Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-12-21

scared toa crisp-the lady of the por-
/. trait standing near by and a horde OF
filthy savages rushing toward her.
She, too, was to be tortured. !
struggled madly and vainly to go 20
her assistance, and, waking to MO-
mentary sensibility, found the mar
row cave still ringing with the echoes
of my tortured and delirious shrieks.
l. When at last came fully to myself,
painfully weak and scalded with the
fever, but sane, could see the stars
spangling my scrap of sky.
My adventure had occurred in the
morning, but whether hours or days
had played out their scores did not
know. 1 drank and slept again. !
next woke to the glare of forenoon.
The clouds in my brain had been
swept away, and the hand lifted
fell weakly back on a forehead which
was COO! and moist. The battling life
| spark had triurhphed over the native
poison ;liit&.s ~ = + z. ~
But when tried TO drag myself to
the mouth of my grotto my weak head
began rambling again, so that real
and unreal things wandered strange
" together. Ny side was lacerated
by the pistol which had been at my
belt as tossed in the fever.
A twist in the fissure brought me to
the point where !, still concealed in
| the dark shadow, could see the print
tive terrace Of my plateau, and there
| were such things as brought back up
on me an avalanche of terror, rage,
and violence.
| The lady still smiled from her post
of honor with her gracious and fear
less eyes. The curved Damascus dag
gers still held the ename1ed sheet in
place, but beyond her / saw death.
Against background Of intense
sea and sky under the glare Of fierce
~ brilliant sun stood grouped hui
| man ensemble Of indescribable color
and savagery. Upon scores of black
and sweating torsos, upon gorgeous
eiy dyed featlerwork and shell orna'
ments. the light fell in a riot of color
gone mad. They stood massed and ST.
lent, their spears and bows and clubs.
for the moment idle. Their faces, n1ll-
tilated with spiked ear and nose or1a.
nents and dyed teeth, were unspeaka-
bly, hideous. Every eye was just now
intent on the portrait of my lady.
At the front stood the three men
whomsI supposed to be the priests at
the amphitheater, and with them was
man very aged and white-haired, but
erect and gorgeously appareled.
Slowly one OF the priests approach
ed the portrait and put out a hand to
| touch theNface.
A tidal wave Of eu1speakable fury
caught me up and swept me back into
the realm of insanity. was trans
| ported in an instant to the Nightmares
of my delirium Tsaw instead OF a
lifeless picture the slender, breathing
| figure Of the woman: ! worshipped con-
! taminated by this profane touch.
| / attempted to rush out and die like
some Mad Mullah devotee in fanati-
cal battle, but my strength was not
equal to my impulse.
Il stumbled to my knees, and my
right hand fell upon the hilt of my
pistol. / whipped it out and fired.
In my agued hand II should have
been harmless enough. but the range
was short, and l had once been a
marlksman. saw the man crumple
forward with a short, strangled groan.
/ saw those at the back crowding
each other over the cliff in the panic
OF their disordered fight. ] heard
endless thunders as the pistol report
sent its echoes beating and rebound.
/ ing against the confined walls OF the
| assure.
| Blue and slender lines Of spiraling
smoke went drifting out into the air.
| caught glimpse of two holder spir-
its stopping to drag away their dead.
Then collapsed. and lay for hours
where had fallen.
| Once more I awoke with moist
| forehead and a hunger which gnawed
| at the pit of my stomach. Only the
! gods know how long had been with
out food. The air famed me with a
soft, reyiving breath Of night. The
moon, riding up the east, made an IT.
regular diagram Of silvered light
across the ledge and fell with re-
| assuring touch of worried white on the
newspaper sheet and the portrait.
1 was too famished and spent to
stand, but made the journey down to
the beach on hand and knees, and
when / had eaten my fill of unsavory
crabs lay for time in the grateful
GOODNESS of the wet sand and drew
new strength from its healing.
| MY sickness was ended. The pit
liable weakness that made the down
ward journey torture was the heri-
tage of hunger. I had needed no med
icine but food, and now found my
self able to walk back upright.
| even halted before the picture Tor
/ a word, and, sitting on my plateau,
watched the stars. God knows why 1t
should have been so. but my mood
was almost cheerful. Tomorrow
might bring every sort of horror; and
e. A e -.