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Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3ee77d9 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #53928 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53928) diff --git a/old/53928-0.txt b/old/53928-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 88f79b8..0000000 --- a/old/53928-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5981 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Wide World Magazine, Vol. 22, No. 129, -December, 1908, by Various - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Wide World Magazine, Vol. 22, No. 129, December, 1908 - -Author: Various - -Release Date: January 9, 2017 [EBook #53928] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WIDE WORLD MAGAZINE, DEC 1908 *** - - - - -Produced by Victorian/Edwardian Pictorial Magazines, -Jonathan Ingram and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - -Transcriber’s Note: Documents in illustrations, where legible, have -been transcribed for this e-text. - - - - - -[Illustration: “THE PYTHON LITERALLY LEAPT AT HER, STRIKING AGAIN AND -AGAIN.” - -SEE PAGE 215.] - - - - -THE WIDE WORLD MAGAZINE. - - Vol. XXII. DECEMBER, 1908. No. 129 - - - - -The Terror in the Sanctuary. - -A CHRISTMAS STORY FROM NATAL. - -BY MRS. K. COMPTON. - - A lady’s account of the fearful ordeal she underwent as a young girl - on an estate in Natal--locked up in a tiny church, whither she had - gone to practise a Christmas voluntary, with a huge python! - - -It was Christmas Eve, and one of the hottest days I remember during my -sojourn in Natal. The recollection of that day, spite of the many years -that have since passed, is so vividly imprinted on my mind that I can -still see the heated atmosphere as it danced and shimmered over the cotton -bushes and the rows of beans down the hillside. - -The last stroke of the twelve o’clock gong summoning the gangs of Kaffirs -to their midday repast and siesta had died away, and never a sound broke -the stifling noontide stillness save the booming of the surf on the lonely -sea-shore, three miles distant from my father’s plantation--the Beaumont -Estate, as it is now called. The eye ached as it travelled over the -glaring, sun-dried landscape that lay stretched before me, and sought -grateful relief in the shady depth of the dark orange grove and spreading -loquat trees that sheltered the veranda on which I lounged on my luxurious -cane couch. - -My father was a retired Anglo-Indian officer, who, having won distinction -during the Indian Mutiny, had taken up a “military grant” of about two -thousand acres of land in the Colony of Natal. He judged this to be an -excellent opening for my brother Malcolm, who, although showing a strong -desire to follow in his father’s military footsteps, lacked the capability -and application requisite to pass the competitive examinations for the -Army. - -We had been, by this time, about three years in the Colony, and had half -the estate under cultivation. Whether father was satisfied with the -results I do not know. But, drowsily reviewing the situation on this -particular afternoon, I came to the conclusion that a man who has spent -the best years of his life in the Army cannot metamorphose himself -immediately into an agricultural success. - -I was aroused from my cogitations by Malcolm’s voice exclaiming: “Why, -Jessie, I do believe you were asleep!” - -“I was, very nearly,” I confessed. “This heat makes the physical exertion -of unclosing my eyelids a task to which I do not feel equal.” - -“When are you going down to the church?” he asked, as he tapped his cane -against the leg of his long riding-boot. - -“Now,” I declared, sleepily, “if you will come with me. Sam says he has -got enough flowers and greenstuff to fill two churches.” Sam, I should -explain, was the Kaffir boy whose duty it was to ring the bell for -service, hand the collection-bag round, and gather the flowers for the -church decorations. St. John-in-the-Wilderness, as it was called, stood on -my father’s land, a shining beacon of corrugated iron and wood. - -Struggling to my feet, I reached for my hat and green-lined umbrella, and -stood ready, waiting to accompany my brother. - -“Don’t take Nellie,” I protested, as the fat old bulldog gambolled about, -panting and snorting in spite of the heat, in anticipation of a walk. But -Nellie proved obdurate alike to threats and entreaties, and presently -scampered off down the hill, leaving us to follow. - -Half-way across the Flat we came to one of those exquisite little streams -that are so frequently met with on the coast of Natal. Crossing this on -stepping-stones, we reached the opposite bank, whence it was but a few -paces through the narrow bush path to the clearing in the jungle where -stood St. John-in-the-Wilderness. - -“Look, Jessie, the door is open!” exclaimed Malcolm. “I suppose that -duffer Sam didn’t lock it properly this morning when he put the flowers -in.” - -“Probably,” I returned, gaining his side on the vestry steps. “The lock -has got so stiff that I cannot turn the key myself, so I am not -surprised.” - -The dim, subdued light inside the church caused us to pause a moment or so -before observing the extravagant profusion of flowers, palms, and ferns -that Sam had gathered--truly more than enough for the decoration of two -churches the size of ours. - -“How glorious!” I cried, kneeling by the side of this floral wealth and -picking up a bloom of the delicately-tinted waxen ginger. “What would they -say to Christmas decorations like this in England?” - -“I think,” announced my brother, ignoring my ecstasies, “that I will just -run over and inspect a gang at work at the other end of the Flat, and then -I’ll join you and we can work undisturbed.” - -[Illustration: THE AUTHORESS, MRS. K. COMPTON, WHO HERE RELATES HER -TERRIFYING ADVENTURE WITH A HUGE PYTHON. - -_From a Photo. by W. J. Hawker._] - -I willingly agreed to this arrangement, as I wanted to practise some hymns -for the morrow. To astonish our scanty congregation I thought I would put -my musical genius to the test and attempt a voluntary. - -Picking up his sun helmet and cane, Malcolm prepared to go. - -“Don’t be long, there’s a dear,” I said. “And I think you had better lock -the door and take the key, because the door won’t keep shut unless it is -locked, and I do not care to have it open.” - -“What are you afraid of?” laughed Malcolm, as he went out once more into -the sunshine. - -“Oh, I don’t know, I’m sure, but when I am alone I prefer to have the door -shut.” Still laughing, he turned the key in the lock and went off. - -Left by myself in the silent little church, I drew off my gloves and -prepared to open the harmonium. - -It occupied a position under a window in the chancel, on the first of the -three wide steps leading to the sanctuary, on the right-hand side of the -church. Immediately opposite was the vestry door by which we had entered, -and between the harmonium and the vestry lay the pile of flowers and -greenstuff for the decorations, so that I, seated at the organ, had my -back towards the flowers. Two rush-bottomed chairs stood near, one bearing -a basket of extra choice white flowers I intended for the altar vases; the -other was on the right side by the harmonium, supporting the small -repertoire of music that I needed for the service. - -I took my seat leisurely, thinking over my voluntary for the morrow. - -I turned over first one piece of music, then another, finally opening a -tattered sheet of an old copy of “The Blacksmith of Cologne.” I settled on -that; it looked so nice and easy. Played slowly, with a proper amount of -expression and a plentiful addition of the tremolo stop, I thought it -would make a very telling and appropriate beginning to the Christmas -service. - -I had barely played a dozen bars of the music when I thought I heard a -rustle of leaves behind me, but attributed the sound to some slight -current of air from an open window. I was too much engrossed to pay the -occurrence much attention, and continued my performance right through to -the end, repeating a passage here and there which I thought required a -different rendering. Then once again I seemed to hear stirring leaves, -and, glancing over my shoulder at the lovely pile of flowers, I noticed -the sound could only have been caused by the spray of wild ginger that I -had carelessly tossed on the top of the other blooms, and which had -apparently rolled down and now lay a few inches apart from the rest. - -Rather amused that such a trifle should cause me to interrupt my -practising, I again turned to the instrument, intent upon perfecting my -piece. - -[Illustration: THE CHURCH WHERE THE ADVENTURE HAPPENED AS IT APPEARED IN -1890.] - -Suddenly I was overtaken by a feeling of unaccountable apprehension, and, -at the same time, became aware of a slow, continuous, rustling sound. -Turning my head sharply over my shoulder, to my horror and intense -surprise I saw the whole mass of leaves and flowers undulating! - -Scarcely daring to breathe or move my fingers from the notes, I -mechanically continued my playing. The fact that I was a prisoner behind a -locked door forced itself on my mind and held me in my place, helpless. -For a moment now and then as I watched the mass of verdure was quiet, only -to begin upheaving again. What could it be? The suspense was becoming more -than I could bear, and I was on the point of shrieking hysterically when -my tongue refused utterance, and I felt as if life and strength were -oozing out of my fingers. - -On the farther side of the beautiful, fragrant pile of ferns and flowers -appeared the head of an enormous snake. Slowly, quietly, with a gentle -dipping movement up and down, it raised itself, and I saw that it was a -python. - -Then the Kaffirs’ legend was indeed true! They had told us a story which -we had regarded in the light of a fable. In spite of our ridicule, they -had maintained that a serpent of gigantic dimensions had its haunt in the -neighbourhood of our little church. They said that it would suddenly -appear from out the bush when the organ was played and lie in the sun as -if listening to the music. We had naturally received the story as a Kaffir -superstition, and gave it no credence. - -But--Heaven help me!--it was no idle tale, but a horrible fact, for there -was the immense snake before me. - -A tempest of fear seized me. My heart seemed to beat all over me at once, -and a singing noise in my head drove me nearly distraught. After a while, -however, it appeared to turn into a voice calling upon me to continue -playing. “It is your only chance, your only hope,” it seemed to say. - -With a supreme effort of will I controlled myself sufficiently to continue -my performance. I compelled my hands and feet to move and perform their -duty. Never once, however, did I move my eyes from the python, which was -gradually drawing the vast length of its body into view. - -A faint hope sprang within me that I might lull its savage proclivities -with the music, and I forced myself to continue a monotonous droning on -the little instrument. Calling to mind the snake-charmers of India, and -imitating to my uttermost the mournful wail they produce on their reed -whistles, I kept this going until the incessant thud, thud of the bellows -seemed to pound on the nerves of my brain and be the only sound I -extracted from the little organ. - -Presently, with a fresh horror, I observed that the creature was rearing -itself up, as if endeavouring to locate the direction whence the music -came. Having done so, it gradually made its way round the heap of flowers -and palms towards me. - -Once the python reared itself to the level of the back rail of the chair -where lay my choice white flowers, and for a space of time remained poised -in that position, surveying its environment from that improved elevation. -During this time its sinuous form quivered in perpetual vibration, and its -changeful, scintillating eye gave indication of its exceedingly sensitive -nature. It was evidently a creature so susceptible to sound that a human -voice, far away across the Flat, borne on the scented, heat-laden air -through the open window, smote its delicate organization and sent a tremor -through its body, making the exquisite, shaded skin shiver, and bringing -into prominence a wonderful iridescent bloom that glistened along the -smooth surface of its coils. - -Once, in its passage towards me, the snake pushed the chair that impeded -its progress an inch or two from its former position, scraping it along -the varnished boards, causing a sharp discordant sound. - -Instantly the python drew back its awful head, assuming a swan-like -attitude. The quivering tongue, as sensitive as a butterfly’s feelers, -played and trembled, and its jewelled eyes narrowed and flashed. The -creature’s whole position was one of threatening defence. How deadly it -looked, how awful in its cruel beauty! - -“Heaven send me help!” I inwardly prayed. “Oh, for some means of escape!” - -Closer and closer the awful creature undulated directly towards me, -pausing now and again as if to prolong my agony of suspense. In reality I -believe it was listening, its sensitive ear--or if, as some scientists -hold, snakes are deaf, then some subtle sixth sense unknown to -us--detecting sounds my dull brain could not catch. - -At length it was so close to me I could have stretched out my hand, had I -wished, and touched it, and a coil of its body actually lay on my skirt as -the creature rested at my side, evidently enjoying the mournful music, -which I verily believed to be my funeral dirge. For the end, I thought, -must come soon. With this deadly creature so close to me, and in such a -position that I could not but disturb it if I moved, I was getting cold -and numb with fear. I felt myself getting faint, and realized that I was -going to fall. Desperately I fought against the feeling, struggling -against my growing weakness. - -How long the serpent lay, like a watch-dog, at my feet, how long I played -I do not know. I could not measure time; I was in a trance, asphyxiated -with fear. - -Suddenly a noise seemed to snap something in my brain, and the spell was -broken. It was a sharp bark from Nellie, just outside the window. - -And, coming nearer through the bush, I heard the echo of my music whistled -back to me, as Malcolm, all unconscious of my peril, took up the refrain -with which I was endeavouring to soothe my dread visitant to rest and -peace. - -And now that help was at hand, a new danger and difficulty confronted me. -How was I to warn Malcolm? How was I to drag my skirt away from under this -monster quickly enough to escape through the open doorway before it struck -me? - -Long ere I was aware of the approach of help the serpent had shown signs -of irritation, its intuitive sensibility detecting the advent of danger, -and at the noise of the key grinding in the rusty lock the python gathered -its sinuous body under it, as if to obtain greater support for a forward -stroke. Then, with its head and a portion of its body reared high above -the floor and darting angrily hither and thither, it waited expectantly. - -Dazzled with the glaring sunlight outside, Malcolm hesitated on the -threshold for a moment, and in that moment Nellie passed him and ran into -the church. Even then I could not move my gaze from the snake, or speak or -move, or give a symptom of warning But I was aware of poor old Nellie -coming towards me, panting and puffing with the heat and fatigue of her -walk, and with greeting and gladness in her soft brown eyes. - -She was scarcely a yard from me, and I heard my brother call to her: “Go -out, Nellie; go out!” - -Then there was a sound as if a whip were cutting through the air, and -something passed before my vision like a flash of forked lightning in the -sky, and I knew that the death-blow had fallen--not on me, but on dear, -devoted old Nellie, the bulldog. The python literally leapt at her, -striking again and again, as it endeavoured to seize her in its awful -coils. - -I waited no longer, but sprang from the chair, upsetting it and the books -in my flight, and fairly flew to the door. I reached Malcolm in safety, -and he dragged me outside, shutting the door behind us, and leaving Nellie -and the python in the church. The dog’s piteous cries of agony and fear -sickened us, and made Malcolm attempt a rescue. He rushed in once again, -calling to the dog, in the vain hope that she might at least die with us -at her side. But she could not see; blinded with fright she ran wildly -about. Her end was horrible to contemplate, and I pressed my hands to my -ears to shut out the sounds, running from the church and close proximity -of the fearful creature under whose spell I had been for so long. I sank -down under the shade of some trees and thanked God I was safe! - -But the cries of poor Nellie, the thud, thud of the bellows, and the -mournful dirge I had repeated over and over again banged and clanged -unceasingly in my head, remaining with me through many days of utter -prostration and exhaustion. - -[Illustration: “THE KAFFIRS, SEEING ITS SKIN STRETCHED IN THE SUN TO DRY, -LOST THEIR SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEF IN THE MAGIC POWERS OF THE CREATURE.”] - -The last music that python heard was the crack of Malcolm’s rifle as he -shot it in the church. That same afternoon the Kaffirs, seeing its skin -stretched in the sun to dry, lost their superstitious belief in the magic -powers of the creature, and marvelled at its huge size. The mottled, -shaded skin now hangs, faded, dull, and dusty, after many years, on the -walls of a college museum, amidst other South African trophies. We buried -what remained of poor Nellie in the shadow of St. John-in-the-Wilderness. - - - - -Across America by Airship. - -THE STORY OF AN ILL-STARRED ENTERPRISE. - -BY ARTHUR INKERSLEY, OF SAN FRANCISCO. - - Now that airships are so much to the fore, this account of the - meteoric career of the largest “dirigible balloon” ever - constructed--larger even than Count Zeppelin’s unfortunate - monster--will be read with interest. The inventor had an ambitious - scheme for running luxuriously-fitted aerial liners between New York - and San Francisco, but his first ship got no farther than the - ascension ground. The photographs accompanying the article are - particularly striking. - - -Some time last year there came from the windy city of Chicago to the -hardly less breezy San Francisco a man named John A. Morrell, who built a -small airship with a balloon of insufficient size to lift the engines and -netting. The craft got loose before the crew of twelve had taken their -places and rose from a hundred to two hundred feet in the air, floating -away in a southerly direction down the San Francisco peninsula and coming -to rest at Burlingame, in San Mateo County, twenty miles from its -starting-point. - -Nothing daunted by this mishap, Morrell organized the “National Airship -Company,” incorporated under the laws of South Dakota, established offices -in a leading street of San Francisco, and put forth a glowing prospectus, -in which people were invited to invest their money in a sure thing--to -wit, an airship a quarter of a mile long, already under construction, and -intended to make regular trips between San Francisco and New York City, -carrying passengers as comfortably as a Pullman car. The chairs in this -remarkable craft were to be made of hollow aluminium tubes and to weigh -only seventeen ounces; the bedsteads, of the same material, weighing -twenty-seven ounces. The mattresses were to be inflated with a very light -gas of a secret nature. Extravagant and fantastic though all this sounds, -Morrell possessed the enthusiasm and glibness of the genuine promoter, -contriving to obtain many thousands of dollars from credulous people in -support of his wild project. - -[Illustration: MORRELL’S MONSTER AIRSHIP BEING INFLATED, READY FOR ITS -FIRST ASCENT, IN THE PRESENCE OF A VAST CROWD. - -_From a Photograph._] - -The National Airship Company established shops in San Francisco, and went -to work upon the airship, which was named “Ariel.” The construction was -under the direction of George H. Loose, who has had considerable -experience in building aeroplanes and airships. It was intended that Loose -should be first officer of the aerial liner, but, when the time for making -the first ascent came, Loose wisely threw up his job, because Morrell had -disregarded his advice in the construction. - -[Illustration: A NEAR VIEW OF PART OF THE AIRSHIP, SHOWING ONE OF THE -ENGINES AND PROPELLERS--NOTICE THE FLIMSY NETTINGS AND THE MATTRESSES -INTENDED TO SUPPORT THE CREW. - -_From a Photograph._] - -Nearly every well-known principle of airship construction was violated. -The proportions were impracticable, the craft being four hundred and -eighty-five feet long and having a diameter of only thirty-four feet. The -gas-bag was like a huge snake, having no rigidity, either horizontally or -vertically, and not being stiffened by trussing of any adequate sort. A -gas-bag of such length and proportionately small diameter should have been -strengthened by a vertical framework, or by trusswork of rope or wire, so -as to impart rigidity; but nothing of this sort was done. The motive-power -was supplied by six separate four-cylinder forty-horse-power automobile -engines, hung below the balloon at intervals. - -[Illustration: THE AIRSHIP LEAVING THE GROUND AMID THE CHEERS OF THE -EXCITED ONLOOKERS. - -_From a Photograph._] - -These concentrated weights were carried on a platform, not of planks, but -of mattresses, laid down on mere canvas, supported by the netting which -covered the gas-bag. Ropes placed round the gas-bag at the points where -the engines were situated cut deeply into it, and no arrangements whatever -were made to meet the special stresses caused by the steering of so -long-drawn-out an affair. Loose’s chief reasons for refusing to make the -ascent were that if the envelope were filled with enough gas to render it -rigid the emergency valves would open, and if these were tightened the -envelope was liable to burst. - -Serious as the various defects mentioned were, the most fatal one was the -fact that nothing had been done to prevent collapse or deformation caused -by sudden expansion or contraction of the gas from changes of temperature. -The balloon was one great, undivided bag, containing from four hundred -thousand to five hundred thousand cubic feet of gas, but having no -compartments or internal air-bags. Its lifting capacity was from eight to -ten tons, so that it was much the largest airship ever built in America, -even exceeding in dimensions the great “dirigible” of Count von Zeppelin. - -It might be supposed that it would be pretty hard to get together a score -of persons who would be willing to risk their lives in such an unpractical -affair as the Morrell airship; but, strangely enough, the greatest -difficulty was experienced in keeping people off the craft. One man, a -well-known aeronaut named Captain Penfold, repeatedly begged Morrell to -let him make the ascent, but his request was flatly refused. Yet so eager -was Penfold that at the last minute he smuggled himself on to the craft -and went up with it and--a few moments later--came down with it. - -[Illustration: THE “ARIEL” IN MID-AIR. ITS NOSE HAD A DECIDED TILT -DOWNWARDS, AND THIS INCREASED