The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-05-09

The rhinoceros and his host pushed on with
noses low down, aud tossed the human
nests as we would kick an empty egg bas-
ket;' the buffalo beloved in unison, and
closing their eyes, threw themselves upon
the huts and gored everything within reach
of their horns. Then the fierce carnivora,
bloody feast, roared, snared and
laughed as they tore the mangled vic
Tins piecemeal. Ah poor village, and
poor people, in short time the dream
| ing souls dreamed no more, but were
gone past recall in the regions where
dreams are unknQwn-all excepting.
the clever boy named Kibatti and his pa
rents who survived the calamity. These
happened to live in Il tiny hut closely
hidden by a grove of bananas on the edge
of the forest, and kibatti about midnight
had been disturbed in his sleep by a pres
sure on his stomach, which woke him, and
denied him further sleep. He. therefore,,
| sat sorrowing over the red embers of his
fire, when he heard the hollow tramp of
large, animals, and pricking his ears he
| heard trampling in another direction, where
upon his suspicious that something UNI
usual was about to happen grew. on him
SO that he woke his parents and bid them
listen to the rumbling sounds that could be
heard by such experienced hunters all
around them.
Father. come delay not, make mother
rise at once. This night my sleep has
| been broken as 4 warning to me that mis-
chief is brewing. Let us so up into the
big tree near by and observe"
Child, you are right" said his father,
| after listening Il moment: the demons of
the wilderness are gathered against the
village for human enemies make no such
stir as this. We will ascend the great tree
at once Thereupon he drew his wife
| out.
Kibatti wriggled himself through the bur
row under the milkweed hedge into the
banana grove, and then having gained the
shadow, raced for the great tree, closely
followed by his parents. A large vine
hung pendant, and up this vine kibatti
climbed, his mother after him, the Old
man last. Not a moment too soon, for
| just then the trumpet note of the king ell
ephant was heard, and afterwards such a
concert OF noises that neither kibatti nor
his aged father had ever heard the like
before: In the starlight they saw the
huge forms of all kinds of furious animals
| pass and repaSS below them; but clnging
closely to the shelter of the giant limbs of
| the tree they, from their safe perch, wit
messed the dreadful ending of their friends
and relatives.
Then kibatti, when he fully realized the
| catastrophe and its completeness, suggested
to his parents that they should ascend to
the very highest fork, lest they should be
observed i'll the morning, and climbing up.
they found snug hiding place far above,
| hidden all around by the thick fleShy leaves
of the tree. There they remained quiet
until morning, when the boys restless Gu
rioSity became so strong that he resolved to
| crafty it. Grasping close great limb
of the tree he descended as far as the
| lower fork and looked down. He saw
all the huts smashed, and the bones of
| his tribe white and cleaning, scattered
about. The fences were all lcyeled, but
the elephants, under their leader, were re-
setting the poles round about The lions
We're pacing watchfully around, the rhinoc-
| eros and buffaloes were hcrdcd separat ely,
| gazing upon the elephants. the leopards
were lying down under the tree in scattered
groups, the hyenas We're crunching bones,
for these last never know when they have
| eaten enough.
the poles fenced the village round about
as before, and in the dusk ne saw the
| gathering together of all the creatures in
a circle round the king elephant, to hear
his rumbling voice delivering Il harangue
to the motley allies When it was ended
the lions roared. the rhinoccros snortei,
| the buifaloes beloved. the hyenas laughed,
and the shrill trumpetings of the clphants
| announced that the meeting was over.
What occurred afterward Kibatti did not
stay to learn but climbed aoft to give the
news to his anxious parents.
Said he: 1T appears to me, father,
that they are going to build the village up
again., for they have already fenced it
around even bette, as l think, than it
was before. Those animals have clever
leaders, that is certain, bua l am not It
manson if Kibatti does not get the better
| of some of them
'Oh, You are clever my child, that is
true said the old man. 'Whateycr you
make up your mind to do, done it is. |
have found out that long ago. If wit will
get us out of this place of danger, | have a
conviction it will be by thine, and not by
mine, or by my old woman's."
II do not propose to leave the tree Just
yet, father, replied Kibatti. We could
not find a safer place than here if We are
| quiet. The tree is SO tall that they can
not hear talk unless They set their ears
to listen at the foot of it, and against all
that may happen We must provide our
| selves"
Give thy confidence to me, boy, and let
me judge of thy plan said the father
We'll, | think this Tonight they will
all start off, some to catch the lesser prey,
Others to sraxe and feed | propose after
getting three or four winlls of sleep to go
down to the gate, and discover how things
are. If possible, will try and get my net
ropes. They will be useful for my purpose
We may trap some game you know"
Il see, | see my boy That is a good
idea Shall l help thee?'
Not tonight, father, except thou keepest
watch. until yonder bright star stands over
| head.
The old man agreed to keep watch until
| tnc SIdE 'tUpIOdCutI tlc zenith. ~ HlIe
after midnight, kbatti was walked,
and having given b., later instructions to
go 10 Sep, he descended. He proceeded
straight to the house, and among the wreck
age he found his strong netSand their ropes,
and his sharp hunting knife, besides his
fathers FIVE spears. The last weapons he
| conveyed directly to the tree, and bore them
| up to a lower fork. This done, he re-de-
| seconded the tree and crawled away to Il bit
of marshland not far off, where there was
| a cranes nest which contained some eggs
| lie took these in his hand and went around
through the bushes to the Unyoro road .
| All this had been done very quickly, because
being a hunter he knew all these things be-
fore, and while watching the animals in
the village his mind had been busy forming
his plans. Now when he came to the
Unyoro road he stood straight up and strobe
rapidly in the direction Of the village which
had been that of tribes. Arriving
near it he crawed up to the gate and look
ed in, then traced the fence all around
until he came back to the same gate.
Kibatti now stood up and cried: "Hul!o,
hullo there! Are you all asleep? VIII YOU
not let Il poor benighted stranger in? The
night is cold and | am hungry"
The king buffalo, who was on guard,
trottcd up to the gate and looking out saw
| q small boy nearly naked, except Il scant
| robe dpDonding from his ShOudprS 'WhO