Copyright, 1884, by Beadle & Adams. Entered at Post Office, New York, N.Y., assecond class matter. July 80, 1899,

 

M. J.IVERS & CO.. Publishors,'

We Published ice 5
No-30.\" weeru'Week, gg vaarnt'arrese Nee toe, tbe Veer VOL. I.

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

   

  

pod ae 0) PE

New York, N.Y., as second class matter.

 

Copyright, 1884, by Beadle & Adams. Entered at Post Office, July 30, 1899.

M. J. IVERS & CO., Publishers,

Published (James Sullivan, Pro
5 y J pS § s prietor,)
No 30 Every Week. 379 Pearl Street, New York,

He Oe LADY Ge ew rock Sars ts the Snglen

gece ver Vol. Ill,

 

BY C. DUNNING CLARE.

 

 

 

 

AS PAUL GAZED AND THE LIONESS DREW TO ONE SIDE FOR A MOMENT, ONE EDGE OF THE SHIELD WAS
SUDDENLY LIFTED, AND A JAVELIN WAS THRUST THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE LIONESS,

‘
Zz

 
1

claimed him a son of the sea. This was

‘Paul De Lacy, the French Bc ast Charme.

 

Paul De Lacy,

The French Beast Charmer;
I Oe: ; ;
New York Boys in the Jungles,

A BStory of Adventure, Peril and Sport in Africa.

BY C. D. CLARK,

AUTHOR OF ‘‘ CRUISE OF THE FLYAWAY,” ‘ THE
FLYAWAY AFLOAT,” ‘‘RED RIVER
ROVERS,” ETC., ETC.

CHAPTER I.

THE HUNTERS SIGHT LAND—THE TWIN PILOTS—
THE START,

A BEAUT:FUL schooner, with every sail set,
was runnin down through a tranquil sea upon
the Atlantic coast of Africa, Had the time
been some years earlier, any cruiser upon that
coast would have picked her out asa slaver, and
chased her upon sight. But the days of the
slave traffic have gone by, and the ruins of the
slave barracvoons only mark the spot where so
much wanton wrong was done. The schooner,
however, was cut out fora slaver. Sharp in
the bows, but with a broad beam, showing great
capacity for stowage; with clean run, tapering
spars, and broad, yacht-like sails, she was, in
every respect, a model,

She came racing down before the wind, wing-
ed out to catch all the fresh breeze, The water
hissed under her broad cutwater as the:wayves
were parted by it, and it is not strange that a
smile of satisfaction rested upon the faces of
both officérs and crew as she sped on. ;

_ Floating from the gaff was the banner which
has teen carried into every sea which roils be-
neath the sky—the banner of the stars and
stripes. We are proud of it, and we havea
rig t to be, for where it floats it is the symbol
of freedom to the people of all lands.

The crew of the schooner were twenty in
number, sailors every man, if the face is any
index of character. With the crew, proper, our
story has little to do, and we pass them by to
turn to a group assembled on the quarter-deck.

They were five in number; the first, a strong,
hardy-looking man in a pea-jacket and tarpau-
_ln, whose grizeled locks and’ tanned face pro-
a
tain Richard Prentice, of the schooner Petre,

There was a look of intelligence, combined with

rare determination, in bis face, which would
impress any man with the consciousness that

he was one to be depended on in a moment of

peru. eae ‘

_ On his right stood a gentleman perhaps thirty

pon of ago, wearing a full dark beard, and
aving the general air of a man who wasequally

“at home in scenes of adventure and upon the

ball-room floor. His figure was erect and ee
ly, and pee he looked like one who would

fi shrink a the hour of danger. |

 

This was Ar- —

small stature, with a pair of restless black eyes,
which seemed to pierce to the very marrow o
the person at whom he looked. There was a
restless, uneasy motion of one whole body
which gave the impression that he was a very
nervous person, and yet no man could bs more
cool in trouble or pert: than Paul De Lacy, the
French “‘ King of Beasts,” for such was his title
in bis own land. P
The other two were young men—boys, you
might say, not yet went years of age. There
was a geueral resemblance between them and

Artbur Castleton which proclaimed them rela-

tives, and they were in fact his brothers, James
and Erne, who had been allowed to join him in
quest of adventure in the wilds of Africa, —
“We are nearing the coast, captaiu,” said
Arthur, ‘“Isn’t it nearly time we had a pilot?”
“They will show up as soon as they sight us,”
replied the captain. “I know a river where we
can run in and lie as safely as in the Thames or

in the East river. I’ve been here before, Mr.

Castleton.” ‘
‘‘Good place for a slaver to lie, eh?” suggest-
ed Arthur, with a smile. i
‘*] never was a slayer, Mr. Castleton, but
won't deny that many a cargo of ebony has
been run ont of this same river. I was in ap
ivory-bunter, myself, in those days.” —
“Ah! But there was a slave-pen here?”
“Yes, sir. Ha; there come the Kroos,”

They were now running in close on the coast,

and the long line of the first bar could be 4is-

tinctly made.out, and even as the captain spoke

black spots could be seen moving through this

line of surf, which seemed to glide on with |

strange rapidity. Soon the rise and fall of pad-

dies could be discerned, and the long Kroo boats

shot into view, five or six in number, and all

straining every nerve to be first to reach the ~

ship. The men of the schooner, grouped about
the bows, cheered them lustily as they came on,

and it was plain that the race was between two
boats which had the advance, one containing —
four paddlers and the other two, But, thetwo

were in advance by perhaps half a bvat’s-

length, and their magnificent efforts were wor- —

thy of a gondola race on the Adriatic. —

Never, in the course of a long life at sea, had =
Captain Prentice seen two nobler specimens of |

manhood than those before him. In looking at

them it was impossible to make out any differ.
fect was the resemblance ©

ence whatever, so
between them.

framed two men so perfec ] ‘
exact in its proportions, every muscle had its
perfect place. They were not black, but of a

care ever had nature
y,

rich brown, and their noses \ flattened, —
t ao Bodhetroke of

as in the case of most Africans. Ech
their broad paddles sent their boat fairly out «f

‘the water, and, inch by inch, eed were creep-
' ing away from the other canoe, |

ae es ‘en their ya
mediate 0) ents ayed a foul game, The
tow of tl oat std ft edt isting tt
erashing in e side of the er, cutting
down B the water’s edge. 1 s .
a play!” cried Captain Dick. ‘“ Hal

at ti
=e

. Every limb was |

turned and ae

 
Paul De Lacy, the Proueh Beast Charmer.

3.

 

‘ sere their cowardly act. Ore landed in |
_ the bow and the other in the waist, and, to the
surprise and delight of the Petrel’s crew, each
lifted a man by the shoulder and waist and
hurled him far out into the waves, Before their
startled enemies had time to think they were

floundering in the water and their boat was fiy- be the leader.”

ing on toward the schooner, still in advance of

pluck in a man who could take such wounds as
those and bear up. I think he is all right.”
“ll take him. You had better arrange —
about ee because you have traded with
these ows before, and understand it. We
shall want a good party with him, but he can

The arrangements were quickly made. Mu-

_ the other boats, although some of them were ‘dara and Danatoo were to select fifty hunters,

crowding hard upon them. But their gallant
act had in fact settled the matterin the mind of
. the captain of the Petrel, and if they had even
- come in last they would bave been the pilots
chosen. That, however, was decided by their
dashing up a full boat’s length ahead of the
others, amid the delighted shouts of the Petrel’s
men,
“Me pilot, cappen!” called out one of them,
eagerly. “ake Bae: in.”
He knows English a little,” said Arthur, in
surprise. ‘
_ “ We've traded on this coast a good deal, and
ad oe picked it up. Do you know the reefs,
Too 5 .

“Plenty me know, cappen,” replied the man,
with a laug! “Take you plenty safe; good~
ribber here.” ae

“T know that, old fellow; been here before in ,

pilot, cast-

. my time.”
__ “You man-stealer?’ demanded the
: ing a dark look upon the commander.
No, no; ivory was what I was after.
take this schooner in.”
_ The other boats, seeing that the gigantic
twins had gained the day, pulled out of the
schooner’s course and kept her company, grin-
ae Bing ss the sailors, and holding up their broad
_ hands for presents. The man who had acted as"
nen for the twins sprung inte the fore
a) ; and, suffice it to say, in half an hour the
schooner had run safely rengy two lines of
breakers, crossed the bar at the mouth of the
stream, and, attended by sea, boats of
various ee sailing up a noble river toward
the old landing where the slavers used to lie.
Two hours later they rounded a point and came
to anchor in a sort of basin before an old land-
i ie pats, back of which lay the ruins of the old
- glave-pens.

n,” said the pilot, after
gons down rattling to the bot-
tom. ‘You pay; ms i :

“Hold on!” answ: the skipper. ‘‘I don’t
_ think we have done with you yet. Have you

got any lion-hunters in your village?” :

_ The man started, and parting the painted
calico which covered his broad breast, showed a
perfect network of scars, crossed and recrossed,
as if cut there by powerful claws. Then he
ae his left arm, which bore the marks of

th,

_ Tao do that,” he said, utetiy. “T am Mu-
fare, the tion man; I am the

ie and my brother. Would cappen hunt the

lion?” ey
“Yes; will you be my man

is <1 grill, but my Galena
for wecannot part.” = ‘ .

The captain nodded, and turned to Arthur.
T think on better have this

wer mind his boasting; there must

Now

“My work done, ca
the anchor had

 

E masters; if no

ng of all hunt- ee

| seemed,
ome with me, |

men who were not afraid to join in the chase o

the king of beasts. They were to have so much
in payment, and to be armed and fed by the
owner of the Petrel. The cargo which had
been brought, condemned army muskets, cheap
calicoes, and colored beads, were just the things
to take the fancy of the natives, and two hours
after the schooner came to anchor the twin bro-
thers came marching down by the ruins of the
old barracoon’at the head of a band of men wh«
certainly looked ferocious enough foranything.
There is nothing upon the face of the earth so
fierce as the native African warrior. Their
woolly locks were ‘‘done up” in a style which
would have put to the blush the efforts of any
modern artiste. Upon some heads it rose inte
a conical cap; upon another stuck out straight
from the back of the head, and in others still,
rose in double horns high into the air. All car-
ried broad shields and spears, and not a few
muskets in addition, obtained in barter with
the ships which at times appeared upon these
shores. ;

‘““Now lookt you, men!” announced Arthur.
“T and my friend have come to Africa to se-
cure alive certain savage animals and ca:
them back to our own land. And we shall
never return until we carry with us a family of
lions, We have every means in our possession
to do the work, and must succeed.” — ;

“*And we look to see our men obey us,” added ©
Paul. ‘‘If-they do, very good; we shall be kind

enez garde |” ae
his rifle in a most significant
manner. Z ey

Two days later, leaving the schooner at an-
chor guarded by ten seamen under the care of
the first mate, and carrying with them seven —
cage wagons drawn by ox.teams, tie party of —

And he touch

adventurers, with the rest of the crew, armed —
_ to the teeth,

ed their faces toward the lions’
| CHAPTER IL —
LONG RANGE SHOOTING—CHASED BY A RHI-
NOCEROS—THE BATTLE OF THE GIANTS. —
Ar the Krooman village they had provided
themselves with a large number of oxen, for if
they suc led these would be necessary in or-
der to ae back the wagons containing the ani-
mals which they had taken. It was an impos-
cession which started out from the coast,
many of those left behind doubted if the:
would ever return. But the hearts of the a
venturous party were full of hope. and they

home.”

ed away. Each carried his favorite weapon,a _
of the most improved | somewhat —

; man. | ca
be some | Poitors

 

to seo success before themasthey march
   

 

  

    
  
    
  

A

**T don’t know what the Cap wants: to carry
thet cannon for,” said James Castleton, laugh-
ing. ‘Errie says the first time he fired it off
in Madeica, all the garrisen turned out under
arms because they thought’an enemy’s fleet was
attacking tho city.”

“Oh, let up!” growled the captain, in seeming
q anger. ‘‘ \cu’ll see, before you get out of Af-

rica, that a big gun is a mighty i thing, Vd
like to have an elephant or a rhinoceros come
roaring and charging down on,that pop-gun of
yours; how much do you suppose it would do to
stop him?” : :
At this moment Mudara sent back two men
“fo say that eland were in sight. The boys,
snatching up their rifles, started out eagerly, the
captain and Arthur not far behind them. The
blacks had alted on the crest of a little rolling
round, from which the river and the plein be-
ow could bs plainly seen, Upon the grass, in

a bend of the river, five elands were feeding,

those gigan ic deer, unlike anything else upon

the face of she earth. ‘

“You can’t get near them,” declared Arthur,
‘as he saw the nature of the country, which was

rfectly open; ‘‘ and pane there will never
be a better chance to show these black fellowa
what kind of men we are. What should you
pay the distance was, captain?”

‘Niue hundred Pa eel easy.”

‘“‘Very well; tell Mudara that Iam going to
kifl one of those elands from here.”

_ The Krooman looked at the speaker with a

sort of derision. He had heard much of the
boasting of the white man, but this was a little

more ae he expected, even from his em-
loyer. But Arthur, with a smile upon his face,

_ took up his long-range rifle, a weapon which he
had had built especially for such business as this.

It had the Sends ga ee and patent sights, and he
_ had done some closa shooting with it, even ata

‘thousand yards. Throwing himself upon his
eee setting up the sight and gage, he
watched them for a moment while he calculated
the windage, which was very slight, and then.
crossing his feet to form a rest, he threw himself
into his pet position for long-range shooting,
and flashed his sharp eye through the sight.

_ short laugh broke from the lips of Mudara,
_ “Why do you laugh?” asked Arthur, looking

up. - . ~
Ri Because the white man’ thinks a Kroo is a
fool. The lightning could not kill so far away
as that, great master!” :
You do not know the white man yet,” was
_ the quiet answer. ‘‘ Watch me, and you will
see why we are your masters,” — :
Again be looked down the sights, Now ‘he
_kne v that he must not miss, If did it would
forever destroy the confidence of the suspicious
- pegro in his word. If he had been shooting for
his lifo he could not have taken more pains, nor
~ could he have asked for a better target. At

last came th crack of the riflo, 2
_“ FHabet” said Arthur, letting the stock of
his rifle fall. and rising on his elbow, ho looked
across the cpen ground. ‘‘Now what do you
Eady Maape Wont cee ae ta heen ree
_ A hugo ball eland, which He pee, Saletiy.
ading nearest to them, was seen to start sud-
‘denly, throw his head into the air. and then

 

Paul De Lacy, the French Beast Charmer

 

   
   
  
   
  
 
  
   
 
 
 
   
    
 
     
  
  
      

7

nie

come pitching down upon his head, dead before
he touched the ground. Mudara and his men -
gazed a moment, and then bent the knee to the
young man.” pa

“‘Mudara was a great hunter,” said the man, __
humbly. ‘He is a child now—the son of the
great white chief. Let him learn at his feet.”

“T will protect you,” answered Arthur. quiet-
ly. sf Fear nothing while you are under my
care. f

“ A good lesson,” declared thecaptain. “ Tel]
the men to treck on,” ; ’ :

Tae creaking of the wagons was again heard,
and the teams came on at their long, steady
pace, while the hunters went down the slope in —
advance to secure the body of the dead eland.
James was now running on far in the fronton |
a kind of devil-may-care race for adventure,
when, with a snort which is like no earthly
sound, a huge black rhinoceros sprung suddenly
out of a thicket of wait-a-bit thorns and dashe'
after him, :

Jim did not linger on the order of his going. __
There was something so preternaturally ugly
in the twinkling little eyes of the vicious brute
| that the boy’s only idea was to put as much ~
space as possible between him and the rbi-
noceros. He ran like a man, but, looking over
his shoulder, he saw that the long horn was a
little nearer to his coat-tail than it was when he
started, which was far from assuring. That
awkward, rolling, deceitful gait was evidently
carrying the creature over the ground faster
than it looked. A tree would have pleased —
Jim, but there was no tree near at hand, More
than this, the beast had succeeded in runnin;
him off from bis friends, and every step lesse:
his chances of succor. Yet he was no long
losing ground, but at the same time he could
not keep up the ee at which he was going ~
much Icnger. Just as this thought passed
through his mind he pitched head-foremust into
a singular hole in the ground, fully ten feet in
depth, while the rhinoceros biundered over him
at a breakneck gait, a fow moments after, St

Jim was wise enough to lie still. He did not
know what good fortune had rut this sink-hole —
in his way, but of one thing he was certain: the —
rhinoceros did not know where he had gone, |
Ho heard an angry snorting and puffing on the —
brink of the pit, and a moment later the same
noise on the other side, — oe ee cpa!
“What could it mean? : : 5s es. ES
Perhaps another rhinoceros, unwilling that
the first should have all the fun, bad igs ay
the chase. Jim was not at all unnerved by this
nis first hunter’s peril; and all at once it oc-
curred to him that he had taken his rifle do
into the hole with nim. Why not try a shot at
the big quadruped or his mate? Securing his
rifle, he looked to see that it was all right, when
the earth shook beneath the weight of heav
bodies, and there was a violent crash above,

“ Durn my. buttons!” muttered Jim.
there ain’t a fight right in the family.
 reDOU thi! oigge i os hae

‘Raising his bead slowly from the
which he had fallen, be saw A FighE ©, fi
him at once with wonder and delight.
oe crema tue bri

roused, near
F D tb, a felloy n breed,

    
 
    
   
  
  
  
   
  
  
 
 

  

  
  
  
  
  
 

  

 
 
 
 
 
    
 
   
 
   
  

    
       
   
 

 
 

 

 
  
  

 
  

  

  
  
 

     

mA
Paul De Lacy, the French Beast Charmer. © &

 

than he was, but of the white species. Genefral-
ly speaking, the white rhinoceros, or muchacha,
is a comparatively pleasant fellow, especially so
when compared with the kaobaba or black.
But the black fellow bad seen fit to blunder
over him when -he was enjoying his noonday
stesta upon the grass, and that was more than
any well-intentioned rhinoceros, even though a
ceable denizen, could very well endure; and
he consequence was a row of the very largest
magnitude.

The two huge. creatures had butted their
heads together, and now, propped up on their
short, sturdy legs, were doing their best to
overthrow one another. Each seemed to know
that a fall was death, and that the long horn
would be pluuged into his vitals below his pro-
tecting coat-of mail if he once went down.

“Go it, blacky; pitch in, whity!” roared Jim,
reckless in his excitement. ‘ Fight bedgebog;
fight skunk—it don’t make any difference which
whips. Look out, blacky; he made you stagger
that time, and if you ever get that born in your

_ bread-basket—good-by, John! That’s it; keep
_itup! I wonder if the boys know where tam?”
Still the battle between the two huge animals
_ continued, and Jim, beginning to come to his
prudence, crawled out of the hole, holding onto
is rifle, and prepared to decamp. But, to his
utter surprise and horror, no sooner did he ap-
ar on earth than both creatures gave up their
attle with one another and came dashing after
him at full speed. Whirling suddenly in his
“ tracks, Jim raised his rifle hip-bigh and deliver-
ed his fire, when the black, which was the ono
hurt, believing the muchacha to be the cause of
his wound, turned suddenly upon him and
buried the long horn in his side; but, shaking
him off, the muchacha rushed savagely to the
encounter, while Jim industriously plied his
legs in the frantic endeaver to escape, and hoped
- that he should be able to do so, thanks to the
- battle between the infuriated brutes, when the
snorting and puffing in bis rear announced that
_» the chase had begun again, Looking back, he
saw that the black alone was pursuing him, and
+ white form of the muchacha was ex-
: ded on the plain, while the other, more vin-
tlictive than ever, was flying after him.

“Ym just chuck full of friends!” thought
Jim, despairingly. ‘They just let any kind of
an animal hoof it after me, and they never miss
a meal on my account. r thought they’d pan

out better than that, I did.”
. He was beginning to get tired, but, under the
circumstances, thought it best not to rest just
_then, for the earth was shaking under the tread
of the enraged kaobaba, and he wanted a safe
_ resting-place. Suddenly there appeared before
‘his eyes a forest prs and with a cry of joy
he pion ed into the verdant cover, and at once
hinned up a good stout tree, with the black fel-
_ low onder te on at his heels, For a moment
_ he lost sight of his enemy, so quickly and earn-
- estly did
climbing, and he bad lost track of the young
fellow for a moment upo
woods. Jim sat quiet, hoping that he could not
1, while the kaobaba was roaming about
s head close to the

Bi te

im lay himseif down to the work of |

m first entering the _ ie

 

But, all at |

once, the small twinkling eye wa: raised and
caught sight of the boy among the branches.

