San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-12-30

went to war with his tribe. He was
our guide, and he assisted my father to
master the language, and be taught me
how to shout A Zulu will make him
self heard for a great distance with the
wind dead against him; and | tried to
learn the art, andssucceede9 as well as
civilized being could hope to do.
Now, las drew deep successive draughts
of air into my lungs and raised cry
of distress. the waves of sound rolling
onward, to be echoed and re-echoed by
the surrounding heights, marEelled
that had not thought of such strategy
before, especially when the sharp
yelp of dog was borne to me on the
soft breeze of night, followed by a
shrill whistling hiss that showed that
my cry was heard and help was near
at hand, nearer than thought or dared
to hope.
The tramp knew this as well as /,
and that what he had to do must be
done quickly. Tbrusting out his arms,
he made a grab at me; but / eluded
his grasp and darted behind the tree.
Then we lodged each other, played
kind of hide-and-Eeek like two children,
save that it was a terribly earnest
game, and the funswas left out alto
gether.
Unfortunately, IN my excitement,
made an incautious movement. Instant
lv there was violent clutch at my
sealskin Jacket, and | was dragged TO
nv old place in trent of the tree; but
l did not mind so much now. In the
meadow there was little black animal
coming towards noe, painting heavily
and with lolling tSngue. 1t was only
a dog--yes, only d dog! There was
the cracking of Oh wood, a rustic of
dead leaves, and my lurcher friend
the road. He did not "bark furiously,"
sor "giveaan angry snarl," or emit
low ominous growl, nor did he fly at
the throat of my assailant, in the good
sold-fashioned melodramatic style. and
spin him to the earth until his master
arrived upon the scene" or till 1.-The
life of the desperate villain, who was
stepped to the lips in crime, slowly
ebbed away" He was worthy of his
name and true to his mature. Sap is
Gypsy for ~serpent" and symbolical of
wisdom. Sap showed great wisdom.
He watched his chance, then stole up
quietly and inserted his long teeth in
the calf of the leg of the unsuspecting
tramp, who roared with pain and
kicked and plnnged about TO shake the
dog of, but utterly in vain. Sap never
loosed his hold. At last the tramp
thrust his hand into his trousers-pocket
and pulled out a hunting-knife with
thick ivory silver-mounted handle-the
spoil of some other time-and / knew
by the cruel gleam in his eyes what he
meant to do-he would kill my faith
full little friend, and then he would kill
me!
thought more of the dogs peril than
did of my own. II seemed horrible
that his life should be endangered
through me, a stranger. Oh could not
stand by tamely and see the poor dumb
creatures blood shed for me without
making an effort to save him! He had
m2de one to save me.
II must get that knife!" i told myself;
and, like Sap, | bided my time. l could
afford to do so, because the man began
to open the blade In clumsy bungling
fashion that rather astonished me until
| saw that the thumb and one finger of
the right hand were missing.
Quick as lightning, slim delicate
hand seized the mans fumbling fingers,
and the next instant the knife was fly
ing in the air. There was fiutter of
leaves-a boys cap, an old bird-nest,
and a few acorns fell to the ground; but
the half-open knife remained in the
autumn-tinted branches overhead.
Then dark man, short, but muscular
and very active, clad in long drab coat,
with knee-breeches and leggings and
glaring blue and yellow waist-coat
adorned with silver buttons, sprang
through the hedge. A sense of pleasant
security stole over me, and somehow l
tainted.
When / came TO myself, Sap was lick
ing my face, and Rainbow Bill" was
coolly ordering the vanquished tramp
to turn out his pockets-and miscel-
laneous collection they contained-then
bade the wretch BECOME.
offered my purse to Bill, but he
seemed hurt. Nevertheless he appro-
priated the tramp's with great glee, and,
am afraid, requisitioned several other
articles; they were booty to him.
"There is a splendid knife up in the
tree. You had better knock it down,
for fear that villain should get it again,
and perhaps kill some poor creature one
of these days"
Bill could not knock it down. He had
to climb the tree; and, as he did so,
and watched him descend with the
knife in his possession, little did either
of us think that my words would yet
come true.
slow came it to go up there?" he
said.
told him, and added that I had
learned elementary sleight OF hand
by carefully watching the Indian Jug
glers.
"Are you one of us? Old Charlotte
says you are. one the Welsh gipsies."
II am a descenda MT of an Indian gip-
sy. An ancestor of mine, a young
soldier, married one many years ago.
Bill seemed satisfied, and suggested
that we should get away before his peo-
| III,