Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-05-14
AGAINST LONG ODDS.

"sis Up In Silkrkuni's country It was jus
after old SeGuatis time and Sikrkuni had go
into power-I forgot how. anyway, l wa
there l had heard that the Bapedi peopl
ha6 got down an enormous quantity OF ivor1
from the interior, and 80 l started with
wagcnload of goods and came straight away
from Middls5urg to try and trade some of it
1t was risky thing TO go into the country *
early On account of the fever, but knew thai
there was one or two others after that lo1
OF ivory, SO determined to have a try for it
and take my Glance of fever. l had got Sc
tough from continual knocking about that
did not set it down at much Well. got on
oil right for while It is a wonderfully
beautiful piece of bush yeldt, with great
ranges Of mountains running through it, and
round granite kopples starting up here and
there, looking out like sentinels over the roll
ing waste of bush. But it is very hot-hot
as stew-i1an-
sOne day had trekked from dawn till II
O'clock long trek-but / wanted TO get on,
and then had the oxen turned out 70 Craze,
sending the voorlooper TO look after them,
meaning to inspan again about 6 O'clock, and
trek them with the moon till TO- Then got
into the wagon and had good sleep till half
past or so il the afternoon, when got up
NIOh~A .
washing it down with a pannikin of black
collector it was difficult to get preserved
milk in those days. Just as had finished,
and the driver, a man called Tom, was wash
ing up the things, in comes the young
scoundrel Of voorlooper driving one OK
before him
~Where are the other oxenr 1 asked.
~Koosn he said, 'Koosl chief the other
oxen have gone away. turned my back for
minute, and when ! turned round again
they were all gone except kaptein here, who
was rubbing his back against tree
You mean that you have been asleep,
and let them stray, you villain l will rub
your back against stick answered, feeling
very angry, for it was not pleasant prospect
to be stuck mp in that fever trap fer week
or so while we were hunting for the oxen.
of you go, and you, too, Tom, and mind
you don't come back till you have found
them. They have trekked back along the
Middleburg road, and are dozen miles of
by now, I'll be bound Now, no words; go,
both of you
tom, the driver, swore' and caught the
lad hearty kick which he richly deserved,
and then, having tied old Kaptein up to the
disselboom with rein, they go: their as
se2a;s and sticks and started l would have
gone, too, only knew that somebody must
look after the wagon, and did not like to
leave either of the boys with it at night.
THE sun was down, and the full moon was
up, and a beautiful moon it was And then
there came down that wonderful hush that
sometimes falls over the African bush in the
early hours of the u;gb. yoh.,s, ,r,s r,o,-;,1r
and no h;r5 coll.d a., h,,o.,I, nf 81
the quiet trees. and the shadows did NOT even
uuiyer: tbey only grew II was vcrv o,,nres-
siye and very lonely. for there was not = SIGN
of the cattle or the bows WAS ouita THANH
fui for the society of old Knpteip who wac
living down contentedIy against the disseI-
boom. chewing the cud with n GOOD CON-
science.
aPresently. however Kantein tee-sn 10 oat
restless. First he sported: then he got nm and
s.,orted again. could not make il ont 50
ike a fool I cot down off the wagon HOY IN
have a look roupd. thinking il might Ia tho
lost oxen coming.
Next instant / regretted it, for all of a
sudden heard an owful roar and saw some
thing yellow flash mast me- and light ON NOR
Kaptein Then came a below ,of agony from
the or and a crunch as the lion put his teeth
through the moor br,,tes neck and bepan n,
realize what had hammered. Nv rifle WAS in
the wagon. md NV first Thought was To oct
hold of it. and turned to make a bolt for II
got nv foot ON the wheel and flunp INV bodv
forward on TO the wagon. and there / stoned
as if were frozen. and no wonder for as
was about to spring up heard the lion be-
hind me. and next second felt the brute. ay.
rs plainly as can feel this table I felt him
say. shifting at NV left leo that yeas hang.
ing down.
.Mv word, did feel ouaer. don't tb;rL
that ever fol. SO o,eer before dared not
move for the life of me. and the odd thing
was that I seemed TO lose mower over nv lao
which had an insane sort of inclination 20
kick ON, of 9ts own mere notion-;ust no byS-
tar;c,l reonle want 10 ,,ugb whom ,bav ,,,r,t,
to be narticnIarlv solemn Wei, the lion
shifted and shifted heginning at INV ankle and
slowly nosing away M to INV thigh Itbopgbt
that he was going TO ret hold then. bu, did
not He csiy prowled softly. and went bacl-
to the OK Shifting nv head .. little oot a
Iun view OF Nun. he was tine biggest hon L
ever saw aho nave sen great many, ana
ne had most tremendous biack name Al
tosether ne was maShincent animal, ana as
LAY 'hefe spra"iS Oh 1he iore-oongue OF
tne wagon IL occurred TO me that he would
iooA uncoinihohiy wen III cage ne stood
'nere py Tue CARCASS OF poor Aaptein,
anu aehpera1eiy oisemoo"ied MN as neatly
as butcher couia nave zone. All TINS wmie
care hot move ior ne kept hitng MS head
ana heeihie an eye On me as ne hckeo ms
Dioouy cnOfs- w ncn ne ndu cleaneu hapte1n