UNTIL ALL EQUILIBRIUM WAS LOST. - -_From a Photograph._] - -Some time before the attempted ascent was made the airship was conveyed -from San Francisco across the Bay to Berkeley, in Alameda County, Cal. The -trial trip was fixed for Saturday, May 23rd, and on that morning thousands -of excited people were on hand to watch the ascent. The airship was -released from its moorings and began to mount into the air, its nose -having a decided tilt downwards. The machine had risen scarcely two or -three hundred feet when the rear of the balloon had an upward inclination -of as much as forty-five degrees. - -Morrell shouted to his crew, consisting of engineers and valve-tenders, -numbering fourteen or fifteen, to go aft, so as to depress the stern of -the machine and cause it to resume its equilibrium. But the shouts and -cheers of the people below drowned his voice so that he could not be -heard. A moment later the gas rushed into the after-end of the bag with -great force, bursting the oiled cloth of which the envelope was -constructed, and the cheers had hardly died away before the -horror-stricken crowd saw the great balloon collapse and come headlong to -the ground, with its nineteen passengers, who included Morrell, eight -engineers, five valve-tenders, two photographers with their assistants, -and the aeronaut already mentioned. - -[Illustration: “THE HORROR-STRICKEN CROWD SAW THE GREAT BALLOON COLLAPSE -AND COME HEADLONG TO THE GROUND WITH ITS NINETEEN PASSENGERS.” NOTICE THE -VALVE-TENDER SCRAMBLING WILDLY ALONG THE NETTING ON TOP OF THE GAS-BAG; -HIS AGILITY STOOD HIM IN GOOD STEAD, FOR HE ESCAPED ALMOST UNINJURED. - -_From a Photograph._] - -The unfortunate men were entangled in the wreckage of flapping cloth, -network, and machinery, running the danger of being struck by the -propellers of the engines or of being suffocated by the great volumes of -escaping gas. One valve-tender, who was on the top of the great bag, can -be seen in one of the photographs climbing along the netting. His agility -stood him in good stead, for he escaped from the wreck almost uninjured. - -[Illustration: GATHERING UP THE WRECKAGE AFTER THE COLLAPSE OF THE -AIRSHIP. - -_From a Photograph._] - -It might be supposed that nearly all the men on the ill-fated craft were -killed; but, remarkable to relate, not one lost his life. Morrell himself -sustained severe lacerations, and had both his legs broken by one of the -propellers; Penfold, the persistent, had his right ankle and left instep -broken; Rogers, an assistant engineer, suffered a broken right ankle; and -another engineer met with broken ribs and ankles. Others were bruised or -rendered unconscious by the gas. - -Morrell ascribed the disaster to the fact that he was forced by impatient -stockholders in the National Airship Company to make the attempted flight -before he had worked out certain details of the vessel’s construction -thoroughly. It is believed by those who saw the luckless craft that it was -constructed flimsily of poor materials and not inflated sufficiently. The -ill-starred aeronautic adventure not only cost many broken bones, but some -forty thousand dollars (more than eight thousand pounds) in money. - -It would naturally be supposed that so complete and disastrous a failure, -after the expenditure of so large a sum of money, would have destroyed all -confidence in Morrell as a designer of airships, and would have put him -out of the business of aerial navigation for all time. But it was not so; -the enthusiast still asserts that he has discovered the true principle of -the navigation of the air, and that the National Airship Company is ready -to proceed with the construction of another craft, much larger and -costlier than the first one. - -The new airship is to be seven hundred and fifty feet long and forty feet -in diameter, equipped with eight gasolene engines, developing nearly three -hundred and fifty horse-power and operating sixteen propellers. The inside -bag will be of light silk and the outside bag of heavy silk interwoven -with a material known as “flexible aluminium,” of which Morrell possesses -the secret. The new balloon is to have more than a hundred compartments, -many of which might be broken without disturbing the buoyancy or -equilibrium of the vessel. - -A rigid platform is to be substituted for the canvas and netting cage in -which the unfortunate participants in the attempted ascent of the “Ariel” -rode. The new vessel is to cost one hundred thousand dollars (more than -twenty thousand pounds), and to be capable, if the inventor is to be -believed, of a speed of a hundred miles an hour. The really marvellous -things about the whole business are the unquenchable enthusiasm of the -inventor and the unfailing credulity of those who believe in him. - - - - -FIGHTING A TYPHOON. - -BY A. P. TAYLOR, CHIEF OF DETECTIVES, HONOLULU, HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. - - The story of the most disastrous voyage in the annals of the United - States transport service. The steamship “Siam” left San Francisco - with a cargo of three hundred and seventy three picked army horses - and mules, destined for “the front” in the Philippines. She landed - two mules alive at Manila. In this narrative Mr. Taylor, who was a - passenger on the ill-fated vessel, tells what became of the - remainder. - - -When the Japanese Government recently offered for sale the former Austrian -steamship _Siam_, a prize of the late war, there was concluded one of the -most remarkable romances of the United States army transport service. Four -flags have so far flown over this steamer, but her career is not likely to -conclude under the ensign of the Land of the Chrysanthemum. - -Christened on the banks of the Clyde in the early ’nineties as the British -tramp steamer _Resolve_, the vessel later passed into the hands of an -Austrian corporation at Fiume, and was renamed the _Siam_. Fate and -charterers sent her to the Pacific Ocean in the second year of the -Filipino insurrection, and she was chartered by an American firm of San -Francisco, and entered the coal trade between Nanaimo and the Bay City. - -In the summer of 1899 the United States War Department assembled at -Jefferson City, Missouri, one of the finest trains of experienced army -mules and horses ever organised for foreign service. From Cuba, from the -northern borders of the United States, from frontier army posts, and, in -fact, from every part of the United States where the quartermaster’s -insignia were in evidence, these animals were brought to the common -rendezvous in Missouri. They were the pick of the army--staid old mules -and horses that had been in the service for years, and knew almost as much -of military discipline as the men in blue. Their transhipment to the -Presidio at San Francisco followed in July, and then the War Department -cast about for a vessel in which to ship them to Manila, where General -Otis was even then delaying important army movements in order that these -animals might accompany the troops to “the front.” - -[Illustration: THE AUTHOR, MR. A. P. TAYLOR, CHIEF OF DETECTIVES, -HONOLULU, HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. - -_From a Photograph._] - -The _Siam_ had just returned from Nanaimo with a cargo of coal. She was a -fine, big, ten-knot boat, with Austrian officers and sailors. The War -Department decided, although she flew the flag of the Emperor Joseph, that -she was just the vessel needed. Early in August, after several weeks of -hammering, sawing, and building of superstructures, three hundred and -seventy-three horses and mules were sent aboard and placed in separate -stalls for the long voyage to Manila. The loading of the animal cargo was -a matter of much concern to the War Department, with the result that -almost the pick of the packers and teamsters of the army--fifty-six in -all--were chosen for the voyage. - -In command of these rough-and-ready plainsmen was Captain J. P. O’Neil, -25th Infantry, United States Army. Captain O’Neil was just the sort of man -to deal with the cowboys--no army dandy, but a true-blue soldier, and the -men admired and loved him. - -Among the horses was the thoroughbred presented to General “Joe” Wheeler, -United States Army, by the citizens of Alabama after his return from the -Cuban campaign. “Beauty” he was called by the men, and he was given a -place of honour near the officers’ cabin. Yet another splendid animal was -the horse belonging to Miss Wheeler, daughter of the General, who was then -an army nurse in the Philippines. - -The officers and crew were all Austrians, with the exception of two -engineers. The commander was Captain Sennen Raicich, sailor, gentleman, -and postage-stamp connoisseur. His hobby was rare stamps, and his cabin -was filled with cases containing valuable specimens. Every day he went -over his collection, labelling, classifying, and docketing the new ones -which he had purchased at the last port. The collection was valued at -about twelve thousand dollars, and was insured. Messrs. Xigga and -Stepanovich were his two officers. Captain, mates, and crew all hailed -from the section of Austria nearest Fiume. - -Ten days after leaving San Francisco the _Siam_ reached Honolulu, and the -horses and mules were taken ashore and sent to the Government corrals, -where they recuperated for two days. During this time Captain O’Neil spent -much time considering the arrangement of the stalls. These were arranged -along the main deck and in the first hold below. Over the exposed portions -of the main deck superstructures had been raised to protect the animals -from the elements. The forward deck was loaded with hay and grain for use -during the voyage, while between decks was a stock of forage. Over the -officers’ section a deck-house was built, and used as a sleeping-place for -the cowboys. - -The Honolulans took great interest in the horses, and hundreds examined -the stalls, which were arranged along the sides of the steamer, the -animals facing inward. Small chains hasped to the supports on either side -led to the rings of the halters. Cleats were nailed to the flooring to -give the animals a footing during storms. The leisure time of the cowboys -was spent in making canvas “slings,” intended to be placed beneath the -bellies of the animals during bad weather, the ends fastened to rings in -the deck above, to assist the animals in keeping on their feet should the -vessel roll awkwardly. The transport service had much to learn, and the -use of slings was a costly lesson. - -For several days the voyage toward the Philippines was delightful. -Half-cloudy days and trade winds maintained an even temperature throughout -the ship. Officers, crew, cowboys, the few passengers, and the animals -were on the best of terms. Captain O’Neil cheerfully looked forward to the -day when the _Siam_ should steam into Manila Bay and he could report the -voyage successfully ended and without the loss of an animal. Captain -O’Neil’s enthusiasm was communicated to the cowboys, and they resolved to -make a reputation for the voyage and land their animals safe and sound. -Alas for human hopes! That voyage was to prove the most disastrous in the -annals of the American transport service. - -[Illustration: GENERAL WHEELER’S HORSE “BEAUTY” BEING TAKEN ON BOARD THE -“SIAM.” - -_From a Photograph._] - -On the morning of September 17th came a change in the direction of the -wind. The officers consulted the barometer, and the land-lubbers, taking -amateurist observations of their own, saw that it was falling. Then came a -few gusts, the sky changed, and in a little while a terrific storm burst -over the steamer. The vessel rolled, and the horses, unused to such a -motion, had difficulty in retaining their feet. Clouds of spray dashed -over the bridge and tons of water broke upon the decks. The stalls were -flooded and became slippery, and the animals frequently fell. Sometimes a -lurch threw at least fifty from their feet. Instantly there was a -struggling, kicking mass of horse and mule flesh on the decks. The -cowboys, although experiencing the first real nausea during the voyage, -bravely went among the helpless brutes and assisted them to their feet. -For two days and nights this went on, and few men were able to sleep. -Finally things got so bad that Captain O’Neil sent a written request to -Captain Raicich to change the course of the vessel to any direction that -would give the least motion to the ship. - -Those who have never been to sea may not know the danger of putting a -vessel about in a sea which is piling up angrily from every direction. The -order was sent through the ship that she was to go about, and everyone -clung to a support during the manœuvre. Gradually the vessel answered her -helm; the roaring wind beat against her hull, heeling her far over, until -the landsmen clung desperately to anything handy to prevent them sliding -into the boiling sea. At length the manœuvre was safely executed, and all -hands breathed a sigh of relief. The vessel scudded before the wind, -riding more easily, though she was going far out of her course. - -[Illustration: “A TERRIFIC STORM BURST OVER THE STEAMER.”] - -When the sun broke through the clouds a tropical-looking island loomed up -on the horizon, which proved to be the island of Saipan, of the Ladrones -group, just to the north of Guam. Whether it was inhabited those aboard -did not know, for there was not on the ship a chart or book bearing upon -the island. A mysterious column of smoke shot up from a grove of trees as -the vessel passed by, followed by a second and a third. A “council of war” -was held. Were the mysterious smoke signals sent up by shipwrecked sailors -or by natives with questionable intentions? Captain Raicich cut the -Gordian knot with the statement that the _Siam_ was under contract to the -United States Government at six hundred dollars a day, and as considerable -time had already been lost he could not for a moment think of detaining -the vessel while an investigating committee went ashore. - -After that storm the ship was a hospital, for two hundred and thirty-three -horses and mules were more or less injured, and every man devoted his -whole time to caring for them. Strange to say, many of the cowboys and -mules had been associated for years in Government work, and they were -therefore old friends, and the men were sympathetic veterinarian nurses. -Six animals died of their injuries. - -That storm was a heartrending set-back to the ambitions of Captain O’Neil. -However, he made the best of the experience by preparing for similar -episodes. One day the engines gave out, and the vessel lay to for several -hours while the engineers and firemen worked like Trojans to repair the -damage. At first it was decided that the vessel, being then near the -Philippines, could make port with the one uninjured engine, but it was -finally decided that it would be best to repair the damage at sea. It was -well that this decision was arrived at, otherwise the _Siam_ would never -have reached port. - -On September 29th the steamer was close to Cape Engano, on the northern -coast of the island of Luzon. On the morning of September 30th the sky -became overcast, the wind freshened, and the barometer fell. In the -afternoon there was a peculiar glow in the clouds, which behaved most -curiously; they seemed caught in currents of wind and were stretched out -across the heavens in orderly lines, parallel with the horizon. To the -landsmen none of the signs were ominous, but the ship’s officers sent -orders quietly among the crew. - -[Illustration: CAPTAIN SENNEN RAICICH, OF THE “SIAM.” - -_From a Photo. by Antonio Funk._] - -A passenger, going into the chart-room, from which an officer had made a -hurried exit, saw a book on navigation lying there. It was open at a -chapter on typhoons, and there were under-scorings where “China Sea,” “The -Philippines,” “Yellow Sea,” etc., occurred in the text. The passenger -looked at the barometer again, saw that it had fallen, and began to -understand. There was an ominous silence throughout the vessel, and a -peculiar stagnant feeling impregnated the air. The growing sense of menace -affected every living thing aboard; the plainsmen had long since stopped -chaffing and the animals stamped uneasily. - -Meanwhile the crew were very busy. Canvas shields were taken in, rigging -was examined, and the captain went below to the engine-room and consulted -with the engineers. - -Evening came on, the sea began to stir, and the crests of little waves -broke sharply. The _Siam_ was now in sight of the northernmost portion of -Luzon, and as Cape Engano was approached she was slowed down, but the -captain and officers looked in vain for the lighthouse on the cape. At ten -o’clock the commander changed the course of the vessel from west to north, -thereby keeping out of the channel above the cape, for he would not risk -entering the waterway without first picking up the light. - -It was well that he formed this decision, for at eleven o’clock the -heavens and the sea seemed to meet in a mighty clash. There was one mighty -reverberating roar, the steamer heeled over, the wind howled through the -rigging, and the stern, lifting high out of the water, permitted the -propeller to race, shaking the vessel from stem to stern. The gong and -bells rang sharply in the engine-room, the propeller stopped racing, -stopped altogether, spun again. The tramping of feet sounded along the -decks; orders were shouted from the bridge in Austrian. The cowboys -gathered on the main deck and waited anxiously--for what, they did not -know. Then the passenger transmitted the knowledge of the open book in the -chart-room to the landsmen. A typhoon was on, perhaps, he suggested. -“Typhoon” in the China Sea, “hurricane” in the Atlantic, “pampero” off the -South American coast, “cyclone” on land--all mean much the same thing. The -most terrifying storm a vessel could encounter held the _Siam_ in its -mighty grip. - -Then, almost without warning, a demoniacal sea and a fearful wind, with -legions of horrible, never-to-be-forgotten night terrors, appeared to leap -upon the ship from the darkness. - -A sickening dread crept into my heart. In fifteen minutes the whole fury -of the typhoon was upon us. It was almost midnight of September 30th when -we realized, by a glance at the captain’s face as he rushed into the -chart-room, that a battle for our lives was upon us. It was human science -matched against the ungovernable fury of the elements. Which would win? - -I made my way to the bridge, clinging now to a rope, and now down upon my -knees with my arms around a stanchion. By main force I held on to the -wheel-house, where the captain and his two mates directed the course of -the stricken ship. Their faces were set with grim determination, their -eyes staring fiercely now at the compass and then at the boiling seas, -which pitched and rolled us about like a paper box. The wheel flew round -from side to side. One end of the bridge rose and towered above me until I -leaned over almost upright against the ascending deck, and as suddenly it -fell until it seemed to plough the water. The wind, blowing at eighty -miles an hour, tore canvas and rigging to shreds. - -Suddenly the bow lifted high upon a monster wave. Higher, higher, higher -it rose, while the stern sank down into a yawning chasm. Simultaneously a -huge wave struck us abeam. Down came the bow, and over heeled the steamer -upon her side. From below came the nerve-racking bellowing and screaming -of the terrified animals as they strove madly to keep their feet. Hoarse -shouts came up from the lower decks, where the cowboys were endeavouring -to help their charges. Now and then there was a crash as an animal was -flung bodily out of its stall across the deck, where it smashed stalls and -set other animals loose. Each time the ship rolled I set my teeth, for -each swing seemed about to plunge us into the boiling black abyss below. -Often my heart seemed to stand still, and I waited for the moment when our -devoted band would be hurled into eternity. - -Presently half-a-dozen of us descended to the stokehold in order to send -ashes up to the deck to be spread under the hoofs of the struggling -animals. Out of that stifling hole bucketful after bucketful was hoisted -until the deck was strewn with _débris_. But the heat of the stokehold and -the unusual labour caused the amateur stokers to sicken, and, exhausted -and nauseated, we climbed to the deck again and lay there gasping. - -With morning the storm grew worse. At nine o’clock Captain Raicich -determined to heave the ship to, but the plan had to be abandoned, owing -to stress of weather. The steamer was compelled to head directly into the -wind, which eddied in dizzy concentric circles around a larger -circumference. My diary contains the following notes jotted down on the -afternoon of October 1st, written mainly in shorthand while I lay ill in -my bunk:-- - -“Good heavens! Another such day and night as we have been having and I -believe I shall become insane. Buffeted and tossed about like a feather, -careening, rolling, and pitching, the _Siam_ seems ready to take her final -plunge. Just now a great wave lifted the bow until it seemed the vessel -would stand straight upon her stern; the stern went down and threw us up -again with a terrific lift. A wave strikes the bow and races the full -length of the vessel, tearing everything loose it can rip from its -fastenings. It is sickening. I am writing this in the very midst, the -centre, of the worst kind of storm one can encounter at sea. The men are -shouting and cursing, the animals pawing and uttering plaintive sounds. - -“We don’t know where we are. We know we are heading north-east to get away -from ragged reefs which lie to the north of Luzon. We are steaming -directly in the face of the typhoon and make no progress. The barometer -has fallen twelve points since noon. May Heaven have mercy on us! - -“7 a.m., October 2nd.