Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-02-23

laughed, rose and stretcned himself, SDu
then calling to Jinl-Jin TO bring the ak
and REIN. started or in the moonlight
toward a clump of sugar bush. where we cut
our fuel from some dead trees lie was
fine fellow in his way, was Pharsoi. and !
think that he bad been named Pharaoh be
cause he bad Egyptian cast OF eounren-
ance and royal sort Of swagger about him
But his way was a somewhat peculiar way,
on account of the uncertainty of his temper,
and very few people could get on with him:
also, if he could get it, he would drink Ike
fish, and when he drank he became s.ock-
ingly bloodthirsty These were Lis bad
points: his good ones were that, Ike most
people Of the Zulu blood. he became exceesl-
inrly attached to one if ne took TO yoa 81 all:
he was hard working and intelligent man,
AMI about as dare devil and pluckv fellow
al pinch as | have ever had to do with.
He was about five and thirty years Of age or
50. but not a 'keshla' or rins.ed man. be
leve that he got into trouble in some way in
Swaziland. and the authorities OF MS tribe
would not allow him to assume the ring. and
that is WHY be came TO work at the gold
fields The other man, or rather lad, jim Jim.
was Aapoch kafir or knobnose, and even
in tie light of subsequent events | fear that
cannot speak very well Of him. He was an
idle and careless young rascal, and Only that
very morning | had 10 tell Pharaoh to give
him beating for letting the oxen stray,
which he did with the greatest gusto, al
though he was, by the way, very fond of
Jim-Jim Indeed | saw him consoling jim
Jim afterwards with pinch OF snuff from
his own ear box whilst he explained to him
that the next time it came in the way of duty
to fog him he meant to thrash him with the
Other hand, as to cross the old cuts and
maze "a pretty pattern on his back.
We'll, of they went, though Jim-Jim did
not at az like leaving the camp at that hour,
even when the moonlight was 50 bright. and
in due course returned safely enough with
great bundle Of wood. | laughed at Jm-Jim
and asked him if he had seen anything, and
be said yes. he had; he had seen two large,
yellow ewes staring at him from behind a
bush and hear'i something snore.
As, however, on further investigation, the
yellow eyes and the snore appeared to have
existed only in Jim-Jims lively imagination
l WAS not greatly disturbed by this alarming
report, but, having seen to the making up of
the lire, got into the skerm and went quietly
to sleep with Harry by my side
''Some hours afterwards | woke up with a
start | don't know what woke ME. The
moon had gone down, or at least was almost
hidden behind the soft horizon OF bush, only
her red rim being visible. Also wind had
sprung up and was driving long hurrying
lines of cloud across the starry sky, and alto
gether n great change had come over the
moot Of the night By the look of the sky
Judged we must be about two hours from
davbreak
The oxen, which were as usual tied to the
=. . Al. L.
they kept shutting and blowing and rising
up and living down again, SO | at once sus-
spe,'ted that they must wind something
Presenty | knew what it was that they
winlcd, for within fifty yards of us a lion
roared. not very loud, but quite loud enough
to make my heart come into my mouth
Pharaoh was sleeping on the other side of
THE cart, and beneath it | saw him raise his
head and listen.
Lion Inkoos,' he whispered, :. L.
"Jim-Jm also jumped up, and by the faint
li,ht could that he was in a very great
fright indeed.
Thinking that it was as well to he pre-
pared for emergencies, l told Pharaoh to
throw wood upon the fire, and woke up
Harry, who | verify believe was capable of
sleeping happily through the crack of doom.
He was little scared at first, but presently
the excitement of the position came home to
him. and he became quite anxious to see his
mai sly face to face. | got my rifle handy
and gave Harry hs-a Westly Richards fall
ing block, which is very useful gun for a
youth, being light and yet good killing
riAe-and then waited.
For long time nothing happened, and l
began to think that the best thing that we
could do would be to go to sleep again, when
suddenly heard a sound more like a cough
than roar within about twenty yards OF the
skerm. We all looked out, but could
nothing; and then followed another period
of suspense 1t was very trying to the
nerves, this waiting for an attack that might
be developed from any quarter, or might not
be developed at all and though was an Old
hand at this sort of business, | was anxious
about Harry, for it is wonderful how the
presence of any body to VIII III one is attached
unnerves a man in moments of danger, and
that made me nervous. | know, although it
was now chilly enough, l could feel the per-
SEPARATION running down my nose, and in order
to relieve the strain my attention, en-
poyed myself in watching II beetle -Ahich aI-
pearcd to Ike attracted by the freight. and
vas sitting before it thoughtfully rubbing his
a;;"lnT against each other.