Evening star., 1922-10-01

night. Strange sounds made his eyes
fly open. Once it was curious scut-
thing along the beach. Peeping out
from his pup tent. he saw half a
dozen tupa Cor giant tree-climhing
crabs, on a nocturnal raid on a. cocoa
nut grove. Later he heard the big
nuts come crashing down. The da!
shift OF insects had quit and the
night shift. fresh and hungry, came
to work: inquisitive vampire bats
butted their soft heads against his
tent.
at dawn he set about finding per-
manent abode. He followed small
fresh-water stream 200 yards inland
ard came TO coral cave by a pool
a ready-made home. cool and, more
important we'll concealed. He spent
the day settling down. chasing out
the bats, putting up mosquito netting.
tidying up. He dined we'll off cocoa
nut milk and canned sardines, and
was 20 tired that he fell asleep be-
fore he could change his bathing suit
for pajamas. He slept fairly well.
albeit he dreamed that two cannibal
kings were disputing over his pros
trate form whether he would be bet
ter as a ragout or stuffed with chest
nuts.
Waking, he decided to lie low and
selves. for he knew from Tiki Thu
that the Isle of O-pip-ce was not more
than seven miles long and three or
four miles wide. Sooner or later they
must pass near him. He figured that
there was logic in this plan. for no
cannibal had seen him land; there
fore he knew that the cannibals were
on the isle, but they did not know
that he was. The advantage was his
\ * X X
TOR days he remained secluded, sub
i sIkting on canned foods, cocoa
nuts. mel Cor bread fruiO and an
occasional boiled baby feke Cor young
devil fsh), a nest Of which Mr.. Pottle
found on one furtive moonlight sally
to the beach.
Emboldened by this sally and by
the silence of the woods, Mr.. Pottle
made other expeditions <away from
his cave. On one he penetrated fully
500 yards into the Jungle. He was
prowling, like Cooper Indian, among
the faufee Cor lacebark trees) when
he heard a sound that sent him sour
rying and quaking back to his lair.
1t was a faint sound that the
breezes bore to him, so faint that he
could not be sure: but It, sounded
like some far-of barbaric instrument
mingling its dim notes with those Of
a human voice raised in a weird,
primeval chant.
But the savages did not show them
selves, and, finding no cannibals by
night, Mr.. Pottle grew still bolder.
He ventured on short explorations by
day. He examined minutely his own
cove and then one morning crept over
a low edge and into the next cove.
He made his way cautiously along the
smooth, white beach. The morning
was still. calm, beautiful. Its peace
all but drove thoughts of cannibals
from his mind. He came to a strip
Of land running into the sea; another
cove lay beyond. Mr.. Pottle was an
impulsive man; he pushed through
the keoho Cor thorn bushes); his foot
slipped; he rolled down decliVity
and into the next cove.
He did not stay there; he did not
even tarry. What he saw sent him
dashing through the thorn bushes and
along the white sand like hundred
yard sprinter. In the sand OF the
cove were many imprints Of naked
human feet.
A less stout-hearted man than Mr.
Pottle would never have come out
Of his cave again. But he had come
5000 miles to see a cannibal. An
overmastering desire had spurred him
on: he would not give up now. OF such
stuff are Ohio BARRIERS made.
A FEW days later, at twilight, he
A-issued forth from his cave again.
Around his loins was a scarlet pareu;
he had discarded his bathing suit as
too civilized. In his long. black hair
was . yellow hibiscus flower.
Like q burglar. he crept along the
beach to the bushy promontory that
hid the cove where the footprints
were. He wiEgled through the bush. he
slid down to the third beach and
crouched behind large rock. The
beach seemed deserted; the mutterins
Of the ocean was the only sound Mr..
Pottle heard. Another rock, dozen
feet away. seemed to offer better con-
cealment. and he stepped out toward
1t and then stopped short. Mr.. Pot
tie stood face to face with naked.
brown savage.
Mr.. Pottle's feet refused to take him
away; = paralysis such a. one has IN
nightmares rooted him to the spot.
His returning faculties took In these
facts: First, the savage was unarm-
cd; second, Mr.. Pottle had forgotten
to bring his shotgun. 1t was case
Of man to man-eater.
The sayage was large, well fed,
almost fat; his long. black hair
fringed his head; he did not wear =
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