--What terrible sights I have witnessed during this -awful time! The storm increased every hour of the night, the barometer -going down from 82 to 30, disclosing the fact that we were heading -directly toward the centre of the typhoon. We have rolled so heavily that -the rail goes under at each dip. The men remained at their posts in the -stable division, striving to keep the animals from plunging out of their -stalls from sheer terror. Suddenly a mule falls. Men hurry to raise it. A -return lurch, and down go a score--a mass of maddened, screaming brutes. -From every part of the ship whistle-signals are heard calling for help. -None can be offered, and there the poor beasts lie piled up on each other, -sliding upon their sides and backs from one side of the ship to the other, -tearing strips of flesh from their bodies, causing them to groan piteously -in their helplessness. The ship is tossed every way, up and down, side to -side. Heavy seas break across the decks. - -“Crash! There goes the cowboys’ bunk-house on the poop deck. It is -flooded, and the men’s belongings are sweeping into the sea. The water is -pouring down into our cabins. Destruction everywhere. Another crash--the -rending of timbers in the stable sections. I hear the men shouting -warnings and hear their feet tramping across the decks. The stalls have -given way entirely. Horses are plunging through the hatchways into the -lower stable divisions. A thud, a groan, and they are dead. The rest are -piled up in sickening, agonizing masses, rolling, snorting, kicking, and -endeavouring to get upon their feet. No man dare move from his -holding-place. One has to stand almost upon the cabin wall to keep erect. - -“There they lie, all our pets, the captain’s thoroughbred, General -Wheeler’s own charger. There are twenty horses dead in one heap. A mule -has plunged right down into the engine-room, breaking its legs. It lay -there for two hours before Captain O’Neil could shoot the suffering beast. -The engineers crawled over the carcass as they stood at the throttles to -ease the engines down as the propeller races. - -“The terrific battle of the elements outside beggars any description from -me. Intensify any storm you have experienced on land a couple of thousand -times, add all the terrors that darkness can furnish, add the thoughts of -terrible death staring you in the face every minute, with the sights and -sounds of Dante’s Inferno, and then perhaps you can gain some idea of our -misery. - -[Illustration: “A MASS OF MADDENED, SCREAMING BRUTES.”] - -“At daylight the seas swept across and filled up our decks. Then it was -that Spartan measures had to be taken. The hatches were ordered to be -battened down, thus confining in a death-trap nearly two hundred mules. We -knew it meant death by suffocation to those that were still living, but -our own lives were at stake, and to save our own the animals must be -sacrificed. - -“I am now writing in the chart-room. If we sink, I don’t want to be -caught like a rat down in my cabin, although there will be no chance for -life in any case if we go down. - -“To make our terror worse the Austrian firemen have mutinied. They heard -that the captain had given up the ship. They were right, for he told us to -prepare for the worst. Think of knowing that we have got to drown! Our -boats are all smashed and hanging in bits at the davits. The firemen -tumbled up on the deck looking like demons from the underworld. Then -Captain O’Neil showed his true nature. He became the hard, steel-like -soldier. He sternly ordered them below, but the men did not move. The -cowboys knew instinctively that without steam to turn the engines we must -surely founder. Two of the cowboys seized the ringleader, and, placing the -ends of a lasso about his wrists and thumbs, started to draw the rope over -a guy wire, threatening to string him up by the thumbs. Captain O’Neil had -turned away when these men took the prisoner in charge. Immediately the -frightened crew turned and fled down to the stokehold. - -“Who can blame the poor beggars? Life is as sweet to them as to us. Two -hours later they came up again, but the display of an army revolver in -Captain O’Neil’s hand caused them to retreat. - -“The chief engineer, an Englishman, has gone insane. Thirty-three years at -sea, and now he has gone to pieces! The terror of the long vigils at the -throttle unnerved him. I passed him a little while ago; he was sitting in -his cabin wailing piteously, his face blanched with terror. The little -Scotch second engineer has been on duty almost every hour since the night -of the 30th. His whole back was scalded by steam. Dr. Calkins bound it up -in cotton and oil, and he is working as if nothing had happened, brave -little fellow. - -“6 a.m., Tuesday morning, October 3rd.--Another chapter in my experience -of Hades. No one is on duty except the ship’s officers. It is a ship of -the dead. I have just taken a look down the upper stable division, and the -sight sickened me. The poor brutes of horses and mules, mangled and torn, -lay in heaps, the live ones trying to extricate themselves from the dead. - -“At last the typhoon has spent itself, and by to-morrow morning we shall -probably be able to get back on our course and make a fresh start for -Manila. Nearly all the horses and about two hundred mules are wounded as -far as we can ascertain. Soon the hatches will be taken off, and we can -learn the horrible truth. - -“October 4th.--All morning long the dead animals have been hoisted out and -thrown overboard. How horrible it all is! The men working in the lower -holds are overpowered and compelled to come up on deck every few minutes. -We have three steam-winches going. We found only one live mule in the -lower hold. Captain O’Neil has been shooting most of the live animals, for -they are beyond hope in their terrible condition. - -“Captain Raicich told me to-day that for four hours yesterday he did not -know whether the ship would pull through. The _Siam_ got into the trough -and could not be steered. He said he was prepared then for death. He said -he has never before experienced such a terrible storm. We don’t know just -where we are yet, as we can take no observations. - -“What a terrible change in Captain Raicich’s appearance! He never left the -bridge for three days and nights. He, as well as the two men at the wheel, -were lashed to stanchions. He wore two oil ‘slickors,’ but they are in -ribbons, and the tar from them has sunk into his hair and beard and deep -into his skin. He is dirty and wretched-looking. His cheeks are sunken and -there is an almost insane glare in his eyes. He looks like a wreck, but in -spite of his terrible ordeal he is as decisive in manner as before. Poor -fellow, he hardly ate anything during the whole of the typhoon. He saved -our lives. - -“We have just located our position. We are a hundred miles north of Luzon, -and close by are the dreaded coral-teeth we tried to avoid. - -“October 5th.--We are now nearing Manila Bay and have cleared up the -vessel fairly well and thrown most of the carcasses overboard. The ship is -a wreck; everything seems to have been twisted, broken, torn, or damaged -in some way. Up to last night we got overboard three hundred and -fifty-five carcasses. This morning four more were found dead and two -others had to be shot. We now have only twelve animals left, some of which -we may land at Manila alive. This is all we have left out of three hundred -and seventy-three. Dozens of sharks follow in the wake of the vessel. The -_Siam’s_ expedition has been the most disastrous in the transport -service.” - -As a matter of fact, the _Siam_ actually landed only two animals at -Manila. They were little Spanish mules which had been thrown into the -coal-hold and, strange to say, had not a scratch upon them. They were and -are still known in and about Manila as the “Million-Dollar Beauties” of -the quartermaster’s department. - -[Illustration: “HE NEVER LEFT THE BRIDGE FOR THREE DAYS.”] - -I accompanied Captain O’Neil to General Otis’s head-quarters in the -ancient Spanish palace in old Manila. When informed of the disaster the -General was greatly grieved, and remarked that it would have a serious -effect on the plans he had made. Captain O’Neil then presented him with -the following report of the voyage, which, although an official document, -contains much of the romance connected with the disastrous expedition:-- - - UNITED STATES TRANSPORT “SIAM.” - - Adjutant-General Eighth Army Corps, Manila, P.I. - - SIR,--I have the honour to report my arrival with the steamship - _Siam_, chartered as a United States animal transport. I left San - Francisco, California, on the night of the 19th of August with three - hundred and seventy-three animals aboard. We experienced ordinary - weather, and arrived in Honolulu, H.I., August 29th, leaving there - September 6th. - - After leaving Honolulu, and until the 17th of September, we had - fairly good weather, and up to this date (a month away from San - Francisco) all the animals were in perfect condition. The duties of - horse veterinary and nurses were then sinecures. On the morning of - the 17th a heavy swell from E.N.E. and N.N.E. struck the ship and - made her roll considerably. This swell continued. The next day, - Monday, the 18th, the wind rose from S.S.E., and continued to - increase in force until it became a gale, blowing from S. and - S.S.E., with a big swell from S.S.W. and S.E. This rough sea was - extremely trying on the animals; as many as fifty would be thrown - from their feet at the same time, and for forty-eight hours I was - not able to spare a moment for sleep, and the greatest rest that any - man of my detachment had was six hours. I, at this time, sent a - written order to the captain of the ship to change the course of the - vessel to any direction that would give her the least roll. - According to this order, he changed the course to S.E. We were - driven several hundred miles out of our course. Wednesday morning - the wind abated; we were able to resume our course, and passed the - Ladrones, north of Saipan. Wednesday morning the storm began to - abate; Wednesday evening and night we were busy caring for the - injured and taking stock of our animals. I found two hundred and - thirty-three animals injured more or less severely; of these, six - (6) died. The greatest care was given to the injured, and they all - pulled through remarkably well. - - Everything ran smoothly, fair winds and fair seas, until Saturday - night, September 30th. We arrived at the head of the island of Luzon - (Cape Engano). It was after dark--there was no light--the weather - looked threatening. The captain and I discussed the matter and - finally decided that it was not safe to try and go through this - passage on a stormy night without being able to locate any - landmarks. The captain was directed to cruise outside until - daylight. About twelve o’clock that night the wind started blowing - from N.N.W., gradually increasing into a gale; the vessel was headed - into the wind and sea and rode very smoothly until Sunday morning, - October 1st, when the wind began to shift, increasing in force, and - for the next two days continued changing direction. Until the storm - abated Tuesday morning, the wind was blowing from the S.E. The sea - raised by this circular wind was tremendous. From Saturday night at - twelve o’clock, for fifty-six hours, every man on board the vessel - worked like a Trojan. Animals were continually being thrown from - their feet, and the men worked getting them to their proper places. - As the storm increased, so increased the labour--the men, almost - exhausted, continuing their task. I cannot give them too much praise - for their utter disregard of danger, and the heroism they displayed - in trying to save their charges. - - Monday morning, October 2nd, at five o’clock, the captain of the - ship gave orders to close the hatches to save the ship, and just - then a tremendous sea swept over the vessel, throwing from their - feet every animal on the port side of the ship and most of the - animals on the starboard side; the vessel continued to do sharp - rolling, so that these animals would shoot from one side of the deck - to the other. It was absolutely impossible to do anything for them; - some men had been injured, and I gave up the fight. I ordered every - man to a place of safety in the forecastle, cabins, and chart-room, - and we were forced to let the animals stay where they were. - - Three hundred and sixty odd animals shifted from side to side of the - vessel, and it became too great a risk to make men face it when - nothing could be accomplished. When I knew the captain had ordered - the hatches closed (which I felt meant suffocation for those animals - still alive in the holds), I knew he would not take this step if - ingenuity or human skill could possibly avoid the danger. For a few - hours I had no confidence in or hope of saving even the vessel. The - wind was so strong that she was perfectly helpless; she would not - mind her helm though going at forced speed, but had to drift - helplessly in the direction the wind drove her. - - As soon as it was possible to go upon deck, every effort was made to - rescue those animals still living. A few that were fortunately - thrown on top of the heap of mangled horses and mules were brought - out. Many died from their injuries. Six were saved, but I doubt if - they will be of any service for a long time to come. - - It is my opinion, and also the opinion of everyone on board this - vessel, that had the weather continued as fair as it was up to - September 17th, the ship would have arrived in the port of Manila - without the loss of a single animal. As it was, every animal that - died on this trip did so from the effect of the storms encountered. - - A detailed report and copy of the orders on which this vessel was - run, and such suggestions as I have been able to make from the - experience I had in these two storms, accompany this report. - - I have the honour to remain, - - Yours respectfully, - - (Signed) J. P. O’NEIL. - Capt. 25th Infty., A.Q.M., U.S.A. - - (Dated) Manila Bay, P.I., October 6th, 1899. - -[Illustration: A CUTTING FROM THE “PACIFIC COMMERCIAL ADVERTISER,” -REFERRING TO THE “SIAM’S” DISASTROUS VOYAGE. - -Major J. P. O’Neill, 30th Infantry, who was army quartermaster on the -transport Siam in the latter part of 1899, is a passenger aboard the -transport Sherman. Major O’Neill ran across Chief of Detectives Tailor -yesterday, both having been aboard the Siam on her memorable trip to -Manila in October, 1899, when 370 out of the 373 horses and mules -aboard were killed during a four days’ typhoon off the coast of Luzon. -That trip of the Siam was the most disastrous in the transport service -history and the vessel barely weathered the storm. On that trip Captain -O’Neill was called upon to put down two mutinies among the Austrian fire -crew, and at one time he threatened to string up the ringleader by the -thumbs. The English Chief Engineer became unbalanced during the storm -and had to be placed in irons by O’Neill. The Siam arrived at Manila a -perfect charnelship. During the Japan-Russo war the Siam was captured by -the Japanese while carrying coal to Vladivostok and was sold back to the -Austrian company through the prize court.] - - - - -A State Trial in Montenegro - -BY MRS. HERBERT VIVIAN. - - The recent State trial for high treason at Cetinje was a most - sensational affair, the prisoners--many of them ex-Ministers and - politicians of high rank being accused of a conspiracy to destroy - the Montenegrin Royal Family root and branch. Mrs. Vivian was the - only woman present, and her photographs were the only ones taken. - Her description of the trial, with its picturesque environment and - mediæval atmosphere, will be found extremely interesting. - - -I feel quite spoilt for home-made pageants or foreign processions after -assisting at the sensational State trial for high treason in Montenegro--a -sight which transports one at once into mediæval times again. The ordinary -person may imagine that it is quite an everyday affair, and that -conspirators grow like blackberries on the hedges of Montenegro, but then -the ordinary person knows little about foreign lands apart from Norway, -Switzerland, or Italy, and less than nothing about the Near East. When I -was in Montenegro my family was besieged with inquiries after my safety -and hopes that I might escape unhurt from the brigands and bandits who -must infest the Black Mountains; whereas in Montenegro the remark that -greeted me was that it was very brave of me to pass through so many lands -on the way to the principality, but that now I was there all was well. - -I think it is time, therefore, to explain that the trial, far from being -an everyday affair, was something unheard-of in a land where everyone, -though, of course, warring against the fiery Albanian and enjoying a -certain amount of friendly sparring with neighbours, adores his beloved -Prince and looks on him as chieftain, father, and general Providence all -rolled into one. - -[Illustration: PRINCE NICHOLAS OF MONTENEGRO--THE CONSPIRATORS PLOTTED TO -DESTROY NOT ONLY THE PRINCE, BUT THE ENTIRE ROYAL FAMILY. - -_From a Photograph._] - -Indeed, Prince Nicholas must be counted among the lucky ones of this -earth. He has not only been blessed with talents and tact above those -bestowed on the ordinary man, but he has also been watched over by the -gods and allotted more luck than falls to the lot of most mortals. Like -King Edward, he is popular wherever he goes, and he has a genius for -statecraft. When he came to the throne forty years ago Montenegro was -absolutely unknown; probably barely one in a hundred of educated people -knew that such a place was to be found in the atlas. During those forty -years the Prince has fought successful wars against the Turk, more than -doubled his territory, married his daughters to some of the greatest -_partis_ in Europe, and made the name Montenegro a household word for -valiant men and deeds of daring. - -But Prince Nicholas, unluckily for himself, married his eldest daughter to -a certain Prince Peter Karageorgevitch. This lady died many years ago, and -in the course of time Prince Peter was called from his haunts in -Switzerland to take the Crown of Servia from the hands of the regicides. -Whether he knew anything of their evil plans beforehand need not be -discussed here; but, at any rate, ever since the day he entered Belgrade -he has been their tool, and as wax in the hands of the ringleaders. -Nevertheless, people were astonished when it was discovered last October -that bombs were being smuggled over the Turkish frontier, coming from -Servia. A plot was discovered to blow up the whole of the Montenegrin -Royal House--not only the Prince and his two sons, but the Princess and -her two daughters, her daughters-in-law, and even the poor little -grandchildren, so that the entire family might be exterminated root and -branch! - -[Illustration: THE EXTERIOR OF THE COURT-HOUSE, SHOWING SENTINEL ON GUARD. - -_From a Photograph._] - -The affair was engineered in Belgrade, and the bombs were manufactured by -a Servian officer at the State Arsenal of Kragujevats. It was also -rumoured by those who might be expected to know that the dreams of the -blood-stained authorities in Belgrade are to unite Montenegro, a Slav -nation speaking the Servian language, with Servia, and the idea was that -if there were no member of the House of Petrovitch left alive the throne -might possibly fall to the share of a Prince Karageorgevitch, one of the -sons of Prince Nicholas’s eldest daughter. - -The Crown Prince George of Servia is not exactly one’s ideal of a model -ruler. This young gentleman, whose hobby is said to be to bury cats in the -ground up to their necks and then stamp them to death, is more one’s idea -of a youthful Nero or Caligula, and Heaven help the nation delivered over -to his tender mercies. Before the trial, however, rumours were all that -one heard; so everyone was on tiptoe with expectation, wondering what -sensational revelations would come to light. - -By great good luck we happened to arrive in Montenegro just a week before -the trial began. We steamed in one of the excellent boats of the Austrian -Lloyd past the grey mountains of Istria and through the wonderful fjords -of the Bocche di Cattaro till we cast anchor under the peak of Lovcen. In -a victoria drawn by two tough little Dalmatian horses we climbed the -mountain side in zigzags, persevering up the vast rocky wall till we found -ourselves some four thousand feet above the sea below. I have neither time -nor words to describe the view, a task which needs the pen of a poet like -Prince Nicholas himself, but must dash on, like our game little horses, to -Cetinje, down the steep sides of silver mountains, which gleam in the -tropical sun without a vestige of green to relieve their Quaker-like hues. - -[Illustration: THE JUDGES IN THEIR GORGEOUS NATIONAL COSTUMES--TO THE -RIGHT OF THE SOLDIER WILL BE SEEN THE BOMBS WHICH WERE AN IMPORTANT -“EXHIBIT” IN THE TRIAL. - -_From a Photograph._] - -As a town Cetinje is not thrilling, but it lies in a lovely neighbourhood -and is peopled with perhaps the most picturesque race in the world. For -the Montenegrins are not only the most magnificent specimens of humanity -in point of size, clad in gorgeous raiment which, I feel sure, Solomon in -all his glory could not have beaten, but they have behind them a past -which can scarcely be beaten by any fighting race on earth. - -Some five hundred years ago the Turks defeated all South-Eastern Europe in -the Battle of Kossovo, and Servia and Bulgaria entirely, and Roumania to a -certain extent, fell under the sway of the Ottomans. Then, the story goes, -the bravest and the noblest of those lands, disdaining to live beneath the -banner of the Crescent, withdrew to the eyries of the Black Mountains, -where, thanks partly to their valour and partly to the favourable position -of the land (which is a natural fortress), they defied the Turks. They -never intermarried with the inferior races, and so have preserved the -magnificent physique and extraordinary distinction of bearing which -strikes every stranger who visits Tsernagora. Indeed, if it comes to a -question as to who should be the dominant race in Servia and Montenegro, -it seems more fit that Servia should be taken under the wing of a race -which has done deeds all these centuries instead of merely talking. - -We found at the hotel that half the newspapers of the Near East and Vienna -were sending correspondents, and we therefore felt ourselves lucky in -getting a room in the front looking down the main street, where everything -in Cetinje happens, and where, towards sundown, when the siesta is over -and the air becomes cool and pleasant, you may find anyone you want to -see. Half-way down we saw a crowd of people in national costume (for in -Cetinje, thanks to the Prince’s influence, it is universally worn) -standing outside a house. “They are waiting to try and get a seat in court -to-morrow,” I was told, “but only a score or so will succeed, for there -are thirty-two prisoners, each one guarded by a soldier, besides all these -journalists to be made room for.” - -Through the good offices of the Prince’s secretary, to whom His Highness -had confided us, we were provided with tickets, which was lucky for us, -for when we arrived within sight of the court-house we found a cordon of -soldiers guarding it. We were stopped and our passes examined before we -were allowed to proceed. When we reached our destination, a long, low, -grey stone building with the Montenegrin two-headed eagle over the door, -an officer took us in hand and led us with ceremony to our places. I -looked round me with great satisfaction from my red velvet arm-chair in -the ranks of the Diplomatic Corps. Not only was I the only English person -there save one, but I was the only woman in the whole place. - -It was the most thrilling trial I have ever witnessed. At the top of the -room, behind a long table beneath the picture of Prince Nicholas, sat the -nine judges, all save one in the most gorgeous national costume: long -coats of pale green cloth, heavily braided, with waistcoats of vivid -carnation red, crossing over to one side and covered with beautiful gold -embroidery. Baggy breeches of ultramarine blue and smart top-boots -continued the gay effect, which was completed by a bulky sash of striped -and gold silk wound round the waist, and containing an assortment of -daggers and revolvers; for a good Montenegrin would as soon think of -coming out without them as an Englishman without his collar. - -In the middle sat the President, a person of extreme distinction and great -dignity, who conducted the proceedings in an irreproachable