davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-13

dwellers live. may be seen on the accompany
ing map They are among the Hottest and
coolest parts of tropical Africa. Water some
times freezes In the night. LIE Marinel says
the Bena-Kabambo are the most ferocious
| savages he ever met They are afraid the
secrets Of their grottoes will be fathomed. and
the explorer was not permitted to enter them.
side Of the hills. He fingered IN the neighbor-
hood for days. fed the multitude, on hinp'o-
but no bride tempted them to admit him to
their subterranean retreats. He was per-
Whefs tRe walls The
pumice stone. No. one yet knows how
they tWS .
flows flow. from many man OF the openings. There is
duced by erosion. and some Of them, perhaps;
artiacally enlarged and connected. Scattered
n the ' largest CAVES used as tho ABIDE Of man
herding focks ip their retreats. tilling millet
fields in The valleys below They are always
them up beyond the ken OF their foes.
t~o ss
ns Mtba tRs
Cart sps f h S four fay eas
iSr 1 many wy yeaes gat little further vest IN
sa senf she areess villages 81 cave dws f
known In mode5p time sx.r. They have
peopIs are called ~ Mstpstmss. and theis
psS mht stsr Sns II sRsss
valleys and not know until YOU were right
sae popucs bsne esRs s sss
hills with their herds and the rest busted un:
der ground witt, their pottery making and
shops She everything j. under ssoand. The bare
y tIr piGYksxe: That dug them out
1s q shaft Upon Which rents ths
ton TS:y Inter thsir dead 10 I
almost on the, surface, It q strange spec
s n
thsmssslyss IN yeIitaSls s.p These
Fl hSse
villages are hives Of industry. md although
found In their undereroYnd homes.
The % s1 sSs Ssdfss. lit s.sss
Desert They were known only by name be:
fore NachtIgsl; on his perilous Journey. found
remarkable Ises are these Tibbas. the Poo
eauaiied Tor beauty among the North African
races. None OF the diseases that have scourged
their northern neighbOrs IL known among
them. II is land Of yolcanic rock Of hot springs
and geyssrs. and the natives say the snlphur
thousands OF them live among these noun.
tsins In natural caves or between blocks Of
stsnss snafs sSa' e o. ss4 sls
but az Sy!,S Tss!r
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-13

Ing to suggest that they could possibly be
that years ago the natives lived OH the plain in
ordinary villages. using the caves at times as
g place, OF refuge from their enemies. until
they %ade them II. abode
under the tropical sun. nearly reaching the
snow line. and its green sides indented with
deep pockets-the homes Of hundreds OF hu-
man beings.
hari Desert il South Africa are the e." famous nous
Bushmen. who welcome the discovery Of q
Blessings: Very few OF them live In huts: So cav.
erns are the home they prefer: and when in
their wanderings they fail to find caves. they
crawl. They live 50 far from the equator that
they regard 1t rs luxury to 20 to sleep upon
the warm ashes from the fire that has cooked
their evening meal These miserable little
people may well compete. with some Of the
1t the bottom Of the scale Of hnmanity. The The
translation Of the name Of Beers applied to
them means inferior beings"
These. are all the cave jewellers as yet
known in Africa: It is noteworthy that. with
h the Of the MH Ss EsGn nys
regions they inhabit., The people in the Big
cave villages near tho Mediterranean are OF
nearly pure Berber stock: the Tfbbus are
Berber with some admixture OF negro blood:
the hatanga cave dwellcrs were certainly ear
tho people who now lord IT over them; and
the Bushmen are closely allied to the dwarf
tribes OF the equatorial regions who anthro-
biologists believe were In possession long be-
fore the people with whom they now live en-
scendants Of the cave dwellers Of whom
Herodotus wrote.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-13

