Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-09-27

ODS DCtREED. he plNL MCSA ~
THE CAUSE OF ALL THE DISASTl
less than / had anticipated. 1t wasn't
enough their own kind OF magic. But
had something else up my sleeve
that magnifying lens.
In the hush OF puzzled awe that fol-
lowed. i had my guide declare loudly
that my friend the sun god would in
fallibly burn up the chiefs wigwam
If Guariba undertook to kindle his
own sacred fire. Guariba, still in his
gaudy makeup, only cast a contemptu-
Gus glance at me, and stopped at once
over his two sticks, rubbing them to-
gether and mumbling weird inca anita
ton.
HAD resumed my place by Rop
Tuk's abode. Trying to simulate
idleness while all eyes were on the
medicine man. managed to focus the
suns rays on a promising bit of tin
der In the dried-out, inflammable
| matching Of the hut's wall. Quivering
internally with excitement. feeling
| that my life was now utterly at stake
in q gamble little better than child's
| play, / strove desperately to keep my
hand steady and the lens in focus
without constantly looking down at 1t.
Ii
| beginning to char in q little round
| spot: 1t curled up a bit and a tiny
wisp Of smoke rose. Guarlba was al
| ready getting his fire going. But the
breeze, tanning through the dried
! matching of the hut. came to my res
cue. Shortly I stepped forward into
| the circle, and II was one of the ma
shout that the whole side of the
CHEERS int
| flame.
The motion of striking a match and
its faintest scratch would have given
me away to those alert eyes. The In
dams were familiar with my matches,
too. and would have seen no mystery
| in my use OF one. But the burning
glass effect was something new and
| utterly mysterious. Panic broke loose.
| The natives were too daZed to move,
and the Summer baked matching be-
came a raging furnace in the breeze,
before any one tried to beat 1t out.
Had Guariba stood his ground to
bluff 1t out. he might still have saved
roaring flames, he turned in precipi-
tate flight. which seemed an admission
Of guilt. AS dogs will edge respect
fully around motionless cat, but give
yelping chase II it fees, 30 the Cara
jas dashed, shouting madly. after him
and soon brought him back a captive.
Thus 1t was that once again these
unstable savages, as mercurial and i'm
questionable as children, had been Sc
duced a second time from the magic
Of their forefathers to reliance on my
own modern brand. And Guariba was
promptly sentenced. according to the
best traditions. to be dashed to the Pau
das Santos. or Saints Tree( on which
many a Jesuit Of old had died under
fn of rn1 &c hoY frfn
bark.
The punishment was so cruel and
uncalled for that despite all my recent
hectic Introduction into the benighted
workings OF the savage mind / could
hardly believe it would be executed.
But the warriors we're keyed up to a
, fanatical pitch by their drink and by
the uncanny events of the past "a
hours, and apparently thought no fate
too terrible for the native witch doc
tor who had apparently betrayed them,
connived at the theft of those ridicu-
lousy cherished Arawana costumes
and caused the fiery destruction of his
own chiefs wigwam.
Later in the day, having used my
recaptured prestige to free the accused
maiden. followed the sound Of means
| and bowling into the jungle. and there
found Guariba in fact dashed hand and
foot to tree, his body literally alive
with hosts of tiny red ants How long
he might have lived I don't know. I
freed him with my knife, and he scut-
| tied off intoA the jungle without a sign
/ of thanks, to become for a brief time
4 an outcast.
! Coon the old chief died. I sus-
| pected Guariba, who had already
begun to work his way with sinister
perttnacity back into the confidence
| of the malcontents, of poisoning Rop
Tux. out of jealousy for the favoritism
the latter had shown me. MY failure
! to save Rop TUX. as l had saved the
indian bitten by RATHER, was an
! other score against me.
! But when. one afternoon, without
| ceremony. l packed up and left. Ave
| canoes of warriors accompanied me
down the river. Jabbering dissen
sion filled those canoes. The new
chief and Guariba. relative and IA
| vorite of his, were among the party:
| 1t seemed to be q question whether /
| would be allowed to go. and / expected
any moment IL farewell shower of
arrows. Then nature took a hand
again in the drama.
| A tropical deluge, out Of season,
| caught us In midstream. The dense
black clouds that had come UP rapidly
| amid a rumbling of thunder and
gale Of wind. unleashed solid tor
rent Of seathing rain. 1t poured into
the canoes and nearly bore them
under. Bailing was futile the gale
made our crude craft unmanAgeable
1t was all we could do to reach the