manner. A -small table stood before him, on which a pair of high tapers were placed, -and between them was a copy of the Gospels, bound in red velvet and gold -metal-work, and a crucifix. On his left hand sat a Mohammedan judge, with -red Turkish fez and simpler costume than that of the Montenegrins; and on -his right the bombs were all set out on a little table as evidence, -guarded by an immense soldier about six-foot-six in height and of a -forbidding aspect. It gave one a certain creepy sensation to see, only a -few feet away, enough of these infernal machines to send the whole of the -court-house into the clouds, and to know that close by were thirty-two -desperate men who would stick at no kind of devilry. The bombs were little -square flasks of grey metal with screw tops, almost like the fittings of a -common dressing-bag or luncheon hamper, and certainly did not betray by -their appearance what terrible things they really were. For these -particular bombs were manufactured in a very ingenious fashion, and were -enough to make an Anarchist tear his hair with envy. At the foot of the -table was the black bag in which the infernal machines had been smuggled -over the frontier. - -A story is told of the conspirator’s journey which brings a touch of -comedy into the affair. When he passed through Austria he had the bag -registered as luggage, for it was so heavy that he feared it might attract -attention if placed in the rack. A mistake was made by the clerk and he -was overcharged. The honest official discovered his mistake directly the -train started, and telegraphed off to the junction to describe the man, -giving orders that the money should be refunded. At the junction the -conspirator was found, and the station-master came up to him to inquire if -he had not registered a black bag. Overcome with terror and dismay, and -thinking he was discovered, the man seized the bag and bolted, leaving the -official greatly perturbed and convinced that he had to do with a madman. - -The court-house itself was long, low, and white, with a blue ceiling and a -boarded floor. A long table ran half-way down either side of the hall to -accommodate the journalists, and half-a-dozen arm-chairs were arranged in -a good position for the diplomatists. These were almost empty on the first -day, and my next-door neighbour, a polite young Turkish attaché, -considerately moved out of the way whenever he saw that I was trying to -take a photograph. And, indeed, it was not the easiest task in the world -to get pictures of the proceedings. The prisoners were a restless set of -people, who fidgeted, sprang constantly to their feet, and interrupted the -speakers in a very tantalizing way. As there was not very much light a -fairly long exposure had to be given, and there were difficulties in -propping the camera up satisfactorily and also in disguising my intentions -as much as possible. However, I had the satisfaction of knowing that mine -were the only photographs taken, for the local photographer who had been -commissioned by the authorities to take some pictures declined to try, -owing to the obstacles. - -The thirty-two prisoners, guarded by soldiers on either side, occupied -benches all down the centre of the hall. Some of them were in European -dress, thus differing from the majority of Montenegrins. Amongst them were -all sorts and conditions of men, from peasants to ex-Ministers of the -Crown. It is not often one finds a former Prime Minister, four -ex-Ministers, three high State officials, and several Deputies all in one -trial for high treason. As a rule, the accused were puny, furtive-looking -striplings, a contrast to their stalwart compatriots; but their -imprisonment of several months may have had something to do with this. -Many were students who had gone to Belgrade to complete their studies and -had there imbibed Anarchistic and revolutionary principles. The judge -showed great tact and firmness in dealing with them. - -[Illustration: THE CONSPIRATORS LISTENING TO THE READING OF THE -INDICTMENT. - -_From a Photograph._] - -As the long indictment which contained all the particulars of the plot was -being read out by the counsel for the Crown--a handsome man in full -Montenegrin costume--first one prisoner and then another started from his -seat, rudely interrupting and violently contradicting. A clamour then -arose from the whole thirty-two. The judge expostulated, begged them to be -reasonable, and finally touched a silver hand-bell. The soldiers pulled -them down to their seats again, but seemed as gentle in their methods as -policemen with Suffragettes. As names were mentioned now and again in the -indictment, exclamations of derision and protest were heard from the -prisoners. They next complained bitterly that they had no note-books or -pencils with which to take down the points and prepare their defence, -whereupon the President ordered that paper and pencils should be brought -to them at once. The indictment was long, and it finally asked for the -death penalty as punishment. At this loud clamours arose, and the -excitement grew so intense that a nervous feeling communicated itself to -the public. The President by this time despaired of keeping order, and -directed that the prisoners should be taken back to their prisons. One -alone remained, Raikovitch, the man who brought the bombs into Montenegro, -and the principal prisoner. - -Raikovitch was a rather good-looking young man, dark and sallow. He had a -large, round nose, a round chin, and even his forehead seemed to bulge. -But his black, beady eyes struck me as shifty, and he appeared somewhat -ill at ease. In spite of his confident manner he would glance round at the -pressmen’s table every few seconds to note what effect his defence was -having on them. But he had an amazing fluency, and his story flowed on -like a river. There was no bullying by Public Prosecutor or judges. - -Every now and then the President, tapping his fingers with a pencil, would -interrupt the prisoner with a short, sharp question, evidently very much -to the point, and he pulled up the prisoner’s counsel very sharply on one -occasion for attempting to prompt his client. Presently there was a small -stir, for Raikovitch was heard to denounce Vukotic, the nephew of Princess -Milena, Prince Nicholas’s wife, as having been in communication with and -paid by the conspirators. No one seemed to know who would be accused next, -and the Servian Minister, who was present, must have experienced feelings -of uneasiness. Raikovitch was next led to the table to examine the black -bag, to identify it as his luggage, and acknowledged that those were the -bombs he had brought into the country. His defence lasted for the rest of -the day. - -[Illustration: SOME OF THE AUDIENCE. - -_From a Photograph._] - -Next morning, when the prisoners were brought back, the sitting was even -more agitated. The ex-Deputy Chulavitch was accused. He leapt to his feet, -and in a voice of thunder shouted that he had been betrayed--he had been -sold! Later on, however, he acknowledged that he had received thirteen -napoleons for his help in the plot. Various other prisoners were accused, -but all had answers and excuses at first. Some said they acted on behalf -of others. Others said they had taken no active part, but had only known -of the conspiracy. They would confess one day, and the next flatly deny -everything they had said before. Later on in the trial, however, they -found means of communicating with each other, and arranged on a line of -common action. - -[Illustration: INSIDE THE PRISON AT CETINJE--THE CELL DOORS ARE GENERALLY -OPEN AND THE PRISONERS ARE ALLOWED TO TAKE EXERCISE IN THE YARD. - -_From a Photograph._] - -Few documents could be produced in evidence against the accused, but a -great sensation was caused by the reading of a letter from a Montenegrin, -now an officer in the Servian army, to his brother. In it he promised both -moral and material support for the plot and enclosed a thousand francs -from King Peter. At this there was profound silence in the court, and a -deep impression was left on the minds of the public. - -A student named Voivoditch then gave the details of the plot. He had -brought bombs from Belgrade with the express intention of killing Prince -Nicholas and Prince Mirko. It was arranged that various Government offices -were to be set on fire and in the confusion bombs were to be thrown -against the palace, a small building which would be easily destroyed. -Then, acting on the lines of the Servian regicides, the Ministers and -principal people in Cetinje were to be assassinated and their houses -wrecked. - -The trial lasted several weeks, for with fifty persons accused and -thirty-two prisoners to examine and hear, things cannot be done in a -moment. But the principal witness against the prisoners was a certain -Nastitch, a Servian journalist from Serajevo. He brought the gravest -charges against the Servian Government. As he had been present at the -manufacture of the bombs he said that he was entitled to speak with some -authority. Last year he was sent to Kragujevats State Arsenal by a Captain -Nenadovitch, cousin of King Peter, who gave him a letter to the Commander -from the Servian Crown Prince. In this letter the Prince begged the -Commander to allow Nastitch to stay ten days in the arsenal whilst the -bombs were being made. They were then given to him to be consigned to -Captain Nenadovitch in Belgrade, who told him that they were to be -employed in a patriotic enterprise. A little later he was informed that -the police had sequestrated the bombs, as Pasitch, the Prime Minister, had -been informed of his stay in Kragujevats. - -Nastitch then began to perceive that some mischief was being hatched, and -that Nenadovitch was trying to throw dust into his eyes. He put two and -two together and got a shrewd suspicion of what was really up. So he -crossed over to Semlin, in Hungary, from Belgrade, as no letters are safe -from being opened by the Servian secret police, and communicated with -Tomanovitch, Prime Minister of Montenegro. He asserted that he did not -fear denials, since he had documents to prove the truth of what he said. -He next produced specifications of the bombs, and then asked the judges to -have those in their possession examined to see whether they were not -identical. At the conclusion of his evidence Nastitch was applauded loudly -by the public, and was cheered as he left the court. - -There were several rather interesting little touches in the evidence of -other prisoners. One was found to be sending secret messages to a friend -written in microscopic handwriting under the postage-stamps of the letter. -Under one was written: “Is it true that Stevo has confessed everything?” -Stevo being Raikovitch. - -Raikovitch was brought up a second time and confronted with various -prisoners, who accused him of inventing the whole plot. He met every -accusation with complete calm and cynicism. Indeed, it seemed impossible -to disturb his sang-froid. He proclaimed aloud that he would laugh even -when climbing the steps of the gallows. He was the type of the complete -_poseur_, considering himself the centre of attraction, choosing his -language with the utmost care, and throwing himself into appropriate -attitudes. When asked if he was not a Socialist, he replied, “Of course I -am a Socialist. I must confess, however, that I am not _absolutely_ sure -what Socialism is!” - -[Illustration: THE GOVERNOR OF THE PRISON (ON RIGHT) AND A MONTENEGRIN. - -_From a Photograph._] - -The ex-Prime Minister, Radovitch, was the most interesting of the -villains, and was quite a story-book scoundrel. He had enjoyed the favour -of the Prince, and had been Court Chamberlain for some years. It was -expected that he would make a favourable impression on the public, for -when he had come back from Paris to deliver himself up, arriving -dramatically the very morning of the opening of the trial, he had been -cheered all along the streets of Cetinje, and flowers had been thrown at -his feet; but in court he cut a sorry figure indeed. For six weary hours -he spoke unceasingly, and all the time about himself only! According to -his own version he is the cleverest, the most capable of Montenegrins--in -a word, he is the only patriot in the land. He alluded contemptuously to -the judges, and cried theatrically to the President: “I am proud and happy -to stand before you as defendant, for I would not change places with you, -my Lord President!” He boasted of the Prince’s affection for him and -openly betrayed that he expected to be let off easily. - -The trial lasted over a month. This is no joke in a sweltering Montenegrin -summer, and both judges and prisoners must have heaved sighs of relief -when every witness was heard and the suspense was nearly over. Six were -condemned to death, but only two of these, Chulavitch and Voivoditch, were -in custody; the others had escaped abroad. Raikovitch and the Minister -Radovitch were sentenced to fifteen years’ imprisonment. Thirteen others -received sentences varying from two to ten years, and several were -discharged either because they were innocent or from lack of proof. - -[Illustration: A WARDER, WITH THE HEAVY CHAINS AND ANKLET WORN BY -PRISONERS. - -_From a Photograph._] - -I was interested in visiting the prisons of Cetinje and Podgoritza. Both -are very small, which speaks well for the state of the country. Few -murders are committed, and these are rarely for gain, but usually acts of -revenge. The men concerned in the plot were confined at Cetinje, in a -small and somewhat primitive building, but when they had been sentenced -they were removed to Podgoritza. Both prisons are built round a courtyard -in which exercise can be taken, for the doors of the light and roomy cells -were open all day long. Nearly every cell contained an oven, and the -prisoners were allowed to cook their food themselves. The daily rations -consisted of two pounds of bread and the sum of fourpence, with which they -could buy what they liked. - -I was taken over the place by the Governor, a very kindly-looking giant, -who seemed as if he could not hurt a fly. If I am ever unlucky enough to -be put under lock and key, I should like to have a jailer just like him. -He and a Montenegrin officer, who spoke most excellent French, were very -kind in helping me to take photographs. Some of the prisoners wore irons -which I rather wanted to photograph, but they thought it might hurt the -men’s feelings, so they offered to lend me a jailer to be manacled and -snap-shotted. He thought it the greatest joke in the world, and quite -entered into the spirit of it all. Just as I was about to press the button -he gesticulated wildly. He had remembered that there was a little -collection of a dozen or so weapons of warfare in his capacious belt, and -these were not at all in keeping with the irons. So he pulled out daggers -and pistols galore, and looked quite thin by the time he had finished. - -We also visited the prison at Podgoritza, a large town some forty miles -from Cetinje. Here we found a strange collection of men and women. There -was a saintly-looking pope, who had appropriated the funds of his church. -He was dressed in priest’s robes and did the honours of the place. We saw -several convicts who were being kept in solitary confinement, and pushed -cigarettes to them between the bars. They seemed to feel the boredom most; -otherwise they have an easy time. They do little work in summer and still -less in winter, and a great part, of the day is spent in sleep. The cells -looked far more comfortable than barrack-rooms, and prisoners in -Montenegro evidently have little to complain of. - -There were ten or twelve women there. These were nearly all guilty of -infanticide. When I came into their quarters they rushed at me, seized my -hands and kissed them, and tried to make me sit down and talk to them. -But, as I could not understand a word they said, and one of them looked -very mad, I made my escape as soon as possible. - -It will be long before I forget that strange trial, which for spectacular -effect might have taken place in Venice in the magnificent Middle Ages. -The splendid figures of the judges rivalled the signori in all their -glory, and the gigantic soldiery in gay and glowing colour made one almost -forget the prisoners, until their primitive, almost savage, behaviour -reminded one of their existence and of the fact that even nowadays in -Europe things happen that eclipse the achievements of mediæval criminals. - - - - -CROSSING THE RIVER. - -BY J. T. NEWNHAM-WILLIAMS, OF SALISBURY, MASHONALAND. - - A trader’s story of the appalling catastrophe which, almost in the - twinkling of an eye, wiped out the fruits of a lengthy and arduous - expedition and cost him the lives of two faithful “boys.” - - -It was about the end of October, 1902, when I was returning from a trading -and hunting expedition which had taken me into the wild bush-country lying -to the north-west of the Limpopo valley, that the following incident -occurred--an incident which neither myself nor any of the “boys” who -accompanied me are ever likely to forget. I had started out from -Pietersburg, in the Transvaal, about five months before, taking with me a -good “salted” horse, a wagon and sixteen oxen, and half-a-dozen boys. I -had loaded up with a good deal of the usual trading gear, and had made a -very successful trip. - -It was always my rule, on returning from these expeditions, to shoot the -whole of my way back, and I arranged my departure from civilization so -that I could get through with my trading in good time and have the game -season well in hand on the home trek. - -The rains had commenced rather earlier than usual, and, although we had -only had a few showers as yet, I felt that there was not much time to lose -if I wished to get back to Pietersburg before they had fairly set in. I -had started out in the morning from a little native village called -M’Sablai, and meant to push on through the day in order to get to a native -“staad” called Wegdraai, which lay on the opposite side of the Limpopo -River, better known as the Crocodile. Everything went well during the day, -and towards five o’clock in the afternoon I sighted the group of kopjes by -which Wegdraai was surrounded. Telling the boys to make all possible haste -and follow me, I spurred my horse and rode forward to find a suitable -ford. - -The river at this point is about a quarter of a mile in width, and in the -dry season is very shallow, the water usually lying about in pools. It -presents a very pretty appearance at this time of the year, being dotted -with innumerable verdure-clad islands. I did not anticipate much trouble -in crossing, and, on reaching the bank, soon selected a suitable spot. -There was rather more water than usual, but this was only to be expected, -as it had been raining a little the day before. - -Having picked out the ford, I watered my horse and rode slowly back to -meet the wagon. When it came in sight, creaking and rumbling, I dismounted -and, throwing the reins over the horse’s head, sat down and lit my pipe -whilst waiting for it to come up. I had been smoking for a few minutes, -thinking of nothing in particular, when my attention was attracted by a -curious murmuring sound, very faint and far away; it sounded like the roar -of a train travelling at a high speed. - -I glanced uneasily towards the river, but as far as the eye could reach it -looked peaceful enough. I knew the sound only too well, however--it was -the noise of flood-water coming down stream. When the wagon arrived, my -head boy, Jim, called my attention to the murmur, at the same time -advising me not to attempt to get across. I had half a mind to follow his -advice and outspan then and there, but it occurred to me that the river -might remain “up” for several days, and then, if more rain came, I should -not be able to get across for weeks. It seemed to me to be a case of -getting across at once or waiting for an indefinite period. - -We were moving steadily forward all the time, and when we came to the -river-bank I noticed that by this time the water was looking slightly -disturbed, little swirling eddies being plainly visible about half-way -across. I looked doubtfully up the river, which here ran nearly straight -for about a mile, but, seeing nothing of the wall of water which usually -comes down when a river is rising in flood, I threw prudence to the winds -and determined to get across. Tying my horse to the rear of the wagon, and -shouting to the boys to look after the brake, I seized the long whip which -the driver was carrying, and, making it whistle around the ears of the -oxen, urged them down the bank. I could see that the boys were -scared--they knew the treacherous nature of the river only too well--but I -thought that we could gain the opposite bank long before the water reached -us. - -Urged on by wild yells and shrieks, such as only a Kaffir wagon-boy can -utter, the team moved slowly on through the river-bed, and in a very short -time were half-way across. It was then that I observed for the first time -that the water was slowly rising, and, looking backward, I saw that what -had been a dry place a few seconds before was now entirely covered. -Glancing down, I saw that the water beneath us, motionless a moment ago, -was now slowly running. Alarmed, we redoubled our efforts, but without -avail. The oxen moved slower and slower as the water increased in volume -and depth, until, the wagon listing slightly in a small hole, they stopped -altogether. - -I could see there was nothing for it now but to cut loose the oxen and -abandon the wagon, so, shouting to the boys to assist me, I loosened the -trek chain and tried to whip the oxen across. By this time, however, the -poor beasts had scented their danger, and lowing piteously they huddled -together and became hopelessly entangled in the long chain. Jim, whipping -out his hunting-knife, shouted, “Sicca, baas, sicca lo n’tambo” (“Cut the -reins”), and immediately began slashing at the reins which bound the yokes -to the oxen. I saw that it was the only thing to do, and promptly followed -suit. We were just then quite close to one of the larger of the islands -which stood well out of the water, and as the leading oxen were freed they -made for this. - -[Illustration: “I SUDDENLY HEARD A WILD SNORT, FOLLOWED BY AN AGONIZED -SCREAM FROM THE REAR OF THE WAGON.”] - -We had cut most of them loose and the water had risen above our waists, -when I suddenly heard a wild snort, followed by an agonized scream from -the rear of the wagon, and the next moment my horse was down, and three of -the boys, with yells of terror, were making for the island. “Hurry up, -baas,” remarked Jim, coolly; “lo ingwania” (crocodiles). As he spoke -there was a huge splash alongside me, and down went one of the oxen, the -water round us turning a sickening red. - -I must confess that at that moment I lost heart completely, and shouting -to the other two boys, who had climbed on to the wagon, to make for the -island, I grabbed Jim by the arm and literally had to drag him away, the -brave fellow wanting to remain and loosen the remainder of the oxen. We -reached the land in safety, and, turning to look for the other two boys, -saw that they were still on the wagon, being afraid to venture into the -momentarily-deepening water. I shouted to