Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1894-06-07
A SOUTH AFRICAN HERO.
THE STORY OF A BLACK BOYS
SELF DEVOTION.



Save Ills Mastcr-But His Heroism
Cost Him His Life.
was sitting with about half
dozen friends ono night, or rather
morning, for it was in the neighbour
hood of A. NJ, at Cape Coast castle,
indulgiug in the fascinating game of
"Nap," when some malignant idiot
suggested that, as it was Sunday
morning and we had nothing par
ticular to do, we should got up early
and walk to Ammaboo in the cool
of the morning, and return after
shutdown presume we had all ar
rived at that stage of oontentment
in which any suggestion whatever
would have been apt to meet with
unanimous approval, for not ono
dissenting voice greeted the propo-
sition. Accordingly we shortly after
ward retired with u view of getting
what rest we could before a. M. at
which hour we agreed to reassemble.
Strange to say, we were all pune
tually at the rendezvous outside the
castle gate, Hallet, one of our num-
black boy, Quibo, who was to show
US the way, our knowledge of tbe
place we intended to visit being
limited to its name; its distance and
whereabouts being matters that had
not in the slightest degree entered
into our calculations,
We had brought no provisions
whatever with us, trusting to for
tune to supply us with the needs of
the inner man when we arrived at
Ammaboo, and such little refresh
ment as our pocket TASKS had con-
tanned had long since been absorbed.
Our road, If such sand track can
be so designated, lay be6ween two
dense walls of cactus and stunted
desert shrubs, which served to col
lect and conhne the heat of the SUM-
rays and to prevent any breath of
air from reaching us, so that our
plight was far from an enviable one
and, moreover, | had burdened my
self with a gun and ammunition in
the hope of getting shot. Our de-
light may, therefore, be imagined
when we reached a forest whose
dense foliage overhead screened us
from the overpowering heat and
with what exquisite satisfaction we
cast our weary and perishing limbs
to the ground for a few moments
rest! We had scarcely done so,
however, before we were up and off
again, for Quibo told us that there
was n river about mile further on,
moreover adding: much better lie
down, near him,
- Despite --Sease==jls-- sesR,li tion, 7
= ,shink we must have made vefYsgIGtf
Slime over that mile. the very thought
of water inspiring us with tenn
porary energy that was marvellous,
and as we caught the glimmer of the
rivers surface between the trees we
finished up the small remaining dis
lance that interviewed between us
and it at a frantic run. From drink
ing TO bathing was but step and
before many minutes had elapsed we
had chosen spot where the stream
wa! broader than ordinary and clear.
err of weeds, thrown of our clothes
and plunged into it,
tThe spot was well enough for pur-
poses of swimming, the stream heing,
as | said before, sluggish and also
deep, so that we enjoyed our bath
hugely, and fingered in the water for
u considerable time. But the high
est enjoyment is apt to pail after
awhile, and one by one we quit the
water till Hallett alone remained,
and even when we had all resumed
our clothing he still lay floating laz-
lily on its surface. and was imper-
vious to our repeated demands chat
he should. "come OUT for by this
time most of us were hungry and
anxious to reach the village in order
to appease the demands of our stom-
achs.
AS we were watching him and in
cidentally taking shots at his up.
turned face with little Jumps of mud,
something rose so quietly near him
as not even to disturb tho water by
SO much as a ripple, and before he
realized that he was in any danger
crocodile's huge jaws opened and
closed on his body. For u moment
we were all paralyzed and then
made for my gun, but his littIo boy
Quibo, who perhaps had been'qrLcker
to apprehend his mastor's jeopardy,
was already in the water and
plucky little fellow that he was
with couple of strokes had reached
the scene of the tragedy and, re-
gardless of danger, climbed on the
crocodile's back and thrust his
fingers into the monsters eyes, Just
as it was about to sink and drag our
comrade with him. The blinded
creature hereupon loosened Hallett,
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