South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-02-13
THE HEAD-HUNTER- O. Henry

When the war between Spain
and George Dewey was over. went
20 the Philippine Islands There 1
remained as bush-whacker cores
pendent for my paper until its man
aging editor notified me that an SEQ
word cablegram describing the grief
OF a pet carabao over the death or
an infant Moro was not considered
By the office TO be war news. So
resigned and came home
on board the trading-vessel that
brought me back I pOndcred mucn
upon the strange things | had scnseo
m the weird archipelago OF the yell
low-brown people. The manoeuvers
and skirmishiuCs Of petty war inter
eSted me not. I was spellbound Dy
the outlandish and unreadable coun-
tenances OF that race that had turn
ed its expressionless gaze upon US
out OF an unguessab BILE past
Particularly during my stay IN
Minlanao had I been fascinated ana
attracted By that delightfully."- orig
inal tribe Of heather known as the
head hunters Those grim. flinty'
relentless little men, never seen. but
chilling the warnest MONDAY by the
subtle terror OF their concealed pres
u
prey through unmapped forests
across perilous mountain tops. down
bottonniess chasms, into Uninhaoit-
able tungles. always near with tho
invisible hand OF death uplifted. be
traying their pursuit only by sucn
signs as a beast or a bird or a Gid
serpent might make twig crack
ling IN the awful sweat-soaked night
a drench OF dew showing from the
screening foliage OF a giant tree. a
whisper At evening from the rushes
OF a water-level--a hint OF death Tor
every mile and every hour-they
amused me greatly, those little fell
lows OF one idea
When you think OF II, their
method Is beautifully and almost HI
lariously effective and simple.
You have your hut in which you
i've and carry out the destiny that
was decreed for you Spiked TO the
lamb OF your bamboo doorway Is a.
basket made Of green withes, plait-
ed. From time 20 time as vanity or
ennui or love or jealousy or amoi-
ton may move you, you creep forth
with your snickersnee and take up
the silent trail. Back from It you
come, triumphant, bearing the sew
cred, CORY head Of your victim,
which you deposit with pardonable
pride in the basket at the side OF
your door. IL may be the head Of
your enemy. your friend, or
stranger, according as competition,
jealousy. or simple sportiveness has
been your incentive 20 labor.
In any case, your reward is GER
tain. The village men, IN passing.
stop TO congratu you. as your
neighbor on weaker planes of life
stops 10 admire and praise the be
gonias IN your front yard. Your
particular brown maid fingers, with
fluttering bosom. casting soft tigers
eyes at the evidence OF your love
for her. You chew betel-nut and
listen. content. 20 the intermittent
soft drip from the ends OF the sew
, cred neck arteries. And YOU show
your teeth and grunt like a water
bunalo-which Is as near as you can
come TO laughing-at the thought
that the cold. acephalous body OF
your door ornament is being spotted
by wheeling vultuTes in the Minda-
naOan wilds.
Truly. the life OF the merry head
hunter captivated me. He had re-
ducec art and philosophy to
simple code To take your adver-
sary's head, to basket It at the por-
tai of your castle. TO see II lying
there. a dead thing, with its cum
ming and stratagems and power
gone. Is there q better way 70 fodl
his plots. to refute his arguments.
10 establish your superiority over
his skill and wisdom?
The ship that brought me home
was captained by an erratic Swede.
who changed his course and depos-
tied me. with genuine compassion,
in a small town on the Pacific
coast OF one OF the Central Ameri-
can republics. a few hundred miles
south OF the port 20 which he had
engaged 20 convey me. But I was
wearied OF movement and exotic
fancies: so I leaped contentedly
upon the firm sands or the village OF
Mojada, telling myself I should be
sure 10 find there the rest that
craved. After all. far better TO lin
ger there q thought), lulled by the
sedative splash OF the waves and the
rustling OF palm-fronds. than 10 sit
upon the horsehair soft OF my
parental home In the east, and there.
cast down by currant wine and cake,
drivel into the ears OF gaping neigh
bors sad stories OF the death OF
colonial governors
When first I saw Chloe Greene she
was standing. all in white. I'm the
doorway OF her fathers tile-roofed
'dobe house She was polishing a
silver cup with a cloth and she
looked like a pearl laid against black
velvet. She turned on me a flatter-
ingly protracted but willingly disap-.
proving gaze. and then went inside,
humming a light song 20 indicate the
value she placed upon my existence.
Small wonder. for Or. Stamford
(the most disreputable professional
between juneau and Valparaiso
and I were zigzagEinE along the
turfy street. tuneleSsly singing the
words OF Aud Lang Syne' TO the
air OF "Muzzer's Little Coal Black
Coon" We had come from the ice
factory. which was Mojlada's palace
or wickedness. where we had been
playing billiards and open black
bottles. white with frost that we
dragged with strings out OF old
SandovaIs ice-cold vats.
/ turned IN sudden rage TO Or.
Stamford as sober as the verEer OF
a cathedral In a moment I had
become award that we were swine
cast before q pearl
You beast ] said. this is half
vour doing. And the other half IS the
fault OF this cursed country I'd
better have gone back 90 SIeeptown
and died IN a wild Orgy OF Currant
wine and buns than TO have had
this happen"
Stamford filled the empty street
with his roaring laughter
You. tool" he cried. And all as
quick as the popping OF cork
Well, she does seem 90 strike a Eree-
ably upon the retina But don't
bum Nour fingers AL Nniada VII