them to come away, but without -avail. Just then Jim touched me on the shoulder and pointed up the river. -Looking in the direction indicated, I beheld a line of foam stretching -from bank to bank, and coming towards us like an express train. The two -boys on the wagon also saw it, and one of them plunged off into the water, -which was now running swiftly, and in a few seconds was carried down to -us, Jim catching hold of him and hauling him up on to the higher ground. -There was not a moment to spare, for we could plainly see that the -onrushing water would overwhelm us where we now stood. - -Yelling to the boys to follow my example, I made a rush for a good-sized -tree which stood on the summit of the island--now looking little more than -a large mound. Getting a lift from Jim, I was soon in its topmost -branches. Three of the boys were already perched in trees, but the fourth, -the boy who had swum from the wagon, not having recovered his wind, was -clinging helplessly round a tree-trunk, too exhausted to pull himself up. -Noticing his predicament, Jim rushed across and, giving him a shove, sent -him up on to the lower branches. The water was now almost upon us, and I -shouted to Jim to follow the boy up the tree, but my voice was drowned by -the roar of the flood. He ran towards me, then hesitated, glanced round, -and saw the roaring wall of water within about fifty yards of him. The -sight seemed to paralyze him for a moment; then, with a spring, he reached -a small tree which was within a few yards of him, and, clambering like a -monkey, reached the top just as the water struck the wagon. The heavy -vehicle was picked up in the swirling tide as though it had been a straw, -the boy Zuzi clinging to the top until it was nearly abreast with us. Then -it rolled over and over, and he disappeared from view, never to be seen -again. - -I had scarcely had time to realize that the boy was gone when I noticed -that the remainder of the oxen which had been standing beneath us were -adrift. The poor beasts swam desperately, but it was no use--they were -carried away like flies on the raging torrent. - -Darkness was now falling fast, and the water had completely covered the -island, while the trees were swaying in a manner which brought my heart -into my mouth; I expected every moment to see them torn out by the roots. -What made matters worse was that pieces of timber, uprooted trees, etc., -coming down-stream at racing pace, would strike the trunks of the trees we -were sheltered in with terrific force, and the smaller trees were one by -one uprooted and carried away in this manner. - -I clung desperately to my perch for about two hours, expecting every -moment that my frail support would give way. By that time it was -pitch-dark, and, feeling cold and stiff in my wet clothes, I shifted my -position a little; I could see nothing of the boys in the darkness, and -shouting brought me no answer. I moved about as carefully as possible, -seeking a better position, and at length found a more comfortable place in -a fork a little lower down. Here--cold, wet, and miserable--I could do -nothing but wait for daylight. I had now lost everything I possessed, my -wagon and oxen representing nearly the whole of my capital. I felt deeply -for the loss of the poor boy Zuzi and my faithful old horse, and would -willingly have sacrificed the wagon and oxen could I have saved these two. -I blamed myself bitterly for having made the foolhardy attempt to cross, -and with these and other equally bitter reflections the long hours of -darkness dragged slowly through. When, after what had seemed ages, the -first faint streaks of dawn appeared, I uttered a prayer of thankfulness; -and as the daylight became clearer and surrounding objects visible, I -looked anxiously round to see how my boys were faring. - -I first caught sight of the three boys who had escaped when the crocodiles -pulled my horse down, and a little farther on I saw Pete, who had been -helped up by Jim, but of Jim himself I could see no trace. Trembling with -horror, I began to realize that he had gone. The flood had by now -practically spent itself, and the top of the island was again visible. I -called out to the three boys who were nearest the spot where Jim’s tree -had been, and, in a voice which I could scarcely recognise as my own, -asked them where Jim was. Their answer only confirmed my worst fears. - -“Jim hambili, baas, blakla futi” (“Jim gone, master, tree and all”). - -[Illustration: “THE HEAVY VEHICLE WAS PICKED UP IN THE SWIRLING TIDE AS -THOUGH IT HAD BEEN A STRAW.”] - -This was the worst blow of all, for Jim, though only a raw native when I -had first got him, had been with me for over five years and was deeply -attached to me. Bitterly I cursed my folly in not taking his advice, -trying to console myself with the reflection that he might somehow have -managed to reach the opposite bank, though in my inmost soul I knew this -to be almost an impossibility, as the river was full of crocodiles, who -lurked on the lower side of all the small islands, awaiting their -opportunity to rush out and seize anybody or anything that might be -carried past them by the water. The water was now going down slowly but -surely; and, as it sank, our little island grew larger and larger. It must -have been about nine o’clock when I climbed down out of the tree and -stretched my stiffened limbs once again. I called the boys down, and they -came gladly, but all the time casting anxious glances around them, fearful -of a visit from the crocodiles again. I did not apprehend much danger from -these brutes now, however, as those in the immediate vicinity would -probably have gone farther down the river after the cattle. - -The morning passed slowly away and I began to feel hungry, but there was -nothing to eat. About eleven o’clock some natives came down to the -river-bank from the “staad” on the opposite side, and shouted to us to -remain where we were until the afternoon; the river, they thought, would -have gone down sufficiently by that time to enable us to make an attempt -to reach the mainland. The sun had dried the greater part of the island by -this time, and, telling one of the boys to keep a look-out, I lay down -under a tree and was soon fast asleep. I slept on until about four -o’clock, when a boy awakened me, and, glancing round, I saw that the water -had gone down enough to warrant our making an attempt to get across. The -natives who had been on the bank in the morning had meanwhile returned, -and were gesticulating and shouting to us to come away. The boys, whilst I -had been asleep, had made a long strip of “n’tambo” (rope) from the bark -of the trees, and, fastening this around my waist, I secured the others to -it, each boy being as far from the next as the length of the rope would -permit. Then, with myself leading, we started off. The current was still -very strong, and, had we not been roped together, would undoubtedly have -carried us off our feet. We could stand all right in the shallower places, -but when I came to a strip of deep water the boys let out the rope until I -had got over, then I in turn would pull them over. In this manner we -finally reached the bank and were helped out by the natives from the -“staad.” After resting a little I accompanied them to their kraal, where -my boys were fed and rested. - -Learning from the headman that he had already sent a number of men down -the river-bank in search of anything that might have been washed up, I -partook of a little mealie meal, which was the best he could offer, and, -having washed it down with copious draughts of new milk, lay down on a -bundle of skins and once more fell asleep, being utterly exhausted by the -previous night’s hardship and the struggle we had made to get out of the -river. - -I must have been asleep several hours when I was awakened by a light -touch, and, sitting up, saw the headman, who explained that his boys had -returned, having found several cases of provisions, etc., and asked me if -I would not like some food. I made a good meal and once more retired to -rest, sleeping soundly until sunrise the following morning. Rising early, -I sent a number of men to search the river-banks whilst I was having my -breakfast, telling them that I would follow later. They had been gone -about an hour, and I was preparing to follow them, when one of my own boys -came running towards me from the direction of the river, breathlessly -informing me that they had found Jim, and that he was alive, but had been -badly mauled about by a crocodile. I immediately started off at a run, the -boy leading the way through the bush to a spot where the river turned off -to the left, about a mile farther down. There, under a tree, surrounded by -half-a-dozen natives, lay Jim. He was in a fearful plight, one arm being -almost eaten away and the whole side of his body mangled in an awful -manner; he was still conscious, however, and recognised me immediately. I -at once set to work to construct a kind of litter with branches and -boughs, and, laying him carefully on it, ordered the boys to carry him -back to the kraal. As they were moving off I asked one of the natives -where they had found him. Pointing to what at first sight looked like a -large hole in the ground, the boy answered, “Lapa, baas, hya ka lo -ingwania” (“Here, mas’er, in the crocodile’s house”). I approached the -place and, looking down the hole, was astonished to see a large chamber -beneath and a small tunnel which seemed to lead down to the water. The -ground forming the roof of the chamber had been worn away a good deal, and -the crocodile, in turning round in the hole with his victim, had evidently -broken the crust above, thus exposing his hiding-place. - -I followed the boys back to the kraal, and pulling poor Jim in a hut -carefully washed his wounds, doing all I could for him. He remained -conscious the whole morning and told me that during the night, whilst he -was on the island, his tree, which was not a very strong one, had been -struck several times by floating driftwood. Towards midnight, as near as -he could remember, a heavier log than usual had crashed into it, carrying -it away completely. He had clung desperately to the branches in the hope -of reaching the bank when he got to the curve in the river, and had -managed to keep himself above water until he found himself floating in a -place where the water was smoother and running less rapidly. Divining that -he must be near one of the banks, he tried to reach it by swimming, but -had only made a few strokes when he suddenly felt himself seized by one -arm, and was immediately dragged under the water. He had just had time to -realize that it was a crocodile which had got him when he lost -consciousness. When he recovered his senses again he found himself in a -hole, lying on dry ground, with the sunlight streaming in through a small -opening above. There was no sign of the crocodile, and suffering agonies -from his wounds he managed to drag himself up to the orifice, where he at -last gut out his hunting-knife, which still hung on to his belt, and, -digging at the edges of the cavity, tried to enlarge it so that he could -crawl through. Weakness overcame him, however, and he fainted again. At -last, hearing voices above him, he once more tried to get out, and, -managing to put his uninjured arm up through the hole, had attracted the -attention of the boys, who were searching near. - -[Illustration: “IN THIS MANNER WE FINALLY REACHED THE BANK.”] - -I could plainly see that the poor fellow was past all hope, but I did all -I could to ease his last moments for him. In the afternoon he became -unconscious again, and at about five o’clock passed quietly away. I buried -him under a large tree, near the entrance to the circle of small kopjes by -which the “staad” was surrounded, and, cutting a small wooden cross, -nailed it to the tree, with the simple inscription, “JIM. 21-10-’02.” - -Next day, sad at heart, I started off to Pietersburg, having to walk the -whole way. Here I reported the matter to the police, who sent out a patrol -to investigate the affair, and there the matter ended so far as I was -concerned. I never recovered any of the oxen, and the wagon, or the -remains of it, so far as I am aware, still lies in the river-bed. I have -never done any trading in that district since. - - - - -A Belgian Smoking Competition. - -BY A. PITCAIRN-KNOWLES. - - There is more tobacco per head consumed in Belgium than in any other - country in the world. It is therefore fitting, perhaps, that one of - the favourite pastimes of the menfolk should be smoking - competitions, at which valuable prizes are awarded to the man who - can make his pipeful of tobacco last the longest. Our representative - was recently the guest of honour at a competition held by the - premier smokers’ club of Belgium, and here describes and illustrates - what he saw. - - - BRUGSCHE ROOKERSCLUB. - - HONOURED SIR AND MEMBER,--Once more an honour is being bestowed upon - us. Mr. A. Pitcairn-Knowles, the representative of three journals of - world-wide reputation, will be present at our general meeting on - Friday next, and will give an account of this gathering in one or - perhaps in all of those papers. We have, therefore, decided to - commence the meeting at an earlier hour. We shall assemble at 8.30 - p.m., and open the entertainment with a grand prize competition, and - we urgently beg you to put in an appearance, as the reputation of - our club depends to a great extent upon the success of the fête. As - true smokers you should look upon it as your duty to join us at 8.30 - p.m. sharp, on Friday, the 11th inst. Accept, honoured Sir and - Member, the greetings of your devoted committee.--(For the - President) The Second Secretary, L. MONBALLIU. - -[Illustration: THE GORGEOUS BANNER OF THE BRUGES SMOKING CLUB. - -_From a Photograph._] - -Such were the contents of a printed notice in Flemish sent out to all -members of the Bruges Smoking Club, as a result of my expressing a desire -to the indefatigable secretary of this most famous of all Belgian -“Rookersclubs” to witness one of their quaint smokers’ competitions. - -I am glad to be able to state that the invitation issued to the Bruges -devotees of the fragrant weed had the desired effect, and when I reached -the cosy Graenenburg Estaminet of the Grande Place I found the obliging -secretary and the genial president of the Smokers’ Club preparing for a -record attendance, which, judging from the number already present, seemed -assured. My introduction to the assembly was looked upon as needless, -since everyone present was acquainted with the reason for my admission -within the precincts of the club, and the most strenuous efforts were made -to render my visit to the Graenenburg an agreeable one. - -In response to the invitation of the secretary, I ascended a steep -staircase leading from the café to a room reserved for the club. It was -there that the solemn function of admitting new members took place, and -general regrets were expressed that my visit had not been made upon a day -which would have presented an opportunity for witnessing such a ceremony. -As it was, I had to content myself with an inspection of the paten, to -which, on such an occasion, the would-be member had to press his lips -after taking an oath in the following words: “I pledge myself solemnly to -be a faithful and honest member of the club, and to conform strictly to -the rules.” Previously to installation, he had to furnish proof of his -suitability for election by smoking a pipe in the presence of the -committee. - -[Illustration: A CURIOUS AND VERY ANCIENT PIPE-RACK IN THE POSSESSION OF -THE BRUGES SMOKING CLUB. - -_From a Photograph._] - -Although I had not the good fortune to be present at such an inauguration, -time did not hang heavily on my hands while waiting for the smokers to -prepare for the contest. - -[Illustration: THE JUDGES WEIGHING OUT THE COMPETITORS’ ALLOWANCES OF -TOBACCO AND FILLING THE PIPES. - -_From a Photograph._] - -Glancing around the room I noticed with interest a large shield adorning -the wall, upon which was arranged an assortment of most curious pipes, -representing all corners of the globe. In fact, the place was a veritable -museum of pipes, giving silent testimony of the character and degree of -culture attained, as well as of the individual taste of smokers of almost -every nation of the world. The lordly meerschaum, elaborately carved; the -Turkish chibouque; the “hubble-bubble,” in which the fumes pass through -water; the long German pipe, with its china bowl adorned with a gay -picture; the Indian’s pipe of peace--all, their functions finished, now -hang side by side in idle repose. A huge pipe carved from the stump of a -tree and a pipe with a sea-shell for a bowl were conspicuous among the -curiosities of the collection. - -After my inspection of the museum the labour of deciphering the rules of -the club, in Flemish, came as a less welcome task, but the secretary, -always ready to be of service, aided my efforts, and I was able to -discover the real objects of the association. - -A casual observer might be somewhat surprised to find that a society of -this kind should require numerous laws and regulations, but a glimpse at -the workings behind the scenes of a Belgian “Rookersclub” furnishes -convincing proof that the number of rules is in no way excessive, -considering the importance of the institution, for the strictest -discipline is a _sine quâ non_ in a well-conducted “Rookersclub.” - -Many are the duties of the members and the regulations for competitions. -No applicant can be elected unless he has reached the age of eighteen. -Cigars and cigarettes are tabooed, the pipe being looked upon as the only -justifiable means of satisfying that craving which makes us slaves to the -weed. The chief object of the club being to teach, through its disciples, -the world at large the use of tobacco and to guard against its abuse, it -wisely refrains from over-indulgence, and asks no more from its members -than that they should “smoke at least one pipe at every club meeting.” - -[Illustration: THE CONTEST IN FULL SWING. - -_From a Photograph._] - -The picture the words “smoking competition” call up to the mind’s eye of -the uninitiated, of competitors sitting in a room made almost unbearable -by the dense volumes of smoke they are vigorously puffing from their -pipes, is as far from the reality as it is possible to imagine. When I -stepped into the spick and span Café Graenenburg I was certainly under the -impression that I was conversant with the science of smoking, though I -must own I had up to that time been willing to accept with blind faith its -dictionary definition as “a continuous drawing in and puffing out of the -fumes of burning tobacco,” which is, I assume, what nine hundred and -ninety-nine out of a thousand of my fellow-smokers look upon as the -desideratum of their enjoyment. - -[Illustration: “SMOKE, PLEASE!” A COMMITTEEMAN DEMANDING PROOF THAT A -COMPETITOR’S PIPE IS STILL ALIGHT. - -_From a Photograph._] - -Now, however, after half the term usually allotted for mankind’s existence -upon this earth had run out, the truth dawned upon me that I had hitherto -been chasing shadows, and would have to learn all over again. Smoking was, -I began to realize, not the simple, easy pastime I had considered it to -be, but an art which one might only expect to master after careful study, -silent pondering, and steady practice. In this humble frame of mind I lost -no time in repairing to an expert for instruction in the management of a -pipe, so that all fatal mistakes should be avoided at the outset of my -second schooling; and now that I am on the high road towards experiencing -hitherto dimly-conceived moments of unalloyed bliss, let me impart my -experience as a valuable secret to those who lie under the same mistaken -impression which I once fostered. In the words of my preceptor: “The true -art of smoking consists in reducing the combustion to a minimum, and yet -never allowing the pipe to go out while a particle of tobacco remains in -the bowl. The object is not to smoke quickly or much--we are not -locomotives bent upon producing force, but men on the quest of solace and -enjoyment.” - -But now let us see the outcome of his doctrine, as displayed by the -members of the “Rookersclub” on the occasion of my visit to their -meeting-place. - -The preliminary arrangements for the battle of pipes having been -completed, I was led back to the café, where the committee were busily -engaged at a table putting the finishing touches to their work. Before -them lay the empty pipes, all of equal length and size. Tobacco taken out -of a jar was being apportioned into little heaps to be weighed on a small -pair of scales. As each competitor’s share, consisting of exactly -forty-five grains, left the scales to replenish the pipe awaiting it, the -eyes of the judge roved anxiously from the balance to the hands of the -colleague to whom the filling of the bowls had been entrusted. Unerring -fairness characterized the operations of the committee. Around another -table the competitors were seated indulging in “bocks” while waiting to -take part in the struggle for supremacy in serious smoking. - -At last a general wave of excitement showed that the proceedings were -about to begin. The pipes were placed in the hands of their claimants, the -matches put within easy reach, and the president, in his capacity of -judge, called for attention. - -“You have two minutes in which to light your pipes!” he announced, watch -in hand; then, presently, “One minute!” “Half a minute!” “One quarter of -a minute!” These successive announcements were followed by the ringing of -a bell, and then, almost simultaneously, twenty hands holding burning -matches were raised to set the pipes alight. All but one or two, whom -anxiety to be in time had slightly flurried, delayed setting the match to -the tobacco until the very last moment. One unfortunate competitor -procrastinated too long, and was promptly disqualified before he could -apply the light. No time had been wasted in removing the matches from the -table, and as soon as the time-limit had been reached every one but the -disappointed straggler was beginning very slowly to draw short puffs. At -this critical moment, when all the rivals were applying themselves with -slow caution to the initial whiffs, on which the final issue frequently -depends, so complete a silence reigned that one might have heard the -proverbial pin drop. It is said by many that the secret of success is -found in the way of lighting, but as to which is the correct _modus -operandi_ there exists a great diversity of opinion, for while one expert -will attribute his success to the fact that he lights the tobacco nearest -the side of the bowl, another equally practised smoker believes in -applying the match to a central spot. Be that as it may, there is no -denying the fact that to ensure obtaining a satisfactory start both -experience and intelligence are essential factors. - -[Illustration: “IN DISTRESS.” - -_From a Photograph._] - -But to return to our friends of the “Rookersclub.” Ten minutes had -elapsed, and all were still in the running except the disappointed man who -had been ejected at the outset. Some had become quite communicative, -trusting to their pipes to look after themselves while they exchanged -views