Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 201: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

192 Pan pronounced the initials of the great showman’s name as if they were a name in themselves, and he was much astonished when Bradshaw burst into laughter. “Petey Barnum!” exclaimed the American between his laughs. “ Oh, the ingenuous simplicity of untutored man! O Sam Hill! It’s all right, Pan, my valued mentor. Petey Barnum was a great man, and no mistake. And so was Sam Hill. I'll tell you about him. Sam Hill was——” The history of Sam Hill got no fur- ther. The men were startled by a strange sound, a loud swish! as if a giant lash had been whirled through the air. Both sat up suddenly to see what it portended. They did not at the mo- ment perceive what had caused the noise, but their eyes were shocked by a spectacle that caused them to forget it. High in the air, it seemed at least a hundred feet, was the almost nude body of a black man whirling over and over. Something fluttered from his neck, what they had no time to guess, for the body, at its extreme height when they caught sight of it, fell rapidly and land- ed with a heavy jar a few yards from where they sat. Bradshaw got up and ran quickly to the spot. Pan followed more slowly. ‘Dead, of course,” said Bradshaw, in a low tone, as he viewed the well nigh shapeless mass of bruised flesh. ‘“ But what the mischief can it mean?” ‘““An execution,’ muttered Pan, as he stooped over the dead man and studied the form intently. “ Execution?” repeated Bradshaw, aghast. “Yes,” said Pan, and he took up the end of the thing that had fluttered from the victim’s neck. It seemed to be a tough, fibrous reed. “ This,” continued Pan, “ this—I can- not tell the right word for i ” “Thong,” suggested Bradshaw. “Yes. It was tied to a tree and, as THE ARGOSY. you see, it has broken. That explains how the body came to be flying through the air. But, Mr. Bradshaw!” and Pan drew back quickly without rising, “we must not stay here! We are in the greatest danger!” Ordinarily quick to adopt the sug- gestions of the African when facing a crisis, Bradshaw on this occasion was not sufficiently alert. The grewsome spectacle had not only shocked him, but it had aroused all that aggressive repugnance with which a civilized man resents barbarity. With no suspicion whatever as to the cause of the tragedy, he was stirred with indignation that might easily have led him to retaliation in the inter- est of the victim. In short, the Ameri- can’s fighting blood was up, and he recoiled from the very idea of retreat. Nevertheless, his months of experi- ence in the wilds had taught him some measure of discretion, and it was only after the briefest hesitation that he un- dertook to follow his guide’s advice. He heard Pan’s voice whispering, “Down, Mr. Bradshaw!” and was in the act of stooping when he saw that he was too late. A number of black forms appeared suddenly in the fringe of trees, springing as it seemed from out of the ground. They approached him. It would have been the height of folly to stoop then, and it would have been equally 1mpolitic to make any of- fensive demonstration. So Bradshaw stood motionless save for a gesture of friendly greeting. Several of the savages were evidently stirred to hostility at sight of him, for they began at once to make threatening motions, but one who appeared to be their leader restrained them by gesture and spoken command, and they all came on quietly but rapidly. Bradshaw noticed that their dull eyes glowed with unmistakable surprise, a manifestation quite uncommon to other savages with whom he had come in contact. GONMUC AOOLK CO