three sides Of them live, ,inyetsrats .sneniss
the hravest OF fighters and can hold their own,
but they wage war on all the world. and the
white race ts In the category Of their enemies.
The result ts that we know very little Of their
country. Eachtigal visited only its northern
part Their mountains are supposed to run
north and south about 300 miles, but tho
breadth OF these ranges IL not known. On the
east nc, enemy, anronts them: for. looking
toward Mecca they can zee only tho yellow
sands Of the Libyan Desert, the most forbid
ding and terrible waste In tho world.
one OF the most remarkable stories that Jo-
eeph Thomson had to tell when he came
hegreat Mount Eieon. not far from the north.
east corner OF Victoria Nyanza. and It's arti-
fcial caves. extraordinary In number and vast
In extent. Theae caves. he said. were out out
Of very compact volcanic agglomerate near
the base 81 the mountain, and they were occu-
pied by whole villages. with their cattle They
were 30 big that hundreds OF people and large
herds could live In them. Thomson believed
that they were mines In some past age The
works were evidently too vast to be achieved
by the simple savages who now inhabit them.
and Tompson wondered what superior race
could formerly have occupied this region.
Thomson's Impressions Of these caves were
somewhat modified by the studies OF Messrs
Jackson and GedGs in 1855; siS years after
at an elevation Of 1901 feet One Of them con-
tained thirty large huts. There were other
cave villages further down the mountain as
we'll IS It's base. The later explorers belleye
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-13
TIE Driaesroen's Resolve.
No~ as Taahtsgton Pos.

They sat on q rain.soddep bench In tho
ried couple The weather was cold. but their
love was warm. and the palpitatio1 Of their
Her eyes wers Blue a ."e Was her nose. e One
manly arm encircled her slender waist. while
the other upheld an umbrella. The rain drops
gently trickling down their snines did not
serve TO cool their ardor In tbs least. and
every shiyer seemed to cemeAt them more
q" It's awtully nice out here In the park" she
murmured. ~ think Washington Is u lovely
city for Q wedding tour, don't you. dear
Yes. darling" he replied. In an abstrscted
manner II shall always come here In the
..s.s 's 6 .: :s s :ssss & &c.. ssen'
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-13
CAVE JEWELLERS IN AFRICA.
LATE DTSCOTEREEy ABOUT 1BEA
AND THEIR SURROUNDINGS.

Expisrers Forbidden 20 Eater the Caves n the
HILLS or Kataaga-Cave Dweliisgs Neas
the lHeaitsrraaeaa--The Tibbus or the
Sahara asA BashHen or south Africa.
When Capt Grant was descending the Nile.
after Spoke and he had surveyed the great
Victoria Nyanza. he met some native travellers
who said to him:
"The most remarkable country in Africa is
way down in Katanga. 1t is the place where
copper comes from. and there are great caves
In tho hills. so high thnt II we were riding
through them on these camels we could not
touch tho roof with our spears: and people
live In them. One Of these caves is 400 yards
wide. and 1t took us from sunrise till noon to
march through It and We came out OF the hill
on the other side"
1t was thirty years ago that Capt. Grant heard
this remarkable story. It is q curious coin
cidence that during the very week OF his death.
last month. there came to Brussels the pre-
liminary report OF LIEUT. LIE Marinel announc.
ing that he had visited the caves Of Katanga
and seen the people who inhabit them. He
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-13
PIREFLIES FROM CUBA.
Experimenting With the Light They Give.
the Cheapest In tho World.

From The Hashington Sur.
Secretary Langley of the Smithsonian Insti-
tution nas been experimenting for some time
past with firefiies from Cuba. he says that the
light they give y the cheapest, IN the world
prSd .h thas Is to say with the Least neat
he believes ,, that successful lmitatiSn of 4
gas ana electricity. The Insects are beetles
Two inches long and belong to the family OF
snapping bugs" so called because when one
az q sn ar N aa in It's back snaps itself into
The secret Of the light this hrehy gives 10 as
in some way with the mysterious ,phenomens
ollie. and chemists and ply SITS have sought
II vain c. explain Its origin. On each side o,
the animal thorax Is n luminous memhrnnocs
SPOT anu these Hash at intervals. SO that tho
Ca tn put dozen OF the inseets ~ u Gag: ~,
Spghs snSpgh to read BY lnis light Is ''I
tsesmip,sly PRODUCED with almost no expsndi;,
ture OF energy. How great an improvement It
represents upon all known artificial lights ON
Re iinaglnen when It Is stated that in eand ..
light, Iamplight. or gaslight the waste Is more
than % per cent In other words. Il they could
be 80 obtained as not to throw anything away.
{hsy would give nearly LOO times the ill1mina,
Hop. Wnicn Lhey 90 AFFORD Even the slsosrlo
light u mostly Wssts.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-13