on politics. Others, not losing for one moment their sense of the -importance of the occasion, kept the stems between their teeth, without -allowing their tense expressions to relax into the faintest suspicion of a -smile. One competitor in particular looked as if he were made of wax, even -the chaffing of his colleagues failing to upset his gravity. He had been -pointed out to me as a winner of many prizes and the fortunate possessor -of a temperament any smoker might envy. - -“Ting-a-ling” went the bell, the announcement of the extinction of a -pipe--the first defeat--and this early failure was received with general -merriment. - -[Illustration: AN OPEN-AIR CONTEST IN THE COUNTRY. - -_From a Photograph._] - -[Illustration: A MEETING OF CHAMPIONS. - -_From a Photograph._] - -But hark! The bell was heard again. This time the victim was a man who had -been trying to give me some faint idea of the magnitude of the feats he -intended to accomplish, his loquacity being undoubtedly the cause of his -premature downfall. As he made his exit amid roars of laughter I attempted -to assuage his mortification by promising to convince myself on a future -occasion of the grounds for his self-praise. He was forced to the -indignity of becoming a looker-on, and tried to find consolation by -critically regarding the performance of each candidate. Each time the -judge’s bell gave the signal for the departure of another competitor he -had some infallible theory to expound in regard to the unsuccessful -smoker’s faults and follies, and upon those who still possessed a winning -chance he generously showered well-meant, but unsolicited, counsel. - -Slowly but surely the tobacco of the remaining competitors burnt itself -out, and every quarter of an hour, when the clock of the world-famed -belfry on the opposite side of the square pealed forth one of its -melodious airs, the number of the possible victors had diminished. - -After the lapse of about three-quarters of an hour the judge’s bell set up -a continuous tinkle. It was now time for those who acted as controllers to -keep a sharp look-out, and every now and then the order “Smoke, please,” -could be heard, as a committee-man pointed at the bowl of an apparently -extinguished pipe, whereupon the faintest cloud of smoke would rise into -the air from the clay of the cunning laggard, or the bell would announce -another failure. - -[Illustration: TOASTING THE WINNER AT A COUNTRY COMPETITION. - -_From a Photograph._] - -Presently the fiftieth minute arrived, and the number of smokers had -dwindled down to six. Opinions differed as to which would “live” to bear -the palm. Among the favourites was the amiable secretary himself, one of -the most skilful of the Bruges “Rookers,” who, strange as it may seem, is -practically a non-smoker when outside the precincts of the club. In the -president of the club he possesses a most formidable rival, who enjoys the -reputation of being able to win one of the first prizes whenever he -chooses to do so. - -An hour and five minutes had passed when the secretary and three other -members were found to be the sole survivors. Then the unexpected happened. -The secretary was seen to be in distress. His efforts to entertain a guest -of the club--I had been given the honour of sitting beside him--had -diverted his attention from his difficult task; and once more the bell -made itself heard as he laid down his pipe, unable to respond to the -judge’s request of “Smoke, please.” - -One hour and ten minutes had run their course, and only two men were -competing. The excitement became intense as the members gathered round the -two valiant champions to get a close view and offer encouragement to the -one or the other. To outward appearance both were calm and confident. They -allowed the tiniest cloud of smoke to escape at intervals from their -pipes, and it looked as if these motionless and imperturbable men might -survive long enough to eclipse the famous club-record achieved by a -champion who succeeded in making sixty grains of tobacco last as long as -one hundred and twenty minutes. - -[Illustration: A SUCCESSFUL COMPETITOR RECEIVING A MONEY PRIZE. - -_From a Photograph._] - -But suddenly one of the rivals became agitated. He was beginning to -realize that the end of his resources was last approaching, for the spark -in his pipe became more and more difficult to keep alive. Anxiously he -blew into the stem, but only with the wasteful result of dispersing a tiny -particle of fire, the last that remained, as it proved, for the pipe was -empty. Sadly he laid down his clay, leaving the victory to his opponent. -The latter smoked on with an unmoved countenance, allowing not the -smallest sign of elation to escape him, as he continued to foster, by an -almost imperceptible inhalation, the tiny spark in the clay bowl which had -now become the sole object of attention in the crowded room. A hasty -movement on the part of the victor as if to settle himself more -comfortably in his chair to prepare for a long-dreamt-of record, a -slightly more animated whiff to counteract the effect of this incautious -action, and the mischief was done--the smoker drew an extinguished pipe -from his mouth. He had won, sure enough, but only by twelve short seconds. -“One hour twenty-one minutes and thirty-three seconds,” announced the -judge. “And to think that I might have held on another half-hour with a -little more care!” sighed the disappointed winner. - -Then followed the ceremony of presenting the prizes, the successful -candidates being allowed to make their choice of rewards in the order in -which they were placed. A bread-basket, a pocket-knife, a flower-vase, and -other useful and ornamental souvenirs were handed over to the fortunate -ones, after which victors and vanquished assembled once more around the -long table to enjoy a pipe in the ordinary way, without restraint or -restriction. - -Nowhere in Belgium are competitions of the kind I have described conducted -in a more correct and business-like manner than in Bruges; in fact, the -“Brugsche Rookersclub” can be considered in every respect as -authoritative and exemplary in matters pertaining to the world of -“pipenrookers,” as the smoker of the pipe is called in Flanders. It is -among the quaint Flemish people that smoking clubs and smoking -competitions enjoy more widespread popularity than in any other part of -King Leopold’s little dominion, and nearly every village, no matter how -small, can boast of a “Rookersmaatschappij,” which almost unpronounceable -word is the equivalent for what we term “smokers’ club.” In the country -districts it is the custom to compete for money prizes, and to decorate -the winner with some floral adornment, which is pinned on his breast as a -visible proof of the honour he has achieved. Many of the _estaminets_, -which thrive in countless numbers in thirsty Flanders, endeavour to -stimulate the desire of customers for refreshment by organizing a -“Prijskamp in Het Rooken,” and offering prizes to those who best -understand the art of making a little tobacco go a very long way. - -[Illustration: THE JUDGE DISTRIBUTING ARTIFICIAL FLORAL FAVOURS AMONG THE -PRIZE-WINNERS. - -_From a Photograph._] - -Smoking for prizes is a curious way of killing time and may not appeal to -the Anglo-Saxon, who prefers to devote his leisure to more active and -health-giving occupations, but it possesses certain advantages over other -pastimes which must be taken into consideration. It is not costly, it is -not dangerous, it is sociable, and, as my kind hosts of the “Brugsche -Rookersclub” were at pains to convince me, it is a form of rivalry from -which much excitement can be gained. But above all it teaches one the use, -as distinguished from the abuse, of tobacco, which is undoubtedly the best -_raison d’être_ for smokers’ clubs and smokers’ contests in a country -whose army of smokers forms no less than a third of its entire population, -and whose annual consumption of tobacco is six and a quarter pounds per -head. This is more than three times the amount consumed in the United -Kingdom, and six times as much as in Italy. In fact, little Belgium’s -appreciation of tobacco reaches limits unattained in any other part of the -world. - -[Illustration] - - - - -The Adventures of “Wide World” Artists. - -BY J. SYDNEY BOOT. - - It has always been our rule, in order to obtain accurate pictures, - to entrust the illustration of our stories only to artists who have - actually visited or lived in the various countries referred to, and - are consequently familiar with the conditions of life prevailing - there. The result of this custom is that our artistic staff is - composed of men who have travelled extensively, roughing it in many - remote parts of the world. In the course of their journeyings our - illustrators have themselves met with exciting and unusual - experiences, some of the most interesting of which are here given, - each artist depicting his own adventure. - - -II. - -Mr. Charles M. Sheldon, the well-known war artist, who has done splendid -work for THE WIDE WORLD, has had several exciting experiences in the -course of his career. He was the special artist for _Black and White_ -during the Dongola Campaign in 1896, and received the Khedivial medal with -two clasps awarded to the correspondents. He went through the -Spanish-American War in Cuba, was dispatched to South Africa at the time -of the Jameson Raid, and has also represented his paper in India. Mr. -Sheldon has a studio full of interesting souvenirs of his various -campaigns. - -[Illustration: MR. CHARLES M. SHELDON, WHOSE JOURNEY DOWN THE HANNOCK -CATARACT ON THE SIDE OF A CAPSIZED BOAT IS HERE DESCRIBED. - -_From a Photograph._] - -It was during the Dongola Campaign that Mr. Sheldon met with his most -exciting adventure, and the fact that he is alive to-day is more owing to -good fortune, he says, than to any skill on his part on that occasion. - -Mr. Sheldon joined the column advancing on Dongola under the command of -the Sirdar, then Sir Herbert Kitchener, at Wadi Halfa, and was present at -the Battle of Firket. After the battle, and while the railway was being -brought up, the army camped for a couple of months at Kosheh, where, in -addition to the terrible heat and sandstorms, cholera broke out, and -threatened at one time to annihilate the camp. When the railway was -completed as far as Kosheh, the force marched across an arm of the desert -to Hafir, where the gunboats drove the dervishes from their forts with -such loss that Dongola fell after very little resistance. The country -being cleared of the enemy, and the war for that year at an end, the -correspondents made hasty preparations for their journey to Cairo on their -way back to England. In order to reach rail-head, they decided to travel -by boat down the Nile to Firket, Mr. Sheldon and Mr. Seppings Wright, the -artist of the _Illustrated London News_, arranging to make the journey -together. Having sold their horses and camels and discharged their native -grooms, with the exception of one camel-man, they packed their baggage and -war-trophies on board a boat--purchased from Mr. H. A. Gwynne, now editor -of the _Standard_--and started down the river. They expected to accomplish -the journey in about six days and nights, and for the first three days the -conditions were delightful, as, floating mainly with the swift current, -they made rapid progress, enjoying to the full their enforced ease after -the hard work of the campaign. As they approached the Hannock, or third -cataract of the Nile, however, the voyage became more exciting, and -extreme caution was necessary on the part of the pilot in charge of the -boat. The Hannock cataract is, indeed, a formidable menace to navigation, -consisting as it does of about sixty miles of shelving ledges of rock and -groups of huge boulders, over and among which the water rushes headlong in -a series of whirlpools and rapids. It was here that several of the boats -taking part in Sir Garnet Wolseley’s campaign were overturned and many -lives lost. - -[Illustration: THE ROUGH SKETCH OF THE RAPIDS WHICH MR. SHELDON WAS MAKING -WHEN THE DISASTER OCCURRED--IT WAS AFTERWARDS RECOVERED FROM THE WRECK OF -THE BOAT.] - -The first few miles of the cataract were negotiated in safety in the early -morning, and Mr. Sheldon had just finished making a sketch of the rapids -when sudden and dire disaster overtook the party. The boat was a stoutly -built, three-quarter-decked craft, with one huge wing-like sail, and the -pilot had given the sheet into the care of the camel-man, who, to save -himself trouble, tied it, unobserved, to one of the seats. Finding it -necessary to tack across the river, to take the boat through a safe -channel between the rocks, the pilot, to bring the sail over, shouted to -the man to let go the rope. As it was securely fastened to the seat, -however, he was unable to do so, and in an instant, as the strong wind -caught the tacking boat, it capsized, flinging its occupants with -startling suddenness into the water. - -Mr. Sheldon sank, but, after what seemed to him an interminable time, rose -to the surface, and, dashing the water from his eyes, found himself -battling with the full force of the seething current, which threatened -every instant to hurl him against the rocks. He realized immediately that -he would have a hard fight for his life, and at once struck out for the -boat, which was floating on her side some distance off. The only other -alternative was to swim to the nearest shore, but, as that was a quarter -of a mile or more away, Mr. Sheldon knew that he would be unable to reach -it alive in such a terrific current. - -After a desperate struggle he gained the boat and pulled himself up -astride the gunwale. Mr. Seppings Wright had also managed to reach the -boat, which, under their combined weight, was floating but six inches out -of the water; while the pilot and camel-man hung on to the mast and -spar--all of them looking, as Mr. Sheldon says, more like half-drowned -rats than anything else he can think of. - -It was quite evident that their position was critical, their one hope -being to cling to the boat, which was being carried down the Nile at an -alarming rate. At any moment it might go to pieces among the great masses -of rock and huge basalt boulders which projected from the surface of the -river throughout the entire length of the cataract. Indeed, their chances -of ever setting foot again on dry land appeared to be well-nigh hopeless. -It was only with extreme difficulty that they managed to cling to the -little craft as it plunged and kicked in the swirling eddies of the -cataract, and, once at the mercy of the furious torrent, they knew full -well that nothing short of a miracle could save them. - -Both men discarded most of their clothing, for, as the wreck carried them -down the smooth slides over the ledges of rock--for all the world like -weirs--the boat was continually being sucked under the surface of the -water. When this happened and they were unable to retain their hold, it -was only by swimming with all their strength that they were able to -regain the boat when she rose again. Their baggage and cherished war -trophies had all been thrown into the water, and most of them went -straight to the bottom. But here and there they could see saddles, -valises, boxes, helmets, and other articles bobbing about in the current -until hurled against the rocks and destroyed, or detained far behind in -eddies. - -[Illustration: “ON AND ON THE BOAT CARRIED THEM, SEEMINGLY ENDOWED WITH -HUMAN INTELLIGENCE AS IT DODGED THE ROCKS.”] - -On and on the boat carried them, seemingly endowed with human intelligence -as it dodged the rocks and found a way for itself through the intricate -channels of the cataract, while the shipwrecked crew could but cling to -the gunwale with all their strength and trust to Providence for their -ultimate safety. - -In this way mile after mile of the cataract was passed, with Mr. Sheldon -and his companions hoping against hope that the current would take them -near enough to the shore to swim for it. In this, however, they were -disappointed, for their craft kept well in the middle of the stream. -Presently, moreover, they drifted into another and worse rapid, where, -caught suddenly in a huge eddy, they were carried round and round until -the boat, after twisting and ducking in a manner that threatened to break -it up, incontinently sank beneath them--for good and all, it seemed. This -time it was a swim for life, and they were all but exhausted when, dazed -and spluttering, they succeeded in once more regaining the boat, which had -come up, in this instance, behind them. The principal danger they feared -was that the boat, which was continually swinging round, would drift -broad-side on to the rocks and break up completely. - -Again and again, as they continued their mad career, a huge boulder would -loom up threateningly from out a smother of foam, and it looked as though -nothing could save the wreck from final disaster, but invariably the -self-navigated vessel would win a way for itself, at times actually -shaving the very side of the rock. - -During their passage down the cataract the artists saw several native -villages and also some large ghyassas (native boats) drawn up on the bank, -but their frantic signals for help were either absolutely ignored, or the -natives, in their usual way, expended their energy in urging one another -to do something until the capsized boat was far out of sight. - -Hour after hour they raced along--sometimes for a mile or two in -comparatively easy water, but more often struggling to retain their hold -as the vessel rolled and pitched in the rapids. - -The afternoon waned at last, and with evening came a welcome abatement of -the sun’s pitiless rays, but still the anxious journey continued, with -current and rapid in long succession. The strength of the two weary -artists and the natives had by this time all but given out, and, -thoroughly exhausted and battered as they were, it was evident that if -they did not reach the shore before the rapidly-approaching darkness fell -it would certainly be all up with them. Then, providentially, a curve in -the river took the current close into the bank, carrying the boat to -within some thirty yards of the shore. The castaways realized at once that -this was a golden opportunity, but in their weak state it was exceedingly -doubtful if they would be able to swim to the bank. As luck would have it, -however, a number of natives appeared on the spot. They had been watching -the capsized craft with evident curiosity, and now, in response to urgent -signals for help, they put off to the assistance of Mr. Sheldon and his -companions. They easily reached the boat, bringing with them the curious, -wedge-shaped floats, constructed of reed-like sticks of ambatch wood, -which they use in crossing the Nile. With the timely aid of this primitive -form of river craft, Mr. Sheldon, Mr. Seppings Wright, and the natives -reached the bank in safety. Their voyage down the dangerous Hannock -cataract on the side of a derelict boat, lasting as it did from nine -o’clock in the morning until sunset, in the course of which they were -carried through some sixty miles of rock-strewn rapids, is, it is safe to -say, unique as a record of endurance and long-drawn-out peril, fraught -with possibilities of the most alarming description. - -On reaching the shore they sank down dead-beat on the bank. Their -condition was most wretched, such little clothing as they retained -consisting of soaked and tattered rags. They had no means of making a -fire, which they badly needed, as, with the setting of the sun, the -terrific heat of the day was succeeded by the chill night air of the -desert. To make matters worse, the natives either could not or would not -give them anything to eat, and the only food they had of their own was a -tin of preserved ginger, found in a valise which one of the natives -rescued from the current. - -The night, as may well be imagined, was passed in misery and discomfort, -but with the morning the welcome discovery was made that directly -opposite, a mile away on the farther bank, was one of the hospital camps -established by the Egyptian field force. Mr. Sheldon thereupon bribed a -native at the cost of a razor, also found in the valise, to swim the river -and obtain help for the party. - -Now, at length, their troubles were ended. The commandant of the camp -signalled to a steamer, which carried them over to the other side, where -the officer provided them with dry clothes and what they most appreciated, -comfortable beds to sleep in. - - * * * * * - -There are but few artists, even marine artists, who have actually followed -the sea as a profession. A well-known name among the few who have done so -is that of Mr. E. S. Hodgson, whose strong, vigorous illustrations of -seafaring adventures are a familiar feature in The Wide World. A casual -glance at his drawings is sufficient to show that he has an intimate -acquaintance with the life and customs of a sailor, and they are executed -with a realistic touch that could not be attained except by personal -experience. - -Mr. Hodgson, while on a voyage, once met with a serious accident which -nearly cost him his life; and it was entirely owing to the effects of this -mishap that he gave up the sea and decided to become an artist. Mr. -Hodgson has provided us with the following account of what happened to him -for inclusion in our series of “Adventures of WIDE WORLD Artists.” His -ship, the barque _Her Majesty_, six hundred tons register, sailed from the -London Docks bound for the West Indies with a cargo of bricks and rice for -the prisons in Martinique. - -For some weeks nothing out of the ordinary routine of life aboard ship -occurred, _Her Majesty_ bowling along with a favourable wind and making -good headway. - -The north-east trades had only just been reached, however, when bad -weather was encountered, storms and squalls succeeding each other day -after day. - -[Illustration: MR. E. S. HODGSON, WHO FELL FROM THE MAST OF A SHIP TO THE -DECK BELOW, A DISTANCE OF OVER A HUNDRED FEET. - -_From a Photograph._] - -“All hands on deck,” was the order one bleak, dark night when a sudden -blustering gale arose, and Mr. Hodgson, with the rest of the crew who were -keeping their watch below, tumbled up, none too pleased at the prospect of -a night on deck instead of in their bunks. - -“Jump up there, my lad, and make fast the fore-royal,” was the skipper’s -order to our artist. - -“Aye, aye, sir,” he replied, as he made for the foot of the shrouds. The -gale was blowing at a terrific rate, causing the ship to plunge and roll -heavily, and Mr. Hodgson’s task would have been a dangerous one even for a -much more experienced sailor. The order had been given, however, and up he -had to go. - -It was a perilous journey up into the blackness of the night, and he had -literally to feel his way rope by rope, hanging on by hands and toes. The -oscillation of the ship was so violent that he expected every moment to be -flung into the sea, while the thudding of the clewed-up sails threatened -to carry the masts overboard. Higher and higher he climbed until he -reached the top-gallant rigging, where the fury of the gale literally -pinned him to the ropes, but at length he managed to crawl out on to the -yard. The foot-ropes were