The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-06-20

tie way inland, while a lot Of palm leaves,
evidently prepared for but not used as
bed, seemed to prove that the party had
| designed passing at least one night there,
but for some reason had not done So
The most puzzling find, however, was
one of the old muskets, which, with bent
barrel and broken stock, lay by itself near
| the forests edge.
On seeing the disabled weapon my com
panions looked extremely grave, and stoop-
ing down began to examine the sandy
ground. But this was so trampled by in
Vulnerable tracks of wild beasts that no
distinctive footprints could be picked out
of the tumble, much less any idea gained
as to what had become Of the three human
| beings who had so strangely disappeared.
The whole thing was mystery The float
ing boat, the dead monster, the broken
gun, the abandoned goods, the absent hunt
ers and the total lack of blood stains pre-
sented altogether an array of irreconcila-
BILE facts hard to understand.
what do you make of it, menP' pres
emily asked
WELL" began the elder brother, i've
got my own notion about it, but I'd rath-
err not-hellol Look therel and the man
dashed off toward contiguous gum tree,
pinned to the trunk of which and about
six feet up we now noticed closely fold
ed scrap of paper. Hastily tearing it down,
Tom handed it to me- and opening 1t
read aloud;
July II the day before).
Hippo smashed boat close to shore. Killed
| him afterward. Turned boat adrift to give
alarm. Were preparing to camp; Kola stand
| ing guard; lion sprang on him from bush;
broke gun; carried him off before our eyes;
was out of sight in second. We've followed.
fl..r, As.ff haRA Vail lNah nn
il alive. II. BEEToN.
This terse note was written, evidently
in great haste on leaf torn from Har-
old Is pocket diary. When l had read it,
Tom said
It's just as feared If not killed be-
fore now, the men are lost in the bush.
Without a compass they couldn t find their
way back to the river through single
half mile, no, nor quarter mile Of these
terrible thickets, unless they blazed a tree
here and there as they went along l sup
pose they've got their AK with them, as it's
not here, but they'd never stop to mark
path in their hurry to overhaul the lion"
Would 1t be possible for them to do
that or to save their comradeS" inquired.
such a thing has been done once to my
knowledge, " Tom replied. If the black
wasn't killed on the spot-the lions first
| piON lcll Ou uht gun lJulIcl,
If he wasn't dragged off by the head or
neck, they might come up in time TO save
what little life was left in him, for they
could make their way through the bush
faster maybe than the lion could with
his load. That Kola's a big, heavy man,
you know"
What shall we do now?' asked, feel
ing somewhat cheered by Toms remarks.
Stay right here and fire signal shots
every 10 minutes till we get an answer or
till dark. If an answer does come when
there's, say an hour OF daylight left, We'll
go out to meet the party at once. But If
we don't hear gun till after shutdown we
won't bulge till morning, for it would be
certain death to go so rods into this bush
in the dark If any of the men are alive
they'll protect themselves by fire and wait
for us to come. I've no idea they re within
hearing distance though Sound won't
travel far-not more than 100 rods any
way-through these crowded tree tops
In addition to our repeating rifles and
revolvers we had brought with us big,
smoothbore duck gun, and while the old
hunters busted themselves in gathering an
immense heap of dry fuel l Kept loading
and firing this at the stated intervals, using
double charges Of powder, but no shot.
The great six gauge piece made report
like that Of n little cannon but no y,,snonse
ever came
At sundown we kind,ed n fire. and nre.
nared n meal AZ we had eaten nothino
since carly morn;ng
That terrible NIGHT shall never forget
Sleen was imnossihla Attractad bv The
scent of the daod h,nnonotamus whole
herds of iacka,s hyenos ond o+hor rncloon
beasts oathered In tho ontsk,rts NJ the for
est continualIv bart,no scroecbino and
howling in a nerfect nandemonium ~ hid.
cons discord wbile nartiailv shielded nv
the grnat hnlh ~ tbeir nrav rho helIo1r,n .
of crocodiles added to the ain as the vora'
cions rentiles tnggad and tor, nj the hind.
Quarters If tho monstar
Now and tben os We CO. br o,,r ouor.
stantIv renienishad a. ,,,e So',id haor Tho
snaIIer haas,s ~ ,,na1, ,o,, and saattau az
apr;nht ne n,,th disd oF r,,so,rIS a.
ocoasiono, i,on doshod 49, 81 80
ana bnnciod ,ha,,, -. -, -, ' 80
~ u, ,,,o,'ont 40 Ia,u;a $50 Sc
he rene,red With ,ncroasod onorl,r s,,orod
b., 40 oad;.;o,, 20 ~ $50, e e., 80
biinr, re- A-Ne 0'
o. hnarts s.,,,, ,,,,.hi, ,,,.o,
' Wv ~