The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-01-26

/ nCtlC Stumbled ull DlIHuIS 'iANHo" 49,
Jungle. Behind her she heard the NUT
tered oaths of the male members OF
her party. Just once she heard
whisper
Don't tell the women-for Gods
sake don't tell the women. Taey IL be
/ knowing, soon enough.
At that moment there was a distant
shout that grew stronger and stronger.
The cannibal crew answered tit roll
licked back and forth. Then in the
near distance Annette heard the break
ing of bodies through the underground
and a fresh crowd of savages ap-
peared, yelling like mad. This new
crowd seized Annette and swsng her
to their shoulders, and with her, ran
through the underground like deer.
And then-they dashed into the
clearing. They darted across the open
space, still with Annette in their
clutches-and laid her down before the
! Brute-who still sat on his crude dais,
staring, always staring into space.
Annette struggled to her feet and
looked wildly about her. Her foot
touched something and she started
back-looked down.
The object was a skull.
Annette shrieked in terror-she
tried to hide her face but could not.
She saw the fire-she looked into
the eyes of her fellow captives. Upon
their foreheads sweat stood out in
beads-cold sweat, the sweat of fear
She asked a question Of them with
her eyes, but they turned their heads
away.
/ Then. understanding at last, Annette
swooned-slumped into heap at the
feet of the Brute.
The Brute staring, always staring,
rose to his feet. He stopped down.
But before he could touch the girl,
the chief intervened. The chief him
self lifted her, and held her where the
god man could look upon her. He
mouthed and smacked his lips.
And the Brute, recognizing Annette,
nodded his head and smiled with that
vacant smile Of his
"Eye-yah," yelled the multitude Of
sayages, the god is hungry-he will
eat"
"All-all will eat" cried the chief in
triumph This white girl first"
He made another sign, and a dozen
savages broke away and came back
with huge logs, which they swung in
to the dying fire, sending its sparks
high into the air. They seized one
of the long poles, and tied Annette to
it-tied her with green, strong vines.
They waited for moment to let
the fire gain headway.
They clustered round her, danced
about her-touched her.
Down on the beach, two merry men
leaped out of a lifeboat and drew
her we'll upon the shore.
The gang" began the mate. Then
he stopped. With a wild yell he Dart
ed up the beach, Neal by his side.
What's happened" stammered
Neal, where are"
He said no more. By this time they
were standing on the blackened en-
bers of a scattered fre-by the rude
hut shattered aid brCken-and by two
or three red splotches that stained the
white sand and soaked it.
Neal, his face gone white with ter
ror. clutched the mate by the arm.
blood" he gasped. blood. Whose
blood? You tell me that"
Then the two men-only two-still
side by side, sped on toward the jun
gle. The footprints led that way. At
the grove of palms they stopped. They
glanced about uncertainty.
Here" cried Neal, darting forward,
"a bit of Annette's dress. Come on
It was easy now, following this trail.
But ever and anon Neal glanced at his
comrade.
Whose blood?" he demanded, tell
me that
And the two men-only two-went
on.
At last, guided now by shouts and
cries of triumph, they reached the
clearing and peered across it.
My God cried Neal aloud, look
look"
Two savages-two at first and then
a dozen-had seized the long pole and
had begun to swing it out across the
fire. Upon it, limp, unconscious, tight
ly bound, lay the form of Annette.
Neal was across the clearing in a
bound.
Like a maniac, Neal charged into
the group of warriors who held one
end of the long pole and stripped them
from it. With the same fearful energy
he charged into the gang at the other
end and knocked them down. Then,
bestriding the PROSTATE form CT An
nette-and he knew not whether she
was alive or dead-he squared himself
and howled defiance.
Come on he cried, the whole
bunch of you. Come en-
Over in a hut, crouched and cover
ing was Inez Castro-Watching with