SOOSIE 159 



"Come here !" I shouted. 



The excited man strode to the spot. 



"Soosie," I said, in the calmest tones I could com- 

 mand, "has been murdered. This is a cannibal feast !" 



With a bound he upset the gin, who shrieked as she 

 grovelled in the embers. 



"You wretches ! You kill Soosie ! I kill you !" 



As he drew his revolver from his belt I seized his 

 hand, and, restraining him as best I could for a moment, 

 spoke authoritative and soothing words, and led him 

 away weak and tremulous. 



Not for many months — long after Dan had left the 

 district — did exact information as to the fate of the 

 hapless girl reach our ears. Wethera told of the tragedy. 

 Duckbill had followed her tracks from the house towards 

 the mountain, had overtaken her, and, since she had 

 fought frenziedly, had "killed her alonga head little 

 bit," not intending to kill her "dead, finis." Carried to 

 the camp, it had been found out that she was actually 

 dead. Then all had become stricken and run away. 



By her obstinacy Soosie had offended tribal law. 

 She had suffered. In the necessitous jungle animal 

 food is never wasted, be it beast, bird, or reptile. 



It had been an edifying sacrament, too, founded on 

 immemorial truth, for had it not been devoutly believed 

 that Soosie 's most excellent and potent personality 

 would remain with and glorify every participant ? 



