homepage Forums Air Combat & Civil Aviation Battle of Britain + Battle of Britain II Here's what happened (Continued)

Folks,

We push aside a scratchy tangle of brush and force our bodies through the clinging, stinging wait-a-bit thorns to secretly peer into a large clearing. We have at last found the source of those throbbing drum beats that have tormented us for days.

In the clearing there is a sandy area in the form of a circle. There is a large, dark cauldron sitting upon a pile of dried brush and many small logs located in its center. Many tall, horrifically masked natives form a circle, their black, straight hair is done up into oddly molded glistening headdresses. They are carrying cruel spears and are now dancing a spirited dance around the black cauldron. A largish crowd of colorfully dressed native spectators have formed a broad semicircle some distance away. Many wear odd and colorful hats. Some have painted their faces or whole bodies in garish paints. Many blow upon long, colorful horns that create an almost intolerable din.

One of the dancing natives who is wearing a particularly hideous tribal mask carries a blazing firebrand. The drum beats become louder. A rhythmic chanting and a lilting song now begins to rise from the dancing throng. We cannot resist tapping our feet to the rhythm. Try as hard as we can we cannot make out the dancer's individual features; all that can be seen are the whites of their bright, unblinking eyes. All their eyes are riveted upon the cauldron and its contents.

We too squint into the gathering darkness trying to make out a dark form just visible above the brim of the great black cauldron. The mosquitoes are eating us alive. There is a rustle nearby as a Black Mamba slithers away. We must not tarry much longer lest we be discovered. Suddenly the native carrying the firebrand steps from the circling mass and kneels down as he also lowers his firebrand toward the dry tender beneath the cauldron. A spark falls upon the dried grasses and suddenly it begins to blaze.

There is a blood curdling shout and at this precise moment the dark form in the cauldron becomes illuminated for the first time. Why it's it's...

It is JRT! So that's where the blighter has been off to. We all were aware that JRT has been doing a bit of research into tribal games. One in particular had caught his fancy. It involved kicking a goat head sewed into a checkered leather sack about a grassy field by two teams both trying to kick that grizzly item across the other team's goal line. Although the local tribes were surprisingly good at the game it was JRT's opinion that the sport would never catch on. So why is he here?

He's obviously been invited by the winning team for dinner. Let's not interrupt the fun.