Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-09-06

CHAPTER yI.-(Continued. J

Rayburn'S eyes fell on the dark bulk
Oh the dead hyena beside it. A curl
Gus expression passed over his face.
He touched the dead beast with his
foot.
What's this, Cleland-a dead dog"
Rather a dangerous kind of dog
answered Cleland, smiling 1T is
hyena, and would have made short
work of me If / had not happened to
be beforehand with my rifle"
Lucky for you. l thought / heard
a shot as l came round: but fancied
had made mistake afterwards"
said the other, with a peculiar inton-
alton. can ugly customer to deal
with, and you're lucky to have es-
capped. Well, are you ready?"
They went out into the moonlit
night Cleland led the way up from
the camp.
Il was tempted by another fellow to
take look around before we turned
in" he said, as they walked on as
quickly as the sand would permit. I'VE
thought we might happen to fall on
some traces of the Baggara. We got
into a jungle, and had the greatest
difficulty in finding our way out. In
the thickest part of it the other fellow
tripped and iell, his rifle went off, and
he shot himself right through the
shoulder It's a nasty wound, and,
though l did the best could to ban
dage it, I'm rather afraid he won't be
able to keep it still / ran all the way
back, and have not reused anyone,
was in such a hurry to get you up to
him."
Cleland thought this account little
inconsistent with the leisurely way in
which he had seen Major Rayburn
wandering round the camp; but he
said nothing, and the two men hur-
ried on together
The ground became less arid as they
did SO. An occasional mimosa-bush
dotted the sand. Presently they came
in view of what was evidently the
jungle.
You are done up, l can see," said
Rayburn. suddenly pausing to look at
the other. Il have a flask with me.
VIII you take a llLCle
II am all right, thank you," said
Cleland, quietly. Il do not take alco-
hol, you know"
The other made no remark, but
stepped on, Cleland following. In
few minutes they were in the very
heart of the scrub. An almost impene-
trable jungle it was, whose sharp mi
mosa-spears caught the incautious
traveller by the clothing, pierced it
through, and pierced the flesh with a
thousand sharp, thorny pricks, over
whose rough half-grass his feet STUN
bled and tripped at every step, and
whose huge twisted ropes of creeper
flung down struggling tendrils over
his neck and shoulders so that he was
caught like fly in a spiders web.
This is becoming almost impassa.
ble!" Cleland exclaimed. Where is
your wounded man, Major Rayburn?
Is he anywhere near here?"
1--WE were quite as far as here, but
looks to me as if had lost my bear
ings,'' said Rayburn. He paused and
seemed lost in thought; then started
suddenly. "Ah, l see now This
palm tree was our guide, l remember
that. This is the way, Dr.. Cleland."
He turned aside to the left, leading
Cleland more into the heart OF the
jungle than ever; then he paused
again.
will you stay here for few min
utes while l run on in this direction,
doctor, and see if there is any trace of
my poor companion? l begin to feel
quite uneasy. Have cigar while l
am away; they are the best Havanas."
. Cleland agreed, and stood waiting
while the other went on, and soon dis
appeared from sight. Cleland heard
him calling Wainwright! Vanburgh!
where are you, man." for a few min
utes; then his voice died away and
there was complete silence all around
CHAPTER VII.
How long he waited he never after
wards knew. 1t might have been halt
an hour, it might have been more.
But suddenly a strange sensation be-
gan to creep over him, a sensation
of most extraordinary drowsiness,
which he seemed unable to combat
He had taken one of Rayburn's prof
fered cigars, thinking it would be I'M
gracious to refuse, and feeling, more
over, that he would be the better for
one after that long tramp and the ia
tiguing scramble through the jungle.
He was smoking it as the feeling of
drowsiness crept over him.
He made courageous effort to
shake it off by trying to move about
as well as his limited space would al
low. Once or twice he shouted Ray
burns name at the pitch of his voice;
but no answer came back
II may as well sit down." he thought
at last. II feel as if my limbs would
scarcely support me-"
, A little knoll of the rough half
grass formed a temptation; he yielded
to 1t and sat down. In few minutes
the whole of his surroundings-the
jungle, the thought of Rayburn and
his wounded friend-faded away into
nothingness; drowsiness passed into
Inconsistencies, and Cleland slept
When he awoke it was daylight
nay more, the sun was high in the
heavens, and was pouring down the
full heat of his rays upon the tall
palms, the mimosas and asasias sur
rounding Cleland. He started to his
feet with stifled exclamation and
looked at his watch.
rs it possible can have been asleep
for 10 hours? 1t is now 2 o'clock!
And Rayburn, what on earth has hap
pened to him." he calculated, look