The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-03-07

the sand ana ntted an arrow. "A
moment later the arrow lodged in a
Instant palm tree.
"iood, goodl" shouted his com
panion. II, is true. Lofanza il
strong"
But Mukasa was not satisfied.
"You are strong" he said, "but
il you drink this you will be strong
er. Take il. "
I.ofanza stretched out bis black
hand and took the cup. 1t WIS
made Of halt cocoanut shell and
was full Of gin
With laugh he turned the cup
upside down, pouring the gin on
the warm, dry sand.
Mukasa sprang up angrily.
"How dare your" he began.
But at this moment an older man
walked over to the boys.
1.-The goats are lost" he said in
the boys own language. They
have wandered away in the night.
You must go and find them"
All four stood up unwillingly
Early morning as it still was, it was
already very hot, and the sun was
shining in blue sky without a
cloud. Not a breath of wind stirred
the palm trees, under whose shade
they had been lying.
"Where shall we look?" Muka-
sa's tone was sulky.
"Euerywhere, until you find
them"
Mukasa looked abont him, and
scowled angrily.
Behind stood the thick forest
through which they had just come.
In front lay long stretch OF dry,
brown sand. Beyond that was a
wide plain Of high grass; SO high
that even Lofanza would be quite
hidden by it.
"Where shall We look first?"
Lofanza asked, tossing the skin OF
his last banana high up into the
air.
Here are the tracks," answered
q younger boy, pointing to some
small footprints in the sand.
"Lost in the grass, l suppose"
grumbled Mukasa. But all his
grumbling was Of No use. The
white mans goats must be found,
and away went all four boys care
fully following up the tracks.
AT last, when they were half way
across the sand, Lofanza's sharp
black eyes spied one of the goats
Just disappearing in the high grass.
Il see them!" he cried joyfully,
II see them!"
Where?"
Lofanza pointed.
"You say gin makes you.strong,"
be said, laughing. Lets try
Who'llreach' the goats first?'..r 49,
He drew a'line in the sand with
his bare foot. and at a signal. from
Mukasa all four boys darted off
across the sand. Two Of them soon
tagged, but for few seconds Mu-
kasa and Lofanza ran side by side.
Then Lofanza drew ahead, and in a
few minutes had left all three of his
far behind.
He looked back over his shoulder
as be came close to the high grass,
and saw Mukasa standing still half
a mile or more distant waiting for
the other two to come up.
He ran on and pushed aside the
grass, and then for one moment,
horror struck.
Hidden by the high, brown grass
stood a lion.
Two Of his wide soft paws were
planted on one of the lost goats,
which he had half eaten, and at the
noise Lofanza made by pushing
aside the dry grass, the lion turned
and saw him.
For just one moment the boy
stood spell-bound.
Terrified beyond all words, he
saw the lion toss his rough brown
brown name, while his tawny eyes
sparkled, as he loosed bis hold Of
the goat. But as he moved Lofan-
za's courage came back.
He would need all his strength,
all his clearness Of brain, all his
swift running now, If ever he was
to reach the camp alive.
Out Of the grass he darted, and
his black feet fairly few over the
hot, brown sand. Mukasa and the
other boys were far ahead Of him,
running, also, for dear life to the
camp.
On and on he flew, not daring to
glance behind, fancying every in
slant that he felt the lions spring.
But, for little while, he kept
ahead.