The sun., 1890-07-20
eooD STORIES OF THE PRESENT pAT.
so-o ThiAss which Happened to n Sailor
In Africa.

carpenter and saimaker, had nut into tho port
OF Quiloa. on the east coast OF Africa, in dis
tress, homeward bound from the Red Sea.
had shipped for the voyage out aud back, but
when we ran into Qulloa determined to tako
French leave. Three more brutal officers than
those In command OF the bark never walked a
ships deck. and, although l rated above the
common sailor, had come In for my share of
abuse. j was young full OF adventure. and
should perhaps have cut sticks II everything
had been pleasant aboard the ship. My first
idea was to so alone but an apprentice aboard
named Thomas Cade about IL years old, sus-
rected my designs. and entreated permission
to 10 along. He had been knocked about and
dogged around until he was ready to commit
suicide to escape further i'll treatment. was
glad enough OF the opportunity to take him.
and on the second night OF the bhrk's arrival
we were oil.
Quiloa twenty-five years ago contained only
few hundred inhabitants. There was a
wharf. warehouse, two or throe trading
stores, and few dozen huts and houses, and
the population was badly mixed As we were
fast at the wharf. and as Thomas stood deck
watch during the earlier hours OF evening. we
had no trouble in getting away. We took with
US achange OF clothes two OF the ships mus
kets and ammunition, light axe, q few
pounds Of provisions and means for building
fire, and we passed through the village and
into the forest to the west OF 1t without meet
Ing any one. We did not 20 more than half q
mile before wo oampod down for the remain-
der OF the night, but even as close to town as
| that the hyenas and jackals we're 80 numerous
that we did not close our eyes In sleep. Where
| we were going or what might befall us We did
not know nor care. The idea was to get away
from the bark. After that things might take
care OF themselves.
| We were up and Off at dawn. holding straight
! for the west by pocket compass which had.
| 1t was likely that would be pursued, and
| for two hours we hurried ahead at q smart
pace, and then halted for breakfast. We had
| been travelling through forest and Jungle all
the time not meeting with even a footpath as
| evidence OF civilization. aud after having
| bite to eat we began to look ut tho serious side
| OF the situation. Whittier were we bound?
| What should We do after getting there2 These
| and other questions wo asked ourselves with
manner. and then, sailor.lke, we dismissed
the matter from, our minds and agreed to
take the good and bad as 1t came. When we
resumed our journey 1t was at more loisurely
pace. but at noon we, were probably fifteen
miles from the town. The country wps ju.t as
| 1t being daylight and hot day most OF tho
savage beasts we're asleep. but now and then
noon wo routed out two big hyenas who
seemed disposed for time to DISPUTE the
way.
| Always keeping due vest, and always trav-
eling through an unbroken Wilderness. we
SaS SSoH miles that rt da
amount of trewood, and it was we'll that we
diI 50. tor the night camo on dark. and THO
wild beastS gathered around us to make such
out of our wits. We heard the lions begin
and two of them hung about US all night long.
coming SO close TO the fire on two occasions
Thomas was no good to me after the lions
made their first appearance. 1t would have
tied ourselves to the branches. but We had an |
idoa that we must protect ourselves with q !
fro fl, and the e, presence OF SO many wd animals
did nothing but feed The, fire all night Iong, and
when daylight came aud we were left in peace |
| lung myself down and was asleep In mo- |
mont II WINS noon before olened my eyes,
and Thomas wa, yet, asleep. We gathered |
supply ate sparingly of what we had brought |
from tho ship, md after shaking our thirst at Q
TO by animals, we headed 10 the west. and made |
good fifteen miles during the afternoon; The
we came to small prairie on which many wild |
animals were feeding. Just before dark. as we
aprroaeh,ed@ Ion one Of these opsnings @ Sr9pt for. Or
md ate our I'LL OF roasted meat.
We Ind intended 10 climb tree on this
night, but darkness fell suddenly while We
Were still eating and then we wore afraid to
move for fear Of tho wild %nmas wheh t ap,
Until about mdHeht Then ei our T' fuel ran low
nearer. We had heard lions roaring In differ
ent directions. bur only one had come close
nor roared' but hitted about like shadow.
aud whenever the fro got low he came 30 near
br we abGu en
gave out and the fro got so low that knew
a victim, / told Thomas that we would
make rush for the tree and hope TO
was terribly frightened, and | had scarcely
snoken before he bo!ted away for the tree. not
opposite side OF the fire, and my plan was to
rush ut him with frebrands and scare him far
Tom moved the belst uttered a low erowl, and
heard him as he bounded through the dark
Snd 1Sd hs y SS 1Se
the body away. While his attention was thus
employed made flank movement and gained
So quiet that got little sleep. Once or twice
thought heard the lion growing and tear
When daylight came and descended from my
porch, almost the first thing l saw was por-
over @ 800 feet from my y tree Ihe lion lon had S made
u meal OF hlm right there under my nose.
off, s rGs s1ne
made no halt until noon when stopped to
S5SHk sna dnS Sa in II E while
rounded by about thirty natives. each one
armed tor war. and In trice | found myself a
captive. They came on me so suddenly that l |
could offer no defence and this fact no doubt,
saved my life. Only q few OF the band soon
became apparent, had ever seen II white man
at close quarters before. was viewed and In
vestIgated with tho greatest interest and as
Constituent, and as soon as got little norye (
/ saw that it WAS policy, to ,humor them all
could. only ono man, the leader carried mus
ket, that was an old flint lock and out of repair.
while mine was fairly good weapon of per-
cussion fire. They could not make II out and {
] set no a mark and discharged it for their
benefit. Tnen | made tham understand by
signs TINT had hidden another like 1t In tho
woods to the east and we at once started off In
rph n | hi foil mo
trail u hundred rods. but one OF the mon picked
it w so readily that most OF the way WAS
covered at n lope. Wo we're no more than three
hours making the journey, and great was their |
qualification at getting their hands on the c
other weapon.
had talked with two or three old sailors who
had taken 10 tho bush In Fast Africa TO escape 1
cruel treatment on shipbonrd, and by putting q
this and that together made up my mind that q
fallen in with the members OF the Worumbu
tribe. They wear no rings in their noses rs IL I
the Case wi h the tribes north ana south OF
them. but those worn In their ears are so heavy a
hat those organs are pulled almost down TO /
their shoulders. From their signs OF astonish- +
ment nj pfDP0lpp IlDm Ulnpl tlut n