He gave one leap into the air, with a loy
snort, and lowering his head, dash: d at the
with a shock that nearly shook J:m fro
perch and made the tree sway like a mas'
gale of wind. Then, cocking his 1ead og
side, he backed up and again dashe lat th

CHAPTER IIl.
SHOT IN THE EYE—THE FIRST LION.

So sudden had been the rush of the kaobaba
and the flight of Jim that the others had hardly
time to realize that he was in danger when pur-
suer and pursued were out of sight behind the
thorn grove. Then Mudara raised the yell of
his race, and the whole band das! ed away in
pursuit, But so rapid was the flig} t of the boy -.
anc the chase of the rhinoceros the + they could |
not overtake him. Not seeing tie boy, they
had halted while the battle betwren the buge
beasts was at its hight, and whe. Jim broke
away in rapid flight, and the two antagonists
followed, they spread out on bots sides and
again took up the chase,

And when the black, after disposing of his
enemy, had banged against the tree once,
Mudara and his brother dashed into the thicket,
their spears ready for action, and the first no-
tice the black had of his new enemies was a
javelin planted in his flank. Whirling quickly,

e dashed at Danatoo with his horn ready for
service; but, in doing this, he exposed himself
to attack from Mudara, and a second javelin,
more deeply planted than the first, pierced him
in the throat. , ‘

The brave beast saw that he was in danger,
but with the tenacity of his breed he did not
flinch. He made a rush at Mudaia, whistling
shrilly, Jim slipped quistly down from the tree
and seized his rifle. Now that he lad backers,
the boy was ready for sport or fight. His
weapon was a good one, and he felt tolerably
sure of his aim, but he knew tha” the coat of
the black was proof against any ordinary bul-
let, A shot in the eye would be fatal if he
could make it, but, aside from that, he did not
believe his rifle could be effective. Grasping
the weapon firmly, he threw himself in the way
of the vicious brute, and eumes for the eye
a Then, turning quickly, he ran for his —
IEG, |
- Scarcely had he taken a dozen steps when 8
wild yell from the lips of Mudara called bim,
and looking back, he saw the negro lion-bunter
dancing wildly on the prostrate form of the
kaobaba, and assailing bim loudly with insult-
in epithets. Jim ran back, and found to bit
delight that bis bullet bad passed through the -

glaring eye of the rhinoceros dire:tly into his —

brain, and the great beast was dead. | '
“The white man’s thunder is sur2!” and Mu.
dara bowed low.
a the men of Kuruman. Let us go.”
8

by Artbur and the rest, who were d
i shted to find that Jim .

 

“Their boys are stronger —

returned on the trail,ané were soon
  
  
 
 
 
 
  
  
   
  
 
  

Ly
¥

 
 
  
  

6 Paul De Lacy, the French Beast Charmer.

Ra TT NT a a

  

 

me J give you permission to pile in and help all
Ya can.”

“You ran too fast,” averred the captain.
‘We couldn’t see your back for the dust.

“J didn’t run any too fast, I can tell you.

t old horn was just playing tag with the

+ of my jacket all the time, I only wished

wings about that time.”
as too early in the trip to think of pre-
g the bodies of the slain rhinoceroses; yet
ingered over them with longing eyes and
Fished to test his powers in preserving them.
But after awhile they were left, and the hunt-
ers kept on to the spot where the eland bad
fallen, thinking to secure steaks enough for
their noonday meal. To their disgust the body
of the huge deer was gone! They could see a
broad mark upon the grass as if the animal had
been dragged along for some distance, and Ar-
thur commenced to follow it up, bis rifle thrown
carelessly into the hollow of bis arm, when a
wild cry from Mudara called him back.

“Tao P be announced, briefly.

“ A lion?”

“Three!”

“ How do you know that?” ‘

The black pointed to the grass, and even the

ever of the young American could make out
the tracks of animals of the feline race upon it.
But he was not yet sufficiently master of bis
craft to make out the number.
- “J don’t know how many lions there may be,”
returned Arthur, quietly; ‘‘ but this I will say:
I don’t propose to allow them to rob me of my
game in that way. Come, Paul.”

The Frenchman took up his rifle, and the two
darted away together on the broad trail, and
Mudara and his brother followed, cei to
eight or ten of their men to join them. They
kept a little in the rear of the two hunters,
when Arthur turned and called to Mudara to
send back for spare rifles. Two of the men ran
back, and quickly returned with the guns.

“You take one and follow Paul, Mudara;
Danatoo can follow me, and when I call for a

gun, see that it is ready to my hand,” ordered
_ Arthur.

The man nodded, and they walked on quick-
ly, following the track by which the elan had
been dragged. For nearly half a mile they
trod on cautiously, when a hand was suddenl
laid upon Arthur’s shoulder. :

“There, there, there!” said Danatoo, in a soft
voice. “Do you not see the lion? Do you not
know that Tao is there?” Z

Arthur paused and looking ahead, saw the
body of the eland extended on the grass. and
surrounding it a dark, tawny mass, seemingly
without motion of gl kind. But both Dana-
too and his brother knew that the liops were

there.

Arthur let his rifle drop to the earth, while he
studied the giant prey. bey were lying quite
still, quelieg the blood of the eland and tearing
out pieces of his flesh from time to time. Only

one of them, evidently the father of the samy

raised his head and looked at the men who hai
been so daring as to intrude upon them in the

‘moment when they were eee in their re-
look in

i. There was a majestic the front of

this noble beast which took Arthur by surprise,

| the faithful Kroo, who had not flinched in the |

 

. hung suspended over his very head.

and for the moment held him secebiogs. But
he was an old bunter, and with a powerful

effort of the will threw off the fascination of

that steady, malignant glare.

“ Go to the right, Paul! There you can get a
sight on the lioness. This oe fellow is mine,
for he has such a anticy. look that I accept his
challenge.” And Arthur evidently ‘‘ meant
business.”

Paul ran out to the right, attended by Mu
dara, and as he did 50, ca! led the attention of
the other lions, and for the first time the three
rose. Two were large males, and the third a
lioness of great size, and Arthur could at that
moment only wonder that he could have taken
interest in the dwarfed and stunted creatures he
had seen in menageries.

a Get ready, Paul Y he cried; “they are wak-
up.

s he ye the large male which had first
looked up began to trot toward him, evidently
with the intention of investigating the matter
fully, while the lioness ran off in another direc-
tion, but with her eye bent upon Paul and Mu-
dara. Arthur was no longer attending to them,
for it was plain that the fellow in front intend-
ed toclaim all his attention. He was coming
up at a half-trot, and Arthur brought his rifle
to his shoulder, and, takisg steady aim, sent a
ball into the shoulder of his huge antagonist.
But a sort of side leap which the creature made
at this moment partly disconcerted his aim,
and the shot was not mortal, nor, indeed, did i
stop the lion in the least. For, changing trom
the trot to the leap, he came on in great bounds,
making the hills tremble with his sonorous roar.

Arthur merely put his hand behind him for —
his reserve rifle; it was thrust into bis hand by

   
     
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
  
  
 
  
   
  
  
 
 
 
  
  
  
    
   
          
     
 
 

least.

Never had Arthur Castleton met such game
as this, but he bad been trained to shoot against
as dangerous a creature, the Rocky Mountain

rizzly, and he had no thought of failing now.
ropping on one knee, as. he caught the heavy
gun rom the hand of Danatoo, he waited
y for the last leap, while Danatoo, with his
heavy ‘spear, also calmly waited. As the lion |
Se own before his last leap, the negro —
cried: % s %

“ Fire—fire, then!” ! é
“Steady!” answered Arthur, never turning
his eyes from those of the lion; “I prefer to
take my game upon tbe wing.” ponies ;

The body of the lion rose into the air, and the
two boys, who were running ip in hand,
thought that their brave brother had seen his
last of earth. But never, even in thedays of
his first shooting, had Arthur Castleton taken —
such steady aim as now, when the huge body |

 
 

  
   
   
      
    
   
   
    
   
 
 
  

   

Danatoo sprung impulsively forward, when |
the rifle cracked, and, swift as the hawk in its
descent, the lion came down almost upon Ar-
thur’s head. Hesprung nimbly aside and whip-
ped out a heavy navy revolver, while the spear
of Danatoo was buried in the lion’s back. But
there was no need of the blow, for the bullet
had passed through the heart, and the giant of
fe lay dead. Before. had
the crack of a rifle and

 
  
 
 

  
   

 
 

«sul De Lacy, the Trench Beast Charmer.

 

.

 

 

called them, and with shouts of dismay they, |
sprung to his aid, for he was in fearful danger!

 

 

CHAPTER IV.
MUDARA’S SHIELD—THH FIRST CAMP.

Pavt De Lacy was an old hunter, and one
-who never went back in the face of any of the
brute creation.

When he ran out to the right, followed by
Mudara, he had made ep his mind to give a
good account of the two lions which had taken
that direction, but when he had gone a few
hundred yards, to his surprise, neither the lion
nor lioness was anywhere in sight. But in
front there was good cover, long grass, and
clumps of bishes, where it would be easy for
the animals to lie, ready for a spring.

“Take care, masteri” cried the negro. ‘Tao
too smart; he lay low and watch} pretty soon
he charge, maybe ’fore you know.’

‘All right, Mudara!” responded Paul, who.
had been long enough in Yankee-land to pick
up some of their idioms. ‘I s’all proceed wiz
ze utmost caution. Aha! ze lion s’all know hees

  
  
  
   
   
  
   
  
  
  
   
  
   
  
  
   
 
 
  
  
  
    
    
   
  
     
     
     
       
       
       
     
     
     
     
     
         
         
        
   
       

mastaire.”  /

_ “Hiss,” whispered Mudara. ‘Look; by the |
bush there!” ‘ :
Paul glanced quickly in the direction pcinted |

out, and could make out the tawny hide of the |

lion ‘through the leaves. He was lying half

hidden amid the foliage, perfectly quiet, but

evidently waiting for a chance to make a

charge. The gleam of his savage eyes could be
iniy made out through the openings in the

‘oliage. t

; “Stand where you are!” hissed Paul. ‘‘ At-

- tention, mes enfants, and you s’all perceive
how I shoot ze lion, Aha, zo old villain; he laf
at me, eh?” ;

Dropping on one knee, the Frenchman took a
long and steady aim at the crouching creature.
There were few men who were better shots |

than Paul when he had time to make bis aim |

certain, and the glaring eyes of the beast, |

turned full upon him, told him where to shoot,

_ Mudara stood like a statue, waiting for the
shot, for he had begun to have the greatest

‘faith in the death-dealing rifles of the white

, having once seen them work. At the

rack of the rifle the lion madea convulsive

leap, and his showed for a moment high
above the bush,

2 and then settled down out of
sight. Only both fore paws could be seen .
_ stretched out in front of the bush in an attitude |
which seemed plainly to show that he was either
_ dead or hitso hard as to be incapable of mak- |
ing trouble. ; :
“Yat is za way I dispose of za miserable
wretches,” said Paul, beginning to reload his
rifle. ‘You perceive zat I am able to dis-
; oe animal of lifeina way which it is
_ impossible for zo Yankees to imitate. I—
Sacre!” :

_ he sudden pause and expletive were super- |
induced by the rush of a tawny body, and there
bounded into viéw, within twenty qere of the
two men, the gigantic form of the lioness, who.
had been crawling slowly toward them through
othe lang erase The sudden and unlooked-for |.

the lion-tamer by surprise, and for

  

  

  
      

| was discharged; he stood helpless be fore the en-
| raged lioness!

| Tifle in his hand he saw the lione:s bounding

Ahrough the side of the.

| a dozen steps Mudara was up again, a le
‘another javelin with wonderful precision

' pierced the heart, and with a final roar of min- —
led
i fox

is ze very splendid hunting country. Voici ze —

the moment he forgot the powe* which he
claimed over the animals of the bru%e creation.
His empty rifle dropped from his hind, and he
reached back and groped blindly for the spare

nin the hands of Mudara. But, in drawing
it toward him, the lock became cau; ht in some
way in the pocket of his hunting-:oat, and it

For the first time in his life the
Frenchman lost nerve, and made « backward
leap, which exposed Mudara to the rush of the
savage beast.

Then it was that the lion king showed the {
stuff of which he was made. With a yell which -
might well have struck terror to the stoutest
heart, the Kroo threw forward his } road shield
which he always carried at his back. Plantin
his foot firmly, he set the edge of the shiel
upon the ground, and grasping the: trongest of
his javehins, boldly met the attack, while Paul
De Lacy, crawling like a snake thro::gh the lon
grass and dragging his gun after km, reach
a p.ace of safety. As he did so he! ard a rat-
tling, hollow sound as the claws 6f the lioness
struck the tough bull-hide of the shisld. Whirl-
ing over on his back the Frenchmen began to
reload, and when he sprung to bis f: et with the

furiously upon the broad shield, which was ly-
ing “Ey — the ground; Mudara was nowhere
in sight
Mudara’s shield was very large, nearly seven
feet in length, and hollowed like the back of a
turtle. It had been a source of much merri-
ment to Jim and Ernie Castleton, who called it
a canoe, and wondered that the chief should .
care to lug such a ponderous affair with him.
It was of tough bull-hide, crossed on the outside
by sinews of the rhinoceros, and capable of
bearing a, great weight.
There was the shield, but where was Mudara?
_As Paul gazed and the lioness drew to one
side for a momené,.one edge of the shield was
suddenly lifted, and a linet was thrust
ioness! She turned
again with an agonized roar, but as b-fore the
shield lay flat upon the ground, and all her
efforts were not enough to raise it. Again and
again she charged upon the hollow shield, but
as often as she did so, only the rattle of the bull-
hide and the laugh of the hidden warrior was
the reply. By this time Paul had reloaded his
rifle, and taking steady aim sent a ball into
the shoulder of the lioness. Maddened by this’
new wound she sprung toward the Frenchman, ~
going upon three legs, but before she pes
uo a

 

through end through the beast’s body,
It a enough, The barbed poinireally had

rage and pain, the brave lioness rolled over
, just as the other hunters came rushing

"gealerite cried Paul, ‘My friends, zis

lion family, laid low in one day! two grande
ehaooar at a very magnifique eland. Aba!
It is a glorious country, and we sall become

TT thought your distinguished days wert

 
       
    
    

       

  

   
    

  
8 Paul De Lacy, the French Beast Charmer.

 

over when the lioness charged you, old boy,”
said Arthur, ‘If it had not been for the chief
here you would have been stripped into ribbons
by this time. Where was that eye for which
you claim such power?”

“ Mon ami,” answered Paul, laying his hand
upon the shoulder of the speaker, ‘‘zere arrive
to every man moments w’ich overpower zoe
strongest heart, and I assure you zat for ze mo-
ment I forgot zat I had an eye!”

Artbur laughed, and turning to Danatoo or-
dered him to see that the game was brought in,
and sent Mudara, who looked none the worse
for his bout with the lion, to see that a camp
was made in the bend of the river where the
eland bad been shot. The natives, with shouts
and insults, dragged the bodies of the lions over
the grass, proudly asserting their superiority
over them, now that they were dead. They be-
gan to rejoice in being made the companions of

‘great lords” who had employed them, having
before entertained for them a certain contempt,
as people of no experience, who must gain
knowledge at their feet. But, since Jim, Ar-
thur and Paut had already shown their ability
to cope with the creatures which they hold the
most in dread, they no longer held themselves
to be superior and were ready to obey.

The wagons were drawn up in a sort of neck
of land which inclosed the bend in the river, and
into this bend the cattle were driven, for the
presence of so many lions was proof that the
cattle would have no safety unless strongly
guarded. Paul took upon himself the task of
skinning the lions, for he would not trust the
natives. His work was done neatly, and the

skins stretched for drying before the captain,

who was cook for the party, announced supper
ready. The eland had been cut up and divided,
and the sailors and negroes separated and cook-
ed their own suppers, while the officers and
owners took their meal apart. Most of the ne-
groes and sailors contented themselves with
simply roasting the meat upon a forked stick,
but the others were more dignified in their
meal, and-added acup of hot coffee, of which
they had brought a supply. Mudara was made
captain of the watch for that night, and the
whites crawled into the wakane, where they
made their beds, and prepared for sleep.

Half an hour later pandemonium suddenly
broke out around the wagons; the sleepers start-
ed up and grasped their weapons, satisfied that
their camp had been snddenly assailed by some
savage tribe. But, as they sprung, half-dressed,
from the wagons, they saw the natives hurling
firebrands into the midst of a circle of savage-
looking beasts, which Paul recognized at onceas
hyenas. Three or four shots sent them howling
away, and the whites returned to the wagons.
But it was a strange night, the first they passed
away from the coast, under the African sky.
Grim, shadowy forms flitted by in the gloom.
Strange birds, to them unknown, sailed over-
head. The laugh of the hyena, the bark of tho
Jackal, the distant lowing of the wild buffalo,
and the splash of aquatic animals in the river
near at band, mingled in strange confusion.
Then, dominating over all, and for the moment
bushing all other sounds, came the distant roar
of a lion, roaming, cat-like, in search of prey.

But, little by little, they grew accustomed to
these sounds and dropped off to sleep, and none
were awake of them all save Mudara and the
Africans whom he had selected to guard the
camp. And when morning broke they sprung
up, ready to relish the breakfast which Nature
might provide, for of the eland of the night be-
fore, not a scrap remained.

 

CHAPTER V.
FISH AND SPRINGBOK—“ THE NATIVE ”—A PAIR
i OF. GORILLAS.

“Now for breakfast!” cried Arthur. ‘ What
shall it be? If you say rhinoceros-steaks, you
are weltome, or, perbaps you would prefer to
breakfast on stronger meat. There are the
lions, then,”

“Pah!” scorned Jim, ‘‘I’m hungry enough,
but I don’t think I am far enough gone yet to
eat cat’s meat. Say, Ernie, where are those
hooks? Iam for fish for breakfast.”

The two boys raked out their tackle and
sauntered down to the river, picking out a few

rubs from rotten logs as they neared the stream.
The fish they caught were small but ravenous,
and the bank was soon covered with the finny
treasures. As Ernie sat there with his feet
dangling over the water, there was a sudden
tumult beneath him, and then rose out of the
water a head so hideous that the boy rolled over
and over in his haste to get out of the way,
while Jim abandoned all idea of fishing, for the
time being, and scrambled back out of reach,
Jim thought a moment before he could realize
to what creature that square head, twinkling
eyes, and wide nostrils could possibly belong,
and then he remembered the account he had
heard of him.

“The hippopotamus, Ernie!” he cried.
we had only brought our rifles.”

“Time enough for that, after breakfast,” re-
turned Ernie, as he eee to string his fish.
‘As for me, I want grub, and I don’t care who
knows it.”

They had caught about a hundred beautiful
little fish, something after the nature of the
trout, and, when cooked, tasting nearly as good.
Arthur and Paul had gone out, attended by
Danatoo, to see if they could strike some game,
and the boys set some of the negroes to work
cleaning the fish, while they broiled them over
the. fire, The sailors, seeing the luck they had
had, took fishing-tackle and went down to the
river, and the boys and blacks had all the camp
to themselves. Not long after, they heard the
distant crack of rifles,and an hour later the
hunters came back, the negroes bearing on their
shoulders half a dozen springbok, which they
had been AA enough to strike a little way up
the river. hile some of this meat was being
prepared the hunters sat down to enjoy the
fish which the boys had caught, and which they
pronounced delicious. A

““Wesaw a hippopotamus,” announced Ernie,
“and after breakfast we are going down to
shoot him,”

“Te

 

*- We can’t stop to bother with him now,” de-
| murred Arthur. ‘Our purpose in coming bere
| is as far off as ever, and we must get into a lion
| country as soon as we can.”

———

 
 

Se

 

a dr Ee copes ee

 

 

 

Paul De Lacy, the French Beast Charmer. 9

 

‘¢Y should say this was a lion country,” was
Ernie’s opinion.

‘We've got to take a family alive. Neither
Paul nor I will go back until we do that.”

