The Ladysmith news and Ingram news. [volume] (Ladysmith, Wis.) 1905-1906, 1906-05-12
CHAPTER XVII.
A Man of Nerve.

tain q man was standing. From his
splendid point of vantage he could look
far to the east, west, north and south.
He calmly raised pair Of field-glasses
to his eyes and scanned, with seeming
indifference, the horizon on all sides
of him
Not far distant man, clad in leath-
-ern jacket and great boots, knelt on
the ground piling up, some fagOts OF
dried wood he had collected, and I'M
der them he placed a handful or two
of long, dry grass. Then, taking a
matchbox from the pocket of his
Ieathern jacket, he proceeded, solemn
" and with an air of performing a
most important duty, to light fire.
Close by his side lay the carcass of a
deer, and not far away, tethered to a
short, thick tree, were two horses.
The man with the field-glasses, hay
ing finished his survey of his vast sur
ToundingS, calmly let them fall to the
length of the strap that passed over
his stalwart shoulder, and taking a
Ieathern pouch from his pocket, pro-
ceeded to extract enough tobacco
therefrom to fill a short black pipe
which he also drew forth from the
same convenient pocket.
William, a match" he said. turnin g
toward his companion and standing
with outstretched hand,
Yes. yes, me lord" was the reply,
and William leaped to his feet, whipped
out his matchbox again, and proceed
ed TO light his masters pipe.
did you see hanythink hof them,
me lord?" he asked, returning to his
task of cutting a roast from the car
cass of the deer.
The man addressed, who was no
other than the renowned sportsman
and globe-trotter, Lord Chugmough, of
'Chugmough Heath, pulled at his pipe
a moment so that the light obtained
from William might be made to hold.
mo. William" he replied at last,
speaking with the inimitable draWl
that had made him famous in London,
New York, Algiers, Australia, Africa,
and every other spot on the fOOtStOOl
where wealthy, eccentric and adVen-
furious Englishman is likely to be
found. mo, William, do not see
them" Then, eying critically the Gull
nary performances of William, Lord
ChUgmough leaned against stumpy
tree and pulled contentedly on his pipe.
William" he drawled again, do
you know, fear they may be lost?''
William, who was by that time turn
ing the savory hunk of venison over
the fire, nearly lost it, bat by an effort
Of his will retained his composure,
which at all times he endeavored to
make equal to that Of his wOrld-re-
.nOWned master.
Very we'll, me lord he said
The fact was that Lord Chugmough
and William were lost themselves.
Now, Lord Chugmough had hunted
elephants in India, gorillas in Africa,
and had been, in his turn, hunted by
the mammas of manageable young
ladies in England until his tranquil
soul rebelIed, and hearing that the I'M
tried forests south of the OrinocO
teemed and swarmed with animal life,
and were, in fact, yeritable paradise
tfor sportsmen, he had forthwith set
sail in his yacht, CheerWay, with as
gay and adventurous party as he
could collect.
The Cheerway had put in at La
'Guayra; Lord Chugmough and his
party had visited Caracas, and endeav-
oTed to obtain there guide to the
southern forests, and failed for much
the same reason that a sportsman
wishing to hunt the few remaining
bison on the American prairie would
fail to find a suitable guide in Wash
ington or New York.
So the Cheerway set sail again, Lord
Chugmough having satisfied the gov
eminent that he was not engaged in
fiIibustering, and after a pleasant sail,
assembled the Orinoco to Bolivar,
where the party landed, obtained
guides and horses, and started for the
mountains and forests far to the south.
But before they reached the noun
1ains they enjoyed some sport, and it
was not many miles from the Castle
of Salvarez that the party had espied
a deer, and Lord Chugmough, in fol-
lowing it, had become separated from
his party; but, needless of that fact, he
kept on, covering mile after mile, fol-
lowed by William, until his compan-
ions were no longer to be seen.
The deer was at last killed. but so
far had Lord Chugmough travelled and
so many ways had the deer turned that
Lord Chugmough had not the least
idea in which direction he ought to
go to find his friends.
Therefore, having first gained pos
session of the dead deer, he went UP
on the summit of a hill of which be
had come within a short distance, TO
survey the country, and learn, If pos
stble, where the remainder of his party
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