The Osceola times., 1885-03-28


to call camers cavort a ..iumn'i-and
landed itself with all four feet fairly in
tne mud! And then dorm it went 1t
did not .'sink" down, or gradually and
gracefully subside. On the contrary. 10
went down ''like a shot" in second.
as II some one had suddenly and vio-
lently pulled it by the legs from under
neath-and l found myself in the
ridiculous position of being seated on a
camel that was sunk in mud up to the
saddle! With some difficulty | pulled
my own feet out of the stirrups and the
mud, and then standing on the cameIs
back, jumped off over its tail upon the
land. and looked at the animal. Its
position was serious one enough, for |
was alone, and on the frontier of an
enemy country in a time of war, but
II was too ludicrous for the seriousness
TO affect me at first, and looking at the
camel with its silly and woe-begone
head sticking up out of the mud, !
could not refrain from laughter.
While was laughing | caught sight in
the distance, many miles of. Of a party
OF travellers, and started off at once on
loot to ask their help. Before starting
strapped my carbine across my back
and slung my revolyer-case on my belt.
and 1t was as well, perhaps, did so.
For as | was walking | saw a small vii
lage OF mud-huts close under the spur
OF hill. and turning off TO il found a
lew as desperate looking men there as
! ever was near. After an effort to ex-
plain to them my situation they conde-
scended to understand me, and came
with me to the place where the animal
was-one OF them riding pony that
looked more like some species of ggan-
tic rat than anything of the horse kind.
They looked at the camel and shook
their heads, giving me TO understand,
as easily could. that il would take all
day and all night. too, perhaps, to get
the beast out of the mud
To remain where ! was all night in
such company. and to awake next
morning. probably to find my camel
stolen and gone, was out Of the ques-
ton. so then and there | snapped my
camel in the mud for the rat-pony.
and giving the owner rupee in addi-
ton for the cudgel which he used as
whip, ambed of-over the hills and
FAR away-leaying the new owners OF
my camel quarrelng vociferously over
the imbedded beast.
WHAT MY HORSE DID.
Very different from both elephant and
camel is that true friend of man, the
horse. Its sense of discipline will not
let it shirk the ground it knows it has
to cross, while its shape, courage and
cleyerness enable it to cxtricate itself
from positions that are often fatal to
the bigger animals.
1t was during the Zulu war | was
one of a party of Englishmen who had
Just visited the scene of massacre at
lsandhlawana, and were returning to
our camp when the Zulus, discovering
us, opened fire upon the party. At that
moment we had just reached stream
that flowed over an unfathomable accu-
mutation Of soft black mud, through
bed Of enormous bulrushes. 1t was at
this very spot that many of the British
soldiers, flying from the massacre, were
overtaken by the savages and killed,
and their bodies were lying on the edge
of the stream, and among the bulrush-
before. The Zulus, therefore, hoped to
take us at the same disadvantage, and
following us up-there were several
thousands of them-opened fire As soon
as they saw us all "stuck in the mud. y
But our leader simply ordered us TO
cross. Under other circumstances we
should have said il was impos-
sble. But this was question,
perhaps, of life or death, so our
horses were put at the stream, and
somehow or another, they houndered
through the morass. | only know that
my own brave horse, "Bluebuck, -
cleared some five feet of il in standing
jump. and then soused right up to the
girths, into the middle of the filthy
mess, crashing down the bulrushes un-
der its body as it sank. And then for
half minute thought was stuck
fuss gya TO right and left heard
the bulrIshes crashing. and the black
ooze splashing, the cries OF men en-
couraging their frightened horses to
struggle, and the rattle rife-iire of the
pursuing Zulus. 1t seemed TO me that
all were getting across except myself,
anu lut btucI VI illil utN udlptiOuS
march was this, that if any one fell out,
no one was to stop for him. Crack!
Crack Crack! went the rifles of the
Zulus behind. But Buebuck was only
feeling with his feet for footing in the
mud, and the next instant. getting a
foot probably on the bulrush roots, he
plunged forward, and then again, and
again, and again. / cheered him on
frantically, but there was little need TO
do that, for the poor beast knew that he
was floundering for his life, and fought
bravely. And then | felt him suddenly
touch firm ground, and as if the touch
of it had given him the strength of ten
horses, he gave one tremendous plunge
forward, and we were on the other side!
So being "stuck in the mud is not
always thing to make a joke Of
Phil Robinson, IN Youths Companion.
HANNl BAL HAMllN.