Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1916-03-03
CHAPTER Lxvl.
The caverrs.

land whittier she had been carried BY
no purpose CT her own. she looked
once more into the face Of peril. The
savages who surrounded her showed
no sign Of pity or kindness. Upon the
contrary, whooping and yelling. they
fell upon her and dragged her In spite
of herself toward their own village.
This village had ruler OF Its own,
no doubt chief for that part OF the
country.
He was savage Of peculiarly fierce
and forbidding visage. and Kitty felt
her blood run cold as she faced his
evil gaze. The natives, yelling In
glee, practically cast her at his feet.
Evidently they were giving to Caesar
the things which they thought were
Caesar's-in this case, woman. the
spolia opima of all wars and all con
quests. The evil face OF the savage
monarch relaxed into o grin which
made Kitty shudder.
What woman was this now brought
BY chance to the presence OF this ogre?
Surely he had never seen her like be-
fore. Moreover, she was alone, pris
oner, helpless The progress OF rea'
son hereabouts was swift and simple
and the chief himself did not lack
directness In his methods. He gave
O sign to his men, and the girl was
dragged away, struggling as best she
might. and flung into hut which she
knew was to serve as prison.
Here In corner Of the dark interior
she covered In terror before the ap
partitions conjured up by her OWE
imagination. She had not long tt
wait. The chief himself came, little
suspecting the resistance he was e
meet-that OF an enraged and despair
ing woman. So valiant did Kitty prove
herself IN repulsing his odious ad
vances, that be was glad enough t
give her up and make his way bach
to his hammock, leaving her to hei
own devices,
Outside the hut Kitty could nov
hear loud cries, orders, shouts, ex
CARNATIONS, all the sounds Of q GROVE
gathering-for what purpose she Jult
not guess. The meaning OF this alst
was not long left In doubt for her
Again the door Of her hut was dark
ened, and again tie natives intrudet
upon her privacy, Forceful handi
dragged her once more before the
chief.
The latter, smiling hts hideous pur
pose OF vengeance, pointed TO q pilt
Of nrewood burning at the brink Of q
deep pit In the ground. He made
signs to Kitty which she could no
fail to understand.
Yes, she saw II now-she was Il
suffer the most horrible OF deaths, thai
by fire. These people either were
cannibals or fends, Perhaps they
purposed for her some rite of horri
Bile religion.
What could It matter to their VIC
tim, since the end would be the same
no matter what the reason for II?
But now they added the last toucl
OF cruelty In their torture OF her, tina
OF delay. They did not carry her, re
signed to the worst, at once to NEE
her fate; bu. on the contrary led he
away and left her alone for time,
prey to her own reflections, the vic
tim OF her own imaginations.
Only at times her strong will, he
strong body, rebelled at the though
of death. Then she would cry out
"Rolsau! Roleau!" she would exclaim
raising her hands; Help, help! Com
to mel" But more often than hi
n1me, she invoked that OF another
She heard her own voice, almost with
out her own will, calling aloud TO
Count Frederick, the man SO late he
enemy, yet 90 ready and 30 powerful
in any time Of stress or danger!
Frederick" she moaned, again an,
again. Where are you? Why do 20,
not Gomez"
But to all this, only the howlinI
derision Of her captors made answer
She must, then. die!
In the last moment Of their caprice
or In the full time OF their decision
they hailed her once more forth from
the hut. up to the brink Of the sacrt
fcial pit itself, where now she so,
the awakening flames.
Facing this elimination Of thei
heather rites, whatever were thei
purposes, their innocent victim agai
made such battle as she could againi
her captors shrieking she calle
again and again upon those name
with which once she could conjure-
called also upon the last nam
spoken by human hearts In despai
Who shall tell whether or not thei
be higher powers controlling circur
stances such as these? At least,
this crucial moment there came
! rescue, II rescue 1t might be called.
There burst from the corner Of Il
] nearby forest q strange, ill-shape
half.clad figure, whether or not huns
Kitty scarce could tell. It was ma
white man. clad Ia tattered fra
ments Of what once had been viii
8 mans garment. H-awny, hairy.
Dulsive indeed. Of cultural and inc
herent speech, he seemed like
white man Kitty Gray ever had SEE
? 4 swift conviction came 70 her q