“ Pm in no burry,” and Ernie took up another
fish. ‘I don’t want to go out of a country
where we can have such fun as we have had
here. It was worth something tosee Jim leg it,
coe when that rhinoceros was after

im.

“Oh, yes!” returned Jim; “it was nuts to
you to see me dig in. Now, see here, Ernie,
my boy—I’ll have the laugh on you before you
get out of Gallilee; you may be sure of that.”

The others laughed, for they knew Jim well
enough to be sure that he would be very likely
to keep his word. By the time the fish were
disposed of, the springbok steaks were ready,
and they did ample justiceto them. After that,
feeling somewhat lazy, the boys strolled down
to the river once more, hoping to discover his
majesty, the hippopotamus, again, but the
beast, probably disgusted with so much com-
pany, did not appear, aud the boys lay down
under the shade of the trees, bent upon enjoy-
ing themselves, Ernie was the first to get tired
of that, and, stripping off his clothing, stocd
upon the bank and was about to pie head-
foremost into the river, when he suddenly
received a blow. which imocked him several

aces backward to where his weapons lay.
Saicite a pistol in one hand and his knife in the
other, he started to his feet to be confronted
by a being whom he at first took for a native,
a creature a little over four feet in hight, with
short, powerful legs, and wonderfully long,
swinging arms—a real monster, if a human be-
ing it was. *

“See here, old fellow!” cried Ernie, ‘ what
did you do that for, you son of a baboon?”

Gibbering like a maniac, the repulsive crea-
ture caught up a stick which lay upon the
ground and advanced toward the boy men-
acingly, his head bent low, and his eyes glaring
at the lad from under his shaggy brows.

‘ Keep off!” warned the boy, seizing a pistol.

But the creature looked so demoniac that the
ber saw he must do something quickly or
suffer the censequences, The pistol cracked,
and the blood spurted out from below the
shoulder-blade, where the shot had entered.
The creature uttered a wild yell and sprung
back, beating his breast wildly, and stood for a
moment hovering on the river-bank. Then, as
if maddened, he turned and hurled himself
bodily upon the boy. Ernie had time to fire
one shot more, when he was borne down by
the hairy body, and heard the long white teet

ashing together close to his face. Darting up

is left hand, he drove his knife to the hilt in
the breast, A single wild howl of agony, and
the disgusting enemy lay dead, just as the
hunters came running up.

‘What is this?’ cried Arthur, in great ex-
eltement. ;

“Well,” explained Ernie, ‘I didn’t want.to
kill the fellow, but hé tried to hit me witha
club. These natives are simply horrible beasts,
I think.” i

“Natives! What are you talking about?” re-

| snatched. the

‘turned Arthur. ‘“‘ Here, Paul, look at this!
Ernie says it is one of the natives.”

““O'est bon !” answered Paul, laughing; ‘‘Le
grande natif, he be! Ze gorilla, mon enfant:
ze gorilla 1

“That's right, Ernie,” put in Jim, laughing.
“Don’t you allow the natives to pick on you,
If I was as green as that, I'd sell my head and
buy a dog, I would.-Took a gorilla for a
native! Ha, ha, ha!”

“Tam sorry ze grande man of ze woods is
dead,” said Paul. ‘‘ I would give much to have
taken him alive, by gar! Ver’ well; I s’all pro-
ceed to divest him of hees garments.”

Drawing bis knife, he turned the creature
over, and proceeded to flay him in the most
approved style, while the rest went back to
camp, leaving bim to his congenial task.
Scarcely had they settled themselves comfort-
ably, when a wild yell of rage and a thunder-
ing ‘‘ Sacre!” came to them on the burdened
breeze.

“Help, comrades, help! Ze villain ’ave car-
ried it avay; ’ave it transported from my care.
Oh, ze diable! Help! Mille diables, scelerats,
coquins, canaille! Help; for ze love of ze
Virgin, come to my aid!”

They thought the poor Frenchman in mortal
peril, and grasping their weapons, ran down
with hurried steps toward the river. The
sound was receding, and as they reached the
river bank, they saw Paul running like a mad-
man along the bank, rifle in hand, while before
him ran three or four tall figures, the foremost
carrying across his shoulder the form of the
dead gorilla, Then they understood that the
family of the creature, actuated by what
motive it is impossible to say, had rushed in

ody of their slain friend, and
hastily decamped, leaving the irate Paul to
mourn its loss. But he, not satisfied to lose it
in that way, had at once taken up the chase,

“We shall never have a better chance,” cried
Arthur. ‘There are young ones in the party
and remember that they must be taken alive.’

They bounded away in pursuit, and soon
caught up with Paul, who was ore close
on the tracks of the gorillas, bleeding from a
wound in the head, where one of them had dealt
him a savage blow. But this had only served
to arouse the wrath of the Frenchman, and he
would have followed on their track while he
had a leg to stand on.

“Revenge, Paul!” encouraged Arthur.
“There are two young ones, and they must be
ours. As for the big fellows, no one could tame
them, but with the young it is different.”

The gorillas, seeing themselves so closely pur-
sued, turned aside from the river, and soon
after Paul came up with the stolen body, which
the man-brute had at last thrown aside in order
to save himself,

But, even in this moment, the two older
animals took tho rear rd and ran somewhat

 

slowly, gnashing their teeth savagely at the
ursuers, Before them lay a thick jungle; if
hey once reached it, all would be well for
them. But, on the very verge of safety, there
‘rose up from the edge of the jungle a party of
_ Mudara’s men, who had made a circuit in order
' to impede the flight of the gorillas.

Se ne

 

Seep See Se

SS gg aa mn RE

sos

ia rena

Soe

Rea

stilts

i
;
f

 
10

‘Paul De Lacy, the French Beast Charmer.

 

Before the young ones could retreat, they
were borne down under the shields of Kroomen,
bound hand and foot, unable to move. Then
the others, with furious yells of rage, hurled
themselves upon the negroes, only to be borne
back upon the points of the assegais, and to fall
at last, payee by a hundred wounds. . The
hunters had secured a long-sought prize—a

young male and female gorilla—and their hearts
were full of pride as they went back to camp,
dragging their unwilling captives with them.

CHAPTER VI,
KING SIBATICANE’S ENVOY—AN ALLY—‘‘ THE
KING IS DEAD—LONG LIVE THE KING.”

Tuy were delighted with their success, for
one of their dreams was the capture, alive, of
these supposed ‘‘links” between man and the
brute creation.

The gorillas were placed in one of the cage
‘wagons and in charge of one of the mates, three
sailors, and ten of the negro escort, sent back to
the schooner, the mate carrying written orders
as to how the captives were to be treated. An
hour later both parties were on the march, the
larger section trecking on over the vast plain
toward the land where they had determined to
make their permanent camp before the grand
hunt began. Three days later the negroes raised
a shout, and Mudara pointed to a conical hill

_ which rose in the distance, :

“That is the place!” he explained. ‘‘ There
we make a camp, and not all the men of the
country can drive us out.”

“Do you think the natives will fight?”

“Until they know the power of the great
lords I am proud to serve,” answered Mudara.
“The King Sibaticane thinks proudly of him-
self; he has even dared to cross spears with
Mudara, but a little lesson from my great
master will teach him his place.”

Three hours later they reached the front of
the hill, and the patient men dragged the
‘wagons to the top. Once there Arthur could
not help saying that the negro bad shown great
skillin his choice of a camp. It was a sort of
‘natural fortress, sssailable only upon one side,

for the river swept in a great circle about the
base of the hill, which rose from the water in
an almost perpendicular line. Three men, well
armed, could have defended this part of the

~ hill against an army of natives. Upon the crest
of the hill rose a strange Serer an open-
ing large enough for the wagons to drive
in, and from this the road descended in a
regular slope, which, swept by the fire of rifles,
pond be a very warm place for an assailihg

force, aoe
Good enough ! declared the young leader of
the hunters, ‘We coul

against us

~ , even as they were standing on the crest

of the parapet the sound of barbaric music was

heard upon the river, and a fleet of great war

canoes rounded a point and came bearing down
_ upon the, hill. Some of these canoes were of

eat siz6, carrying a hundred fightin
Rearisting their spears and beating their hollow
shields, accompanying the action by tz

 

hold our own bere |
against a greater force than is likely to come -
. ' the shore, under a shower of spears from tke —

men, ,
| covering !
us and ran hastily up the

yells. In the foremost canoe, under & canopy
formed from the feathers of the ostrich, sata
man of gigantic frame, fully equai to Mudara
as far as muscular force was concerned. By a
rapid count Arthur made out the assailing force -
to consist of nearly six hundred men.

Ata signal from the giant king the canoes
drew together, and soon a light craft, carryin;
only four men, rounded the base of the hill an
landed. One of these men carried upon a spear
a white ostrich feather as a token of amity,

“Let them come,” ordered Arthur. ‘This
means peace, so far.” q

The strange heralds advanced at a run
quickly ascended the slope, and appeared ab
the entrance. Arthur, accompanied by Mudara
as interpreter, met them. The man bearin,
the white feather came boldly forward an
spoke, and his words were interpreted by:
Mudara. = ;

“The mighty King Sibaticane demands of |
Mudara who are these white witches he has
brought into our country? Sorrow always
comes to our race in the day when the great
canoes of the white men come to our shores, —
Let Mudara speak!” ee

“These are my friends,” answered Mudara.
“They only come among us to hunt the lion
the elephant and the rhinoceros. They can kill
as far as they can see. Would Sibaticane know
their power? Great lord, stand upon the rocks
and kill yonder bird in the air.” - Beane

The-canoes had drawn iu close to the base of
the hill, and Arthur, taking a light sporting ©
rifle, stepped upon the rocks, High above his
head wheeled a great bird—so high, indeed, ©
that it seemed an impossibility to bring it down.
A tremendous roar of Jiughter broke from the
men in the canoes ds they saw him point the
rifle at the bird sailing almost in the clouds. —

There was a moment of suspense; then the ie

rifle cracked, and the smoke curled lazily up-
ward. The bird was seen to give an upward
spring in the air; then, closing his pinions, came
down headlong into the canoe where the king
sat, falling at his very feet. He caught it up
hastily and was seen to examine it. A great
discussion arose among the men in the canoes,
and one, a tall young chief with a waving
ostrich feather in his headdress, appeared to be
especially prominent in opposition to the king,
who once or twice shook his hand at him —
fiercely. All at once the canoes were seen to

divide into two bands, the larger portion —

remaining with the king and the others siding

with the young chief. ; oe
“Tp is Naduna,” cried Mudara. ‘‘ He is wise; —

he knows the power of our great lords, Come

' to us, Naauna!” he cried in a voice of thunder.

“Come to us, and we will make youking.”
“Can you trust them?’ questioned Arthur, as —
the canoes of the young chief turned toward

king’s lances. — : is
“Yes,” declared Mudara. ‘‘Naauna. has

large heart; he will do no wrong, and i

had been done, he would be king

country.” : ea oe
ef Naauna bounded to the

The

 
Paul De Lacy, the French Beast Charmer.

Alls

 

3 hill, Arthur permitted them fo enter, and then
took the young chief by the hand. ; ;
“We are friends!” he said, simply. “I will |

make you great.” | ¥

The young chief, a really handsome-looking |
fellow although black as ebony, bowed his head |
as Mudara interpreted the words of Castleton,
and then addressed a few rapid words to his

_ followers. They were about two hundred in
number, armed only with the spears and shields
of their people. They raised a shout, and clam-
bering up the rocks began to rain their assegais
ti the advancing host of King Sibaticane,
who were already raging up the slope, uttering
hideous yells, and beating their barbaric instru-
ments of war with all their force.

“Stand back!’ commanded Arthur of
Mudara and his men. ‘ Let me show you how
tae white men fight. Take charge of your men,
captain!” j

“Petrels, ahoy!” cried the captain. ‘ Stand
by to repel boarders!” :

The negroes fell back, and the sailors, seizing
their muskets, sprung to the parapet.

“Give it to them!” shouted the captain.
“Pour it into them!” -

Arapid and murderous fire began, sweeping
the narrow road through which the enemy .
must advance,

At the first volley their front began to shake, |
and fancying that their shields would stop these
deadly missiles they threw them in front and

~ egain pushed on. But they might as well have

‘interposed gauze screens to stop the bullets of
the Petrel’s men, and leaving twenty or thirty
dead upon the slope, they rushed wildly down
the hill. King Sibaticane, who had not taken
any part in the assault, now sprung to the
shore and took the advance.

“Black dogs!” he yelled, ‘follow me, and
see how I sweep away these white witches.”

Filled with courage by his presence, they
rushed on again, when Arthur, Paul and the

two boys sprung into the gateway, holding a

revolver in each hand. Not a shot was fired ©
until the enemy was near enough to show their
glaring eyes, when, at a word from Arthur,
the sailors again opened fire, and the enemy
seemed to melt away before them. Only a
hundred men. the pride and flower of Sibati-
cane’s army, stood by the king as he continued
his bold advance up the hill. He had flung
aside his shield, and now, four assegais in one
hand and a single one in the other, signed to his |

: men tocomeon, Then Naauna bounded upon |
the parapet.

“Look, Sibaticane,” he cried. ‘These are
my friends. Alone, with no help from me or

mine, they can beat you. But Ido not love to

see the blood of my people. Let us figh

 

ght,
and the one who is slain sball be king in. Bale-
orga,” s; i
it is good!” answered back the king; ‘and
will the white wizards be my friends, if you”
areslain?” .
eNews! BT 3
Sibaticane waved his hand, and his men at
once halted, Changes in ee are so
‘common among them that they it w
paxtect n ce. Besides, they really loved

i

king, for Sibaticane had rule

| the next day the boats of

regarded it with ©
i

the young chief, and but few among them would
have been sorry to see Naauna king.
“Take your shield, Sibaticane,” cried the
ng chief as he bounded from the wall. “I
come to meet you.” ;
Furious for battle, with a roar that might
have made even the lion tremble, Sibaticane
bounded forward, sending a javelin whistling
through the airashe came. Naauna turned it
aside with his shield, and sent one back
which pierced the shield of the king and was
buried deep in his shoulder. Pulling the
weapon from the wound the king hurled it back,
but again the young chief eluded the weapon
and returned one which bore away the crest 01
ostrich eae which the king wore. At lasc,
each holding a single javelin, the two shields
clashed together, and each strained every nerve
to bear the other back. The giant strength of
Sibaticane began to prevail; Naauna was forced
back, step by step, while a groan of po
broke from the lips of his men. Mad wi
delight, the king pressed forward more eagerly,
when Naauna bounded suddenly aside—so sud-
denly indeed, that Sibaticane stumbled and
nearly lost his footing. Before he could recover,
the javelin in the hands of the young chief was
driven deep into his side, and with a hollow

| groan the king fell dead at the feet of his con-

ueror. Naauna raised his spear, reeking with
the blood of the king, and the united shout from
both parties hailed him king. He came back

and bent the knee before Arthur.
“ Be good to me,” he said. ‘‘ Naauna will be

‘your true brother while the blood is in his —

veins,” _ ; ;

And from that hour not even Mudara was {|
more faithful or true than the new king,
Naauna, ‘

J CHAPTER VII. —
UP THE RIVER—RIFLE PRACTICH—HOOKING A
; HIPPOPOTAMUS. ;
Ture future was now secure as far as safety
from the natives was concerned. In reality the
negroes had wished the young chief to be their
them with a rod
of iron, and they knew that in all justice the
succession had belonged to Naauna. Besides,

_the sample they had bad of the prowess of the
_ white wizards had been enough for them, and

they no ar desired to have any quarrel
with them. The country was full of game, and
no one could travel a mile over if without meet-
ing some object new and interesting.
‘The rest of the day was spent in clearing —
away the signs of the recent fight and in forti-
fying the place against assault, not so much
from the natives as the savage beasts which —
roamed the forest. Naauna and his men had

_ returned to their village to take possession of i
and at the same time prepare for a great hun’

which be promised Arthur should surpass any- —
thing he had ever seen. At early morning on
1 King Naauna could
be seen descending the stream, and the bunters
at once took their places, Arthur and the |
two twins going in the king’s boat, and the ©
others honoring those of the principal person- _
ages of the realm, m. Paul chose that which car

 
  

12

 

Paul De Lacy, the French Beast Charmer.

 

 

ried the Princess Runa, the sister of the young
king, who, had her skin been white, would have
been a peerless beauty. She received the
Frenchman with a smile which displayed teeth
of dazzling whiteness, and invited him’ to a
seat with her under the canopy of ostrich
plumes. When all was ready the boats pushed
off, and began the ascent of the river, one of
those almost unknown streams with which
Africa abounds. As the men worked the pad-
dles they broke into rude songs, and the boysly-
iug under the waving canopy, watched the green
banks as they passed, and waited for a chance
to display their skill with the rifle. The chance
was not long in-coming in a country where
game is so abundant and the weapons of the
natives are inadequate for theirdestruction, In
going three miles they killed six springbok,
- @ wildbeeste, and several beautiful and to them
unknown birds. All at once there rose under
the bow of the king’s canoe the square head of a
giant hippopotamus, his wicked little eyes
laring at the boat. Without a moment’s hesi-
tion Ernie planted a bullet between bis eyes,
and he sunk with a mighty splash. Scarcely
had he done so when there was an angry rush in
the water below, and to their surprise the canoe
was surrounded by these strange water animals.
At least.a dozen of all ages, from the ‘‘ baby”
not much larger than a good-sized pig to the
giant of many tons, crowded about the canoe,
snapping at it with their wide-open jaws, tear-
_ ing pieces out of the gunwale and in various
ways manifesting a disposition to make mince-
meat of the craft which they regarded as the
_ direct cause of the wrong done to their compan-
ion. The oarsmen dropped their paddles and
grasped their javelins, the whites seized their
rifles, and a battle royal began. The strange
creatures received their death wounds grimly,
_ and ‘yet no sooner had one sunk than out of the
_ river depths rose another horrid form with
wildly gleaming eyes. In a boat of stronger
build Arthur would have laughed at their as-
_ saults, but he could feel the shocks trey gave it
were terrific and that it could not much longer
sustain them. All at once the canoe rose at the
stern, and the bottom was forced inward with
_ such force that the water began to pour in.
At a signal from the king another large
canoe rai up, and they quickly embarked, but
' not until Ernie had caught up a rope of sea
Sire oie large hook attached and forced it
through the lower jaw of the huge creature
which had driven his head through the bottom
of the boat. - ;

ee Clap on here, half a dozen of your old
_ tanoes,” cried the boy. ‘We'll tow the old

‘ool ashore, and see how he likes it.”
The king at once understood, and shouted his
orders in the voice of a stentor, and instantly
she second canoe headed for the bank, and the
men sprung out taking the end of the rope
withthem It was nearly threo inches in diame-
ter, rudely made, but of wonderful strength.
They were satisfied that not even the enormous
hippopotamus could break it.
heade to the bank, and soon
dred men manned therope. = :
rant to kill Msaid Arthur,

 

 

     

   
  

   
  
 

  
  

 
 

  

   
 

 

Mudara explained the wishes of the white
wizard, and the negroes began to tug at the
rope, shouting in great glee, for they had never
taken the giant game in this senuee way. The —
creature resisted fiercely, but the boy had
shown great skill in forcing. the hook into his
mouth, and every movement on bis part was
torture to him. - Twice he appeared upon the
surface, when, eee | sight of his enemies, t
he plunged again, but from the positionofthe = = |
hook in his mouth he could not breathe and was )
forced to come to the surface again. Each
time he did this the creature- was dragged
nearer and nearer to the shore, and at last he pee
stood in the shallow, bracing his short sturdy = ff
legs, but hardly able to endure the agony of Eas
the hook in his jaws. : 6
““Oh, come and see us,” cried Ernie, as he —
tugged at the rope. ‘‘ You are my meat, old
chap; we want you.”