ssrsea ~ "usoeEsn AsssAs.- "son Avy,a" .vcsl
psnaY un.~
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-13
CHAPTER Kill

Five minutes lstsr he was sittins In his
room With his head bowed within the circle Of
his arms on the tsbls-nnAl attitude Of grief
and despair His tears were flowing fast. and
now and then sob broke upon the stiffness.
Presently he said:
II know her whom she WAS little child and
ussd to climb about my knees. ! love her as
I love my own. and now. oh. poor thing. door
thing. ! cannot bear it-shs's gone and lost
her hoart to this NANCY msterislizsr Why
didn't We see that that might hsppsnf But
bow could wei Nobody could Nobody could
ever have dreamed Of such . thing. You
couldn't expect Q person would fall In love
With Q wsxwork. and this one doesn't even
anopnt b tAak"
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-13

delivered IT.. burning 1t away word by word. as
the fuse burns down to q bombshell. and
Watching to see how far the explosion would
Lift him:
Listen. and do not doubt me. for shall
spenk the exact truth. Howard Tracy. am
no more an earl's child than you are"
To hor Joy. and secret surprise also. 1t mover
phased him. He was ready this time and saw
his chance. He cried out with enthusiasm:
THANK heaven for that" and gathered her
to his arms.
To express her happiness was almost beyond
her gift Of speech.
"You mako me the proudest girl in all the
EARTH" she said. with her head pillowed on his
shoulder. II thought 1t only natural that you
should DO dazzled by the tItlo-maybe even
unconsciously. you being Engish-and that
you might be decelvlng yourself In thinking
you only loved me- and find you didn't love me
whom the deception was swept away; SO It
makes me proud that the revelation stands for
nothing. and that you do love just me. only
me-oh. prouder than any words can toll"
1T 10 only you. sweetheart never gave
one snvying glance toward your fathers earl
dom. That 10 utterly true. dear Gwendolen."
"There-you mustn't call me that I hate
that false name. told you 1t wasn't mine
Ny name is sally Sellers-or Sarah. II you like.
From this time / Danish dreams. visions.
imsginings. and will no more OF them. 1 am
going to be myself-my genuine SELF my hon
est SELL my natural self. clear and clean OF
sham and folly and fraud. and worthy OF you.
There 10 no grain OF social inequality between
US: l. like you. am poor: i. like you. am with
out position or distinction; you are strug.
Cling artist; I am that. too. In my humber
way Our bread 10 honest bread: We work for
our living. Hand In hand We will walk hence
10 the grave. helping ssoh other In all ways.
Living Tor each other. being and remaining one
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-13

But when Gwendolen rose up promptly and
smiled glsi smile. AMI said with THANKFUL
pess and blessing. " Must you 60 p It seemed
cruel to desert. ana he Eat down again.
He was about ~ begin remark whon-when
no didn't We have all bsen there. He didn't
know how he knew his concluding to stay
3onger had boon mistake: no merely knew It.
and he knew II for dead certain. too. And 80 he
1bAds good night. and won't incoming out. won
dsrirs what he ,uld have dono that changed
the atmosphere that way. As tho door closed
behind him tho otwo were standing side bv
side. looking At the door-looking at It In q
waiting. second counting. but deeply grateful
kind OF Way. And tho instant It closed they
aung their arms about each others necks.
and there. heart to heart and lip to lip.
"Oh. my God. she's kissing it!"
Nobo iy heard this remark. because Hav-
kins. who bred It only thought Il: no didn't
utterit He had turned the moment no had
closed tho door. and had pushed It open . lit
tie. intending to rssnter and ask what ill-sd-
vised thing no had done or said. and apologize
for II But he didn't reenter; hs staggered on
stunned. terrified. distressed
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-13
Electiosoerinx With "Tsa Nights n /. Bss.
rOOm."


