Show THE STRANGE STRANGE GOD GOD OF TIBURON I The Tho friendly chief chlof led us up a wind winding log ing In sort of stairway not cut cat but worn by b the tho feet feN of countless counties generations until we 0 stood on the flat summit of ol the peculiar natural pyramid In the center of ot this platform which was waa about twenty tweet feet across was a n ba basin ln lnor or pool possibly natural but ut with a shallow caned carved ditch leading from II It to tho edge of or the stone Honc This pool and ditch were stained a n dark brown the tho shade of blood which has been benu fighting tho the wind vInd and anti the sun and the tho rain for lor years If not nol for centuries hoy the basin and behind It stood the Idol idola a rude pear shaped stono stone some Borne ten feet In height evi evl evidently dently touched very verj er l Ii by y the hand of man but already carved by IJ Nature Into a 3 It semblance of a 11 sitting Buddha An aperture In the front ol or orthe the head h If head It Il could bo b called call d evident represented d the mouth but hUl 1 I noticed that no attempt had bad been heen made to carve came car eyes eye cars ears or nose Ap Apparently paron tb this god like the of the Papuans had no need of ot anything save a n mouth being a n devourer and destroyer The Th Idol was R snowwhite Bno probably porno flom tort sort of ot quartz and rold the chief as assured mr ml It was M the only on stone stono of IU its shapo and color which had ever er been boen found round on the Island T i naked him If it this wua was where thoy thor Killed their human hu hUM man mun victims for feasts but he said none nOD had been boen killed there In his hla life lifetime time Unto evading a l direct answer m Norton walking across the platform to get et a u bettor view o othe of the Idol laid one hand baud on it In Instantly Instantly Instant stant there thero was a wild willi cry crr from Crom below bolow and tho the air all seemed filled with flying tl ln arrows All but one passer passed over ocr our heads and that one ono cutting I through my mj khaki I scratched an ugly red wound In my arm I r sprang for tor the stairway rifle In hand when the chief chier picking uj up the arrow said calmly It Is not pots it will not hurt you ou Thc They would not dare re to shoot at you jou On with poisoned arrows Norton orton of course at the first cry withdrew his hits hand from the Idol dropped down behind It rifle In hand and drew a find bead on the chief It If I die you die too he ho said In Spanish but tho the chief morel merely waved waed his hand and the party part of or savages be below below below low numbering some hundreds melted Into tho the Jungle as ns snow disappears on the tho bosom of or a n lake You defamed their Idol he ho ox x to Norton orton and even on my ray word could not hold them back Come awa away from it From The Island of or Mys Mrs tory teo In the May Wide World Maga Magazine Magazine zine |