded like
thunder, but beyond scattering the
grain like charge of srapnel the bull
let did us no damage | believe, how
ever that it passed clean through the
Matabele in the shaft, for they let go of
him. and we felt his body sag Imply, but
we managed to keep him in position.
Work round to my side,' said O'Leary.
Il think we've got em beat
As he spoke. down came some pieces of
thatch. and more still, and then pieces
of burning grass dropped past the figure
In the shaft. 1t was his life or ours.
however, so we just held on grirnly.
though our arms were aching and our
eyes blinded with smoke
After a while the fire ceased and sud-
denly the place was in darkness.
Whats up now?" said OLeary, IN
surprise. Pull down our cork"
Used Foe AS Shield
We hauled the warrior down, and he
dropped Imply on the floor-stone dead
killed by his own comrades
O'Leary took one glance at the corpse
then he stepped to the shaft. now dark
as night.
See he said they've covered us up
and I'm going to investigate. Get me one
of those assegais."
Cropping around. found one and handed
ii to him. OLeary then stood on my
shoulder, and using the spear blade
managed to slightly prise up the flat
| stone which covered the top of the pit
Yes" he said calmly. they're putting
more thatch on, and are going to try to
roast us. But they'll defeat themselves.
All that stuff on the top is bone dry. and
when it's we'll aligbt they won't be able
to get near" He .,rused. then added in
a different voice. II ,on't know whether
we shall roast. hu. anyway. you.gster.
you're going to taste hades for a while !"
With that he jumped down, leaving the
assegai in position under the stone, and
we took it In turns to get a small breath
of air by prising it up.
There she goes. said OLeary, sud-
denly, and l neard a dull roar as tire
pile of thatch over the pit mouth caught
fire. We promptly ratreated to the end