shallow, making it necessary for him to kneel on -them, but once out on the yard Mr. Hodgson applied himself to the work of -securing the sail with all possible speed, a task which the pitch-darkness -of the night and the plunging of the ship rendered one of extreme -difficulty, perched as he was over a hundred feet above the level of the -deck. He had bent over to gather the madly-slatting canvas when suddenly -it bellied up over the yard and bore him irresistibly backwards with it. -In a flash he saw his danger and, with a frantic clutch, tried to grasp -the sail--missed it--and realized that he was falling! The accident had -happened so suddenly that for the moment he was unconscious of the full -extent of his peril; his brain was unable to take in the terrible -significance of what had occurred, and the situation seemed unreal--a -passing freak of the imagination that would presently be dispelled. Then -the blackness seemed to lessen slightly and, coming slowly towards him, he -could see the top-gallant yard and the men on it busy furling the sail. -Mr. Hodgson says the sensation he experienced was that of floating easily -and gently in the air; he did not seem to be actually falling. Next the -upper topsail yard appeared to pass him, brushing gently by him on its way -“up.” Then, with a vague sense of wonder, he noticed that he could make -out clearly all the details of the deck, which seemed to be rushing up -towards him with a gigantic leap. At once, as his brain cleared, the -appalling truth dawned on him that he was falling down, down, through the -darkness, and with a feeling of unutterable horror he realized that, -powerless to help himself, he must, in the course of the next few seconds, -be dashed to his death on the deck, or to an equally certain fate in the -roaring seas alongside. - -The various objects now began to lose their shape and the darkness closed -in again; then came oblivion, for, mercifully, Mr. Hodgson lost -consciousness before he reached the deck. - -“Poor laddie! I doot he’s gone. This will be sore news to send home.” This -remark, coming to him as though from far away, was Mr. Hodgson’s first -intimation that he was still alive. He recognised the skipper’s voice, -and, opening his eyes, discovered that he was lying on the deck, -surrounded by the entire ship’s crew, with the captain bending over him. -He was in such frightful agony, however, that he promptly fainted away -again, and did not recover consciousness for a week. He then found out -that his leg was fractured in three places, and as the ship was three -weeks’ journey from the nearest port, and there was no doctor on board, -Mr. Hodgson experienced a long period of excruciating agony, and, in fact, -thought that he was dying. - -[Illustration: “HE TRIED TO GRASP THE SAIL--MISSED IT--AND REALIZED THAT -HE WAS FALLING!”] - -What doctoring he did get was of an exceedingly rough and ready -description, and was provided by one of the fo’c’s’le hands who had at one -time had his own leg fractured, and on the strength of this claimed to -know all about broken bones. It may have been that he was specially gifted -in this respect, or it may have been sheer luck, but he certainly made a -very fair job of it, all things considered. - -Three weeks later, when _Her Majesty_ reached St. Pierre, after an -exceptionally long passage out of ninety-eight days, a medical man was -sent for at once, who was not at all satisfied with the methods of his -unprofessional rival. In fact, he announced that Mr. Hodgson would never -be able to walk again, and advised the immediate amputation of his injured -limb. Mr. Hodgson, however, decided that if he was to return home at all -he would do so as a whole man, and flatly refused his consent. Fearing -that the operation would be performed against his will, he declined, for -days together, to touch any of the food offered him, in case it should -have been “doctored” and he would wake up minus his leg. After _Her -Majesty_ had unloaded her cargo and taken another on board she sailed for -home, and Mr. Hodgson went with her, but his troubles were by no means -over, as the ship foundered in a gale and the crew took to the boats. As -may well be imagined, Mr. Hodgson, in his enfeebled state, was in no fit -condition for such an experience, and during the eight days’ journey in -open boats that followed until the island of Santa Cruz was reached his -sufferings were beyond description. - -Mr. Hodgson went to sea for a year or two after his accident, but as the -unskilled treatment of his amateur doctor was not entirely successful the -bones of his leg were never properly set. Although the limb was sound -enough for all ordinary purposes it was not strong enough to stand the -continual strain of a seafaring career, and he accordingly made a fresh -start in life as an artist, with what success is well known to our -readers. - -Mr. Hodgson says, “Until you have known me quite a long time you would not -think that I was any the worse for my accident,” and as he fell over a -hundred feet the wonder is that he was not killed on the spot. His escape -from death was, in fact, little short of miraculous. - - * * * * * - -Mr. Norman H. Hardy’s record of travel is certainly as extensive as that -of any artist whose work appears in the pages of THE WIDE WORLD--or of any -other magazine, for that matter. He was for seven years in Australia as -the special artist of the _Sydney Mail_, and in the course of his -wanderings has visited the South Sea Islands, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, -New Hebrides, New Britain, China, Siam, India, and Egypt. His latest trip -was on a roving commission to Central Africa during the early part of this -year. - -[Illustration: MR. NORMAN H. HARDY, WHO WAS ATTACKED BY A MOB OF -INFURIATED SHEEP-SHEARERS ON STRIKE IN AUSTRALIA. - -_From a Photograph._] - -While in Australia Mr. Hardy met with some exciting experiences in -connection with the New South Wales sheep-shearing strike in 1894, one -which he will always remember as an occasion on which he was lucky to -escape with his life. The strike was brought about by the union -sheep-shearers, who objected to the employment of “free” or non-union men -who were willing to work at a lower rate of pay, and caused wild -excitement throughout New South Wales. The unionists struck work in a body -and resorted to “picketing,” threatening the free labourers with violence -if they persisted in carrying on their work. This affected many thousand -men, as in New South Wales sheep-shearing is a trade of such importance -that the welfare of the entire State was involved. To such a height did -the excitement rise that the bad feeling between the opposing factions -grew to alarming proportions, resulting in serious loss of life, and the -country rang with reports and rumours of outrages perpetrated by the -incensed unionists. The seriousness of the situation was such that the -late Sir George Dibbs, then Premier of New South Wales, issued a -proclamation in which he threatened to call out the military to quell the -riots. - -Burrowang station, in New South Wales, was regarded as the stronghold of -the unionists, and it was recognised that on the turn of affairs there the -ultimate issue of the strike depended. - -Mr. Hardy was accordingly dispatched to Burrowang as the special -correspondent of the _Sydney Mail_, making the journey in the company of -some forty “free” men, under the charge of a Mr. Campbell. The men were a -very mixed lot, drawn from all classes of society, and were sent out by a -non union pastoral organization to take the places of the shearers who -were on strike. - -A special train had been chartered, and as, at six o’clock in the evening, -the closely-packed cars left Sydney it was evident that there was a -feeling of uneasiness among the passengers, for it was well known that the -unionists were in strong force at various points along the line. Some of -the younger men had undertaken the journey from pure love of adventure, -but the older men were mostly out-of-luck miners and shearers who were -genuinely in search of work. While on their way to Sydney a number of them -had already come into contact, at Circular Quay railway station, with some -of the unionists, and a fierce fight had ensued; this fact undoubtedly -helped to increase the alarm of the rest of the men in the train. - -At Emu Plains station, where the train halted, the less resolute were -seized with an attack of panic, and had literally to be driven back into -the cars when the train was ready to start again, where they sat in gloomy -apprehension of danger as they approached nearer and nearer their -destination. - -The journey from Sydney to Burrowang is made, in the ordinary course, by -train to Forbes, and thence by horse-buggies. But as at the latter place -an angry mob of unionists was awaiting the arrival of the “free -labourers’” train, it was decided to resort to strategy to avoid the risk -of an ugly fight between the two parties. - -Accordingly, although, as a blind, coaches and mounted police were ordered -to meet the special train at Forbes, the driver was instructed to stop at -the small station of Droubalgie, where a second contingent of four-horsed -cars, also guarded by mounted police, were waiting to convey the men to -Burrowang, thus avoiding the unwelcome attentions of the rioters at -Forbes, whose anger, when they found they had been outwitted, speedily -brought them into conflict with the police. - -The men were in a tremendous state of excitement as the train drew up at -the station, and many of them were afraid to take their seats in the -buggies; but at length, when it was seen that there were no union men in -sight, Mr. Campbell and Mr. Hardy were able to induce them to take their -seats. There was scarcely room for all, and the cars were uncomfortably -crowded, but Mr. Hardy, owing to the fact that he was popularly supposed -to be a detective from Sydney, was given a box-seat. Just as they were -starting two horsemen, who turned out to be union men who had got wind of -the “blacklegs’” arrival, appeared on the scene. They tried hard to induce -the “free” men to join them, but without success, and finally galloped off -to Forbes, after having announced their intention of informing the waiting -crowds of the arrival of the train at Droubalgie and bringing them in -pursuit. The buggies containing Mr. Hardy’s party thereupon started off -with all speed, led by the mounted police. The going was bad, frequently -over long stretches of quagmire and marsh land, occasional stoppages being -necessary when one or other of the coaches became bogged, sinking -axle-deep in the mud and requiring terrific exertion to move it. - -[Illustration: THE COACHES ON THE ROAD FROM DROUBALGIE TO BURROWANG, -GUARDED BY MOUNTED POLICE. - -_From a Photograph._] - -Another uncomfortable night was spent in the bush, the men camping out by -the side of the coaches, strict silence being enforced in order not to -attract the attention of the unionists. Following an early and meagre -breakfast a start was made, and after a journey of some hours the men -became easier in their minds, as it was thought that the pursuit had been -abandoned. Soon after, however, as the coaches emerged from a belt of -timber and scrub into open ground, it was seen that a number of unionists -were waiting for them. The strikers were all mounted and at once charged, -yelling fiercely, and started pelting the coaches with stones. It looked -as though there was bound to be serious trouble, but the mounted police, -with characteristic promptitude, drew their carbines and prepared to open -fire. - -The attitude of the troopers had its effect on the strikers, who, after a -slight show of resistance, drew off and allowed the coaches to proceed on -their way. Some few of them, however, had managed to get to close -quarters, and hard knocks were exchanged, resulting in injuries to both -sides, happily none of them severe. - -As it turned out, this was the only real excitement that occurred during -the journey, and a few hours later Mr. Hardy and the rest of the party -made their entry into Burrowang. - -A meeting was at once held at which both sides were well represented, Mr. -Hardy attending in the ranks of the non-unionists. The conference provoked -a considerable amount of bad feeling, and was broken up in wild disorder -by the strikers when they found they could not induce the new arrivals to -join them. The presence of the police, however, prevented any serious -fighting, only one man being badly injured. - -[Illustration: THE COACH ON WHICH MR. HARDY WAS RIDING WHEN HE WAS -ATTACKED BY THE STRIKERS. - -_From a Photograph._] - -Mr. Hardy soon discovered that he was a marked man, as it was thought that -he was either a detective or else an official of the non-unionist -organization, and for the next few days it was only by seeking police -protection that he avoided bodily harm at the hands of the mob. The whole -place was in a suppressed state of excitement owing to the attitude of the -strikers, who, it was evident, were liable to break out at any moment, and -neither life nor property was regarded as safe. Several attempts were made -to burn down the wool-sheds, but happily they were in every case -discovered before serious damage was done. Under police supervision the -new men started work, but it was at once apparent that they were, in most -cases, absolutely unfitted for the work of sheep-shearing, and as the -season was by now well advanced skilled labour was soon at a premium. The -situation was critical, and at length the union men were approached and -asked to resume work at their own terms. This offer they unanimously -refused unless every “free” man was discharged. - -At length, having treated the strike from every possible point of view, -Mr. Hardy decided to return to Sydney, and accordingly booked his place on -the next mail-coach running to Forbes, as it was not possible to get a -conveyance to Droubalgie on his way back. The strike was still at its -height, and the route to Forbes and that town itself were strongly held by -the unionists. Mr. Hardy was prepared for an exciting journey, as all -coaches were subjected to the closest scrutiny, and he himself was -suspected of non-unionist sympathies. - -When the Forbes coach drew up at Burrowang for the mails, and the coachman -discovered that he was to have as a passenger Mr. Hardy, who had taken an -active part in the strike, he was in an exceedingly perturbed state of -mind. In spite of his fears, however, the start was made quietly enough. - -The day’s journey through bush and scrub proved uneventful, and towards -evening the coach drew up at a small bush station, where a halt was made -for the night. - -In the morning three more passengers put in an appearance--all non-union -men--and also a new driver, who was to take the reins as far as Forbes, -where, the latest report had it, the strikers were in an extremely -dangerous mood. The new driver, when he had taken stock of his passengers, -appeared to be even more terror-stricken than his predecessor. He warned -them that there was likely to be serious trouble, as the only practicable -road took them close to the unionist camp just outside Forbes. He was -also particularly anxious to know whether any of the party possessed -unionist passes. These were simply small scraps of paper scrawled over in -a peculiar manner in blue pencil; but, as they enabled their holders to -pass through the camps without molestation, they were extremely useful, -and Mr. Hardy remembered with regret that he had been offered one at -Burrowang. Attaching little importance to the offer at the time, however, -he had declined it. - -As the coach neared Forbes two mounted union men were seen, who on the -approach of the vehicle at once turned about and galloped back, with the -object, it was thought, of informing the strikers of its arrival. Their -action proved too much for two of the passengers, who promptly insisted on -being put down. The journey was then resumed with Mr. Hardy and the driver -on the box, and the remaining passenger inside, cowering under the seat. - -As the camp came in sight an outburst of shouting gave ample proof of the -hostile attitude of the strikers, a number of whom at once made a rush to -meet the coach. - -A short distance along the road was a bridge spanning a small creek, and -at this point a strong guard of strikers was posted to hold up all -traffic. On previous occasions their method of procedure had been to haul -out any passengers who were without passes, rob them of everything they -possessed, and, after treating them with the utmost brutality, set them to -work in a menial capacity about the camp. The driver of the coach, when he -found that he was in actual danger, plucked up his courage and, lashing -his horses into a gallop, made a dash for the bridge at a furious pace. - -Mr. Hardy was immediately recognised by the foremost of the strikers, who, -with hoarse cries of rage, shouted to the men on the bridge to stop the -coach at all costs. - -The terrific rate at which the horses were travelling showed plainly that -it was the driver’s intention to ride down any opposition, and this action -provoked such an outburst of fury among the mob that it was perfectly -clear that if they did manage to stop the coach both he and Mr. Hardy, -even if they escaped with their lives, would be treated with savage -violence. - -Mr. Hardy’s presence on the coach--it will be remembered that the men -suspected him of being a detective--had the same effect on the strikers as -a red rag on a bull, and with an ungovernable fury of rage and at imminent -risk of their lives they literally hurled themselves at the horses’ heads, -meanwhile calling on the driver, with the vilest imprecations, to halt. - -By way of reply the Jehu applied the whip to his team still more -vigorously, yelling at the same time at the top of his voice that anyone -who dared to stop the Royal Mail would get ten years for his trouble. His -threat, however, was ignored, and presently the sharp crack of a revolver -rang out. Mr. Hardy felt a bullet whiz past his head, missing him by -inches. The shot was followed the next instant by another, and it was only -the celerity with which he ducked down to avoid the bullet that saved his -life. - -The sound of the firing caused the frightened horses to rear and kick, -knocking down the men who had seized their bridles and almost stopping the -coach. - -The check, however, was only momentary, and as the horses plunged forward -again some of the more excited strikers, who, with wild curses, had -endeavoured to climb the side of the coach to get at Mr. Hardy, were flung -back into the roadway. - -The panic-stricken horses in their mad struggles had dragged the coach -across the road, and nearly over the side of the bridge into the creek -below, but the driver, applying his whip freely, soon had his team under -control again, and, scattering the crowd to right and left, the flying -coach crossed the bridge, followed by a volley of sticks, bottles, and -stones. Mr. Hardy, crouching low over the seat, was struck with such -violence by a brick on the left shoulder that he at first thought it was -fractured, but happily he escaped further injury. With the horses maddened -and excited, the coach dashed at a furious pace along the short stretch of -road to Forbes, where it drew up at a small hotel. The coachman was white -to the lips from the strain, and the inside passenger alighted trembling -with fright, while Mr. Hardy confesses that he felt more than a little -shaky. - -A large crowd soon collected, anxious to learn the cause of the -excitement, and the hotel-keeper, when he heard the driver’s story, -promptly dragged Mr. Hardy indoors, telling him, if he valued his life, to -keep out of sight. The presence of the police prevented an attack being -made on the place, and when things had quietened down a little our artist -was able to slip out unnoticed. After another coach ride, this time a -peaceful one, he made his way back by rail to Sydney. - -In the end the unionists gained the day at Burrowang, going back to work -on their own terms, and thus virtually ending the strike throughout New -South Wales. - -[Illustration: “THE FLYING COACH CROSSED THE BRIDGE, FOLLOWED BY A VOLLEY -OF STICKS, STONES, AND BOTTLES.”] - - * * * * * - -Mr. Inglis Sheldon-Williams is an artist with a grievance. He complains -that, although he has travelled a great deal and roughed it in various -parts of the world--and for so young a man his record is remarkable--he -has not met with a single first-class adventure of a really hair-raising -nature. That he ought to have done so is an obvious fact, he says, and, -indeed, on several occasions he has been perilously near as much -excitement as would last any man a lifetime. In fact, it may be said that -he has been out looking for trouble most of his life, and he is to be -accounted lucky in that he has never found it. - -Early in his career he emigrated to Canada, where for some years he lived -the rough-and-tumble life and endured the manifold hardships that fall to -the lot of a farmer in the back-woods. At the call of art, however, he -returned to England to study, but with the longing for adventure strong -upon him he later enlisted in the Imperial Yeomanry and took part in the -South African Campaign, where he saw some considerable amount of fighting. - -When the war between Japan and Russia broke out, Mr. Sheldon-Williams was -early in the field as the special artist for the _Sphere_, and was in -China and Manchuria during the earlier stages of the campaign. He has -also visited India and attended the Durbar. - -[Illustration: MR. INGLIS SHELDON-WILLIAMS, SOME OF WHOSE VARIED -EXPERIENCES ABROAD ARE HERE RELATED. - -_From a Photograph._] - -On numerous occasions he has congratulated himself that he was at last -placed in a critical situation, only to finish up with an anti-climax. - -When he was in Canada, for instance, he lost himself on the prairie while -in charge of a team of oxen. A terrific blizzard came on, and, as the snow -was absolutely blinding and the temperature many degrees below -freezing-point, all sorts of unpleasant things might easily have happened. -Mr. Sheldon-Williams had visions of wandering about for days in the snow, -starving and frostbitten, with a mere possibility of rescue when he was in -the last stages of exhaustion. But although _he_ was lost, his oxen were -not, and they took him safely home. - -On another occasion he attempted to rescue a duck from the depths of a -well, but fell in himself--into sixteen feet of water. Any other man -placed in this situation would have been drowned without any bother at -all. But Mr. Sheldon-Williams had not been in the water more than a few -minutes before he was discovered and hauled out by the united efforts of -his mother and sister. - -It was just the same in South Africa--no luck at all, simply a lot of -dramatic situations which fizzled out miserably. On one occasion Mr. -Sheldon-Williams’s company occupied a farm-house near Johannesburg, and -the very night on which he was absent, having ridden into town to deposit -some money in the bank, was the one selected by the Boers to attack the -place. His bed was close up against a window through which the Boers fired -volley after volley. Had Mr. Sheldon-Williams occupied