Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-01-24
A TIMELY SHOT.
A Boys Adventure In the Wilds
Of Africa.

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oorts,r,s norhsw and was a general
nat and favor,tA aboard the vessel
where ba had boen receiving instruc.
t,ons n a. him Tor naval duties
Ralnb who now Ind MI his cutter'a
crew looking Tor tho lost lad. worried
much over tbe perils to which the HI.
tle fellow might be exposed from
venomous .erpents and Wild beasts.
A. lenotb while searching in the
tbick .hr,bberv on the rivers bank.
Che vouth reached a cove where. on
tbc n,pht before he had left a small
canoe which he Ind bought OF one OF
Tho natives
Tia Ind ,ntended to use II for nav,.
eating some Of the shallow creeks
further IN the river os the cuttcr he
had charge 81 wns too deen and wide
for that nurpose, Startled to perceive
that the canoe was missing, . suspi-
cion Of the truth broke all at once
upon his mind,
Ia ramemhcred hnvino remarl,ed 10
n sailor In rranl,'s hearing. that the
lit.le cro,t must be brought IN and
made fast to the latter the FIRST thing
in the morning. The bow, eager to
please his brother had probably risen
and rome. before anv OF the rest of the
marty were awake to fetch the canoe,
but Il 80. what Ind become Of himp
Ralnh shuddcrinc Thought Of the hid.
cors crocodIle, that infested this river.
while he vajnlv scanned Il for some
.,gn NJ ,be lad
Then, having resolved not to walt
for tho return Of his men, but to take
tho cutter and 10 OIL alone in search
Of his lost brother, he hurried back to
tho bank in front OF the hut, along.
side Of which tho boat Law.
This boat was a light. swift one,
which could be easily sculled bv an
oar There was a small. loaded swivel
randy Tor raa fxed In ,ho how Int Ia
weight would not interfere with the
speed Of tho craft.
The vouno oa,cer was aeon yigor
ouslv scullInc the vessel ON its wav
polno with the t,de No hs Thought
that Franl, would have been ant to take
this course. Past lofty elevations GOV.
cred with shrubbery and flowers Qlided
tho cutter often shadowed by the far.
extending branches Of huge baobab
trees that formed broad green arches
above It,
II had rounded a peninsula full Of
bloom and foliage. when the watchful
youth saw ahead Of him nm over.
turned, broken canoe. lie soon reached
IL, and, by the peculiar carving ON
the bow, he recognized II "a the miss.
inn canoe
Il had been partly crushed--most
lkelv ho thouoht Nv tho teeth NJ a
crocodile.
In dIsmav. he pulled Franks little
can from 4 tagged projection OF the
broken wood ON which il WINS caurht
The dreadful truth forced itself on his
mind
The lad had been nursued nv tbs
monster that had DESTROYED the canoe.
Had he already met his fateP The
young officer tried to shake off his des-
pondency--to hope, in spite OF appear.
ances, that his brother might, in some
wav, have escaped and still be alive.
lie looked toward the peninsula