The savage beast stamped and snorted, and
tried his best to shake the torturing hook out,
but the natives kept the rope taut, and inch by —
inch he was dragged out of the water, until he
stood fairly upon the bank. ae ee

Mudara, “TI will

‘‘ Hold him there,” cried
show you a Kruman’s trick.” :

He ran back a few steps and pulled up a dark-
looking weed which broke with a crackling
sound in his hand. “eps a

“Give me fire,” he said to Jim. utdonot
breathe the smoke when the bush burns,” in

Jim took out bis match safe and lighted a
poe of tinder, which he gave to the negro. He

lew it into a flame and applied it to the Putt
out of which burst a dense smoke, Bosgmee ;
by a crackling sound something like disc 6B se
of torpedoes. Grasping the bush Sealy. hes
negro ran up and waved it to and frobefore _
-the nostrils of the huge beast. He glared —
savagely and made a dash, but the negrobound- ~
ed back a RAE or 29s still Bibi as smoking
bush before the eyes of the ampbibia. All at
once he reeled blindly and tried to sustain him-
self, but his knees trembled and finally gave
way, and he sunk to the earth with a sort of
gasping sigh, and Jay motionless. | _ ee
“Come and tie him,” cried Mudara, “He
can do no harm,” ; oe
Drawing a bowie, Ernie na all cut off four

 
 
   

 

 

     
       
       
      
      
      
      
    
           
    
   
   
     
    
  
 
 
  
  

 
 
 

 
 
   
 

 

“

     
   
  
 

    

 

  
     
  

  
   
 
 
   

    
 
   

 

  
      
  
  

    
   
  
  

 

 
  
  
 
  
  

   
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

   

stout pieces of the cable, and callin
tain to his assistance, they bound

the giant with true sailor skill. By he
began to struggle faintly, but Mudara again
thrust the smoking bush under his nose, and he

became quiet. Then they formed a a
of the cable, which was made fast about the
ponderous jaws of the monster and he was

secure. ae ae tee

“Start half a hundred of these black fellows
back after one of the cages, Arthur,” said Ernie, —
“Don’t say I never did anything for you.” __

At a word from Mudara half a dozen natives —
started back on a run, and quickly reappeared,
drawing one of the largést of the wagons. The
hippopotamus, still in a half senseless condit
was aeseeed into the ogee the united efforts
of the entire force, and # or securely
This done, the cavalcade was once mc

 
   
 
 
  

 

        
 

 

 

1otion, 1 an
ing along gt ban and de

 
 
 

 

Paul De Lacy, the French Beast Charmer.

i3

 

neared it an army of natives, men, women and
children, came rushing out to meet them,
making the day hideous with their yells. But
the hunters had by this time become accustom:
ed to the rude ways of the natives, and proudly
entered the village with their weapons at the
snoulder, guarding the giant monster which had
so strangely come into their hands. A man
‘was selected from’ the natives who had
trained Hippopayany before, and from that time
until the schooner sailed he watched the crea-
ture, and in time taught him that he had noth-
ing to fear from the men who had dragged him
_ from his native river.

CHAPTER VIIT.
WE pass 0% ie ised ll;

z over the proceedings in the village,
the savage dances, the wild feasts, the warlike
games and the various means resorted to by the
young king to make their visit pleasant. But,
on the third day, they prepared for a hunt un-

‘like anything‘ they had ever seen—the Hopo.
What is a Hopo? :
It is a game trap, which is seen only in
Africa, and could only be of use in a country
where the game is very abundant. ‘ihe hopo
- which was the property of King Naauna was
built of stout young trees, placed in the earth
close together and wattled between with stout
boughs. It consisted of two fences of this kind,

ee

 

*

 

 

     
     
    
    
   

mile apart. From this point the fence gradu-
ally increased in hight and at the same time
came nearer together, until at the apex it was

_ scarcely a hundred feet wide. Not far from
this narrow opening a sort of raised platform
had been built, and upon this was seated the
king and queen, Princess Runa and other great
personages of the tribe, together with their

- visitors, who had been promised a grand sight.
- he men of the tribe had been out for some
ours, and, spread out ina great circle, were

Cg.

    
     
       
      
     
      
     
 
       
   
      
   
   
   
    
   
    
     
     
      
 
       
       
     
      
      
  

 

  

all the game whic came in their way, and
scaring them toward the mouth of the hopo,
gradually contracting the circle, and taking
especial pains to see that none of the animals
_ breke through and escaped. There had not
_been a grand battue of this kind for nearly a
month, and the game was abundant. So high
was the platform upon which the visitors sat

  

- 4 elosure, nearly two miles in all, as well as hear
the horrible din which was kept up by the
beaters, who were pounding upon every con-
ceivable instrument that could make a noise,

_ With this came the roar of lions, the angry
grunt of the rhinoceros, the hoarse, bellow of
the buffalo, the bark of the packal, the
fiendish yell of the hyena, and a dozen other
different’ sounds, as made by the game animals
of Africa when in fear or distress, Then, far
down the hopo, they caught a glimpse of a moy-
ing mass crowding into the great corral and

  

     
  

Pate

the smaller opening or throat of the
rough which they saw an-avenue of escape.
Tbe white men, wildly excited, sprung to |

 

proacnea the village of Balegonga. As they -

rather low at the place of beginning and half a

ting through the jungle, driving before them —

Res that they could see the whole length of the in-

blocking it up from side to side, all pene
hopo,

   
 

    
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
   
    
    
    
     
       
     
     
   
    
    

“Not yet,” said the king, laying his hand
upon Arthur's arms, ‘You do not need the ©
fira-sticks now.”

“But they will escape! Why did you not
close up the opening to the hopo, and you would
have had them fast?” >

The king smiled.

‘‘Let my white brother be seated and he will
see that even the black men have some w:s-
dom.”

Arthur sat down but with his eyes fixed upon
the struggling creatures as they neared tne
apex of the hopo. They were, as we have sail,
representatives of nearly every animal known
to this coast of Africa. In the van bounded a
large herd of Cape buffalo, huge beasts with the
wide-spreading horns which distinguish them so
completely from others of the bovine race, Bs-
hind them lumbered a black rhinoceros, in close
companionship with a huge lion, evidently
frightened half out of his senses. Behind
them still came a motley mass, the towering
giraffo, the hartbeests, the brindied gnu, the
tessebes, and last, but not least, the zebra in all
his glory. This great mass of animal life was
followed by nearly a thousand natives, howling,
pounding upon their broad shields, and driving
their javelins into the flanks of the animals in
the rear to urge them on. Those in front had
already seen the opening of the hopo, and the
daylight beyond, and hoped that once through |
it they could scatter over the surrounding coun-
try and bid defiance to their enemies.. as

“T don’t ses throuzh your game, Mudara,” —
said Jim. ‘Why don’t we open fire? can
take that buffalo bull from where I sit just as
easy as falling off a log.” »

‘““Watch, and you see,” answered Mudara, —
‘Tf any escape = may shoot them, buf don’t
fire now to turn them back, Here they come!”

As he spoke the buffaloes in the advance
bounded between the two extremities of the
hopo,. Their feet landed upon what seemed a
bed of green grass, but scarcely had they dene
so when there came a hoarse bellow of ise -
and fear, and the foremost of the herd crashed
through the artfully-covered pitfall which lay |
in the very throat of the hopo. Evenif they
would have turned back now they could not,
for the crowd of frightened animals bebind, .
who could not see the danger, pushed them fcr-
ward, The single lion made a bound which ~
carried him nearly across the pit, but he fell —
short and dropped into the hole, only to be~
crushed down under the huge body of the rbi- —
noceros, which followed so closely behind him, —
And now the circle of black fiends, for they —
seem nothing else, close in upon the doomed —
herd. The javelins Bp rouge the air in clouds; —
the long spears drink the heart’s blood of the
beautiful game, It is a scene of horror, cf
slaughter, beyond anything of which the white
hunters have ever dreamed. The pit is twenty
fect in depth, fifty feet wide, and over one hun-
dred. feet in length; a “perfect chasm, a gulf
-which took in even these gigantic beast: ae
scores. ‘They went tumbling into the horrib:
grave in horrible confusion, and the Bedlam of
obirepee cries which arose was something

This in

 

 

  

 
 
 
 
   

 

 
  
   

14

Paul De Lacy, the French Beast Charmex. |

 

 

Arthur, unable, however, to turn away his
head.

 

‘*We have many mouths to fill,” observed the
chief, quietly, ‘‘and we have not the fire-sticks
of the white man. We must do the best we can.”

“T don’t know as I can blame you,” averred
the young man, as the beautiful animals con-
tinued to plunge into the pit, ‘ but it looks like
a useless, wasteful slaughter. Ha, look at that
springbok ?

One of these ‘ight-footed creatures was seen
to spring over the bodies of those already in the
| pit, and, bounding like a ball, leap over the

i edge and disappear. By this they knew that

! the hole was nearly full, and that their time

! had come. Grasping their weapons they sprung

| to the front of the platform and waited.

. “T speak for yonder eland,” said Arthur, as

os oe splendid animals sprung half out of

e pit,

“T take the gnu!” called out Jim.

“*T will strike a zebra,” announced Ernie.

* And I shall select from ze assembled multi-
tude zo stately giraffe,” was Paul’s exclama-
tion. ‘‘ Here ay come!” £

By this time the pit was full to the brim, and
the men were spearing such of the struggling
animals as attempted to escape. But the pit
would hold no more, and animal after animal
was seen bounding over the struggling mass and
making a rush for liberty. It was at this mo-
ment that, each selec.ing the beast at which he
_ would shoot, the white men opened fire. Arthur,

standing erect and using one of his light rifles,
drove a ball directly through the heart of the
eland, which ae in his tracks with asinglo
hoarse bellow. Jim put one bullet into the
fore-shoulder of the great gnu, which staggered
the creature and brought it to a walk, and
while it turned its noble head to see from
whence the ball had come, a second bullet be-
tween the eyes finished the work so well begun.

Ernie, who was a splend¢l shot, brought down

a beautiful zebra, more for his skin than any-

thing else, and Paul missed his giraffe with

both barrels, simply for the reason that he fired
at the swaying head. Before the Jarge herd
was able to get out of reach the hunters kad
fired three times and Paul redeemed his lost

glory by bringing down a huge kordoo and a
wildbeeste, Then they approached the pit and

watched the natives as they dragged out the

_ bodies of the slain.

“Don’t spear that zebra!” shouted Ernie, as
the fleet-limbed steed of Africa was drawn from
the pit. ‘ By George; if had him alive ’d
ride him! Ha; give mea strap here, Cap. He's
alive, as sure as fate!”

_ . The zebra, which had simply been smothered
beneath. the mass of bodies, now began to

breathe, and taking a broad band of eland skin

from the hand of a native, the boy tied the fore-

- leg of the creature after the manner of the

horse-tamers of his own land. Then, using a

"stout piece of line, he made a strong but some-

_. what clumsy bridle, which he fastened secure!

upon the head of the zebra, | And, as the ani-

mal s oe to his feet, utterly bewildered,
agile | ey een upon his back, greepin

bridle 3 with one hand and his knife

   
  
  
  
    
  
    
      
   
  
      
   
 
   
 
 
     
   
  

   
 
    

   
  
 

  

 

  

  
  

 
   
   
  
  
 

  
  
   
  

 

  

        

 

the world before I get done
‘spent the rest of the day in making a bit and |

schooner sailed

CHAPTER IX. i
TAMING A ZEBRA—THE GIANTS’ BATTLE—s
LIVELY CORPSE.

Most men who have engaged much in ath-
letic sports have specialties, and Ernie Castle-
ton was one of thé best boy horsemen who ever
crossed a steed. He had practiced in a section
where men must learn to ride well, upon the
plains of the far West, and when there be would
not hesitate to mount the worst of Mexican
plugs, those redoubtable “‘buckers,” who will
shake even the practiced ranchero in his seat, —
It was not the first time, then, that he had
backed a wild horse, and the zebra, snorting in
terror and wild with rage, did not frighten him, —
But at the same time he would have given muc
just at that moment for a good saddle and stir-
rups, or at least a pair of spurs. The zebra
bounded high into the air and came down with
a bump, while the natives scattered from be-
fore him with singular rapidity, for they fear
the zebra almost as much as the lion.

“Tet him leap off and run,” cried Mudara.
“Ts the boy mad?”

But the boy did not look in the least fright-
ened. He sat the animal with easy grace, his —
eves flashing arent his knees pressed against
the ribs of the little horse, and his hand holding
firmly the improvised bridle. Three times the —
zebra tried to rear, and as often as he did so the ©
point of the bowie, pressed against his neck,
warned him that he must not play that game. -
All at once he yprung away in vicious bounds, ©
going upon three legs, but the boy only laughed
and urged him on. The zebra ctopped as sud~— :
denly as he had started, for he found ‘hat three —
legs were scarcely enough for his mode of trav-
eling. He appeared to in deep thought, and
all at once dropped as if shot and rolled over on |
his back! But Ernie was on his feet, p asping
the end of the bridle firmly, and fairly bringing
the zebra upon his knees every time he attempt-
ed to pullaway. Furious with rage, he rushed
beadlong at the lad, but Ernie held his ground
and threw the wild ste’! with a rapidity which
took the animal completely by surprise.

‘You'd better give it up, you barber’s imp,”
cried Ernie. ‘‘I never saw the brute yet I
couldn’t bring on his knees, Ah! would yout —
Come down!’ tee

And the zebra, which had leaped to his feet

   

 

 

   

 

   
   
        
    
  

   
       
    
     
     
 
     
   
    
  
 

 
   
  
   
   
    

again, was thrown with considerable ' force,
and ae time he lay quiet, evidently completely ©
cowed. \

‘Get up, here!” ordered the boy, striking bim
on the side, ‘* Now, look out, I’m going to mount
you again; so take care what you do.” es

He rode the animal about the plain, still go.
ing ee three legs, and brought him back. 3

‘That’s enough for one day,” he said. ‘‘To-

morrow 1 will train him with e bit, and Pll
show you one of the neatest aon animalyin
with bin.” -
The boy was as good as his word, 1nd having.

    

    
   

  
   
  

bridle, he was ready for the tussle next day,
It was a hard fight, but in the end he was mor
than conqueror, Aad from that time until the
Ernie rode his zebra and would |
not have changed him for the best A: ican
horse in the world. But woe to any other man

Pt

 

  
 
 

»

Paul De Lacy, the French Beast Charmer.

x

15

 

: oe. dared to lay a finger upon the beautiful
steed. ;

Two days were spent in taking care of the
rreat game which had fallen in the hopo; then
the party, accompanied by five hundred men
under the leadership of Naauna, marched out
into the great central jungle in search of new

adventures. Only two of the wagons accom-
panied them, and these were quickly left bebind
vs they saw how useless it would bé to wear out
the cattle by forced marches.
_ On the evening of the third day they halted
beside a beautiful little lake and made a camp,
_for here they were assured they would find
~ game of every description. When thecemp was
made safe the party stole out to the bank of
the Jake and looked about them, Upon the clay
heach a abi the spoor of nuniberless ani-
mals, and knew that this must be the very para-
dise of hunters, The Jake lay in a sort of basin
inclosed by high, rolling banks, through which

a hollowed road appeared, leading down to the.

water’s edge, This road had been used re-
peatedly, and was beaten as haid as stone by
the feet of ponderous animals. So hard, in-

‘deed, was this highway that the spoor could no |

longer be observed upon it any more than upon
~so much rock.

The hunters took their stations upon both
sides of these openings, and lay quiet, after the
darkness had come, Then the moon s‘ole up,
and pattering feet could be heard along the
hard patb, Peeping out, they could see herds
of antelopes of various kinds and hosts of the
‘smaller gameof Africa going down to the water

-. todrink. Then the earth shook under the tread

of a herd of buffalo, advancing at a gallop, and
scattering the timid deer as they dashed into
the water. Then came a yo of gnus, their
jong horns laid back upon their shoulders, keep-
ing their rank like cavalry horses in a charge.
They passed by, and up trotted a Fee of huge
rbinoceroses of the black species,

_ little eyes twinkling as they dashed along at
age peetilan, low, deceitful gait, These two
halted just in front of the concealed riflémen
and suddenly dove out of sight among the
bushes, Their reason for doing this was not ap-
parent to the hunters, for they knew that noth-
ing earthly could daunt the black rhinoceros.
Then, looming black against the sky, came the

great ears flapping, and evidently bent upon
enjoying themselves in the waters of the tank
below. z : : ;

As these huge creatures arrived opposite the

_ place where the rhinoceroses lay concealed there.

was a sudden rush, and the vicious brutes who
_ had concealed themselves with the sole purpose
of attacking the elephants, came trotting out
- upon them. The male, with an angry grunt,
_ rushed under the body-of the largest of the ele-
_ phants and drove his long horn upward into his
vitals, A terrible roar burst from the throat
of the behemoth, and he tried his best to reach
spunky assailant, but the horn was now in
is ga and, reeling, he fell upon the rhinoce-
Sg tee ng himtotheearth, = = ‘_

heir wicked

characteristic of his race. But this elephant,
more agile or lucky than his companion, suc-
ceeded in presenting his head to the enemy ond
in giving him a vigorous thrust from his lone
| tusks, while the third elephant, trumpeting
‘loudly, advanced to assail their enemy on the
flank. The rhinoceros, seeing himself outflank-
'ed, ran back suddenly without turning his
head, and darted under the legs of the second
| elephant, striking them from under him with a
| quickness which ‘took the great animal com-
| pletely by surprise; and he came rolling to the
earto, only to receive the long horn in his vitals
tha next moment, But while the pugnacious
assailant tugged to extricate his horn, the third
elephant, oneof the largest of his race, sudden-
ly plunged both tusks into the back of the kao-
baba, literally pinning him to the earth.
Scarcely had he done so when two rifles crack-
ed together, and the brave beast, mortally
wounded, fell forward upon the body of the
slain rhinoceros, crushing him down upon the
body of the second elephant.
| The crack of the rifles was the signal, and in-
stantly there was commotion in the tank below.

The terrified gs me, alarmed by the unwonted
| sounds, came bounding out of the watersof tho —
lake, the lighter-footed first, and the heavier
animals lumbering in the rear. Then began a
fusilade from both sides of the hills which was
terrible. Thé crowd in the hopo of the day
before was something akin to it, but no more.
The three elephants and the two rhinoceroseg
lying in the path could not turn the agile an- —
telopes, which bounded lightly over them, but
only to add other bodies to the slain. At every
erack of a riflesome animal dropped, either dead
or wounded, See the hard pathway. :

This terrible baptism of fireand lead met and —
turned back the herds of frightened creatures,
and they stood huddled together, uttering the
various sounds of terror of which they were —
‘capable, until the natives, stealing along in the
water, assailed them upon both flanks and in

 

time uttering yells of the most appalling nature.
This unlooked-for attack drove the poor crea-
tures wild, and they charged up the pathway

‘again, only to meet the leaden showet which —
| had driven them back before. But, wild with

terror now, even the heavy buffalo cleared the
ponderous forms of thres huge elephants, their”; obstacles in their path, and were soon on the

in, leaving the pathway blocked with gory

Dts. k- . . é ; x
‘* Whoopee!” yelled Jim, bounding down into —
the path. ‘‘ Didn’t we just clean ’em out! Ob,
great Cesar! Shoot him, somebody!” ea
For there rose from amoug the dead and
dying the form of a huge buffalo, which, with ©
‘tail waving and horns lowered, plunged strai;
at the unlucky Jim. It was of no use to
running up the slope, for the animal would be
upon him in two bounds, and, speaking literal-
ly, be was obliged to take the bull by the horns.
| And what horns they were, and what powel
dwelt in the huge neck of the bull he sc
' found out, for with a sudden jerk, which
dragged his arms out of the socket, Jim w
ying over the back of the beast
upon the dead

 

the rear with a shower of assegais, at the same :
 

16

Paul De Lacy, the French Beast Charmer,

 

 

 

     
    
   
   
    
       
      
     
      
      
    
     
     
   
    
   

which lay with its head half: buried under the
body of the elephant. At the same moment
two or three shots sounded, and the bull fell
dead. Just then Jim, with a face as white as
chalk, came flying up the hill.

“Oh, blame my eats, boys, if this. old black
rhinoceros ain’t as lively as a cricket! Let’s
take him alive!” ‘

And the whole es sprung down into the
roadway, but kept back until Mudara had ob-
tained and lighted a bunch of his narcotic weed,
and with this in his hand approached the pros-
trate rhinoceros and applied it to his nostrils.

