The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1895-04-27
A RIMAU DAHAN.

! - AOAAAAAAO
The Adventure OF Two Little
! Gi-ls In Sunatra.
Near the southeastern point Of Suma-
| ira. one OF the largest islands of the
| East Indian archipelago, there lived, a
lew miles inland from Sunda strait.
two American families whom I will
| call, respectively, Mowbray and Sher-
wood, the head of the former owning q
coffee plantation and that of tho latter
! large aren of rice fields.
The Mowbrays had but one child. n
fine, manly boy Of sixteen, while the
Sbersvoods were the happy parents of
two charming little girls, the elder
named Lillian and tho younger, Lulu.
Many years ago, while making a pro-
longed stay in southern Surnatrn and
IN xploration of some Of the smaller
adjacent islands, I became acquainted
with both these families, and was much
surprised to find that neither knew of
the others existence, though their es-
tates were sepa rated only by a wide
bayou, running not very far inland.
This state of things determined to
remedy on the earliest opportunity.
feeling sure that these ''strangers in a
strange 1and"-my own countrymen-
would take much comfort in each 9TH
er's society. But the pleasant task of
introduction was taken out of my
hands in an unexpected and rather
Lulu Sherwood, ever in search OF nov
cities. had wandered, unattended,
nearly n milo from home and were
gathering flowers along the edge of a
bride path, which ran through lux
uriant grove of cocoanut palms and
wild orange trees. when they wore SO
startled by the sudden appearance of n
hocseman, coming around q bend in
the path on n gailop, that they invol-
UNFAIRLY screamed out in alright.
The rider, bright-faced boy, carry
ing silver-mounted rifle and bcstrid-
ing a beautiful Arab mare, instantly
drew up, raised his hat, and said: II
beg your pardon. young ladies. I'm
very sorry to have frighten ed you, but
did not see you at all. NY name is
Ernest Mowbray. My father is cof-
fee planter, and we live about six miles
fr ON here, on the other side OF the big
bayou"
''Oh, we're not a bit frightened.
now" replied Lillian. eve are Mrs.
Sherwood's little girls. Our papa owns
those rice fields over there, and it's
only q little way to our house. We
were just picking some Of these flow
ers; they're SO different from those in
United States Of America only two
months ago, and everything here
seems very strange to u.s."
While the child was speaking, Ernest
his hat entirely; and when
she uttered the words Omitted States
with such evident pride he smiled de-
lightedly, bent almost to his saddle |
bow, apologized once more, and rode |
slowly away.
my! what nice, polite boy; he |
speaks English. too; not that horrid !
Dutch, M alay and Chinese we hear
every day!" exclaimed Lillian.
eyes, and he called us young ladies!'' |
chimed in Lulu.
well, I'm sure we are young ladies; |
I'm past ten and you're nearly nine," |
'agely rejoined Lillian. '13ut do wish |
lie uby had stayed longer, so we could
nave q good look at his pretty gun and
hat lovely horse! don't suppose
wherein the small maid was greatly
mistaken.
After a little, the children left tho
path and, always finding something |
lew to admire, strayed deeper into the
wood. BY and by they came to
'am or maize field, whereon grew only
/ few huge wild orange trees and a
lump or two of giant cacti. As they
approached one Of the latter.
zulu cried out: '.Oh, sister! SEQ that
dog lying under the
zig cocLus. Ac,S gov preCty req O1FO |
between his paws and is going to eat it.
cts go and drive him away" And
he two innocene r. walked STRAIGHT
oward a full-grown ''clouded" Or 'tor-
tiger!"
This creature, really a species Of
eopard, and found only in Sumatra, is
allied by the natives ''riinau dahan," !
name which mems, I believe, q
timber Of forlxod trees During my I
tay on the island I saw but two speci-
1ens of this, one of the rarest and most
Of the cat family.
The animal is nearly as large as the
eopard of India, and of similar ar
oreal habits. though ordinarily not SO {
cree and dangerous. Its markings !
re quite unique, somewhat resembling :
hose of the true tiger and leopard. !
nd yet not precisely similar to either, {
as they do, a strange adj
fixture of tigcr-lil<e stripes, leopard
Ike spots, and hollow, disk>lilse
atches, resembling those of the jag t
ar. The general ground color OF the t
III is gray, aud along tho back of an n
lult rimau dahan run two bands OF 4