FERGUS FALLS. MIMI. March 5.-The village
of Ashby IL IN great state OF excitement over
the coming election on account 81 the iicense
question. The, temperance people presSntod
the play, Ten Nights In . Barfoom." IL
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-08

PERsoxAL--John T. Huckel Of New York,
George Everett Of Portland and T. W. Wilson
Of Philadelphia are at Willards.-W. Darr
of Philadelphia, Frank Gallagher Of Port
land, Ore, and G. T. Simmons of
New York ore at the Randall
C. A. Hoffheimer Of Cincinnati, D. L. Groner
of Norfolk, s. B. Haywood and W. E. Merrell
of New York are at the Ebbitt.@. G. Justin
Of Syracuse, Chester Holcombe Of Peking,
China, E. B. Bennett Of Hartford,
Ct., and Gen. Pedro Villae Of Bogota,
republic Of Colombia, are at the
Riggs-Louis B. Cleaver Of New York, John
B. Locke Of Albany and o. 7. Stafford Of Mime
apolis are at the Arlington.-C. J. Dingee,
IL. and Charles W. DAYTON Of New
York, B. G. Church Of Duluth and John K.
Hallock Of Erie. Pa, are at the Shore
ham.-O. T. Carson Of Columbus. j. D.
Hunt Of Milford, Mass, and w. NJ. Vance of
Urbana, Ohio, are at the Fredonia.-A Rus
soil of Iowa, c. W. Gorham Of South Dakota
and F. Helm of Chicago are at the Johnson
Harry Hopkins Of Ironton, Ohio, Jno G. Hagan
of Boston and A. H. Rawlings Of Petersburg,
Va, are at the Metropoitan.-P. A. Woolley
Of Woolley, Washington, E. 1. Ryan Of Boston
and VIM. c. Wait Of Chicago are at the No
tional.-F. ". Schultz of St. Louis, w.
j. Green Of Oxford, B. Bergan of Cincin-
nati and T. T. Blunt Of Oovington, Ky, are at
the st. Jsmes.-Benj. II. Collins, chief of
tobacco division, internal revenue, Treasury
Department, leaves for Holland and England
tomorrow for Q months vacation,-Mr.
Frank r. Mitchell Of Atlanta is visiting his
uncle, Mr.. Jno. J. Wharton, Of East Capitol
street.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-08
AS TO ADJOURNMENT.
Congress Can Finish Up Its Work 1
Week IL 1t So Desires.

Congress Can Finish Up Its Work In .
Week II It So Desires.
II the House succeeds in getting through
with the bills it is proposed to pass under .
suspension Of the rules today, there viii be very
little in the way Of an adjournment. The silver
bill and the appropriation bills now stand across
the path. II the silver bill should be adopted
by the House next week the day Of
adjournment viii have to be delayed % - to
give the President time to consider il, though
it is not likely that he would require much
time. II 1t II defeated the appropriation
bills will be the only business Of importance
to be disposed Of. Members of
the appropriations committee say today
that, while the appropriation bills are hanging
back In Q bunch, they are all advanced to such
q stage - to admit Of thar being cleared up in
Q week. They cay that the disposition Of the
Senate Il amiable and that II everything else Il
got out Of the way every appropriation bin can
be completed In . week-thAt 4, II BY
hurrying their work they can hasten an cd
journment.
What may be ths sentiment Of h two houses
oa the subject Of adjournment, however, b un-
certain. The above statement indicates meraly
what they can do Il Icy want to.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-08
HoMEsTEAD's MASS MEErnO
Rspsrssn Kept Out-some raik ef 1xals<
ing Them From Town.

