The Jasper news., 1919-08-21
The pMANnf Ml6HI
HALhERT E.SMITH Mz
pYRUST0WNSENDh GRADY
phutu Play PrOduced by Nta5raph &s@
.o.x,,,u7 ,1 .r ur.seApA Ee1

bonds so that they stretched anu II.
last he managed to free himself ana
make his escape. A long whiie al'-
erward he wandered back to his tripe'
seemingly broken old man win hair
which had been made snow white Dy
his terrible experience. As he was
the only white-haired member OF 'he
tribe he was known afterwards us
the White Blackbrd. His reason had
been partially dethroned by his eX-
periences and he could give no clear
account of what had befallen him, Dru
| he remembered enough TO convince
them that what he said was true ana
his story was handed down from th'her
| to son through the generations.
Whether it was true or not, that ~
the way the old sailor got II, ana
that is the way he repeated 1t to me.
The way the matter stands Is this:
ITS long chance-but our only
one. This river may go under the
mountains and take us to the Pacific,
after all"
All agreed with Dick, who released
the raft which drifted to the opening
and disappeared.
Standing on the brink of the slide
down which Dick, Polly, Stebbins ana
Tec had been precipitated. Scarfnce
and the old Aztec priest watched them
swiftly plunge downward. The salts
faction Of the pair at seeing their
victims 20 to their death was great,
for now Scarface had no fear of their
ever returning to interfere with his
search for the treasure again. while
the old priest glOrled in the thought
that he had upheld the traditions OF
his ancient race and once more be-
held the awful ceremony. Not for an
instant did their eyes leave the pit
until the victims had disappeared.
, Their human sacrifice having been
, offered. the Aztccs and Scarface and
his outlaws returned to the village
where Lopez was dispatched back te
, the schooner with Tomas to await the
+ others. Enraged at his brutal treat
ment, the Indian that night fell or
the Mexican and left him bound tc
Il tree. Turning upon his captive
Tomas addressed him, the cold glow
, of cobra in his eyes:
. "You," said Tomas, "are one OF the
p creeping, poison things of the earth
, You are like the snake that has the
rattle at the end Of his tail, and are
{ like the scorpion that stings and tn,
Z centipedc that bites. should trea
q you as my ancestors treated all thei
" enemies" Tomas drew his knife an,
v laid its side against the others throat
It 'In the days of my fathers whel
n we made prisoner of man like yo,
d we staked him out on the red ants
If nest or bound him in the red strip
d of rawhide. Then he suffered unit
d his soul went squealng like a rat int
10 the darkness of the hereafter. Blu
IF because of the white men who are m
At friends ana who do not believe in sue
"a things I will not put you to the to-
as ture. ! will leave you here and sc
k, what happens to yon." Then Toma
lie returned to the village to see wha
I'd had become of his friends and the c,
~ lestial.
d, Chu's lot was not much happier. fc
IS. he was forced at once into life
slavery. and when Tomas found hi
of he was working in II field under guar
m of n brutal Aztec and the old prizes
III Waiting his time, Tomas was able
ha whisper to Chu, who told. him:
"a "HIm and little missy and othe
no fall over cliff" He then describe
od the fate of the party. Chu was certai
be they were dead, but the Indian st
In had hope and told the Chinese:
or "Get me larlat. Me see for myself
A., Under pretenSe of working, Cl
went to the house and secured Il
lariats and the two started for Il
me volcano brink. Making mask of h
81, handkerchief against the smoke al
1t" steam, Tomas lowered himself whe
az the hurdle had plunged, and on L
'o' slope found pieces Of frayed rope al
IN bits of the hurdle. Then he follow
vi the stream to where It disappear
1li underground, and decided Dick a
ue his friends must have escaped til
way and that the river had an oil
ere let.
'De Greatly relieved, he started to clll
m up the cliff and had reached led
led near the brink when he heard q c
me from Chu, and looking up saw him
en- the grasp of the old priest, who "
md threatening to hur him into the V
me cano.
yer Intent on carrying out this thre
as the cruel fanatic leaned far out oN
ter the edge and as he did so Tomas thr
his one of his spare lariats aud catchl