The National tribune., 1899-06-08
THE NATIONAL WASHINGTON c. THURSDAY

sion to act independently, and stimulated
with promises of reward, Khudecll went
away in search of suitable assistants, and
| after dinner we discussed the prospects, for
| this thus far blind trail must have belonged
to an animal of very unusual size. All of
us knew, at leaSttheDretically, the Superla-
tive difficulty in following panther when
| once warned that enemies are near. How
| the most experienced raccoon or cunningest
old fox is mere bungler compared with
him when tricks for evasion come in Ques-
| ton. Finally it. was resolved to accom-
| pany our trailers for educational reasons;
| but only coupleiStafted, as more alluring
adventures subsequently attracted the
rest. Daybreak found us afoot, and sum
| rise well on the way; every body fully equip
ped for those parts they were or might be
| called upon to play. Apart from other pre-
| cautions, n gun bearer with an extra rifle
trotted along by each sportsman's side.
| In such forest as we then traverSed, most
anything would happen. Gray coils Of
giant tree-creepers might flash inStan-
taneously into terrible animation, and one
| OF US be in an anaconda'S folds. The
| bounding form of that deadly brute we
| sought may have burst among us at any
| moment, as has happened time and again.
There was no Shadowy spot from which
crouchlng tigers eyes were not liable to
glare, no brake we passed was secure
against beng rent asunder by some mad
elephants overwhelming charge. Hence
| this band trod heedfully, and kept the
silence OF savage war party stealing upon
| their foes. Nothing occurred to show any
necessity for doing so; but this was acci-
dental. Every large game hunter learns
prudence, or his chances for length of days
become extremely precariouS.
All the while those dark. nearly naked
ngureS IN front were following an old trail,
| communicating by gestures or with imita-
tlonS OF small woodland creatures fault
tod
pirate to the time and place. They guided
themselves by Indications so slight that
ordinary senses could never have taken
them in. These men picked out the tracks
OF this particular brute from among many
cross trails, as if its indistinct foot prints
mad features like familiar human face.
Nothing that ingenious story-telIers have
invented about the skilful Interpretation of
signs ever surpassed what went on there
before our eyes. After some time the
progress of this spectral-looking party was
arrested by khudeck, who suddenly halted,
ana tossed an arm on high. As we closed
up to where he stood with eyes riveted upon
the earth, finger placed upon his lip
cautioned us against loud conversation,
ana then pointing downward to a spot
Where no signs whatever were visible, he
began speaki"" Of what was there, as if
dlscolirslng upon pictures hanging in a
good light. Behold, my lordsr' this ex-
pert murmured, there are two. Both
old, both males. One that beast void of
religion, which Notice lost yesterday; the
other stranger and not so large Were
they friends? By no means; these in
famous creatures hate their kind. There
fore they did not meet, or evidences of CON
tentlon would appear. Besides, he who
was smallest came last, and this is plain"
Well, perhaps it was; though yet as moth
ing showed except certain vague, indis-
tingulshable traces which only served to
prompt fanciful mistakes. We merely look
ed wise, and remarked that this meant
llttle where panther5 were plentiful; at tie
same time directing a renewed pursuit upon
the original trail. Who has not seen such
absurd and useless assumptions wherever
human beings exert any authority; this
preposterous attempt to disclaim that
actual control which superior fitness neces-
Sarlly gives in any situation? Our shi-
karl only grinned, and went on; but it was
not long before all he had been saying re-
celved proof equally convincing with
mathematical demonstration. At the bot
tom OF an arroyo somewhat beyond, there
were bare spots slightly sprinkled by sand,
and both tracks trayersed one Of them,
Now their difference in size became evil
dent, although it would have been only
barefaced pretence for us to have pro |