Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-01-06
THE STRANGE STORY
 OF Allan 0uatermain' Wife
BY E. EIDE. IIAGGkRD.

BY E. ;:IDf:c: HAGGARD.
 will they do? Go back? Not bit of it. It is nearly thirty feet wide, but that is nothing to a springbok. See, the first of them bounds into the air like ball. How beautifully the sunshine gleams upon his golden hide. He has cleared 1t, and the others come after him in numbcrless succession, all except tho lawns, who can not jump so far, and have to scamper over the doubtful path with terrified bah. What is that yon- der, moving over the tops of the mimosa in the little dell at the foot of the kop- pie? Giraffes, by George! three of them; there will be marrow-bones for supper tonight IIark! the ground shakes be- hind us, and over the brow of the rise rush vast herd of blesbock. On they come at full gallop, their long heads held low - they look like 50 many bearded goats. I thought so. Behind them is a pack of wild dogs, their fur draggled, their tongues lolling. They are in full cry; the giraffes hear them and arc away, rolling round the koppie like 8 ship in Q heavy sea. No marrow bones after all. See! the foremost dogs are close on buck. He has galloped far and is outworn. Ono springs at his flank and misses him. The buck gives Q kind of groan, looks wildly round and secs the wagon. He seems to hesitate moment, then in his despair rushes up to it and falls exhausted among tho oxen. Tho dogs pull up some thirty paces away, panting and snarling. Now, boy, the gun-no, not the rife; the shot, gun loaded with loopers.
 frio fyy0 of you will never hunt buck again. No, don't touch the buck, for he has como to us for shelter, and he shall have it. ! An, how beautiful is nature before man comes to spoil it!
 Such a sight as this have I seen many hundred times, and l hope to see it again before I die.
 The first real adventure tha5 befeN nue on this particular journey was with ele- plants, which I will relate because of its curious termination. Just before we crossed the Orange river we came to g. stretch of forest land some twenty miles broad. The night we entered this forest wo campcd in lovely open glade. A few yards ahead tambouki grass was growing to the height of man, or rather it had been. Now, with tho ex- ooption of few stalks hero and there, it was crushed quite Hat. It was already dusk when we camped, but after tho moon got up I walked from the fire to see how this had happened. Ono glance was enough for me. great herd of elephants had evidently passed over the tall grass not many hours before. The sight of their spoor rejoiced mo exceed ingly, for though I had seen wild ele- phants, at that time I had never shot one. Moreover, the sight of elephant spoor to the African hunter is what "color in the pan" is to the prospector of gold It is by ivory that he lives, and to shoot ii or trade it is his chief aim in life. My resolution was soon taken. I would camp the wagons for awhile in the forest, and start on horseback after tho elephants.
 communicated my decision to 1ndaba- zimbi and the other Kaf1irs. The latter wero not 10th, for your kaffr loves hunt ing, which means plenty of meat and congenial occupation, but Indaba-zimbi would express no opinion. 1 saw him retire to little fire that he had lit for hims; f and go through some mysterious performances with bones and clay mixed with ashes, which were watched
 
 Kafflrs. At length ho rose, and, coming forward, informed me that 1t was all right, and that did we'll to go and hunt the elephants, as l should get plenty o1 ivory; but he advised mo to go on foot I said should do nothing of the sort but meant to ride. I am wiser now; that was the first and last time that 1 evel attempted to hunt elephants on horse back.
 , Accordingly we started at dawn, l, In , daba-zimbi and three men; the rest , left with the wagons. was on horseback and so was my driver, a good rider and : r skillful shot for a Kaflir, but 1ndab Zimbi and the others walked. From dawr till midday we followed the trail of the herd, which was as plain as a high road <. Then we off-saddled to let the horse! rest and feed, and about three oclocl started on again. Another hour or s' passed, and still there was no sign o elephants. Evidently the herd hat travelled fast and far, and l began t. < think that we should have to give it ul '. when suddenly I caught sight of brown mass moving through the thor trees on tho side of slope about a quar ter of mile away. My heart seemed t.
 jump into my mouth. Where is thu
 hunter who has not felt like this at tn
 sight of his first elephant? I called q halt, and thon, the wind being right
 we set to work to stalk tho bull. Yer
 quietly ro1e down the hither side of tn slope till we came to tho bottom, whicl
 was densely covered with bush. Here
 saw the elephants had been feeding, fo
 broken branches and upturned trees la
 all about. I did not take much notice
 however, for all my thoughts were ike
 upon the bull was stalking, when sud
 denly my horse made a violent start tha
 nearly threw me from my saddle, an
 there came mighty rush and upheavs
 of something in front of me. looked