The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-01-19


boat, containing women and children.
was becoming fearfully evident 1t
was falling behind the rest. It was
yawning undecidedly from straight
course, giving the pursuing animal
greater and greater advantage. A
man was watching the terrible sight
from where he had halted after the
first panic. Suddenly he touched a
lever. There was a whirring. rafting
splash. And putting on full oil power.
Davis began to steer his tricycle. after
the hippopotamus. 1t was an impulse
of gallantry, taking him to do he scar
cely knew what
The tricycle. gained up to a few
yards astern of the hippopotamus
before the cellar idea came to Mr..
Davis that he was going to try and
divert the furious animal in pursuit
Of himself. He began to hish and
halloa, at first family. but soon with
the growing passion of desperate man
entering his whole energy and heart
into splendid attempt 10 save life
The monstrous, wallowing. barrel
like bulk was not to be diverted from
the boat! The curved white tusks
travelled closer and closer to its frail
stern. A catastrophe seemed immi
nent. Suddenly Mr.. Davis removed
HIS hat, casting it cuttingly downward
with his whole force. The ragged
edge of the straw caught the brute's
eye painfully. The hippopotamus
swerved and turned. IL a second the
tricycle. was following round on a
wide curve. gashing up the surface of
the river into treble lines of foam.
Come on. You BEAST" the man
shouted tauutingly to the brute,
passion glazing at Inn. Come on"
The challenge seemed understood.
The small pointed ears cooked them
selves cunningly. With a surging
leap that opposed its shoulders. the
hippopotamus began to chase Mr..
Davis down the river toward the
bridge.
The tricyclist gaining palpably
upon the savage brute in its wake.
approached the town bridge at full
speed A dense ovid was standing
upon the latter tteir faces Deoring red
and white 5hro en- the stone balus-
trades. It was no sooner evident that
mr.. Davis Intended TO shoot the cen.
. tral arch than there was an agitation
amid this mass OF people They began
10 shout. The confused bable Of shrill
cries appeared TO ne a warning But
Of what? Mr. Davis looked alright
edly over his shoulder. No. it was
not that! He was still gaining. I'M
mediately afterward wien a glance up,
he swept unenligttened under the IN.
roar of the crowd AS Nil Davis
again flashed out into the sunshine
beyond the arch q sight met MS !aZe
which explained
StraiDing along the foot of a prone
made was the crowd Of pleasms boats
that had fed down the river from
Bronsor's when the hippOpotamus had
first appeared. They were some two
hundred and fifty " dis away. II was
q necessity, of Mr.. Davis were to save
them, that he should keep the hippo.
potamus in play till they could reach
and land upon a low bank some
hundreds of yards beyond a lock on
the right. A few seconds passed
amid the agony Of indecision Then
Mr.. Davis's hand went resolutely to
the machines brake He began to
press it harder and harder, looking
over his shoulder. Suddenly the aw-
fully critical moment, that he had an
ticipated, came The hippopotamus
was almost upon him when. with a
clever touch OF the steering-rod. Mr..
Davis detected the machine aside.
It was the commencement of a second
duel between man and brute.
The crowd watched the conflict
! gradually withdraw in the wake of
the fleeing boats. A score Of times Mr..
! Davis endeavored to escape past the
, hippopotamus into the open water up
the river. A score of times the cum
ling of the mad orute foiled him.
Presently they We're opposite the side
lock, and it seemed that the cyclist
must be driven back and followed
among the boats The crowds upon
the bridge and the promenade grew
breathlessly silent There was a
moment when the tricycle. was sta.
| tionary. Then the brute made 8
| rush
And women shut their eyes.
But the ringing, rociferating cheer!
The cyclist had escaped into the
open gate of the lock.
But again the horror of it, The
| lower gates of the lock were closed
were firm and fast as iron The hip
| popotamus was following in after him
he rescue tpOh place. just IN Jne
nick of time. A tall figure, landing
from a dinghy, rushed across a
meadow TO the lower end of the lock.
The crowd saw it kneel and stoop
over, and pull up the cyclist by main
force.
Then the man who was saved and
the man who had saved him ran back
together to Close tue lock gate. The
hippOpofamuB was frapneus
= but your tricycle. Is smashed upt,.
sssaM Edward Foster, glamcing down
tupon the ievt<,t. of the dav. ISIS