The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-26

I | the cur away. Come on!"
 He started after the brakje and the others followed, and the dog, with a joyous, experiencing park, rushed ahead.
 l Up through the karroo bushes to the summit of the hillock they hurried, and then the dog swerved off to the right and bounded on for three or four rods. stopping at length near clump or prickly pears. When they ,ame up ranting they found him licking the face of an cmaciated Kaffir. who was apparently dead. But a brief examina- tion showed that the man was merely unconscious, evidently from loss of l blood and from suffering. His body was covered with wounds. already be | ginning to heal. and one of hls legs had been fearfully Iacerated and crush :. | ed. An effort at self surgery had been attempted, for the leg was rudely | bound with leaves and grasses. now dry and wi:hered under the hot glare of the sun. They could see where he | had dragged himself across the sand as though to reach the pitiful bit of shade which the prickly pear afforded. | One of the men went back over the trail which the dragging body had made. When he returned his eyes sought the kaffir with an odd look Of questioning respect.
 T found the body of a lion dowrl | there." he said gravely. "It must have been killed a week or ten days. for the flesh has been nearly removed by bn ds and ants. There were evidences of a fearful struggle, a hand-to-hand en- counter. 1 should say, for I found a long knife in the head of the animal"
 You don't mean" began one of the listeners. incredulouSly.
 Yes I do mean just that. I believe
 this man and the lion fought together.
 and this man conquered and dragged
 himself up here in the condition you
 see him. Furthermore, I believe that
 the little mongrel has since acted as
 assistant surgeon by licking the
 wounds and as sole provider." He
 nodded toward the dog. which was still
 licking the Kaffirs face. Near the ani-
 maj. and within easy reach of the
 mans arm were the two pieces oi
 meat. and scattered about them were
 the cleanly- picked bones of small ami l. mals and birds and the broken shell: of birds eggs. The men looked a
 them, and then at each other. The on' . who had asked Dick to drive the cu l; away looked around with a sudden ten derness in his face.
 "Yes, I see 1t all now," he said slow
 
 5 and birds in some manner which h. alone can explain. and brought then to his master. He licked the wounds and kept off birds and other intruder } which might have been harmful O { course he could not bring water, am 7 the mans unconsciousness Is yer
 likely due to thirst. Probably he di, r not lose his reason until some tim 5 this forenoon. and then the dog hur ried off in quest of food. thinking tha a the remedy needed. But when h
 brought the pieces of meat, and hi master would not touch them, he mus | have realized that the remedy was be yond his power to provide; then Il 5 came and inplored our assistance" r Then there Is another thing" hi I voice becoming softer, II believe tn , dog has been starving himself in orde , l to provide for his master. See hol
 thin and emaciated he looks, and re i, member how he sfnelled that thir ] piece of meat in camp. I suppose h e felt that his moments were too pre- !, cious just then to be wasted in eating I doubt if he has even tasted foo $ since his master dragged himself u = here."'
 I They were all silent for some min = utes. looking at the Kaffir and the dog = then some one asked: What shall " V do with them?''
 l Take them along. of course" wa l the prompt response. "A man wh
 has been cared for as this one ha = must be worthy of further lookin D after. His wounds are apparently dc {, ing well, and I think we shall have n { trouble to pull him through. We wi a take him down to the camp, and the
 carry him on to Kimberly. There n will put him in the care of the bes y surgeon I can find. We must say 1 him for the dogs sake"
 n And they did. Before the end C y three months the Kafflr was nearly a
 strong as ever, and by that time the I had discovered that he was intelliger n above his class. and that he was trust
 worthy and brave. When they offere = him the position of hunter for the @ party. he accepted the place with s broad display of teeth. So the brak1
 became a fixture of the camp. an t though, of course. his first affectio e was always for the Kaffir, he ha e enough for all the men of the part, : giving perhaps the second place to tn
 one who had asked Dick to drive hil d away.