The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1920-03-19

thick and scanned with lines. a few of the young
er carried bows and arrows and clubs. but with
out exception the older men carried rifles.
Mr.. Johnson should have been warned right
there that such savage animal-like beings could
not be trusted. But he had heard of q chief who
had 80 wives, and he wanted to photograph him
These people told him their chief was close Dy'
so he decided to get to him.
Following the lead of their guides, the Johnson
party climbed up and up, first through a heavy
Jungle on the side of a hill and then on top OF a
plateau. While they stood there four buShmen
made their appearance on another ridge a short
distance away. BY this time Johnson was get
ting Il little frightened.
When they reached the bushmen they saw that
their cruel faces were made more hideous with
big plugs through their noses. The bushmen
glared ut Johnson and his party and then started
q fierce jabber with Johnson's own savages. Fin
ally one stepped on Il large boulder and started
q queer shouting chant that was so shrill 1t
seemed to carry for miles. In q short time he
was answered by a like sound from away back in
the hills.
Johnson and his party were about three miles
from the sea. 1t was 4 80 and he was afraid 1t
would be dark before they could get back again.
So he told his natives to pick up his p%arapher-
MALTA and they would go back.
Then on top of the ridge there burst into view
the biggest, most savage and most impressive
savage that Johnson had ever seen. He was more
than six feet tall and q mass OF muscle. He came
toward the party with n bearing which indicated
thar he thought he owned the earth. When he
stonood in front Of them they saw a face that had
81 great deal Of character in it, cruel, brutal char
acter.
At first he stood and glared at the little party
one nv one. Finally he fastened his eyes on Mrs.
Johnson. and then Johnson became more fright
ened than ever before in his life. However, John
son handed the chief a package he had prepared
beforehand, consisting Of four yards Of colored
calico fifty sticks of tobacco, twelve boxes of
matches. a sheath knife and a large mirror. The
connibal chief, however, showed no signs Of
friendlicess, merely handing the things TO one
of his men, and keeping his eyes glued on Mrs.
Johnson. whose face was drawn with terror.
Since he had put up some pretense of photo
graphing. Johnson got out his apparatus and went
In work and in Is minutes exposed more films
than he had ever done in twice that time. He
saws he Just photographed to be doing something,
Int every action was mechanical, and when he
finished the Big Numbers sayages were still glar-
MO ot them. Finally he packed his apparatus
and made signs to his savages to pick it up and
that they would leave. lie stretched out his hand
to say goodby to the chief, and mechanically the
latter gave him his own hand, which was SO
large Johnson's was lost In it. Johnson then told
his wife 10 do the same, which she did. But the
chief did not let 60. Instead, he stretched out
his other hand, felt Mrs. JOhnson's arms and face
and ran his hand over her body.
Finally the chief let her 60 and for the first
time took his eyes Off her, and then turning to
Johnson's men commanded them to drop the