Rspsrssrs Kept Out-Some Talk af 3znla1-
ing Them From Town.
Special Dispssch TO Ths Kvsning ss.r.
HOMESTEAD, Pa, July e.-At noon ths nAa
meeting was called TO order In the rink build-
ing. That is the present limit Of nsvs On -
subject Not only did the strikers prevsnt spy
newspaper men from entering the Ill, bes
they refused TO Let than stand in any a ~
adjacent streets. An imaginary line has bssa
drawn around the structure and scroa thaa IN
visible barrier no man not propsriy eu1horis~1
may climb.
Homestead = In shts Of dsge. No <ovn
was ever 90 carefully protsctsd by pioksts - b
this little center of population The bank q
the Mononeahela h pssrollsd from Pitsbusg
up 10 . point some distance beyond ths MN;
every railroad track b guarded 81 sv~y
point where guard d 10 b nsossaxy; forss
Of vatchsn h continually on duty q the So
ton, while . largo number Of msn are -
tailed TO witch straaesnL The suspdGioss-
appearing arrival may imagine himsslf nns
TO 20 snd do - he plsasss- He b In srrsr.
From the moment hs sssps a The train ~ y
under surveillancs, and thb ssesusion continzzu
either untn hs leaves The plscs or becousn
known 10 the Amalg.matsd sushoritiss = .
squars maa- Very nsturally viator hare -
this tims would b inquintive, but fhs mn
vorksrs do not rseogniss his rigAt 10 bscurioss,
and should h be mystsrious ana unvoucAus1
for b VII certainly Be stopped on shs high~.y
BY picket, and hs win b compsIsd 10 give .
satisfactory account of hinssh Whist veula
happen n hs failed 10 do This cannot ~. -
oauss upto this time The guards have bssa -
isAsd With the explanations offered, bss -
venture 10 suggest thas dstsotive of 80 -
n discovered, would speedily ios ~ i.Asrusin
mundane mastors-
n saxfksD srs snxioD shsa no 90 ~ \,
sbls 10 bsar testimony seai.st sny e g..
!. losa1ansd = aisA Rsoaj
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-08
ALARMED AT MIDNIGHT.
An Unfounded Rumor Reused Homestsoders
From Their Beds.

An Cnfounded Rumor Reused Homo0tooders
From Their Beds.
Special Dispssch to The Evening Star
HOMESTEAD, Pa, July s.-Twelvs thousand
people started from their beds Just about mid
night and within minute the stream Of ex-
cited humanity was pouring into the streets and
toward the Carnegie mill A steam whistle, in
cited oy telegraphic rumor, did IL all Some
body received a dispatch from PittsburE stat
ing that trainload Of Pinkerton men might be
expected shortly after the last regular train
from Pttsburg. Fast - human feet could bear
it the tidings ew to the electric light plant and
instantly the stiffness Of the night was bruksn
by the hoot Of the signal agreed upon
Never was Response moro rapid or grimly en-
thusiastic. Everybody ran toward the point
where the train would mest probably be un-
loaded and the great majority Of the mon were
armed. Down the dark streets they came,
painting from their haste, but more than willing
TO fight to the death With any number Of
Pinkerton thugs, or deputy mArshals, or even
soldiers who should come in at such Q time or
in such . manner. But little was said, for the
ultitude knew nothing more than that the
signal whistle had sounded or that some fellov
striker had pounded on their door and called
them to arma The silence Of the town VA
gone and the place which vas Gabbaxh-liks In
its quietude was sbode Of men Who counted
no sacrifice too great for the cause they had
sworn to uphold and defend
All along the uneven Highways ran men and
women, intent not only on going 10 ths scsue
Of action, but active in the summoudng Of thoss
who might not have bssn swaksnsd By ths
shriek Of the monster whistle.
An almost bresthle0 woman fuahed up 20 q
group Of men ON guard duty on The railroad
tracks and from beneath her shavi produced
one Of the nsw Winchester riAss captursd sfSsr
wednesdays fight II vas for hsr husbsnd
and ahe gave Il into his banda ~ loadsd u
myself" was the only thing shs saiA shs 10
tired TO The shadow Of nsar-hy corner end
waited In company with score of hsr ssx for
the battle which seemed 70 be insyifahaa.
Three or four mon thought The better Nv "a
summon thar comrades vas By firing rsvolvsra
They proceeded 70 carry out ths idaa. bui
csassd firing vhsn ons Of ths lsadsrs ysl1sd
out, ''stop thss shootins, you ID foola.
| II thsrs was any real work going on you
vouldnt b % ready q - near - frout"
czzxayuL AZ THOUGHT o. ysaurruo.
A. ths Amaleamatsd Associa<iuns headuu,r-
tsrs there was life. Men eams in frou N Sis,c-
sons 10 And cut pcsoissly vhas ~ euine q
happsn, and thsy eans prspsrsd for sny kind
Ss ssuGUaA DsstAs - uns anss Isn1xsd
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-08
WILL DISCUSS THE FUTURE.
The People Of Homestead VIII Hold . Maa
Meeting This Afternoon
Spscdal pisnafch 20 The Evantne RS>x