: CHAPTER X. ;
LASSOING ZEBRAS—TOO BIG A CONTRACT—LION
VS. BUFFALO.
Tre head of the rhinoceros lay, as has been
said, under the body of the elephant, in such a
way that the ugly snout showed under the belly
of the giant, and they could see that while the
black was as lively as a cricket, the weight of
the elephant, combined with the fact that the
long horn had not been withdrawn, rendered it
{mpossible for him to withdraw his head. As
he saw his enemies Snprencung he gave a
vicious snort, and his wild eyes fairly blazed,
but in spite of all his struggles he remained pin-
ned fast to the ground, from which he vainly
‘endeavored to raise himself, As the noxious
plant, emitting its drowsy volume of smoke,
was applied to his nostrils, he made a violent
. struggle, but the elephant was too heavy, and
with a gasping sigh he gave up. There was a
convulsive movement of his legs, and then he
lay quiet and they set about making him secure.
Knowing, as they did, the gigantic power of the
creature, they took great pains with his bonds,
and then, by the aid of levers, succeeded in rais-
ing the body of the elephant so as to withdraw
the horn. Before nightfall the rhinoceros was
_ in one of the cage-wagons and on his way tothe
- village, perfectly furious, but at the same time
- quite unab'e to take revenge. ,
It was idle to ask any work from the natives,
after such a successful hunt. They could not
understand why men should weary tremselves
- with hunting when meat was so plenty; and the
hunters saw, to their disgust, the whole tribe
git down to feast upon the carcasses.
“See here, Mudara,” said Jim; ‘‘let’s have
‘some fun, Isay, Ernie, I wish you had a lasso,
and you could get me a zebra, too.”
*« Gouldn’t you ‘crease’ one?” asked Ernie,
“Arthur could; he shoots closo enough for
that, but I would be likely to shoot bim through
- the neck. No; Pd rather try the lasso.”
“Pye thought of it myself, I can tell you,”
said Ernie, ‘ And to proye it—look here.”
_ And he dragged out a beautiful rawhide las-
_ 80, evidently ust made, :
“Hurrah for you! Come on, Mudara; let's

 

 

  

 

ivory as a pommel. The zebra went wonder-
fully well, and showed no disposition to fight
against his young master, They marched rap-
idly, and at the end of two hours, passing
through a jungle, they stood upon the edge ofa —
broad. plain, looking almost like one of our
western prairies, and upon this countless ani-—
mals were feeding. And, three or four miles
away, upon a sunny slope, they saw a herd of
zebras feeding. While they stood consulting as
to the best means of reaching them, they saw
the leader of the herd throw up his head, and a
moment later, the whole band came down at a
broad, stretching gallop, directly toward the
place where the party stood. : aes
“Back into the jungle!” cried Ernie, tugging
hard at his bridle. ‘‘ Hope I may never see the
back of my neck if they are not coming here, ~
We’ve got the wind in our favor, too. Lay low
‘and keep your eyes ready!” Ss
As he spoke the herd drew nearerand nearer,
the wind coming with them, so it was impossi- —
ble that they should scent their enemies. Ernie —
looped his lasso and made ready. Nearer and
nearer they came, and Jim raised his rifle, de-
termined to try to ‘‘crease ” one of the zebras,
whether he failed or not. Scarcely forty yards
separated the herd from the jungle when Ernie
rode out with his lasso whirling in the air. The
herd wheeled with military precision, but Ernie _
had already picked out a victim, and the lasso
went whirling through the air in a graceful —
wveeD and settled over the head of a beautiful —
zebra, iat ae ieee
Ernie, who had taken mustangs upon the
plains, wheeled ery the moment he saw
the loop settle over the head of the game, aud
eet his own steed off at right angles, The
effect of this was to throw the zebra with a
force which for a moment completely stunned
him. Jim fired at the same moment, and one of —
the zebras fell forward on his knees and then
rolled over on his side; whereupon Jim darted
up, rifle in hand, and saw that bis work had’
been well done: the crease across the neck,
while not deep, was enough to take the power |
out of the animal for the time being. They had
come provided, and in a moment both zebras _
had been strapped a la Rarey, and the two boys —
commenced operations, ie
Ernie insisted that Jim himself must have the
training of the animal he was to ride; so Jim
chose the one which had been thrown by the —
‘lasso. They spent three hours in the work and
at the end of that time both zebras would allow
themselves to be mounted, and that of Jim
could be cowed in a moment simply by laying
the lasso upon his neck. aes 5 icy aeA
“That job is done!” decided Ernie, as he sat
easily in his saddle, leading one animal by
means of bis lariat. “Hey! ‘Look youder,
Jim; there’s fun!” — Bi area pay pt se

 
       
      
    
   
    
    
        
    
   
    
     
    
   
   
   
    
    
   
   
   
    
   
    
       
           
      
   
    
     

 

     
  
   

~ bave a hunt all by ourselves.”
“Toke care of your skins, boys!” warned
Arthur, ee: “T ought to go with you,
but Danatoo and I have business in another ¢i-

rection, You'd better take ten or twelve Kroos,
Seanghow. ok. 520%: ee aa

y. started out, Ernie riding his zebra, |
n be had atted sith a pad-saddle upon

a strong piece of

  
    
 

as

 

1

 

About a mile distant a buffalo cow and cal
were feeding, and upon this calf a lion, prow!
ing in search of food, had set his heart fora
rtion of his noonday meal; and as eg gaz
the lion was seen running from bush. (0 bush,
his eyes upon the calf, who was feeding uncon-

sciously by the side of
If caught sight

  

    
   
 

its mother. All at
the great tawny
of a bush,

 
  

  

the cal
cro

   

  
 
 
  

   
      

 
  
  
 
    
   
    
     
         

 

dent]

 eatchin
the hu

a

wildly.
_ fet the old girl chase him out of the kingdom.”
‘The lion, seeing himself so closely pursued —

Eee

tt

its mother, bleating in fear. ‘They expected

that the buffalo cow would set off at a eee

to their surprise, she did nothing of the kind
but looked at the bush with an angry stamp of
the foot, and a shaking of the head which evi-
meant business.

“ Judas Iscariot!” cried Jim; “if she don’t
mean to fight it out!” ry

“ Two to one on the buffalo if she does!” said
Ernie. : :
_ “Oh, pshaw; that’s all nonsense! Everybody
knows that the lion is the king of beasts.”

“80 called, but T’ll back a Rocky Mountain

izzly to eat up the best lion that ever cracked

nes, in six minutes by the watcb. And this
buffalo cow is fighting for her young, and that
makes all the difference in the world. The cir-

_ cus is opened, and the show is free.”

The lion, who seemed to be a trifle disconcert-
ed by the pugnacious attitude of the buffalo, fi-
nally seemed to make up his mind not to wait
longer for his dinner, for they saw him dart out
from behind the bush and make a rush at the

— ealf, which sunk to the earth overcome by ter-

I But the mother, with her tail as
straight as a pike-staff, and with a sonorous
bellow, ope forward to meet the lion, and
him as he reached the earth “‘raised”
tremendous force. The next moment

ror.

him wi

‘stone hurled from a catapult, alighting in a

_wait-a-bit bush with a force which drew a
shriek of rage and

ain from him. As he
scrambled ouf he made a swift sidelong rush
with the purpose of getting past bis enemy. and

attacking upon the other side, but the cow

came racing down, eyes all aflame and tail
waving, and cut bim off from his prey again. -
“Hurrah!” cried Jim. ‘‘Good for the old
cow! Never say die while there is a shot in the
locker, old lady!” “ 5h
The lion, now wild with rage, made a leap at

the head of the buffalo, but she, nothing loth,

met his rush firmly and inserting her horns un-
der his body as before, sent him flying through
the aic. As the lion crawled out bis tail drop-
ped, and instead of making another attack he
ran for his life, pursued by the angry buffalo

_ with hoarse bellowings of rage and triumph.

“Blow, bugle, blow!” cried Jim, dancing
“ Don’t fire a shot, if you love me, buf

and evidently frightened out of his wits, now

headed directly for the jungle in which the

 

 
  

 
 

  
 
 

hunters stood. Not liking this, Jim ran out and
BY eee which had the effect of turn-
Ing

Ing him, and in a moment he was overtaken by
the buffalo and subjected to another toss.

He was no longer hungry; all he wanted was
to be let alone, and when at last he bounded in-
to a dry crevasse and disappeared among the

thorns, he was one of the most thoroughly
“whipped beasts in Africa. es

zebras had stood their ground well dur-
: moved along at a |

oe over his
t herd of zebra, rid

the shooting, and now
d pace toward the camp.
, Ernie soon saw a (ees
hundred in all, tearing do
them.

 

Paul De Lacy, the French Beast Charmer.

body was flying through the air like a

 

i7

“Go hard, Jim!” exclaimed Mudara, ‘Get
to camp; we all right!” gt as
“Go, Selim!” shouted Ernie, bending for-
ward on the neck of his striped horse, and head-
ing for the conical hilknear the base of which

their camp was pitched. The tamed beasts

seemed to fear their former companions ake i
0

as much as the boys did, and responded nobly,

the led animal keeping well up and going with —

tremendous speed. Behind them raced the wild
zebras, their sides shining in the rays of the
sun, and doggedly bent upon overtaking and
destroying the creatures who had robbed them
of their companions. Many a wild race had
Ernie Castleton rode, many a hard match; but,
since the day when he first crossed a steed he
had seen nothing to equal this or had as much
cause to ride hard, The thud of the flying
hoofs sounded ominously in their ears, and the:
knew that the herd was gaining foot by f
But before them lay the Jake, and two or three
miles away the white-topped wagons gleamed
before their eyes,
“say, Ernie,” gasped Jim, ‘‘ I’m about done,”
‘‘Give up your zebra and run into the bushes.”
** Never!” é J
‘‘Then here they come. Prick him with your
knife; make him go.” ; :
But nearer and nearer thundered the swift
hoofs; the head of the flying herd was barely
ten feet behind them, when there came the
sharp discharge of rifles and the whizz of flying

spears; the herd reeled and took to flight; while |

Arthur and Paul, attended by Danatooand half

a dozen of his men, came rushing fromthe jun-

gle, just in tine, .
CHAPTER Xt. .

‘JIMS REVENGH—THE AARD VARK—PAUL ANI .

THE LION—A LOST SPECIMEN,

Jm was a boy who could.“ stand grief,” as
the eer ine J but it annoyed him not a little’
that Paul De Lacy should make so much sport
at his expense, on account of the zebra chase,
and he looked about for ways and means 0

getting even with his French friend. In a

country like Africa, where they were continu- ~
ally in danger, it is not a matter of surprise

that an opportunity should soon occur, —
“Aha, mon enfant!” laughed Paul, as he
patted the boy oh the shoulder, “you ride ver"
well, by gar! But ze zebra run like ze devil;
ver’ fast!” . ere ; :
“TI guess I know it, don’t1?” grumbled the
boy. “I ought to, if any one does. But see
here, Paul; seeing you’ve got s0 much to say,

  

 

I'd like to see yow on a zebra.”
“T can ride heem,” replied Paul, =
‘*T don’t know whether you can or not,” re-
plied Jim, ‘In my opinion a Frenchman can’t —
ride anything very well. You might stick on

 
 
 
  
  
    
 
 
  
   
   
 
  
    
  

 
       
     
      
     
       
    
     
      
   
     
      
   
   
   
   
    
     
     
    
   
   
   
      
      
 
  
  
   
     
 

    

 
 

a horse—but a zebra! Oh, no!”
et My young f F 1g
‘anything. I belonged to ze hussars, and can
ridelike acentaur.” = 90k 3
vc MATS Te you a chance, We
out after stes to-day, and I sa)
ride

 
 
 
  

 
 

friend,” cried Paul, “I vill ride _
IS 5 oe MTN ly Mang he Oe

  

18

 

Paul De Lacy, the French Beast Charmer.

 

 

see, Millediables! Vat you talk about, Jims?
I a you how to ride, I say so, by gar;
oui-

Jim, having worked his victim up to the point
required, felt more at-ease, and the party pe
pared to start, and Jim brought out his zebra,

laced the bridle i nPaul’s hand, and vaulted
oto the Frenchman’s saddle, Paul did not
hesitate for a moment, but leaped at once upon
the back of the zebra, which stood like a lamb
for amoment, and then ‘‘ bucked,” leaping three
feet into the air, and coming down with stiff
legs, shooting Paul forward on the green sward
with great force. The Frenchman sprung to
his feet, half frantic with rage, and made a
furious dash at the zebra, and again spran
into the saddle, but the animal arched his bac
and shot the Frenchman out again, and, as
Paul lea up once more, the zebra charged at
him with open mouth, squealing savagely, and
Paul, who was as brave as a man need be, ran
for his life, the zebra in close pursuit. It is

impossible to say what might have happened
had not Jim uttered a peculiar signal’ whistle,
and the zebra came back with drooping crest,
and rubbed his nose against the hand of his
master.

“T reckon we may as well change,” declared
Jim, with agrin, ‘’Tain’t every one can ride
a zebra, old fellow.” Y :

* Sacre, no!” replied Paul. ‘Ts’all laugh at
you no more, bon garcon, Butone day I s’all
get oe you call even wiz you on account of zis
trick,

Jim laughed as he changed beasts with the
Frenchman, and they rode away together, Paul
praying in his inmost heart that the zebra
would run away with Jimagain. But nothing
of the kind happened, and they were quickly on
the plain where they expected to find the wild-
beestes. As they rode on Danatoo stopped
and looked curiously at a large ant-hill which
they were passing. The population of the hill
were in great confusion, darting in and out,
and the hill shook as if some great commoticn
was going on below. :

“Want ant-eater, cappen?” inquired Danatoo,
“He good eat.”

** Don’t kill the creature,” cried Arthur Cas-
tleton, as he sprung from the.saddle. ‘I want
_ to take him alive.”

_ Danatoo ran to the bill, and after a furious
_ struggle, succeeded in drawing out one of the
largest specimens of the aard vark which Ar-

   

been bound, he consigned it to the care of two
of the natives, with orders to transport it to the
camp, while the rest of the party continued on
- their hunt, The aard vark, or African ant-
. eater, is indeed a curious creature, and Arthur
was glad to add it to his collection, The ani-
mal had burrowed under the hill, and was en-
aged in depopul ee the colony of avts when
he was captured. Paul was enraptured, a: d
went into ecstasies over the captive, and fear-
ing that the bearers, who were casting hungry
glances at the ant-eater, which they regard as a
Sema tis Uv attly aang?
16D | a , it was safely r
ed to the camp. ppt

4

  

thur had ever seen. He determined to keep tho |
curious creature, if possible, and after it had |

 

and pulled

.ed toward him.
bridle and pulled so hard ‘that Pa

The idea was innocent enough im itself, ard
no doubt would have resulted well but for an
unfortunate circumstance, against which Paul
could not well guard, not having the gift of sec-
ond sight. The rest of the party rode on, and
Paul, after studying the peculiar animal before
him for some time, ordered the men to proceed,
while he rode slowly behind them. Tho four
made a sort of litter, in which they placed the
aard vark, laid it on their shoulders, and ad-
vanced at the trot peculiar to these strange men,
and all was going well, when Paul saw the
bearers cast their burden tothe four winds of _
heaven, and dive into the jungle with the cry
which had before sounded in his ears: :

“Tao, tao!”

‘Ah, miserables!” shrieked the Frenchman, Es
bounding like a ballin his saddle. ‘‘Cowards, — eae
scelerats, negroes vile! Vy yourun and expose a
the aard vark? Oh, grand ciel, how zey run!”

The natives had not stood upon the order of
their going, and were already buried in the x
jungle, when a powerful black-maned lion
crossed the plain with tremendous bounds, di-
rectly toward the Frenchman.

There was nothing on earth for which the
naturalist would fight so bravely as for a speci-
men, and he knew that if he turned his back
the aard vark would surely be devoured by the
lion, and his rage was terrible. Bringing his
rifle to a level, he fired at the lion while yer
upon the bound, and with so sure an aim that
had not bis horse swerved he would have plant-
ed a bullet in his heart. As it was, the ball
passed through the upper part of the back, nar-
rowly missing the spine, and inflicting a painful
wound, which stopped the creature in his
sp. ’

 

 

 

 
    
 
    
 
  
 

 

   

ng.

se a out, poltroons, villains,” screamed —
Paul. ‘‘Vare are your javelins now?” ;
. The flying negroes, who had seén the result of —
the shot, came hurrying out with shields and |
javelins, and advanced in considerable trepida-
ticn to the spot where they had thrown down —
the aard vark. As they did so they saw the —
lion drawing himself along the ground, showing
his teeth in a vicious way, nee evidently still
ready for battle. With startling unanimity —
they hurled their javelins on a useless errand, —
while the lion was at least fifty yards away, —
and again took to flight, while the gallant —
beast, making a great leap, which showed that
he had plenty of life in hia), reached the side of
the aard vark, plainly intending to make a
meal on it. Paul ae from the saddle, as his
aim had been bafiled by the motions of the
horse in his first shot, and throwing the bridie
over his left arm, so that the animal could not
run away, he took steady aim at the lion, which
was already drawing the helpless aard vark to-
ward him with his powerfulpaw. rom
But luck was against Paul for the borse was —
terrified at the immediate presence of the lion, —
master’s arm just at the
wrong moment, and his bullet flew over the
head of the king of beasts, and with a roar
which made the female tremble, the lion bound-
aul would have mounted, bu
the terrified horse ran back to the length of the
Paul could not

   
 

 

  
  
   
    
   
  
 
   

   
  
 
  
  
 

   
 
 
  
  
 

  
  
 
   
  
   
    

  

   

   
 
  
 
 
  
  

     
 
  

  
     
 

 
  

 
   
  

   

 

  
Paul De Lacy, the French Beast Charmer.

 

19

 

get to him, and a torrent of French invectives
Lurst from him, even in the face of danger. —
“Ah, pig-head brute, hog of a horse, vait.

Prenez garde, you fool, you; sacre, let me

mount. I am devour by ze man-eater. He
: ae me at one gulp, by gar. W’o, zen,

‘ool!

He looked over his shoulder, and saw that the
lion was close upon him, and wheeling, drew
his heavy navy revolver and opened a fusilade
which took the animal completely by surprise
and for the moment cowed him, and he
crouched upon the earth ab twenty paces dis-
tant, the red eyes glaring, and the tail lashin
‘the tawny sides with repeated strokes. Pau
had three shots left, and held them, for he did
not care to waste them if it could be avo ded,
and passing the bridle of the struggling horse
over his arm again, he prepared to fill the
vacant chambers, when something in the eye of
the lion warned him that the creature was
about to spring, and he let go the bridle; and,
drawing a bowie with his left hand, braced
himself for the struggle which he knew must
come, and planted a bullet directly between tho
eyes of the lion and waited for his spring,
when one of the negroes, gathering courage,

- erawled up near enough to drive a javelin
through the body of his dreaded enemy from
side to side. It pierced his heart, and the lion
rolled over, kicking in the last agony. At the

 

 

 

 

the other negroes shouted, and with decp rage
in his heart Paul saw another lion bouncing to-
ward the jungle, dragging after him the body
of the aard vark. it bad been a useless strug-
gle, for the prize of battle was lost.

