South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-01-19
Odd Alliance Among
Animal OutCasts
BY f. ST. MARS

There was some trouble out in
the glare of the sun on the bare
plain, for dust was rising in clouds.
A single vulture hung over the
scene as though anticipating profit
from the inspection. A little black
backed jackal, dog-like, was watch
ing attentively from an unsupported
hole under a wait-a-bit thorn.
Presently forms appeared amid
the dust, as the cloud itself began
10 move; beasts, extraordinarily
strange beasts, with shaggy heads
and horns like buffalos. with long.
horse-Iike tails, and sturdy but
graceful, somewhat antelope-like
bodies, began to loom UP indistinct-
ly.
One heavy, massive, very shaggy
beast was fighting with the rest
But always the heavy. shaggy fell
low, whose very massiveness spelt
age, gave-way slowly, though often
master in the single contests. He
could not fight the whole herd, and
that is what he was being asked to
do. In other words a piece of wiids-
justice was taking place; because OF
his crustiness, jealousy, lack of chiv-
airy, or for some other, or all these
reasons, that old shaggy brute was
being kicked out of the herd.
AS they drew nearer an observer
might have seen that they were
blue gnus-which are bearded gnus
which are brindled gnus-which
are wild beats, and mighty wild
beasts too. If you did not know they
were of the antelope family. you
would have said they were buffalo.
musk-ox. horse and antelope mixed
into one creature.
At last the old gnu--perhaps he
had been lord of the herd till then
acknowledged defeat, and realiz-
ing he could not do the impossible,
cleared himself cleverly from a ter
rible miX-up among three other
bulls, and set off at a gallop alone.
AS the evening approached, he
reached one of those paths which
all of his kind make toward water
and slowly plodded his heavy way
10 the river IL was not q great dis
lance, in and out among the shat
tered clumps Of thorny acacias, and
he was not alone. for as he drew
near the river. he met herds OF ze-
bra who also had answered the call
OF thirst.
Coming up the bank behind a
herd of gaudy zebra. he was the
first TO sight. over a ridge not far of,
two great, tawny, giant-dog forms,
seen and gone in an instant, dead
ahead They were lions. and his in
stand loud, warning snorts said so.
and drew the zebras' attention TO
the danger. so that they broke away
and stampeded thunderOusly in the
opposite direction.
And again il was he.-while gall
looping clumsily with them-who
SHE'D suddenly at a clump OF
acacias. and began zigzagging and
swerving wildly in and out at top
speed. snorting madly. so that the
zebras scattered. and the big lioness
that had been told off from her
companions to lie in wait for the
stampeded herd. could not come out
and growl her disappointment.
That night the exi1ed bull-gnu
kept with the zebhas. feeding with
them wherever they went. and they
did not drive him of. Perhaps they
realized that as n sentry he was an
asset. And next day an old water
hog. as ugly as sin. came and struck
mp acquaintance. and later a cock
ostrich-all perhaps. old bad-tem-
pered outcasts.
Anyway. when a second day
dawned they were still together.
and the zebras had gone. For all
know. the trio are together 10 this
day. surely as strong an alliance as
ever faced the battle OF life-bird.
pig. and antelope-old bachelors all.