The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1923-10-05
Land or CRUELTY
Incident Typical Of Life in the
Dark Continent.
zebra's Action In Protecting Body Of
Mate Slain by Man, Beautiful
Protest Against Death.

The sun was exactly overhead, beat
ing down upon the parched African
landscape.
/ was riding with friend over the
plain of Lol-Dhreto, which lies under
the Eburu mountains.
"A hundred yards away two zebra,
male and a female, were feeding.
With their thick necks and striped
TANKS they looked typical productions
of Africa, obstinate and fantastic.
Look at those two id ZEBRA"
said to my friend. II bet you a
rupee / send bullet into one Of
them"
/ got off my pony and, raising my
rifle, took steady aim. A moment
later and the mare was down and
kicking about in the dust and dry
grass. At the sound of the report the
stallion had stopped short in his gam
bols and galloped away; but he did
not go far. He stood still and turned
to look at us; and, as 1 remounted
and we rode away I saw him trotting
lying quite still on her side.
"You made pretty good practice"
said my friend.
Eyes, It was not bad shooting" /
answered.
We continued on our way together,
but for some reason or another I felt
over-sensitiye that day and was trou-
bled by what had happened. It
seemed to me It was quite unpardon-
able to have taken the life Of that
zebra SO carelessly, for no reason at
all. Far up In the zenith the equatorial
sun blazed down upon us. I knew
that in the sight Of that heartless
Gorgeous eye Of Africa it was no hell
ish thing I had done. I knew that he
was far too used to African ways and
the cruelty Of tooth and claw. The
next day / rode to the Nagum valley
and spent many hours dosing 1900
hoggets with bluestone and, mustard.
The incident Of the day before had
completely gone out Of my mind and
even If I had remembered 1t the occa-
sion hardly offered much opportunity
for sentiment over a shot zebra, with
SO many sheep waiting for their medi-
cine In the heat and dust Of the bona.
I dosed them until was too tired to
I. speak, pushing the narrow neck or the
worcestershire sauce bottle into the
sides Of their mouths and holding 1t
there, while they swallowed the prop
er quantity Of liquid.
When at last had finished mount
ed my pony and began riding home
For no special reason selected to re-
turn by way Of the Lo-Dureto plain;
I fancied perhaps that it was shorter.
I was tired and my pony was tired.
oppressed by the late heat Of the Afri-
can afternoon.
In a half-dazed condition / noticed
subconsciously that there were a
: number of vultures circling about In
the sky In front of me. "What is
disturbing themY' wondered. At
that moment my mind received a
strange jolt and I was wide awake.
The vultures were circling over the
zebra had shot the day before; but
they had not SO much as plucked out
her eyes, because the stallion was
still there at her side trotting to and
fro and furiously driving away any
bird that settled on the ground near
his. dead mate. And as sat on my
pony watching the scene, knew that
this untamed fantastical animal, rest
lessly running to and fro, in the vivid
sunshine of that tropical noon, had
thrown out challenge against the
material universe, more desperate,
more beautiful, and more convincing
than any had ever heard from pulpit
or platform. - From Ebony and
IVORY" by Llewelyn Powys. (Ameri-
can Library Service.)