Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1895-03-21
4 VI DAHAN.
The Adventure Of Two Little
Girls in Sumatra

Near the southeastern point Of >uma-
Tn. n % the lar-es: islands q the
East Indian archipelago. there lived. a
tev miles miami from Sunia strait.
two American families whom I will
call, respectively. Ncwbrzy and Sher-
wood. the head Of the furmssr owning a
coffee plantation and that 0f the litter
a large srea of rice fields
The NovbrayS had bat one child. n
6ne. manly boy ot sixteen. while the
Shervost~ were the happy parents Of
two charming little girls the elder
named Lillian and the Lalu-
Many years aga, while making n pro-
longe-i STAY in southern >unatrz and
an exploration u some o. the smaller
adiaeru; Islands, became acquainted
with both these families and was much
surprised - ind that neither knew Of
the others existence. though their 60
tates were separated only by \ vile
bayou running mt very tz- inlaud
This state q thizE I determined to
rrm~iy OF the earliest Opportunity.
feeling sure that the.e -S.ranzers in a
- an my 8NA EN4lLTNLlC1-
Wuabi take much comfort IN each 9th
e~rs~-ei-ty- Bat the Pl-asaz; task Of
inrr-fuetssu Wa taken cat q my
hank IN An unexpected ami rather
singular BANNER one day Lillian aud
Lslu Sherwood ever IN search q now
rlss-~ bal vaudecea- unattended.
n-arlv a mile frum home AMI wrr,
gathering irwerS aIoaz the ed-e % a
bralle pafh which ran thruaxh a lax
uFtant grove e palms and
SiId range ruee~ when they were ~
startled by the su3.iea appearances % a
hau~na1- coming around a bend IN
thu path % a gallop that .hev invol-
E1tariiy screamed oat IN alright
she rider. a hri<h.-faeeI boy. carry
ir. a silv~ruaouat~l rifle AMI bess-id-
irss BEAUTIFUL Arab mare. instantly
drew up. raised his hat. and said. Il
b~g your pardon young ladies' I'm
very sorry ~ have frightened yo1- bu,
Idbi not see yoa at all Ny name Is
Ernes, NONbrSy- My father Is a cot
fee planter, and we live about six miles
from here. on the other side Of the biz
bayou
oh were not a bit frightened.
now, replied Lillian We are Mrs.
>herwood's little girls Our papa owns
those rice fields over there. and its
only a little way t our house. We
were Just picking some OF these fiov.
err, they're ~ different from those IN
4 own country. We anne from the
United States OF America only TIVE
months sga and everything here
VEINS very TRANCE 20 US
While the child was speaking. Erues.
removed his hat entirely. and when
she uttered the words United States
with such evident pride he smiled de
Iightetlv. bent almost TO his saddle
erw- aPologized once more. and rode
slowly away
My, what \ nice. polite boy; hs
su-aS English toos not that horrii
Dutch Malay and Chinese we hear
every day exclaimed Lillian
Yes aud be called Us young ladies'
.himei in Lulu
Well I'm sure we are young ladies'
IN past ten and you're nearly nine
saEsly rrluined Lillian But I DO wish
the boy had stayed longer. 50 we eould
have a good look at his pretty u ans
that lovely horse, I don't supposs
well ever see him again. though
Wherein the small maid was greatly
mistaken.
After a little. the children left the
path AMI, always finding something
new 20 admire. strayed deeper into the
wood BY and by they came 10 a
cleared space. evidently an old MaIa,
yam OF maize field. whereon grew oull
a few huge Wild orange trees and |
elump OF two 0t giant caeti A. the,
e~areleS>ly approached of the latter
Lulu cried Out- Oh. sister. see tha
euriou>lOoking dog living under tn,
big cactus Hes got a pretty red bin
between his paws and : going 10 eat i,
Lets 20 aud drive him away An,
the TWO i~nnoeeuts walked straigh
toward a full-srown -'elOudej- OF tor
toise-shell tiger
This creature. really a species o
leopard and found only In Sumatra.
called BY the natives rimau dahan,.
q name which means I believe,
climber Ot torked trees During M
stay % the island I saw but two speei
menso II this. n Of the rarest and mos
beautiful of the cat family
The animal : nearly Is large as III,
leopard Of India. and Of similar ar
hsreal habits. though ordinarily not :
1eree and dangerous Its marking
are quite unique. somewhat re>emblin,
those Of the true tiger and leopard
and yet not precisely similar to either
presenting. as they do, = strange al
mixture of tlger-like stripes. leopard
ike spots and hollow. diskIik
patches resembling those Of the Ia
uAr. The general ground color Of III
fur IS gray. and along the tack Of q
adult rInau dzhAu run two bands O
glossy black. extending from the heal
TO the root of the tail. which AS.
very long and covered by dark ring,
not greatly diS>imilar 10 those OF II
American rzceOon- The creatures leg
are singularly powerful and its talon
long and sharp 70 that. IL 50 inclined
il can prove q terrible foe to man Q
beast though il usually preyS I va
told by Sumatrz hunters, only up.D
birds monkeys the young Of deer an
other weak animal~
When the little TOWER piekers ~
close to the supposed dog. Lillian saiI
Why. Lulu. tina, Is not a dog at al
II LOOKS like some Of the wIid beas,
I've s-sen in picture books See how i,
back Is bristling and its tail putin
out. just Ike old cat when she
angry; and oh, it's beginning { o snal
AID growl too Let's run away. !
might eat rs up
But 30 soon as the children turue,
70 dy. the rimsG dahan. which woul
probably have itself reiterated in Al
other moment. took courage. and. Wit
a long. light bound. bounced apo
them knocking both down with Nv
apparently playful taps Of It's Tor,
paws In which as yet. IL KEEP, II
formidable claws completely sheatheS
Thea seemingly Delighted With sae
nove. ssse. The spovsiEs creature =