Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-25

the negro appointed 10 be its keeper
were missing.
Prolonged search located tho keeper
stretched out in death on an obscure
Jungle by-path at some distance from
tho Voodoo temple. The mau had been
wounds or bruises visible upon the
stiil warm body. Ills neck was broken.
AND the goat was stll missing.
Further investigation discovered n
badly frightened negro woman, tho
! wife OF the Soat-kecper. hiding in her
! nut in abject fear OF the wrath OF
| Voodoo
ny her account. she had accompan-
led the Keeper with the goat on his
way to the temple. At the point where
his body had been found they had en-
countered party consisting of three
men and two women. all white one
OF the white men had volunteered to
purchase the goat for food. His offer
refused, he had flown into a violent
rage and struck the negro with his
| fist on the point of the chin blow OF
! such force that the mans neck was
| broken. Then the white people had
stolen the goat and made off with il.
Such insolence to Noodoo might not
| be tolerated. Led by the priestess. II
pursuit had been promptly organized
In due course the mob OF Infatuated
negroes had come upon the white pco-
4
fire. over which the spitted carcass OF
| the sacrificial goat was roasting.
! a wave or negroes swept down upon
| the whites in Il twinklinc. Surprised
and outnumbered. ten TO one. they had
| offered scant resistance. one OF the
white men had been killed. The other
two with one OF the women had man
aged TO escape into the jungle. each
going Il separate way. The remaining
woman had been made captive
! AS To her fate. there was no ques
! ton The blacks did not need the
cXhortatious of the priestcss I" tell
them what was TO be done with the
white woman.
Voodoo had been cheated Of its
tute would he acceptable. I'm the terms
OF the ritual. - goat without horns
that is to say. human sacrifice.
This white woman must he tina; sac
rifice
Apparently half dead with terror.
she had been dragged back TO the
temple. bound hand and foot, and plac-
I cd upon the altar before the saerl-
fetal fires The pricstess had celebrnt-
ed anew the rites. AS previously, the
ceremony ran off smoothly till the mo-
ment approached when the sacred
| knife was to he plunged into the
bosom of the woman on the altar.
Up to this point Pancho,s tale had
dealt with facts rhcnceforward he
dealt with facts distorted by an over
wrought and ridden 'maEi-
nation. He described what he thought
he had seen rather than what ma"
ractually happened.
/ lie told how the Noodoo woman had
I approached the altar with the hhl!e
| upiiftcd; how in that moment the bonds
! unon I'M, white woman's wrists ana
| how she had risen from the altar ana
! turned upcu the priestess, pointing AT
! her a single finger: how the witch
| had recled back and fallen dead upon
| the sacrificial nres: now the hessoes
/ had risen and milled in panic terror
! for the door OF the temple: now. be-
! fore Panchos eyes as he sat trans
| fixed with horror. the white woman
! had vanished bodily from the altar
/ fading away like a shape or Napor uls-
! sipated into thin air.
/ AS soon as he was able TO stir. Pan
! chic had FASTENED back TO the ha-
/ cinda-havinG in mind the dead priest :
ess prophccy--and entering the patio
had recoiled In alright from the white
/ witch who had slain the Noodoo wo-
, man with her pointed fnSer-from. in
short, the Princess Julia as she rested
in the wicker chair.
The effect of this Wild yarn upon the
dsordered mind of Senior ortiz was
, such as may be imasined.
In his ears rang the words of that
awful dictum:
"Voodoo says you are TO die :.
when die and as l die be-
/ tween two suns"
! Now the lips which had uttered those
words were cold and stiff in death;
and the woman who had made them so
, had come 10 the hacienda Of Senior
Ortiz TO cause his death as we'll. IN
the seifsame manner and-"between
TWO suns
His deran=ed wits recognized but
one thing to do--seck safety in in
| slant fight.
The white witch slept. Before she
could waken, senior Ortiz meant TO
have put many a long league between
himself and her.
Kidding Pancho saddle two horses
and fetch them TO 'hc main entrance
to the patio, Senior ortiz. trembling in
every limb. cre1t stealthily back into
and portable valuables he possessed.
The patio was very still in It's wash
OF brilliant moonlight. Not a sound
came from the rooms on the gallery.
where tho white witch and her IA
miiiars slept. In order 10 gain his
own quarters. Senior Ortiz must pass
the door TO her chamber. lie shooli
before that prospect like reed in the
wind. lie dared not.
lie stole down the passagewav and
opened the gates. rancho with the
horses was already there. And when
Senior Cr'i. would have mounted and
ridden of without more delay the ne
gro checked him. how could he hope
BY such means TO escape the doom that
had been forctoid him? No horse
hoofs, however fleet. could hope TO
distauc" the power Of witchcraft Fan
cho Insisted that the planters sole
hone OF continued existence law In
assassinatinS the white witch while
still she slept. suppose she were 10
awake and Gud her predesiined victim
flown? Would not her wrath in such
event pursue him on the wings OF the
wind?
The negro pressed into his masters
hand long, keen knife.
As his fingers closed upon its haft
measure Of insane courage was ac-
corded senor ortiz In his understand
Ing. rhai Pancho said was irrcfuta bic
1t was futtl" TO hope to win q race
with black magic. According to the
Supers'itions upon which he had fed
cold steel was tho one weapon which,
could prevail against one armed with
the powers Of the Pit
And cold steel was in tho planters