—_—_—

Ae CHAPTER XI.
LION AND ELEPHANT—TRAMPLED UNDER FOOT
BATTLE WITH A ‘‘ ROGUE.”
Paun De Lacy, when his témper was
‘roused, was, like all Frenchmen, exceedingly
excitable, and letting his horse run, he bound-
- ed across the plain on foot, in chase of the lion,
which, incumbered by the aard vark, could not
_make very rapid progress. As he ran the
Frenchman pressed new cartridges into the
empty chambers of his revolver, without stop-
ping fora moment in the pursuit. Paul was
game to the core, and at that moment he would
not. have hesitated to tackle a family of lions
with his bare hands, He shouted at the flying
lion at the top of his voice, hoping that the
savage beast would drop his prey and turn on
him. But for some reason, the animal seemed
more bent on escaping with his prey than on
‘fighting, and continued his course across the
plain, while close behind him bounded the irate
_ Frenchman, brandishing bis arms and scream-
“ing at the top of his voice. The amount of
-vituperation and abuse which he heaped upon
the flying lion was simply astounding, but the

 

me

       

 

continued bis flight, and was about to plunge
into the jungle, when the bushes parted; and
‘elephant, which had been hi

,

    

v4

  

same moment, while Paul was yet triumphant,

‘

animal did not seem impressed by it, and

and a& | |
ding in the | fhe «

ag of the bushes, came charging out upon
Sse
It was a “rogue,” which is the same in
Africa as in Ceylon, a villainous misanthrope,
who likes nothing better than to roam the
forest alone and to attack any unfortunate
creature who happens to pass, whether human
or otherwise. The rogue is always ‘spoiling
for a fight,” always glad of a chance to have a
|row. In the present instance he trotted out,
| his tail swaying gayly, his trunk waving on
| high, and a shrill trumpet call ringing on the
, Clear air as he came down upon the lion. -
“ Aha!” shouted Paul. ‘‘ Pardieu, Monsieur
Lion, how you like zis? Het is splendid, mag-
-nifique! Oh, ze fine rogue; ze elegant elepbant.
By gar—go for heem as my young friend
_Jims would say, Ascend him, ozzairwise,
| climb heem, Monsieur le Elephant, sacre-r-r-r-
'| x-r-r—eoe!” :
The sudden appearance of the rogue had
| taken the lion so completely by surprise that
| for a moment he stopped, apparently stupefied,
glaring at the unwelcome intruder. It wag
only for a moment, however, for the lion does
not.often yield the right of way to any other
creatures which roam the jungles, and dropping
his prey he leaped straight at the Pron of the
rogue. But this was an old stager) that was
evident, for he tossed his trunk high in the air
to escape from the claws and teeth of the lion,
who struck against the broad breast of the
elephant, clung there for a moment, and then
dropped to the earth, and the rogue lifted his
ponderous foo§ and planted it on the ribs of
the prostrate creature, bearing down his
| weight sufficiently to hold him there without
quite killing him, while a roar which was now
changed to fear burst from the throat of the —
tortured beast. The small twinkling eyes of
the rogue were bent upon the enemy sprawling
under his broad foot, and had it been possible, —
-it might have been said that the creature
laughed at the downfall of his foe, and tantal-
ized him before destroying him. Perhaps the
death would not have come so soon, but,in
bending his trunk toward the lion, the captive
creature struck .i6 with his claws, inflicting
painful gashes. Instantly the ribs of the lion
cracked under the weight of the elephant, and
a last agonized howl burst from his throat.
Then the huge rogue, trumpeting loudly,
reared ‘his giant body in the air, and came
down repeatedly with both feet upon the pros-
trate form, crushing it out of allshape. Then,
kneeling upon the body, he kneaded it intoa —
pomace, accompanying the effort by wild
trumpetings ofrage, Boer eon
‘Paul De Lacy had been an interested specta-
tor, encouraging the elephant by shouting ak
the top of his Soe and dancing wildly on the

was serene of: one thing.

 

 
   
  
  
    
       
     
         
        
      
     
    
   
   
    
    
   
    
    
   
    
       

         
      
  

 

 
   

 
 

e

          

     
      
      
   
    
      
   
  

20

Paul De Lacy, the French Beast Charmer.

 

eee TTD

   

 

 
  
   
   
  

had certainly made it very unpleasant for the
lion, and deprived him forever of the pleasure
of making a meal on stolen meat. Theidea of
the Frenchman was that the elephant, after

quietly away, when he would rescue the body
of the ant-oater, and at least preserve it for
mounting, even if it were dead.

But the elephant did not seem to tire of the
sport, and was now engaged in tossing the body
of the lion in the air, for the pleasure of pounc-
ing on it when it fell, and Paul began to get
tired of looking on. He looked back, and saw
that one of the negroes had caught the horse,
and was coming up at a gallop, carrying the

rifle which Paul had dropped in the pursuit.

“You go away, you rogue elephant,”

_ shouted Paul, angrily. ‘Why you stay: aha!
base villain, old brute, why you do zat?”

The elephant had pounded the lion so badly.

_ that the body did not lift easily, and he now
turned his attention to the anteater, and the
next moment it was flying through the air,
hurled from the vigorous trunk to a hight of
twenty feet, and as it came down the huge
creature pounced upon it, as he had done upon
the body of the lion, and began to crush it, _

: If Paul was mad before, he was furious now.

In vain he had fought with savage lions to
save that beautiful specimen from destruction,
for now, at the last moment, it was being

- beaten into fragments under the cushion like
_ feet and knees of the elephant, and forgetting
the danger, Paul was about to rush forward

- with only his revolver, when the native gal-

 loped up tohisside. ae i

To tear him from the saddle, to mount in his
place, and thrust a shell into his rifle, was the

work of a moment, and then, sitting like a

statue, the Frenchman aimed at the center of
the elephant’s forehead and pulled the trigger

_ There was a loud crack, such as is heard when
a rifle ball strikes an iron target, and the

rogue came to his knees, But it was only for
- g@ moment, and springing up, he elevated his
- trunk and charged after Paul De Lacy with
_ delightful eagerness, and the Frenchman set
in his spurs and rode hard to escape, holding
hig saddle by the gripe of his knees even while
putting in a new cartridge.
nothing race for a few moments, the rogue,
withstanding his size, running with sur-
prising agility, his extended trunk within a
-yard of the horse’s tail. But Paul had no de-

for a nearer acquaintance, and, if the
truth must be told, got all the speed possible
out of his €
he saw the distance gradually widening be-

t himself and his pursuer. But, even as

   

      
     
 
     

  

    

 
    

he was cursing the unhappy fate which

s driving him away froi his beloved ‘“sub-

fect,” the aard in his secret h

wreaking his vengeance on the lion, would go |

‘riding a hundred yards further, pulled in. his

| De Lacy. ‘

next day, and never leave it until the creatur

It was a neck or

se, and really felt better when. "i :
eee emai | They became wildly excited when told of

 

    
    
    
   
     
     
    

hoped that Jim would not hear of this, for if
he did, he was quite assured that the boy”
would take revenge for his laughter on account i
of the zebras. Enraged at the close pursuit
of the elephant, he wheeled in his saddle and
emptied his revolver in his face, one barrel
after the other, and the huge animal stopped
in considerable confusion, while Paul, after

panting horse and looked at the giant, To his”
rage, the creature gave a defiant trumpet note, -
turned in his tracks, and went back to the
place where the aard vark lay, and the next —
moment it was flying into the air again, and
a despairing cry broke from the lips of Pau! ©

“Oh for a cannon, that I might extermi- :
nate that ruffian,” he growled. “ Why does —
he do it? Does not some secret dictate teach
him that this is the best way to drive me mad?
Aha, coward, fool, villain, come after me
again.” : s

But the rogue was deaf to all entreaties, and
Paul attacked him again, only to be chased —
about the same distance. He knew perfectly —
well that the rifle he carried was not heavy
enough for elephant-hunting, and it drove him
mad to think that he could do nothing more —
than annoy the huge brute, which, after dri
ing him away, turned back to the aard vark, —
and danced upon the prostrate body with
redoubled zeal, until tears of rage actually ran _
down Paul’s face, and the simple natives,
thinking to please him, ran up and attacked
the elephant with javelins—for they do not
fear this huge beast s0 much as they do the
lion, He bounded away in pursuit of ther
when Paul darted in, grasped the aard vari
and threw it on his horse, and was off like t!
wind, closely pursued by the furious rogue,
whom he now left far behind. But, when he
looked at the shapeless form of the aard vark,
he vowed to take up the trail of the rogue

 
 
    
   
   
      
   
 
 
    
   
 
 
 
    
 
 

  
   
  

 

  

  
   
  
  
   

  
   
  
     
    
    
     
    
     

   

  

  

  

wasdead. Having come to this determinat
he rode away in search of his friend
negroes running by his side. ' ¥

CHAPTER XIIL 2

A LESSON FOR THE MAKOLO—NEW ALLIES—
BABY ELEPHANT—MADARA’S GOOD BLOW. —
Jum CASTLETON had his laugh in good earn
when Paul overtook them, and amid the wilde:
exclamations, told his story of his awful
wrongs on the part of savage beasts. The
party had had good luck, and the natives were
loaded. down with game of all See

 

 
 
 
 

 
 
    
   
     
  
  

   
     
   

 
  

 
   

presence of the rogue, and a |
for the next day, when Paul pi
revenge on the elephant for the wro!

was set dov
ised bin
 

Paul De Lacy, the French Beast Charmer.

   

21

 

 

ee promise of Danatoo to find another ant-eater
for him before they left the country, and the
party went at once to the camp, which they
r _ found in some confusion, and they were greeted
by a villainous-looking negro, his hair dressed
_ dn such a way that it stood out from his fore-
head like the horn of a gnu, and his face
hideously daubed with red and white clay.
Naauna started as he beheld this apparition.
: : “What do you seek here?’ demanded the
Be “young king, speaking in the Balake dialect,
you, the medicine-chief of the Makolo.”
f-  ——-—s ** A bird bas passed through the air from the
- Jand of Sibaticane, and has sung to the Makole
that the great king is dead. I am the voice of
my king, Sekula, and I ask if Mudara has
dared to bring the White Wizards into our
land?”

 

dara. ‘‘It makes my heart strong when I
think that the White Wizards are our friends.
See. - Sibaticane was brave and his people did
him honor. In an evil hour he made the
White Wisards his enemies, and behold, he is
- dead and Naauna is king. Beware of the
wrath of the White Wizards, the lords of lions
and men,”
“J come here for tribute,” replied the medi-
_ cine-man, proudly. ‘No strangers can pass
through the country of Sekula without pur-
chasing the right.”

Mudara repeated the words ot the fellow to
Arthur Castleton, who answered:

“Say this to him, Mudara: ‘The White
Wizards would be friends withall. Let the king
come to us, and we will give him more meat
than bis tribe can kill in a year and a day, but
we give nothing by force.’ Ask him what he
- demands,”

“My king says: ‘There is game enough in
the woods and plains for the Makolo, but there
is not enough for the White Wizards, who
come with fire-sticks that killafar off, Let the
White Wizards send us these fire-sticks, and
_ we will make peace with them. If not, let
~ them leave the country of the Makolo, for we
will not have them among us.”

_ “Then let the king come and take our arms,”
replied Arthur, proudly. ‘‘He shall find that
not all the power of his tribe can beat the great
‘Wizards of the North.”

_ The medicine-man made a gesture of defiance
‘and left the camp, followed by the taunting
shouts of the men of Naauna, who, confident
in the power of the White Wizards, did not
fear the Makolo. But it was certain they

 

   
  

and strenghtened their camp, and made
ton ta preparation for battle. Scarcely two
had passed when the sound of barbaric
as heard, and in a short time a great
arriors appeared the

 
  

“Why not, medicine-man?’ demanded Mu- |

muzzle of his rifle resting on his foot, he drew

sprinkled dust upon his head. Arthur stepped

-in fora fight, and they at once set to.

hour. ies

 

  
  
    
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
   
 
    
  
  
  
   

plain, advancing at a quick pace, and in their
midst, under a canopy of feathers, marched
their king, a hideous-looking old man, to whom
they paid the greatest respect. On seeing
them the men of Naauna would have clashed
their shields and shouted, but were restrained
by order of Arthur.

“Go down to. them and stop them where
they are,” said Arthur, turning to Naauna,
“and say to them that ‘to prove what we can
do I will send a ball through the shoulder of
the man who marches by the king’s side.”

“Tis five hundred yards if it’s an inch,
Artie,” whispered Jim.

“No matter. Go and tell them what T say,
Naauna, and then keep out of range of that
fellow beside’the king.”

Naauna bounded down the slope and was
seen in conference with the old king, and a
wild, derisive shout came up from below at the %
threat which the White Wizard sent. They
did not believe it was possible to do them any
injury at that distance, and their laughter was
of the most clamorous description, and no man
was more pleased than the threatened negro,
who stepped boldly out in front of the rest and
exposed his breast to the aim of the marksman.
Arthur took his long range rifle, and lying on
his back just outside the circle of wagons, the

      
     
       
 

a fine bead on the presumptuous negro, After
settling his sights td> suit himself, Arthur
made sure of his aim and pulled.

The man spun half round, as if pulled by an
invisible hand, clapped his hands wildly to his
perforated shoulder, and fell in his tracks, with
a perfect howl of rage and pain.

‘The White Wizard is kind,” shouted
Naauna. “He might have killed Caloota, but —
he would not do it. Woe to you, if you make :
these great men your enemies.”

The old king started from under his canopy
and looked at the wound in the shoulder of the
fallen man, and then stooping, he put dust on
his own head, and gave an order to his men.
They at once ‘aid Cown their weapons, and the —
king, with two of his principal men, advanced
alone to meef Arthur. A more abject speci-
men of humanity could not be conceived than —
this negro king, who, as he approached, threw
himself upon the earth three times, and

   
      
     
     
     
     
      
        
    
      
     
     
     
     
     
     
       
       
   
   
      

forward, raised him from the earth, and told
Naauna to speak to him and tell him that the
Lion Lords would be friends to him if he was
faithful. ne ae
“ He » fool,” averred “adage in English,
angie. heartily. ‘No ’fraid of him any
more; he lick dus' under Sor, feet from this

 
 
     
 
   
  

     
   
  

    

  
  
   

 

   
 

  

Hel i tine ian Scares acid = ex.
plained to_ the Makolo that the oe le

  
     

22

Paul De Lacy, the French Bsast Charmer,

  

 

  
 
 
 
 
 
 

to be friends with them, and would not kill
them as long as they did no wrong. A few
presents of colored cloth, heads and cheap
ornaments, divided among the chiefs, com-
pleted the conquest of the Makolo, the king pre-
senting a truly comical appearance as he
strutted about in a short blouse with metal
buttons, which was ‘given to him by Arthur
Castleton, under which his thin bare legs were
plainly visible. It was as much as Jim could
do to keep from laughing at the ludicrous
mako-up of the old king. The boy was some-
what disgusted by the ease with which the
negroes had been cowed, as he rather hoped
for a battle.

' “That job is done,” he said, “and now let
us see what we can do with that. rogue elephant.
He beat Paul De Lacy as square as a die, and
we must get even with him, or Paul will
oi never get over it, These fellows will want a
om feed, too, and if we kill the elephant they can
Be have a feast.”

Mudara' had only to hint to, the Makolo that
the great lords desired to hunt the elephant, and
the whole army was at their disposal. In con-
versation with ono of the hunters, Mudara
acertained that this particular ‘‘rogue” was
well known and greatly feared, as he had

killed two hunters during the last month; and,
as he haunted a section of country where the

noyed by bis presence, and would bless any
one who could dispose of him.
- Captain Dick, Arthur, Paul, Jim and Ernie
were of the party, Danatoo being left in
charge of the camp, with the second mate of
the Petrel. They took with them fifty of
Naauna’s men and about one hundred of the
Makolo, who stared in astonishment as they
saw Ernie and Jim riding zobras, which they
ie regarded as uotamable, The negroes started
_onarun, and in spite of the speed of the ani-
ae mals, kept them at a good pace until they
reachod the plain where Paul had encountered
the “rogue,” and the guides announced that
: the elephant would be found somewhere in the
neighborhood. The beaters at once made the
circuit of the jungle and began to beat the

 

ae _ covers for the elephant, and although they did |

t succeed in starting him at first, they drove
ut a cow elephant, followed by a handsome

 

     
   
      
 

ully like his dam in miniature.

Pass the word to those fellows not to kill
‘the baby,” cried Arthur to_ Mudara,

‘aust be taken alive?

“ Kill old one, eh?” demanded Mudara,

“Yos, I want to see how you fellows hunt

the elephant, and we will keep our powder for

rogue, when they drive him out.”

 

     
  
 
 

  
 
 

ae

best hunting grounds lay, they were much an- |

 

baby about three feet high, which was wonder- :
' heap, within three paces of the native of ss

“cs He r

to reload.

his rifle for a shi
As soon as the negroes understood that the §
hey rushed f

 
  
 
      
     
    
   
   
   
    
     
     
    
   
      
     
      
     
    
     
     
     
     
    
    
       
    
     
     
    

ward with frantic shouts, cutting off the huge
creature from the jungle, and sending a cloud
of javelins and spears into her body. It was.
a touching sight to see the mother, in this hour
of peril, cover the body of her young with her
own, supposing of course that he was also the
abject of attack. ‘The effort of guarding him,
two, impeded her own motions, as she dared
not charge her assailants, fearing that by so
doing she would uncover ‘her offspring. The —
baby seemed-to understand the danger, tov,
and kept close to her side, while the deadly
rain of spears and javelins continued. Wound-
ed in a hundred places, she still kept crowding
her way toward the jungle, marching oblique-
ly, while two or three uative hunters, armed ~
with a sort of cutlass, maneuvered to get in
the rear so as to hamstring her. She seemed —
to fear this, and made constant charges, but |
each time stopped short, asthe movement for __
the moment uncovered her young. At last —
Mudara, making a sudden rush, gained the
rear of the elephant, and struck her a heavy
blowy with a broad-bladed ax, just above the —
foot. At the moment when he struck thé —
muscles were strained, and the leg seemed half
divided by the terrible wound, and as the ele- —
phant strove to bear her weight upon it her
hind quarters sunk down, and they knew thé.
she was conquered. .

As the ‘blow was struck, there was a wila
commotion in the jungle, and out dashed the
rogue, in close pursuit of one of the beaters’, i

‘ CHAPTER XIV. pe
DEATH OF THE ROGUE—THE BABY CAPTURED
—A MAKOLO FUNERAL — GIVING | away” A

FAMILY. . :

“Look out, look out!” eried Mudara. “Dar
he loup; shoot him quick, cappen.” _

Captain Dick was well mounted and carried
his heavy roer, which he would not give up,
in spite of the laughter of Jim Castleton. As
the rogue ran by him-he presented a shining
mark, and Captain Dick, springing from
horse, threw his bridle to his bearer, and laying
his “cannon” across the saddle, took a care-
ful aim at the side of the rogue’s head, and
fired. The bullet, well aimed, passed directly
through the brain of the animal in the midst of |
his furious career. He stopped, shivered, and —
then sunk slowly down, and Jay ina palpitati

 

 

S

 

 

  

  
   
    

      
      
      
  
      

    

  

      
      

he was in chase,.

“That’s my cannon, Stes, you young ub-
ber,” said the captain, quietly, as he proceeded
“What do you think of it |
“T think it spoiled @ll the fun,
Dick,” replied the boy, who had already
Small a

 
 
  
     
Paul De Lacy, the French Beast Charmer.

  

 

~ “Yt was a splendid shot,” declared Arthur,
hurrying up. “Here, Jim; go and finish that |

- cow elephant. Those fellows only torture her |
without doing any particular harm.”

Jim sprung froni his saddle and ren up in
the midst of the natives, who were shower-
ing weapons into the body of the elephant,

~ until she fairly bristled with them. She had
gained the edge of the jungle,and stood with her
body pressed against a large tree, trumpeting
loudly, and no longer able to charge. Jim
hurried up, and, as he came near, the elephant
lifted her trunk to strike at him — just what the
boy wanted. He raised his weapon and sent
a ball crashing through her brain, and the
elephant reeled and fell slowly to the earth,
amid the triumphant shouts of the natives,
who danced wildly about the prostrate forms,
and praised the “great lords” who could thus
slay, at a single blow, this giant game. They
_ at once set to work to cut up the elephants.
mee “Save elephant’s feet,” said Mudara.
| “Make feast for you. Roast them in coals;

: _ they very good.”

The hunters had not yet tasted this particu-
lar treat, and the natives willingly chopped off

_ the great feet, and eight bearers took charge
of them to carry them to the camp. Mudara
now called for the lassoes, and the work of se-
curing the baby elephant was commenced,
while two runners were started off to bring a
“wagon to receive the young giant. Jim and

_ Ernie, swinging their lassoes, succeeded in in-
snaring the young elephant, who fought like a
hero, and it required the utmost efforts of as

_ many men as could seize him at once to secure

him, By this time the elephants were cut up,
and after the tusks had been removéd, fires
were lighted, for the natives never neglect an
opportunity to eat, and they at once set to

- work roasting pieces of the elephant flesh,

_ gnawing off the outer portion as soon as it was
heated through, and putting it back on the

tire again. As each man kept two pieces roast-
ing at the same time, in the course of an hour
they ‘had succeeded in gorging themselves to
such an extent that they were hardly capable
of motion, Only Naauna and Mudara, who
had taken upsome of the ideas of their whito
masters, did not feast with the rest, but ate
sparingly, and waited until the meat was well
cooked before they took it from the fire,

When all were satisfied, the balance of the

meat was packed upon litters made of stout
poles, cut in the jungle, for the purpose of con-

-veying it to camp. By this time the wagon

drove up, the young elephant was packed
aboard, and the party, quite satisfied with ihe
result of their hunt, prepared to return, the
ek swelled with pride and elephant meat,
eager to do anything in the service of their

white sicira they were — to de-

x

 

  

 

  

| part, it was noted that one of the beaters was

  
   
  
   
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
 
 
   
  
   

| missing, and search was commenced for him in
the jungle, The party who followed back the
track of the rogue elephant found the man
i lying dead under a tree, his body crushed to a

| shapeless mass under the heavy feet of the ele-

|phant. The joy of the Makolo was at once

‘turned to mourning, and the body of the slain
man was laid upon one of the litters, and,
borne by some of his friends, carried back to
camp.

