Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-07-15

ater two hundred yards in diameter,
through which ran small thread Of
water cascading from the interior ele-
vation. A quarter of mile away be-
gan the background of timber and
tangle.
The bottom of the basin had been
worn smooth by much treading. A
boulder some four feet tall and prob
abaly Of an equal thickness rose, pull
pitlike, at the center. It's top was
followed out into bowl and its sides
were inscribed with crude hieroglyph-
les. Near it were half dozen up
right poles surmounted by what
seemed to be coconuts.
In dozen places, under rude stone
ovens, were the ashes of dead fires.
Grisly, scattering piles of human
bones-but nowhere skull--told me
that had stumbled on kai-lSai TEN.
plea place of cannibal observances
and feasting.
crept tremblingly down into the
abominable pit and made my way to.
ward the stone alter prepared for any
atrocious sight. But the climax OF dis
covery came when ! had crawled
halfway and the "coconuts" on the
poles resolved themselves into with
cred, human heads ,sun-dried, fanged
and yellow.
These mummied skulls were tr0-
phies of old battles, but lying at the
top of the rock WIS another which
must have surmounted it's living
shoulders only few days ago. The
frizzled hair was tied into dozens of
kinky knots. The facial angle was
low and slanting, and the coarse lips
were hideously twisted in a snarl of
death defiance. On the scalp, which
a war club had crushed, sat very
beautiful head dress of feathers bril-
liantly dyed in green and crimson and
orange.
The victim had worn to his obse
ques such decoration as might have
crowned a princess of the Incas. Flo
had been a warrior of rank, and now,
as befitted his station, his head lay
drying on mast of yellow and brown
wood pulp.
A sitting nausea assaulted the pit
of my stomach. My retreating steps
reeled drunkenly, and when, near thu
rim of the basin, l turned for a final
gaze of horror, l no longer had the
place to myself.
Two human figures stood at the
farther end of the amphitheater 81.
lently regarding me. Both were thin,
pigmy-built creatures with long arms
and long foreheads. Their faces, gro.
tesquely disfgured with bone and
she'll ornaments spiked through noses
and ears, were bestial yet not stupid
Their eyes were beady and sharp, and
just now their thick lips hung pendu-
lously with wonderment
For an instant | was incapable of
motion, then, as they stood in equal
petrification, l remembered and acted
on the counsel of an East Side gang
ster whom had once been privileged
to know back in New York. / had in
consequently inquired whether, in his
acrimonious career he never came
eye 10 eye Wlln IedT.
"When guy gets your goat-5tall;"
his words came back. 'If you makes
de play strong enough it's clnch you
gets his goat too"
By that rule this was my moment
to stall"
l drew myself Up to the limit of
stature and threw out my chest in the
best semblance Of arrogance l could
assume. This gave me an opportunity
to observe them.
They were decked like the head Of
their sacrificial victim, in brilliant
feather-work, beautifully and narmo-
niously wrought. Their fiinttipped
spears were elaborately carved and
their necklaces were fashioned of
shells and teeth. Some of the teeth
were probably human.
For perhaps thirty seconds we held
the strained tableau, then I glanced
over my shoulder. Between ne an
retreat stood third figure. Compared
to his gaudiness of decking, the rain
ent of the others was mean and sober.
His monkeylike face had the same
slant of brow and heaviness of lip.
but it worked constantly with keen
and twitching play of expression.
which argued speculative thought.
AS I turned he was leaning on a
knotted war-club, and regarding me
with profound gravity.