Gilpin observer., 1899-04-13

hold, for the slime in these canebraKes
was as thick as tar and black as old
bilge-water.
zone day he was soothing his ex.
citement by beating me with heavy
bamboo, till my back and arms were
covered with blood. Close by were
whole gang of the tribe squatted ur-
der q palm tree, smoking bubbles
bubbles made out of nut shells. look
ing on and laughing at the torture
was undergoing; but in the midst of
their sport we heard roar that made
our hearts tremble, and all ready to
scamper off.
"There was mighty crashing and
swaying of the wild canes in the ad-
jacent brake, and then a great, square
headed and tawny- haired lion, as large
as a gooi-sized pony, and with tuft
like swab at the end Of his switching
tail, came plunging forward, with eyes
flashing and red mouth open.
"Souse as sheet anchor goes Into
the sea, he sprang upon my owner.
and in the time I take to turn this
quid, Master Rodney. that trouble
BULLY pSioohd6C uo boi hO oi AASo S~->
Jungle, bruised mass of bones and
blood, dangling IN his jaws.
"The whole thing passed like nash
of lightning!
"At first the niggers were about to
pursue the lion, but upon reflection
they thought it less dangerous to fall
upon me and kill me outright, saying
that my stupid cries had brought the
wild animal upon them. Then an old
fellow, whose wool had become white
with age, who was coiled up in the
root of a tree, where he generally
berthed himself, and who was consid-
cred wise man, came forward and de-
manded their attention. He had been
a brave fellow in his time, for no
wore row of human teeth at his neck.
all strung on a lanyard, with bit OF
an old quart bottle which he had
found upon the beach, and wore as a
great medicine or order Of the gar
ter, perhaps. He saved me by saying
in their outlandish gibberish that 1
was evidently under the protection OF
the great fetish, in honor of whom 1
should be made like themselves and
handsomely tattooed.
81 might as well have hallooed to
the wind in tearing pampero, or
stiff reef-topsail breeze, Master Rod
ney, as have attempted to oppose this
piece of Congo kindness. In minute
1 was hove down under the nasty.
black paws of flve-and-forty bowling
and jabbering niggers, all smearing
me with palm-oil out of calabashes and
old gallipots. and they persisted in
rubbing it into me till all my skin was
nearly peeled of.
"Then the old fetishman, who lived
in the root of the tree, after making
three summersets and uttering six
howls, ornamented all my face, hands
and arms in this fashion, using kind
of knife, which he dipped from time
to time in some black stuff that he
carried on a cocoanut shell. In ten
minutes I was all over serpents and
circles, stripes, pothooks and hang
ers!
"It went to my heart to have my
beauty spoiled, but was far past max
ing any opposition, and SO have had
to go through life in all weathers. with
a face like the clowns In q panto-
mime.
"They made me so like a niger
that they scarcely knew me from one
of themselves. This SO favored my es-
cape that / soon found an opportunity
of giving the Mussolongos the slip in
the night. and made shift. after
many a break-heart adventure, to
reach a British settlement.
(To be continued.)