Scarcely had they reached it, and the Makolo
understood that a warrior had ‘fallen, when the
preparations for a funeral commenced. The
numbers of the Makolo had greatly increased,
for the old men and large numbers of women
had joined the party, since they understood
that they would be kindly received by the
whites. At once a long, tremulous wail arose

as the body of the slain bearer was brought

, into the camp and laid upon a sort of raised
platform in the center. He had been quite a

noted warrior, and the mournful cries an-

nounced the estimation in which he was held
by the Makolo. Any one who has seen an old-
fashioned Irish wake will have some idea of the
manner in which the funeral rites were con-
ducted. It was part of their custom to eat
and drink largely during the progress of the
funeral rites, and at the same time keeping up

a fearful howling, accompanied by the beating
of drums and the clash of cymbals, They
took it as a great kindness when the men of
Naauna and Mudara joined them with their
guns, and combined with them in making
night hideous. The orgies, for such they
might be called, were continued all through the~
night, and it was not until nearly midday that
the body was laid in the grave which had been
prepared for it. The moment this was done
the old king appeared before Arthur Castleton,
leading a hideous old woman, followed by &
younger female and seven children, ranging
from an infant to a boy about fourteen years:
of age. :

See,” exclaimed the king, ‘‘ the mother, the
wife and children of Bartula, who died in your
service. I have seen with sadness that the
great White Wizard has no mother, no wife,
and no children. This is not just, and I give
them to you. Guard them well, as Bartula did
while he was Pied alive, and see ‘that they: have
plenty of meat.” oe

Captain Dick burst — a jolly ‘roar of S
laughter.

“Splendid, Arthur; the old fellow means to
do you a kindness, in furnishing you with a
family. I don’t see how you are going to get
out of it.” 5

“Tell him to take them “away!” cried Ar
thur, in considerable disgust.  “ does the
ae eee ees

 

    
       
       
     
     
     
     
     
        
          
       
       
       
       
         
     
    
      
      
       
        
   
   
 

 

 

    
| 24

¥

Paul De Lacy, the French Beast Charmer.

 

‘He wants to give them to you, of course,
Be a man now, Arthur, aud provide for your
family,” laughed the captain.

“ll provide for them,” roared Arthur,
“but let him take them away. Tell him any-
thing you like; tell him I’m married and have
got a family of my own to provide for. Give
them anything in reason, and send them off.”

By considerable effort Arthur sueceeded in
convincing the king that his gift was not ap-
preciated, and the family were sent back so
loaded with presents that they at once became
very distinguished people in the eyes of the
Makolo, and the marriage of the widow of Bar-
tula quickly followed her acquisition of wealth,
and the boy, as the owner of a gun and ammu-
nition, at once took his place with the warriors;
but the king never fully understood why Ar-
thur Castleton refused his generous gift.

- Everything had gone well with the hunters
to this time, and had they succeeded in nothing
else, they might have been satisfied. The hip-
popotamus, the rhinoceros and the gorillas in
themselves ought to have been enough for any
hunters, but they were not happy, for as yet
they had not succeeted in securing what they

_-had long sought, a family of young lions, and
Paul and Arthur were somewhat depressed,
But they registered a vow not to leave the
country until a pair of young lions had been

“ added to their present captives. Would they
be able to keep this vow?

ie CHAPTER XV. i

THE MAKOLO RUVOLT—FLOGGED OUT OF CAMP

: _ AMONG THE ALLIGATORS. ¢
As the Makolo showed a disposition to keep
with them, and as Arthur had no desire to feed
_ 8 whole tribe, he called upon the king to send
them home, saying that he would be glad of
- the company of a part of the warriors, but
would not be troubled with so many. A hun-
_. dred men were selected by the king and the
rest sent home, and the next day they broke
camp, determined to stop no more until they
~ ~ had searched-the lion country, and not to hant
except when it was necessary for the wants of
the camp. —

_. They soon found that they had not gained

muck by adding the Makolo warriors to their’

joyed such a superabundance of provisions for —
a long time.

“We don’t love them well enough to wor
while they eat,” was the reply.

** Now I want
you to understand me; in future whatever
food they get they must kill for themselves,
for we won’t undertake to provide for them.”

The king looked blank, for he had fully de-
termined to remain with his white friends
while they stayed in the country, and feed his

annoying, therefore, to find that they did not
take kindly to the idea, and his lazy warriors,
when they realized that they must work if they
had anything to eat, became a source of great
annoyance, for they went about with sullen
faces, loudly proclaiming their hunger, and de-
claring that the White Wizards had killed all
the game, and there was nothing left for them
toeat. Finding that this had no effect, they
began to threaten, and declared that the hunt- —
ers would not be allowed to proceed unless they —
promised to feed them as before, ep es
‘““Pi take charge of this gang, Arthur,”
exclaimed Captain Dick. ‘‘Where’s them
whips?? conte
One of the Petrel’s men brought out ten good
rawhides, which were distributed among th
‘whites. The angry Makolo warriors wer
gathered about the wagons, loudly insisting
that the young elephant should be given them —
to feast'on, and Paul De Lacy, his teeth shut —
hard, and his breath coming in hissing gas]
through his parted lips, stood before the ca;
with his rifle, ready to defend their prizes —
the last gasp, when the Petrel’s men suddenl;
burst in on the amazed negroes, and began
lash them with hearty good will. The long
whips whistled through the air and alighted on
the backs of the mutineers with all the power
of the muscular arms which wielded them, and
Naauna’s men, catching the infection, to:
down branches of trees and joined the sailors
in their work. pats i oe en Soe
_ “Vil put some life into your bones, you son
of a gun!” yelled the captain, as he lashed
away at a gigantic warrior who happened
be in his path, ‘Tl teach you to trip the
light fantastic, you black bully. Dance, you
devil—dance!”_~ ; ;

warriors at their expense, It was extremely ;

The negroes roared lustily for me
last, driven desperate by the inflictio 2
their lives, leaving only the king in camp,
“You'd better go with tho rest, king,”
Arthur, ‘‘and say to your men that if the
had harmed one of these creatures we h
taken, I would not have résted while
remained standing in the Makolo villages,
“YI will stay,” replied the king, pro
“and I will put such a fetish o
| that not one of the Makolo will dare

-. numbers, They were terrible feeders, and |
_ having formed a high opinion of the prowess of
the white men as hunters, displayed a disposi-
- ‘tion to allow them to kill game for them to
eat, and Arthur at once protested against this |

OS pensar eB $3
- “We don’t propose to employ ourselves in
g for the benefit of a lot of lazy scoun-
-dreis, and the sooner you understand that the
king,” declared-Arthur, «|
Th White Wizards no longer love the Ma-
kolo, then,” whined the king, who had not en-

 

the wagons,

 
 

ae

Paul De Lacy, the French Beast Charmer.

 

25

 

 

3 | . “Very well; you can stay, and if you will
as find ten of your men who are ready to take
_| + their share in the work, they can go with us.
: I won’t have the others.”
_ The king started out alone and soon came
fas. back with ten crestiallen looking warriors,
a: whom he announced as ready to do their fair
portion of the work, no matter what it might
be, and as a certain number of men who knew
the Makolo country were necessary, they were
gladly received, and did good work from that
time. ‘ :

|} —s-* They reached the banks of a good-sized river,
| __ believed to be a part of the Congo, at an early
hour that evening, and went into camp, It

‘was a broad and beautiful stream, and as they
arrived a single canoe was seen pulling off
- from the other shore. In this canoe were half
a dozen natives, who were evidently in doubt
whether they ought to land, until they were
called ashore by the Makolo. They were
really fine-looking fellows, and brought with
them a quantity of boney, which they readily
exchanged for trinkets which were lavishly
_ bestowed upon them by the visitors. They
sbared the supper of the whites, and were
about to return, when Naauna asked them
about the lions, and was informed that they
were very numerous in the mountains just
ahead, and that two men of their tribe had
been killed that week.
- Assoon as the natives departed, the negroes
ran down to the river and plunged into the
water for a bath, while the oxen, which were
-yery thirsty, hurried down to drink, As the
leader of the team which drew the hippopota-
- mus bent down to the water, a long pointed
head was thrust up, and the ox was seized by

ahd

 

 

of sight. The poor beast stamped and
_ struggled, and Mudara, who was looking on,

at once sprung into the water with his knife

in his hand. At the same moment a number

of dark objects, looking like black logs, which

_ bad been lying at various points along the

bank, became suddenly imbued with life, and
‘moved toward the water.

__ Alligators!” cried Paul, as he grasped his

- rifle. ‘Come wiz me, camarades.”

The boys seized their weapons and ran down
to the shore, while the negroes in the water
swam madly for the bank, splashing in the
water to scare the alligators, which now ap-
- peared in immense numbers, apparently eager
for blood. Mudara plunged under the water,
his knife in his hand. A moment later the
- ox was released, and dashed away, while, with
‘a wild bound, the alligator appeared upon the

 

  

 

time to see another man, who had stepped inte

the muzzle and his head instantly dragged out
der the water, and it was quickly turned toa

‘BATTLE UNDER WATER—THE CRY OF THE

‘tions where the skin was not so thick, and he

surface, which was crimsoned with his blood, |
and Mudara, by an active leap, eluded a blow | -
of the powerful tail, which swept the air with

 

had disappeared,

 

gator sunk, and was seen no more, Jim was
rushing incautiously upon one of the monsters
on the shore, with his rifle ready, when
Mudara shouted to him: :

“ Look out for his tail, white boy; take car’
dar. Now he’s gotit.” 4
One of the men who had been in the river, is
in avoiding the rush of the alligator which was é
waddling at him with his huge jaws opened,
put himself within reach of the long horny ‘
tail, It instantly struck him, and the man - “de
was dashed, stunued and senseless, to the earth, :
The alligator wheeled, and seizing the prostrate
man by the leg, commenced to drag him toward
the water. Ernie, rushing up with a revolver,
fired three shots in suecession, but they bad no
effect upon the impervious coat of the animal, :
and only made him drag his victim toward the oe
water with greater speed. The man had re-
covered his senses, and was screaming for help
at the top of his voice, when Ernie, catching
up one of the spears which had been cast
without effect, directed its point at the alliga-
tor’s wicked-looking eye, and pressed it home
with all his force. With a convulsive leap,
which broke the shaft of the weapon, the
giant saurian released his hold on the man’s
leg, and if Ernie had not dropped swiftly, he
would have been swept down by a blow of the
tail. Then, seizing the exterided hand of the
negro, Ernie dragged him quickly out of reach,
and then ran back to the water’s edge, just in —

  
     
      
        
       
       
    
     
   
      
         
 
 

the water, dragged out of sight by another of
the creatures. — ; .

“Poor fellow, he’s gone!” cried Jim. :

“He alligator-hunter,” replied Mudara,
“Watch him now. He all right.”

There seemed to be a great commotion un-

blood-red hue, and after a moment of suspense _
the woolly head of the alligator-hunter rose —
slowly to the surface, and be reached the shore

. eee, holding his bloody javelin in his —

 

    
   
   
     
     
     
     
       
      
   
  

CHAPTER XVI.

JACKAL—ATTACKED BY LIONS AT NIGHT.

How had he managed to make his escape?

“When he was draggéd below the surface of —
the stream he had his javelin in his hand, and —
the saurian held him in such a pcsition thab
his right hand was free, and grasping the great —
reptile by the fore-leg, he had plunged the —
javelin into her body under the leg, in the por-

 

was released and rose to the surface, leaving —
his gigantic enemy dying on the river’s bed. —
_ By this time the alligators seemed to realize
that this was a losing game, and one and all
2 i " clear, . 2

   
  
  
      

  
   
    

    
  
  

leaving the bank
Paul De Lacy, the French B-ast Charmer.

 

the horror of the young hunters, the negroes
prepared at once to feast upon the bodies of
the slain alligators, three of which had been
secured, and the natives were very much as-
tonished that their white friends refused to
join them in their repast. But Jim said, that,
on the whole, he would prefer to dine off a
rattlesnake, and the negroes might have it all
to themselves, and the whites made a meal
from springbok steaks, which suited them
somewhat better.

“Tt don’t strike me as a very good place to
sleep, boys,” declared Jim, after the meal.
“Suppose they take it into their ugly heads to
pay us a visit in the night?”

“We roust set a strong guard and drive
them back, We can’t afford to lose any of our
cattle, either by lions or alligators,” replied
Arthur. 5 Aa ‘

\ “Pl watch all night for a shot at a lion,”

-exclaimed Jim, as he drew his favorite rifle
toward him and looked it over to see that it
was in order. ‘‘Those fellows did say that

_ the lions were plenty. I only hope they will
try a whack at our cattle to-night. You see I
haven’t had much luck with lions, though I’ve
bad a pop at pretty much everything ee, I’m
on for night duty, then.” \

- be party sat around the fire for a long
time that evening, and several times it became
necessary to make a rush at the alligators,
which came crawling toward the camp hope-
ing to catch them sleeping. They were driven
back by the use of spears and javelins, and
finally seemed to give it up, and nothing more
‘was heard from them.” Jim had crawled upon

the top of the elephant’s cage, where he was
_ aot only in safety, but had a commanding po-

sition for a shot, should an opportunity pre-

§ itself. Mudara, who had taken a great

E to the boy, was with him, and balf a

dozen javelins and along spear lay upon the

top of the cage beside him. , The Lion Hunter
fell asleep, leaving Jim to watcb, when a shrill
barking was heard far out on the plain, and

Mudara started up eagerly.

“ Hear jackal,” he whispered. ‘Tao not far
off now.”

The shrill barking of the jackal continued,
and in a few moments a number of these
strange creatures, known popularly as the

“lion’s provider,” appeared in cight over the-

crest of a neighboring slope, They looked at
e cattle inclosed in the circle of wagons, and

ed immediately, making the jungle riug with ,

their cries. Scarcely had they done so when
the tremendous roar of a lion sounded in the
hills, and was answered by another, aad Jim
_ knew that the brave brute for which he had
been waiting was close at hand. There is some-
thing peculiarly startling in the roar of the
Von at night, and Jim owned afterward to a

 

certain tremor, as he felt that they might soon
be engaged in a deadly struggle with the king
of beasts. Pcie :
“Look dar! look dar!” hissed the Kroo, be- —
low his breath. “Tao look over ant-hill.” ;
About a hundred yards to the right a great
ant-hill stood upon the plain, and peepiug
from behind this the huge head of a large ~
male lion was’ plainly visible. He seemed! to
be intently watching the cattle in the inclos-
ure, and trying to decide how he should make
the attack upon them. At the same time a
large lioness stalked boldly out of the neighbor-
ing jungle and stood looking at the corral,
waiting for her mate to advance. He did not
hesitate long, for the huge tawny body was
drawn out from the shelter of the ant-hill, and
crouching low, be began to run across the
opening, dropping from time to time, and
looking to see if the cattle were alarmed,
African cattle seem to detect the presence of
the lion long before he reaches them, for they
showed the greatest fear, pressing against the —
inclogure of wagons, and making every effort
to escape from the dangerous neighborhood,
By this time the whole camp was on tho alert,
and many weapons were made ready, and Jim,
fearing that the older hunters would get
ahead of him, sent a ball into the shoulder of
the male lion, which drew from him a roar of
rage, and he came bounding on, closely fol- |
lowed by the lioness, and heading straight for —
the cage upon which the boy lay. He stemed
to know that his enemies were hidden there,
and as Jim pressed a cartridge into his breech-
loader, the great beast leaped, and the next —
moment was clinging to the edge of the cage,
his great claws showing on the top, Then
Mudara sprung up, grasping his heaviest spear, —
and drove it with all the power of his muscu- —
lar arm into the breast of the lion, burying the
point to a depth of eighteen inches, No ani-
mal, no matter how strong, could Jive under
such a’ wound, and witha last agonized throe, —
which snapped the roe spear, the animal
fell to the ground dead. Even as he fell the
body of the lioness was seen in the air, spring-
ing forward to avenge the death of her mate,
and seeing a confused mass of natives, she
leaped into the midst of them, striking one
dead as she came down, and then, with a sec-
ond bound, caught another by the thigh and
brought him to the earth. A dozen javelins |
were instantly buried in her body, and the na- '
tives fled, the lioness leaving the fallen man in
order to pursue them. In doing so she pre
sented her tawny side to the aim of three rifles, —
and all seemed to crack at the same moment,
Pierced by three mortal wounds, the bra

beast still made a mighty effort to reach

slayers of her mate, when the captain, lev
his mighty roer, shot her through the

 
 

ee

Paul De Lacy, the French Beast Charmer...

ee aT

27

 

and the struggle was over. Then the hunters | ‘The giraffes came lumbering on at their

again retired, and were not disturbed that
night, and at early morning they tracked on
until they entered the lion country, and made
_ @ camp in a sort of natural fortress on the
crest of a hill overlooking a beautiful lake, and
prepared for the crowning effort of the expedi-
tion, the capture of a family of lions, and, if
possible, of a giraffe, which they had not xet
been able to secure alive,

_ CHAPTER XVII
AFTER GIRAFFE—TRAILING A LION—-TAO AT
HOME.

ARTHUR took the third zebra in hand and
soon had him in such subjection that he was
quite as obedient to him as the others to their
masters. The negroes, who had not been able
to tame one of these savage steeds, were ut-

__ terly surprised at the success which had crown-

ed the young masters’ efforts, and: expected at
each moment to see them hurled from the sad-
dle and trampled out of the semblance of hu-
manity by the vicious beasts. But, nothing

_ of the kind ever happened; the young fellows
seemed quite af home upon the backs of their
strange steeds. . c

The capture of the sebras had put an idea
‘into the head of Ernie, and early one morning
they set out to accomplish their design. Only
Arthur, Ernie and Jim were of the party,
with Danatoo and Mudara running by the side
of the zebras as guides. Their way lay along
the level shore of the lake for a distance of

five miles, when the ground became more roll-
ing, and they passed through a defile into a
plain dotted with clumps of trees of a peculiar
kind, one? : é
_ The giraffe loves the mimosa,’’ said Dana-
too. ‘Let
them,” : é
They stood silent for a quarter of an hour,

-. gazing across the beautiful plains. Animals of

all kinds passed them by, but they had set
their hearts upon one object. and would look at
nothing else, It was not long before their
wishes were crowned with success, for they
saw, moving grandly across the plain, a family

_ of giraffe, four in number. Two were giants
of the race, their heads towering twenty feet
above the ground, and the other two mere
babies, not more than ten feet high.
“Td give more for the young ones than the
_ old,” said Arthur, eagerly. ‘‘They are more
_ easily trained, you see.” ee
“Steady, then!” advised Ernie. ‘They are
_ making for that clump of mimosa, and will

not be more than twenty yards away whon
_ we burst out upon them. Do not mi:s your~

Jim. As for Arthur, I never could train
to use 9 lasso, if I lived a hundred years.”

us be silent, and we shall see_

| peculiar, rocking gallop, and were soon among
| the mimosa, cropping the fragrant leaves and —

| flowers. The boys settled themselves in the

saddle, took a firm gripe upon the reins, and
suddenly burst out upon the startled family,
with lassoes swinging in theair. The creatures
bounded suddenly erect, and turning on their
heels were about to dash away when the long,
curved loops came sailing through the air, di-
rectly at the younger members of the family.
Ernie did not miss his game, and had the satis-
faction of seeing the loop settle over the lofty
head, when he wheeled away and plucked the
young camelopard from his feet with con-
siderable foree. Danatoo and Mudara ran up,
and before the young animal had recovered
from the shock he was hoppled firmly in sucha
way that he could move his feet in walking,
but not in running. :

Jim had not been % lucky, and when Ernie
looked up after his lasso had been removed he
saw Arthur and Jim riding hard on the tracks
of the three giraffes, nearly up to them, and
Jim was gathering in his lasso for another cast.
With a wild whoop Ernie urged his zebra on,
‘taking the segment of tle circle which the
game was unconsciously following in their
flight. The zebra, as if understanding what
was required of him, fairly seemed to fly over
the ground. As be rode, Ernie saw Jim raise
his arm, then the lasso flew through the air, di-
rected, not at the small animal, whose light-
ness of foot had carried it to the front, but at
one of the large ones, This time the boy was
more successful; the loop settled fairly, and
Jim urged his steed to the right. Ernie saw
the stately head of the giraffe tower into the
air, as he rose upon his bind legs, and then he
came crashing down, just as the otber two,
maddened by the close pursuit, wheeled sharp-
ly away and came dashing down upon a course
which would bring them very near to Ernie, —

“who quickly covered himself behind some .
bushes, At the proper time, as the giraffes
came thundering down, the lasso flew through
the air, and one stately creature went gullop-
ing on alone, robbed of all bis family by the
cruel hand of man.
began to sound it with all his might, and not

 

seen running across the plain, 0k
charge of the three captives and departed for
the camp, dragging the giraffes with them,
| much against their will, aa ;

-“@ood fun, that,” declared Ernie. “How
do you like it, Arthur?” = = ee
_ “Yd like it better if I could use a lasso,” an-
swered Arthur, ‘ You and Jim have the best
of me there.” ees ferns
| “Because you never will practice, you see.

