Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-01-28

The Brute turned back to the leaueT
OF the blacks-a mute question in his
ewes. This question was answered by
a look of complete understanding.
'Look-see." said the leader, in his
cultural accents and primitive tongue
Iook-see This man is his captive The
god is hungry. He would eat"
The leader pointed to the manacled
hands of Hernandez. He made a sign
"a sign Immediately obeyed. \ dozen
blacks sprang forward, seized Hernandez
and swung his body to their shoulders.
Then at another word of command, they
started off, jog trot toward the jungle.
Hernandez struggled like a maniac, but
TO no purpose. Then ne yelled:
Follow. Beast, follow" he cried
save me. Come.
The Brute followed, wondering. Not
for one instant did he suspect the man
eaters had sinister designs upon his
master.
Finally they entered a wide clearing.
In the middle of this clearing was VIII
lage of struggling huts and tents. 1t
was a CHASTITY village-an ill-smelling
village. Scattered about it were skulls
and bones enough to furnish Jolly Rog-
ers to n hundred pirate ships. II became
clear then TO Hernandez that the party
on the beach-the small company of can
nibals that had surrounded him and his
companion. were merely side issue.
Here was a city-nere a multitude. He
had little time, however, for reflection.
He was flung violently to then ground.
The leader of the little band touched the
Brute upon the breast and made sign.
.'I.ook-see" he signed. The Brute fol-
lowed, staring, mildly wondering, pos
sibly-perhaps not wondering at all
The leader led the way to a rude hut,
larger than the rest, and grotesquely
daubed with clay. In front of this he
paused and chanted some weird song.
4 figure. huge and unwieldy, appeared
in the doorway. Huge and unwieldy
though he were. he was a pygmy COM
pared with the big Brute.
lie was a chief, this man, and he
looked il, every inch. He was the
greasiest the dirtiest, of all the greasy
dirty crew. In his right hand he held
bone. Now and then he knawed
upon it-now and then he used ii Is
scepter. He extended it and touched
the approaching native on the forehead.
The latter bowed-then turned and
pointed at the Brute.
This" he jabbered I'm his native
tongue. sis a god, and risen from the
sea. He is hungry. He would eat"
The chief in turn threw himself upon
his face. He called to all the multi
tude, and babe them do likewise. Then
ne remembered. He rose and signed
to the Brute.
"He is hungry" he repeated. THE
god would eat"
Then he led the way to the fire. This
fire was in a clearing by itself. 1t was
a fire worth while-compared to which
the fire upon the beach was mere can
die flame This fire, sunk in a huge
pit, was a holocaust, a volcano of huge
/ live embers. of huge towering tongues
of flame.
The Brute stared at il contemplative-
". lie smiled. HE was a child, this
Brute. and he liked to look at fires.
THE god is pleased" exclaimed the
chief let us therefore eat"
He cast from him the bone he had
been holding He made another sign.
/ The Brute glanced to one side There
upon the ground, wild eyed with fright,
+ Law three human beings. Each was Sc
curely trussed to a long pole The
\ poles were of green wood. The human
beings were bound with strong, green
vines.
Upon one of these miserable victims
1 a dozen men now pounced. They lifted
/ him. writhing. into the air, and started
/ Toward the flames. They were about
I TO ring MIN aCEOSS the lAdiiiSS NhCiA
/ something happened.
The Brute understood. With one
bound he was upon them, and with wide
! sweeps of his powerful hands and arms
he scattered them right and left. The
bearers of the pole, caught unawares,
dropped il. The Brute dragged it
I backward from the flames into a zone
of safety.
There was a wild murmur against this
outrage sudden handling of spears
and stone heads, but the Brute never
needed the cutlery. Instead he calm
IL stopped over each victim. one by one,
and tore the bonds of each apart, and
set them free. He held back the angry
mob while the three captives trotteu
nimbIy of into the nearby jungle.
The chief stared at him astounded He
might, indeed, have Drained the Brute
with his club had he not felt the ter
rife grip of the Brute upon him. Then
he relaiZed-once more-that the Brute
was not mere man, after all.
There was wild clamor, but the
chief stilled it with uplifted hand Their
the leader of the beach band stepped
forward nd saluted.
He has his own captive" he wills
pered to the chief, see, yonder. He
brought him with him, out of the sea.
The chief understood. He gave ar
order A dozen more braves sprang
forward Hernandez and bore him tc
the chief The chief pointed toward
the poles and the green vines lying
torn upon the ground. In an instant
Hernandez lay prostrate-in another
instant half his clothes were torn from
his back.
"Bess." he shrieked, save me.
beast"
The Brute saved him. He charged
into their midst like a raging bull-he
tore Hernandez from their grasp.
The Brute snarled in his throat-he
kicked and cIutched and clawed at the
little ncleus of savages. They fell back
before him as before a whirlwin-they
were stunned.
E Again. murmurs. But again tht
nurmurs were silenced by the shief
himself.
HE is his own captive" said the chief
IN his followers. "let him do as he will.
And forget not" whispered an awe
stricken savage, that he is god ris
en- from the sea"
Hernandez, once upon his feet, was
not slow to act. He had never yet
been beaten-he did not intend TO bt
beaten now.
Quick" he said TO the Brute, "ge'
a stone-two stones. Knock THESE
vristIets from my hands"
"a. Nr1 RI *