Special Dispstch 20 The Evening Star.
HOMESTEAD, Pa, July s.-Thers are two
kinds Of sentiment prevalent st Homestead
One proceeds from the strikers, is opposed TO
any compromise and finds open expression on
the street, the other, which has its origin with
the trades people, favors submission to the SER
wants Of the law and Is whispered within
the houses. Open advocacy of the merchants
proposition would now be foolish. II would
have no effect on the strikers and could only
add Q dangerously exciting feature to the
strained situation Incidentally il might vork
to the personal injury OF the indi-
vidual who would be bold enough to
insist on the soundness Of the proposition and
the necessity for its adoption Men who have
convinced themselves that their moral right 10
superior to law are in no mood TO enter into
discussion which could in the end work only 20
the disadvantage Of the position they now hold.
and yet there il 10 be q mass meeting this after
noon, to which all residents Of Homestead have
been invited, and from which, IL it can be done,
all reporters will be excluded.
The only thing to be talked of, so far ~ I can
gather, is the material welfare Of the town and
any chatter on that subject must inevitably re-
suit in the introduction Of q proposition which
would look to a surrender Of everything foF
which the strikers have fought and for which
they will fight again at the first opportunity.
Deputy sheriffs cannot be had In Allegheny
county, so q force Of these is out Of the ques~
ton. That leaves nothing available but Pink
erton deputies, and / am certain as any one
can be in advance of an occurrence that il .
thousand Pinkerton deputies arrived here to-
day there would be a thousand dead Pnksrton
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-08

CONCERT AT THE WHITE HOUSE GRouNDs.-
The Marine Band concert tomorrow evening at
O'Clock will be at the White House grounds
instead Of Lafayette Square. Tho program
will be Is follows: /. Overture, "Le Duo
D'Olonne," Auber; 2. Grand selection, "Tann-
hAuser," Wagner; 8. Mosaic, lie Contes Hoff-
man." Offenbach; 4. 1.-THE Mill in the Forest, -
Eiien0erg; Ellen .: Selection. Dorothy" celiier @ s:
Battle of Inkermann," Van Buggenhoudt; 8.
"The Night Alarm" Reeves; 9. Patriotic air,
"Hail Columbia" Fyles.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-08

MUsIc IN THE WHITE HOUSE, GROUNDS
Col Ernst announces that until further notice
the Saturday afternoon concerts by the Marine
Band will be given in the grounds attached to
the Executive Mansion, instead Of in Lafayette
Square.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-08

INSPECTOR GENERAL DUMoNr Of the Treasury
Department has returned to the city from his
European tour. When he reached his desk this
morning he found thereon a tribute from his
friends in the shape Of floral ship, represent
ing the steamer upon which be crossed the
ocean.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-08

CONSUL GxsxRAL.-The Brazilian govern
ment has appointed Antonio Augusta de Cas-
tillo as consul general at New York In the place
Of Arthur Teixeira de Macedo, who has been
made consul general to Portugal.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-08

SECRETARY ELKINs has returned to his West
Virginia home, to be absent few days.