Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 205: what you’re looking at

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

196 “ There is little pleasure,” he said, ‘in jesting with a dead man. Your friend’s fate was doubtless similar to your own.” ‘Your highness seems to threaten,” Bradshaw began, when the black made a slight gesture, which was immediately followed by a pressure upon the Ameri- can’s arms. Bradshaw made a quick, violent ef- fort to move them, but speedily gave it up, for he saw that he had been pin- ioned securely. A thong similar to that which he had seen on the dead man’s neck had been cast about him and made fast before he could stir. “Your highness’ jest takes a very practical turn,” said Bradshaw, coolly. ‘““My men have learned to do their work well,” was the significant reply. A half dozen blacks had leaped be- side Bradshaw at the moment when the thong was cast about him. He could feel that others were behind, holding the thong. There was no possible mis- taking the sinister aspect of the situa- tion. Bradshaw bitterly accused himself of imiprudence, while at the same time he could not see how he could have acted otherwise. How could he suspect that here was a tribe that differed so radi- cally from the simple minded people whom he had met elsewhere in the dark continent? Why should he not have supposed that ordinary methods would avail with them as with others? ‘TI can endure your jesting,” he cried sternly, “ but you know better than to do me the slightest harm. The civil- ized country whose speecli you have learned has long arms.” ‘Not long enough to reach to cen- tral Africa,” responded the black dig- nitary, contemptuously, as he again directed his gaze upwards. Again Bradshaw followed his eyes. He saw that several of the blacks had climbed up to the top of the excavation. They were all standing now at the base of a tall, very slender tree that was rooted within a vard of the edge. THE ARGOSY. There were no branches on this tree within twenty feet of the ground. Above that the foliage was abundant. One of the men bent over at the base of the tree, another got upon his back in a stooping posture, a third climbed upon the back of the second, and then the three gradually stood up. The top man proceeded to “ shin ” his way up the trunk, while the other two stooped again to permit another man to mount their backs. This process was continued until four men were climbing up to the foliage. They went so far that it seemed as if the tree must break under them. It swayed perceptibly under the weight of the first, and he, laying hold of a short branch near the crest, de- pended from it so that the top of the tree began to bend over the excava- tion. When his comrades climbed further up, their weight bent the tree still fur- ther in the same direction until grad- ually the top sank so low that the men’s toes touched the bottom of the excavation. The tree was then like a giant hoop, for it was more than bent double, the crest being lower than the roots. Bradshaw watched this operation with growing apprehension and horror. He began to perceive what had caused the extraordinary phenomenon of a man’s body whirling a hundred feet in the air, and he now understood what the dignitary meant by assuring him that he should be allowed to leave the place at once by the way he came. If further proof as to the correctness of his surmises were needed it was fur- nished by an accident. One of the men who had helped bend the tree down lost his hold and dropped to the ground. Relieved of so much weight, the tree instantly began to swing back to an upright position, and the other men in alarm let go also. In a flash the tree rose and towered straight at the top of the excavation as 44 before; and as it swept is Vaafy oe KS CO