 

 

Ernie lifted his hornand

without effect, for a great party of negroes — 3
who had been following on their trail, were —
They took .
28

Paul De Lacy, the French Beast Charmer.

 

Now, if we hadn’t been able to use the lasso we

never could have caught these zebras in the

_~ first place, nor run down the giraffes in the
second,”

‘‘Dar loup de ole tao!” shouted one of the
negroes, suddenly.

They looked up and saw a magnificent lion
crossing the plain a quarter of a mile away.
The zebras snorted and stamped their feet, and
evidently did not like the appearance of the

- lord of the African plains.

“Oh, if we only had that fellow!” cried Ar-
thur. ‘‘See here, Mudara, how are we goiug
to get the lions alive?”

“Td lasso one if I could get the zebra near
him,” avowed Ernie.

* But you can’t do that,” was the testy re-
ply. ‘‘Now we've got everything we want
except these lions,.and we must have them,

you know.”

“<Tf we could find the lions’ home,” explained
Mudara, ‘ we could get them.”

“Do you think that fellow is going home
now?”

Yes; he’s no longer hungry; he goes home,”

“Th: n we will follow him,” decided Arthur,
springing from his saddie. ‘‘Danatoo; you
shall be Jim’s gun-bearer, and Mudara must

follow me, We will track the lion to his home,”

« Am I not going?” demanded Ernie,

“You shall be in at the death, Ernie, At
present, see that the giraffes go back to camp

gafely, and take care of the,zebras, Come on,
Jim!”

Ernie nodded, and caught the bridles of the
two zebras, while Arthur, with his rifle at a
trail, started away on the track of the great
Dlack-maned lion, which was trotting across
the plain, apparently unconscious of the fact
that he was being followed, And, indeed, it
- would have been hard for him to detect two
such accomplished trailers as those upon his

- track, Whenever he showed a dispositiun to
look back they crouched out of sight, and con-
tinued the chase the moment he went on.

For an hour the strange chase continued over
_ the broad plain and then the creature plunged
into a deep defile in the hills, into which the
_ pursuers followed without hesitation. Once in
the defile he broke into a hollow roaring as if
he felt himself at home, and the roar was quick-
ly answered from within the pass by three or
four voices, from the sonorous base of the
lioness to the treble of the baby lion. ;

“By George!” hissed Arthur. “It is a
family! Just what we want!” |

“T don’t reckon we want the family all on
us at once,” suggested Jim.

No, but we must find out where their den
4s, Come on!”
_ They pushed forward cautiously, and soon a

Oe me oe cats wear’ :

 

sleoping, was plainly audible to the huntera
They know that this was the time for caution,
and parting the bushes inch by inch, they look-
ed down the slope, and saw a strange sight,

A great tree overturned by some mighty
wind had left a hollow under the roots which

was perhaps ten feet square, with an openingin |

front just the width of the cave, In this lay
the lion family, coiled up asleep, the lioness,
two cubs, a half-grown lion and the giant male,
Tt was a beautiful sight for a naturalist, and one
which would have driven Paul half wild. For
a moment Arthur gazed upon the scene; then,
touching Mudara on the arm, he retreated cau-
tiously until out of ear-shot of the cave.

“T don’t care for the old ones,” he said,
quietly; ‘‘ but Pil risk my life to take the half-
grown lion and ths cubs,
bring Paul and Ernie, half a hundred black
fellows, and the nets, We will wait for you
here.” :

And Mudara departed on arun, while Arthur
and Jim climbed low trees, and settling them-
selves comfortably in the branches, awaited the
return of the Kroo,

CHAPTER XVIIL

AN UNWELCOME NEIGHBOR—A CLOSE GRIPE— a ee

SUCCESS—HOME AND FRIENDS, Me
Jim formed a sort of hammock between two
swaying boughs ‘and sat back in utter abandon,

for, young as he was, the boy had formed tke ©
somewhat vicious habit of smoking, in season

and out of season, and enjoying the same.

Rocked by the wind, he swayed back and forth,
when his eyes were attracted by twoglistening —
points in the branches above him—points which —

glittered like sparks of fire.

What were these points?

Jim only needed a second glance to ow
him the graceful head and long shiny neck of

Back to camp, and_

an anaconda, which, twined about the upper _ é

part of the tree, was raising his head above the

top from time to time, evidently for the pur-

pose of looking down into the valley below, —

where the lions lay in their: den, A snake
forty feet in length, with a body somewhat
thicker than a man’s thigh, was something for
which our young adventurer had no affection,
especially as he seemed to be on the oe
for something to eat.

But it was not upon the boy that those eyes case

be |

snake seemed to be regarding something in the

were. bent at present; on the contrary, ti

valley, probably the lions, —
“Tsay, Artie,” whispered Jim, I don’t] ks

this bedfellow I’ve got. Do you see him?” |

“Tye been watching him for ten min’
was the reply.
let him get you in his coil, Keep your
ready, and if he drops on you, cut hima in

Bose ashe Or

te

tea
“All T can say to you is, don’t
bowie

 
a Paul De Lacy, the *rench Beast Charmer.

.

7

averred Jim, “and I don’t propose to allow
him to embracs me. Seems to be looking for
the lions. Can’t you shiu higher up your tree,
and see if they are stirring?”

Arthur began the ascent of his tree, and,
when near the top, saw that he had a good
view of the lions’ home. The Jioness was on
ber feet, looking about her in a suspicious way,
as if she scented danger. Soon she came trot-

ting out along the beaten trail which had been »

used. by herself and her lord so often that it
was worn quite smooth, and she was soon un-
der the very tree in which Jim and his snake-
ship had ensconced themselves, Jim made
himself particularly small, wishing all the at-
tention of the serpent to be bestowed upon the
lioness, The serpent had drawn in his head,
and it was now gliding slowly through the
leaves, the scintillating eyes fixed. upon the
lioness, which, with an angry growl, was look-
ing up into the tree where Arthur sat, his rifle
on his knees, looking at her in a very. provok-
ing manner, Her attention was so entirely

taken that she did not see the avaconda until
the small pointed head came flashing down
through the leaves, and three bands of the long
eFeature were thrown about the great cat’s
body. Too late she realized her danger, and

‘the roar she uttered was full of mortal dread,
‘But this roar ceased, or rather changed into a
hollow moan; then to a long drawn sigh, as
the deadly folds grew closer and closer, and
with eyes half-starting from ber head she vain-
ly endeavored to release herself. But those
three iron rings drew closer and closer, pitiless
in their force, and the blood burst from her
mouth, nose, and ears, and she lay senseless
and inert i in the horrible death circles.

The serpent slowly withdrew his folds, one
by one, stopping to give a parting squeezs to
his enemy as he seemed to think some little
remnaat of life remained, when there came a
_ tremendous roar, and the male lion launched
himself with lightning swiftness upon the ser-
pent. So sudden was his onset that the crea-
ture had not time to coil about him before the
long claws were buried in his spine. Writhiug
himself free, the serpant flung his deadly coils
about the lion, and a battle royal began.

- Of course, after the specimen thoy had re-
ceived, the boys looked to see tre lion conquer-
ed as the other had been, but for soma reason
the struggle was more protracted, and at last

_ they began to realize that the creature had
~ been so injured by the paw of the lion as to
_bave ]

a great portion of his constricting
‘powers. The lion exerted himself to such a
degree that two or three times he seemed

‘about to break away but as often the folds

ere drawn tighter, and the lion, gasping and |
anting, halt berew luton netoetuae

charmed circle. Then the muscular tenacity
seemed to go out of the body of the creature,
and the lion would regaia the mastery. At
last, by a furious effort, the sbaggy-maned
beast succeeded in breaking free, but the mo-
ment he did so the serpent rose iito the tree
out of his reach and the lion sunk down ex-
hausted.

“Drawn battle,” said Jim, “but as- I don’t
want this fellow inatree over my head I’m
going to give him a shot and then shin out as
fastasI can. Fix that lion, Artie!”

But just then the serpent, seeming to recover
himself, darted his Jong folds out of the tree
and seized the lion as before. And now the
two rolled here and there in that awful em-
brace, but, as before, the folds had not suf-
ficient power to utterly destroy the lion, al-
though the pressure to which he was subjected
was terrible. But, hearing the footsteps of the
men, Arthur and Jim raised their rifles and
sent their contents into the body of the lion,
while, a moment later, Jim drew his bowie
across the glittering back of ni serpent, half-
severing it by the blow.

It was enough. The cehoats bad been badly
hurt by the lion and as this wound was given
the power utterly left her, while the lion,
| writhing himself free, crushed the head of the
serpent in his ponderous jaws, and then fell
dead upon the lifeless body of the mate he
had so nobly avenged,

came up,

“There is ouly the young lion and the two
cubs,” he said.
with the nets.”

“Tt shall be done, great lord,” said Mudara,
“You shall see that we know how to work.”

The position of the cave having been ascer- |
tained, two men were sent around to the back”
to startle the young lion and drive him from
his place of rest. No sooaer was this done
than he came rushing out, his eyes all aflime,

dauntiless spirit, just the creature they souzht!
Mudara rusbed out into the opening, carrying
upon his arm alarge white ball, and making —
derisive gestures at the young lion, which gave

figure of the negro, But, even while ho was —
in the air, the white ball upon Mudara’s arm
was suddenly unrolled anda fleecy net wrapped.
the lion from head to foot. From all sides Hie
natives rushed upon him, net after net was
| flung over him, and while he lay struggling —
| under the meshes Danatoo advanced wi-b a
| branch of the ‘‘ Dooka,” which he had found —
‘| and lighted, and by the aid of this werful-
narcotic even the great strength od fie
i was forced to yield. Then the last of the

 

Arthur gave a low whistle and Mudara ~

and they saw that, though young, he had a- ng

a tremendous roar, and sprung straight at oe Z

© Your men must take hime

 
 

 

 

     

80

' wagons which had followed them through all,
was driven up, the stupefied beast was hurled
in and the iron door clanged to.

The cubs were secured more easily, and to
the delight of Arthur proved to be a male and
female, already weaned, and which bade fair
to make a noble couple. And so, with the
prize so long sought, they went back to the
village of Naauna, happy at last.

For,some weeks a party of sailors, by the dl-
rection of Arthur, had been building a huge
raft of light logs. The boys called it Noah’s
Ark, and when its cargo was aboard it hada
good right to the name, All the cages which
had been left in Naauna’s village were wheeled
on board, and made secure, Tbe two young gi-
raffes, which no cage would hold, were strap-
ped in the middle of the raft. And, a few days
later, the Ark sailed amid the mournful cries of
the people of Balegonga, who had learned to
love the White Wizards,. Arthur, Jim and
Ernie rode along the shore; twenty canoes
went before the raft to pilot it; a a great con-
- course of people trooped along the river's bank,
and thus the successful Jion-hunters, with the
prizes they had won, headed toward the coast.

 

 

The Petrel had been prepared especially for
such a cargo, and when the cages were let
down into the hold and carefully secured and
bplted into the compartments which had been

-

Paul De Lacy, the French B:ast Charmer.

 

made for them it is no wonder that the adven —
turers were well satisfied with their success,
But, when the schooner swung out from the
landing, with Mudara on deck as pilot, and the
faithful Danatoo by his side, there was weep-
ing heard in Kuruman, and never did men go

away more sincerely mourned. But they had
made the people rich in the things they mcst
prized, and the twin brothers were happy in
the present to each of two good rifles, and
powder enough to last them a lifetime. \
“Shall we see you no more, great lords?"
asked Mudara, mournfully, as he took the hand
of Arthur outside the surf-line, é
“JT do not know. An idea has come into my
head, and some day I may carry it out. 1

would traverse this dark continent from sea to

sea if I had men who would stand by me.”

““You have them here!” responded Mudara.
“Come and try us.” Ae

“There will come a time, I hope; but for
the present, good-by.”

Mudara dropped into his canoe amid the
cheers of the Petrel’s crew, the sails filled, and
the schooner bore off on her course until the
white speck against the sky faded away, and
Danatoo and Mudara were rocking alone u:
that peaceful sea, praying for the time es
the ‘‘ great: lords” would come again acrost
that pathless ocean. Time only will tell
whether Arthur Castleton kept his word. —
 

 

  
 
   
   
  
 

 
 

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6. Ole

THE

Deadwood Dick
e Library «

BOS3O8800

LATESY AND BEST.

HANDSOME TAI-COLORED GOVERS.

32 Pages, Issued Every Wednesday.

 

Price 5 Cents.
buy One and You Will Buy the Restt

 

€xtracts from the New York Evening Sun,

TWO REMARKABLE

In only one sense of she word can it be regarded ava
aovel statement when the fact ts here recorded that litera-
ture has given many heroes to the world, and perhaps
more than one reader will have to think @ moment over
this remark before the subtle delicacy of its genial wit
strikes home,

But it is most essentially a half dime novel statement
that will be news to many when it is added that litera-
vure;if traced from the dimly distant days when Adam
was & Inere child down to the present day, would show

t few heroes that in the eyes of boyhood would be

en judged worthy of comparison with the two greatest

known to American literature, or, to promptly re-
veal them, Deadwood Dick and Deadwood Dick, Jr.

* * The modern heroes of fiction for young Amerie:
who are now as countless as the sands of the sea, and o!
whom the Deadwood Dicks are much the most important
it is but natural that their * * * should bear
Sway the palin of popularity, and suchas * * * be left
far behind in the race,

It ean be easily believed, therefory, that the two Dicks

so firmly engrafted on the tree of popular literature

r boy 8 and young men, that their position is assured

and that they stand to-day head and shoulders

HEROES,

aoove all rivals in the eves of the public for which they
have lived, and for which one of them has die

American boyhood, and that is a tremendous factor in
the land; now knows Deadwood Dick, Jr., a good beal bet-
ter than it Knows its catechism, and millions of young
minds absorb the thrilling incidents of his career in his
everlasting warfare against crime and his never-ending
solving of impenetrable mysteries.

Millions of boys follow his stealthy footsteps as he tracks
his vicious victims to their undoing, and then, when the
victims are thoroughly undone, the millions wait hungrily
for the next voltime, which on every Wednesday appear.
with the certainty of the Wednesday itself, and a new sev
or Pane ee thrills go thrilling away from Maine to Call

ornia,

There are the voltimes each so crowded with thrills and
heart-tugs that it were madness to hope to do justice to
them collectively and rank injustice to discriminate be
tween them,

To abandon the Idea of giving a few extracts causes In-
finite pain, but if once a start were made in that direc
tion, tt would be cruel to The Evening Sun's readers to
stop, and it is therefore better not to relate one single
adventure, Suffice it to say that the stories are clean and

ae w a

 

a nee DICK LIBRARY.

Deadwood Dick, the Prace of the Road
The Double Daggers; or, Deadwood Dick’s Defiance
8 The Buffalo Demon; or, The Border Vultures
4 Buffalo Ben, Prince of the Pistol
6 Wild Ivan, the Boy Claude Duval
& Death Face, the Detective
? The Phantom Miner; or, Deadwood Dick’s Bonanza
8 Old Avalanche, the Great Annihilator; or, Wild
Edna, the Girl Brigand
- Bob Woolf, the Border Ruffian
Gorans OF oh, i Masked Terror; or, Deadwood Dick
n
i Jim Bindaoes Jr., the Boy Phenix; or, Through. to

Deat'
wR Deanne’ Dick’s Eagles; or, The Pards of Flood

Hristo n Bill; or, The Red Rifle Team
S fons Rifle, the Sharpshooter
Deadwood Dick on Deck: or, Calamity Jane
6 Cordnroy Charlie, the Boy Bravo
17 Rosebud Rob; or, Nugget Ned, the Knight of the

Gulekts og
18 Idyl, the Girl Miner; or, Rosebud Rob on Hand
19 Photograph Phil: or, Rosebud Rob’s Reappearance
30 Watch-Eye. the Shadow
a ee wood Dick's Device; or, The Sign of the Double
ross
® canada Chet, the Counterfeiter Cn ief

2% Deadwood Dick in Leadville; or. 4 Strange Stroke

for Liberty
% Deadwood Dick as Detective
® Gilt-dge Dick
% Bonanza Bill, the Man-Tracker; or,'The Secret Twelve
a7 bi the Girl Sport
S geet Hoyle’s Lead; or, The Road to fortune —

Boss Bob, the King of Bootblacks

® Deadwood Dick’s Double; or, The Ghost of Gorgon’s

g ete. Bil: er, Deadwood Dick’s Home Base
lid Sana, the Boy Road-Agent

 

83 Tonv Fox, the Ferret: or, Boss Bob's Boss Job

34 A Game of Gold: or. Deadwood Dick’s Big Strike

85 Deadwood Dick ot Deadwood; or, The Picked Party

86 New York Nei. the Voy-Girl Detective —

87 Nobby Nick of Nevada: or, The Scamps of the Sierras

38 Wid Frank. the Buckskin Bravo

89 Deadwood Dick’s Doom; Ss Calamity Jane’s Last
Adventure

40 Deasiwood Diak's: Dream; ory The Rivals of the Road

41 Deadwood Dick’s Ward; ‘or, The Black Hills Jezebel

42 The Arab Detective; or, ‘gnoozer. the Boy Sharp

43 The Ventriloquist Detective. A Romance of Rogueg

44 De we tive Josh Grim; or, The Young Gladiator's
qWame

45 ‘The Frontier Detective; or, Sierra’ Sam’s Scheme

46 The Jimtown Sport;-or, Gypsy Jack in Colorado

47 The Miner Sport; or, Sngar-Coated Sam's Claim ;

48 Dick Drew, the Miner's Son; or, Apollo Bill, the
Road-Agent

49 Sierra Sam, the Detective

50. it ra Sain’s Double; or, The Three Female Detect-
ves

'61Sierra® Sam’s. Senterice; or, Little Luck at Rough

Ranch
52 The Girl Sport: or, Jumbo Joe’s Disguise
53 Denver Doll’s Device; or, The Detective Queen
54 Denver Doll.as Detective
55 Denver Doll’s Partner; or, Big Ruckskin the Sport
56 Denver Doll’s Mine; or, Little Bill’s Big Loss
57 Deadwood Dick Trapped
58 Buck Hawk, Detective; or, The Messenger Boy’s
Fortune
59 Deadwood Dick’s Disguise; or, Wild Walt, the Sport
60 Dumb Dick’s Pard: or, Eliza Jane, the Gold Miner
61 Deadwood Dick’s Mission
62 Spotter Fritz: or, The Garatocsalibes Deco:
63 THe ee ve Road-Agent; or, The Miners of Sasse
ras City
64 cen Charlie’s Detective Dash; or, The Cattle
ings

 

M. J. IVERS & CO., Publishers (James

Sullivan, Proprietor),

879 Pearl Street, NEW YORK.