it as usual, he -would undoubtedly have been shot! - -On another occasion he got leave of absence from a patrol, as the -neighbourhood was supposed to be clear of the enemy, in order to do some -sketching. The patrol was, of course, ambushed, and the man who took his -place shot dead. - -Another piece of particularly bad luck occurred when Mr. -Sheldon-Williams’s troop was attacking Klip River Kopje. The Boers had -actually been seen on the ridge, and in the morning he was one of the men -selected for scouting purposes. As he rode up the hill it certainly looked -as though he had a fine chance of figuring in the next list of killed and -wounded. But, as Mr. Sheldon-Williams says, “It was not my fault that the -Boers had left overnight!” - -At Diamond Hill it was just the same. A mere handful of Yeomanry, Mr. -Sheldon-Williams among them, held an exposed position throughout the night -in the face of the enemy, determined to do or die. As it happened they did -neither, for the next day they were told that there had been an armistice -on all the time. - -Before Pretoria Mr. Sheldon-Williams was in the firing-line, which was -strung out on the left of the advance. The Boer shell-fire had set the -grass alight, depriving them of anything like adequate cover, and in the -open the rifle-fire from the Boers was nothing more or less than a leaden -hailstorm, but he was not even wounded. Presently the order to withdraw -was given, but, having fallen asleep, he failed to notice it, and was the -last man to leave. As he thus offered himself as a suitable target for a -little individual sniping, a Boer marksman took careful aim at him and -fired. He was a remarkably good shot, but, needless to say, he missed Mr. -Sheldon-Williams, who at that precise moment stooped down to pick up a -discarded rifle, the bullet passing close over his head! All things -considered, therefore, Mr. Sheldon-Williams has certainly received -exceptional treatment at the hands of Dame Fortune, but so long as she -continues to serve him in the same way it is difficult to see that he has -any just cause for complaint. - - - - -_Hunting the Hippopotamus._ - -BY LIEUTENANT PAUL DURAND. - - The hippopotamus--that enormous pachydermatous creature whose shape - reminds us of the antediluvian monsters--was formerly met with over - a large part of Africa, but it has been so pitilessly pursued by - hunters that it is every day becoming scarcer and scarcer. Within a - hundred years, perhaps, the hippopotamus will be numbered among the - vanished curiosities of the animal world. In this article a French - sportsman describes his exciting experiences while in quest of - “river horses,” and furnishes a number of very impressive - photographs. - - -[Illustration: MALE AND FEMALE HIPPOPOTAMI ON THE BANKS OF AN AFRICAN -RIVER. - -_From a Photograph._] - -Not many months ago the habitués of the Jardin des Plantes, the Paris -“Zoo,” were much astonished to notice that one of their favourites--Jack, -the hippopotamus--displayed signs of unwonted irritation. The change in -the animal’s temper had been quite sudden. Hitherto Jack had been -extraordinarily docile; now, whenever it became necessary to make him -change his quarters, either for the purpose of cleaning the cage or to -show him off to better advantage to visitors, he yielded with manifest -surliness. - -Then there came a day when the keeper in whose charge Jack had been for a -great number of years found it quite impossible to induce the animal to -leave his bath for the open enclosure, beyond the bars of which a score or -two of nurses and children were eagerly waiting to feast their eyes upon -him. The more insistent the keeper grew, the more did it become evident -that the great, unwieldy beast was determined to try conclusions with its -human tormentor. On his side the keeper was equally obstinate, but -blandishment being clearly of no avail he resorted to more convincing -measures. - -Poor fellow, he little realized his danger! To the unutterable horror of -those present the animal’s enormous jaws suddenly flew apart, disclosing a -cavernous mouth and throat. By the time those jaws had closed again the -unfortunate keeper had ceased to be numbered among the living! - -Appeased, apparently, by this act of savage ferocity, Jack has since been -as docile as he ever was. His diminutive, befogged brain had, no doubt, -suddenly shown him, as in the mirage of fever, some dimly recognisable -vision of the luxuriant African landscapes he was eternally severed from. -He may--who knows?--have thought of other creatures like himself, lazily -enjoying existence in sun-warmed, muddy streams, browsing at will on -unspeakably luscious herbage. Then, perhaps, an illuminating flash of -lightning rage showed him instantaneously the long tale of wrongs -inflicted upon his dull-witted race by the white man. Because his ivory is -finer-grained than that of the elephant and because it does not so easily -become yellow, because his hide--cut into narrow strips--makes -superexcellent sticks, not an instant’s respite from persecution is -accorded to the poor “river horse.” Pitilessly is he harried and -massacred, the hunter’s rifle vomiting forth a constant stream of -bullets--“dum-dum,” explosive, or steel-pointed--to pierce the massive, -narrow skull. - -As a consequence of this ceaseless warfare the rivers are so rapidly -becoming depopulated that the day cannot be far distant when, like the -American buffalo, the African hippopotamus will be nothing but a memory. -Possibly the domesticated “dark continent” of to-morrow will piously -preserve in some park, national or international, a model herd of the only -surviving representatives of this once prolific race. Learned men will -then bring forward convincing arguments to prove the propriety of -favouring the propagation of such useful animals; but the useful animals -themselves, wearied out by the last years of their persecuted existence, -will probably refuse to breed. Already the hippopotamus is scarce enough -to make us realize some of the good that is in him. The knowledge has come -too late; the “river horse,” it seems, is doomed to disappear. Under these -circumstances, perhaps, the recital of my own recent experiences while -hunting hippopotami may be found of interest. - -To the African traveller the hippopotamus is a species of game -particularly desirable, for its ivory and its hide are both valuable, -while the not inconsiderable danger involved in its pursuit provides the -delicious emotion without which every kind of hunting is tame and insipid. -Moreover, the obligation under which the leader of the expedition lies to -feed his servants and carriers adequately makes one of these enormous -beasts, twelve feet long or so and disproportionately wide, a perfect -godsend. Not only does the hippopotamus furnish a formidable amount of -meat, but that meat has the inestimable merit of keeping fresh much longer -than any other, principally owing to the fact that flies seem to have an -insurmountable horror for it. I must admit that for a long time I -thoroughly sympathized with the flies! Alive, the hippopotamus has a very -peculiar odour, somewhat resembling musk, which discloses the presence of -the animal from afar, when he happens to be to windward of one. In the -flesh of the dead animal this odour--or the taste of it, rather--persists, -and is much appreciated by the natives, though Europeans take a long time -to get accustomed to it; some are never able to support it. - -Once, when I was in the neighbourhood of the Chari River, my men informed -me that a herd of hippopotami were in possession of a series of ponds not -far from our camp. I immediately marched in their direction. As we -approached the water we heard the trumpeting of the leader of the herd, -and almost simultaneously caught sight of him. Erect on a small bank, his -formidable mouth widely opened, he was uttering that characteristic -neighing sound in which there are notes that remind one both of the lowing -of a cow and the roar of a lion. On the surface of the ponds, moving -quickly from place to place, were to be seen what appeared to be large -balks of some kind of dark wood; these were the muzzles of the remaining -members of the herd. - -I succeeded in getting round the water unobserved to a spot where I was -concealed from the animals by a small islet which occupied the middle of -the pond. To this island I transported myself by means of a small and -primitive canoe, which two of my men had brought on the chance of its -being required. - -By this time the old male had taken to the water again. The whole herd -were now vaguely alarmed, for from my place of ambush I could obtain only -fleeting glimpses every now and then of a muzzle momentarily showing -itself on the surface of the water--just long enough for the animal to -take breath--and then disappearing. - -After waiting some time I grew impatient and began to salute each of these -distant apparitions with a shot from my Express rifle. Nothing, however, -is so deceptive as to shoot across water, especially when situated, as I -then was, facing the sun; and I was not successful in lodging even one -bullet in the targets I aimed at. - -I then made up my mind to lie low for such time as might be necessary to -reassure the animals. I had to wait some considerable time--certainly more -than an hour; but finally my patience was rewarded. The old male, still -swimming, was actually coming in my direction. His head, carried well -clear of the water, presented a marvellous target at a distance of about -twenty-five feet from me--a regular tyro’s shot. And yet something or -other made my hand tremble, and as I pulled the trigger I realized that I -had missed! - -I also realized more than this. In order to make the effect of the ball -the surer I had employed my largest gun, and I had given it a full -elephant charge. The shock of the recoil was so tremendous that I was -thrown on my back several paces away, with a feeling as if my shoulder had -been put out of joint. When I got on my feet once more all the natives -were shrieking with laughter, for this misadventure to their white master -appeared to them highly diverting. - -[Illustration: A GLANCE AT THIS TRULY FORMIDABLE PAIR OF JAWS WILL ENABLE -THE READER TO REALIZE HOW IT IS THAT THESE GREAT BRUTES ARE ABLE TO -DEMOLISH CANOES SO EASILY. - -_From a Photograph._] - -Meanwhile, in the pond a terrible scene was in progress. Maddened with -rage and pain, the old hippopotamus was swimming furiously, first in one -direction, then in another. Now he would mount on a sandbank, now plunge -with a tremendous splash into the water, which was reddened with his -blood. He was seeking an enemy on whom he might be avenged, and blindly -pursued his fellows under the water. The ball had struck him in the chest, -whereas the only immediately vital spot in the hippopotamus is situated -just beneath the eye, the ball thence penetrating the brain. My bullet, -though it had not killed him outright, must have caused terrible internal -injuries, for very soon I saw him turn completely over several times, -displaying successively above the surface of the water his head and his -feet. Then, all at once, he sank and did not again reappear. - -[Illustration: THE ALARM! A BOAT HAS APPEARED IN THE DISTANCE, AND THE -GIGANTIC LEADER OF THE HERD ROARS OUT HIS WARNING. - -_From a Photograph._] - -[Illustration: A DEAD HIPPOPOTAMUS WHICH HAS BEEN DRAGGED IN TO THE RIVER -BANK. - -_From a Photograph._] - -A dead hippopotamus invariably sinks to the bottom, and it is only after -an interval which varies between two and eight hours that the body rises -and floats on the surface. For this reason, if you kill a hippopotamus in -a river the current of which is at all rapid, you must, in nine cases out -of ten, give up all hope of ever recovering your quarry. The carcass may -be carried a great distance under the water, reappearing at the surface -miles away, where it furnishes a providential feast to the native -inhabitants on the banks, who call down ironical blessings upon the -infallible rifle of the white man. - -In the present instance there was no necessity for me to trouble about the -carcass, which by the following morning, if not that very evening, I knew -I should find floating placidly on the surface, waiting to be hauled -ashore. In any case it would have been sheer madness to try to recover it -at that moment, as the pond was infested with crocodiles. - -[Illustration: THE HUNTER DRIFTING DOWN STREAM IN A PRIMITIVE NATIVE -CANOE. - -_From a Photograph._] - -That day every member of the unfortunate herd--there were six in all--fell -a prey to my rifle; the massacre occupied about two hours in all. When I -returned on the morrow half-a-dozen enormous carcasses lay stretched out -among the aquatic herbs, some floating on the surface of the water, others -stranded on the banks. - -It was not without difficulty that I persuaded my men to carry out the -ropes necessary for hauling in the carcasses that were out of reach, the -pond, as I have said, being full of crocodiles. One of their number, -however, at last volunteered to do the job. While he was engaged in his -somewhat perilous undertaking the rest of the natives set up a chorus of -the most atrocious howling it is possible to imagine, meanwhile thrashing -the surface of the water, creating by one means and another so discordant -a concert that the saurians, terrified no doubt out of their wits, must -have sought refuge in the most hidden depths, for we saw nothing of them. - -To cut up a hippopotamus is no easy task. In some places the hide is -almost two and a half inches thick, and before you have got through a -hand’s-breadth your knife has completely lost its edge, and requires to be -resharpened. The head and the feet are put on one side to be preserved as -trophies of the chase, while the remainder of the flesh is cut into long, -thin strips which, after they have been dried by hanging them on the -tree-branches, will keep good for a very long time. The ivory of the teeth -and tusks, which is of very fine quality, used to be employed almost -exclusively in the manufacture of false teeth; nowadays it is turned to -all the purposes of ordinary ivory. - -As for the hide, cut into strips it is made into sticks, which are as good -defensive weapons as one could wish to possess. Treated with oil they -become as transparent as tortoiseshell, and look quite pretty. Out of -hippopotamus-hide bullock-drivers likewise make thongs for their whips -which are positively everlasting, and fetch, relatively speaking, quite a -good price. - -In this particular expedition the only trouble I had was that involved in -shooting the animals. Things do not always go off so smoothly, however, -and hunting hippopotamus may turn out to be a more dangerous sport than -almost any other. - -On one occasion, when we were descending the course of the Chari in -canoes, we perceived a number of the great beasts in the river, playing -some clumsy sort of game among themselves and throwing up in the air jets -of water, somewhat similar to those ejected by whales through their -blow-holes. We could distinctly hear the animals’ powerful breathing. - -Carried away by the nearness of the game, I forgot entirely how dangerous -the pursuit of the hippopotamus may become when the hunter is in a boat. - -Meanwhile we were advancing steadily, and every time a huge frontal bone -or a giant muzzle appeared above the level of the water I pulled trigger. -There were frequently quite long intervals, for the hippopotamus is able -to remain over three minutes under water without coming up for breath. - -Presently, out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a female and her -little one on the river bank; then I saw her take to the water. My -attention, however, was riveted on a spot in the river where I had seen an -old male plunge. Every instant I expected him to reappear. - -Suddenly, ere I fully realized what was occurring, I found myself -projected upwards in the air with incredible violence. Before I descended -I had time to see a gigantic jaw open wide, and then close with a snap on -the unfortunate canoe which followed mine. An instant later I was in the -water, striking out madly for the bank, almost persuaded that I felt the -sharp teeth of a crocodile nipping off a thigh or an arm. I was fortunate -enough to reach the shore, however, without mishap. Then we called over -the roll. At first I supposed nobody was missing, but we soon perceived -that our number was one short. We never saw the poor fellow again. -Doubtless he had been injured when the jaws of the hippopotamus closed -over his canoe, and was thus unable to reach the bank. At that moment, -probably, a crocodile was devouring his body at the bottom of the river. - -By dint of a few questions I was able to piece together what had happened. -The female, thinking to defend her young, had thrown herself upon the -canoe behind mine, and almost simultaneously the old male had emerged from -the water with irresistible violence beneath my own craft, pitching me -upwards. It was a very narrow escape, all things considered, and I can -assure you that, for the rest of that day at least, we left the poor -“river horses” in peace. - - - - -The Tale the Doctor Told. - -A CHRISTMAS STORY OF THE WESTERN PLAINS. - -WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED BY STANLEY L. WOOD. - - Concerning this narrative, Mr. Wood writes: “I was a boy at the - time, living with my parents on the plains, the nearest point of - civilization being Fort Hayes, now Hayes City, Kansas. The doctor - had occasion to ride out to our place, and told us of his adventure, - and the sequel, much as I have set it down.” - - -It was Christmas Eve. - -“Hear that wind?” said Dr. McDonnell. “It sounds like a pack of wolves, -the way it howls; and the snow means to keep on coming.” - -“Yes, and stayin’,” answered the cow-puncher, nodding gravely at the -stove. - -“Not a nice night to go walking,” ventured the tenderfoot; “in fact, I -think I’d rather be here. It’d take a bit to get me out--and Christmas -Eve, too. As you say, doctor, the wind _does_ sound like wolves; and no -doubt if one were out they’d find the wolves--or the wolves find them.” - -“No doubt whatever, young feller,” remarked the puncher, dryly. “Wolves -_are_ out this weather for grub; and when they’re out for grub they’re out -on a business trip, dead sure.” - -The doctor bit the end off a fresh cigar. - -“Do you boys want a story?” said he. - -“Go ahead, doc,” replied the cow-puncher, proffering a match. And the -doctor, after lighting up, went ahead to the following effect. - - * * * * * - -Well, boys, it’s a long time ago now--a Christmas Eve, too--way back in -the ’seventies, when things on the prairies were very different. It was -usual in those days to get a brush with the Utes or the Cheyennes pretty -regularly once or twice a month. - -The twenty-third of December was a bright, sunny day, with not more than -three or four inches of snow on the plains. Over the thin snow-crust -galloped Jimmie Dink--“Darky Dink” we called him, because of his swarthy -hair and skin. - -“Doc,” said he, pulling his broncho up short before me, “Wolfie Jim’s -about done. Can’t you go to him? He’s ’most busted up.” - -Poor old Wolfie! I knew why. - -Some time previously he had run in among his dogs, which were attacking a -timber wolf they had turned up on the creek bank. He intended to knife it, -as he had done many a time before, but the old fellow, maybe, was not so -agile as formerly, and things had gone a bit wrong. Anyhow, he’d knifed -the wolf all right, but the wolf bit his foot badly, and Wolfie doctored -it in his own peculiar manner with unlimited bad whisky, taken both -outside and in. Well, the foot didn’t heal, and Wolfie couldn’t understand -it. - -He was one of the old fur-cap-and-buckskin-shirt trappers who never -consulted even a medicine-man, let alone a white doctor. I’d stopped at -his shack once or twice and got a liking for the quaint old fellow, so I -told Darky to get one of the boys to put a saddle on my old horse Pete -while I got my “murder-bag,” as they called my medicine outfit, and was -soon ready for Wolfie and his trouble. - -Away loped Pete over the beautiful glistening prairie; I could have found -my way to Wolfie’s with my eyes shut. - -It occurred to me soon that I was foolish not to have brought a heavier -overcoat, but I knew if I didn’t start on my return journey before sundown -I could either stay with old Wolf or borrow something to make me warm; -besides, although it was December, it was one of those prairie days that -would almost fool a wise man into the belief that it was spring. - -I shall never forget the shock I received as I pushed the door of the -little hut open. I had started with my case full of all I thought I -should want--even to vitriol, in case of a last resource. But Wolfie was -beyond my skill. He lay stretched out on his blankets, dead, with his two -dead hounds beside him. There was a half-empty bottle in his left hand and -a big six-shooter in his right. There were three cartridges in the -revolver and three empty shells. The old man and both hounds had each been -killed with a bullet through the head. - -[Illustration: “HE LAY STRETCHED OUT ON HIS BLANKETS, DEAD, WITH HIS TWO -DEAD HOUNDS BESIDE HIM.”] - -I examined the injured foot and understood the whole thing. - -Wolfie had doctored himself, but the wound had got worse and worse, and at -last the old fellow, in awful, never-ending pain, had drunk himself -half-dead and completed the work with his trigger finger. - -Meanwhile the weather had been growing gradually colder, and the wind -started to moan as I fastened the door from the outside, after quitting -that abode of death. The sky, too, was rapidly darkening, and Pete shook -his head up and down and stamped uneasily. - -Mounting, I rode off; but I had not been going long when, away in the -distance, I heard the dismal, long-drawn howl of a prairie wolf, then -another, and another. Not till that moment did it flash upon me what an -all-round fool I was. - -I had brought no revolver with me. It had started to snow, evening was -drawing in, and there were those gaunt brutes in the distance--yet I had -no protection against either the weather or the wolves. I touched up old -Pete, and we started to travel fast for home. - -We had not gone more than a mile farther before a real, genuine blizzard -sprang up. How it came down! Waves, absolute waves of snow, whirred, cut, -and beat about my face, while the wind howled and shrieked dismally. - -Then I did the worst, most foolish thing a man could have done. I tried to -guide old Pete! I steered him, and, though Pete knew better, he obeyed; -and so, between a good old horse and a fool of a young man, we made a fine -mess of it. We got lost, tangled up, with the snow whirling about us in -sheets. Every minute it got deeper and thicker, and at last poor old Pete -staggered, tried vainly to right himself, fell over, and collapsed. - -Try as I would I couldn’t get him up, and--well, I fear I lost my nerve, -what with the blinding snow and the distant howl of those wretched wolves. - -As the snow beat down upon me, piling up pitilessly over the now -stiffening form of the poor old horse, I thought it time to move on. To -stay where I was meant being frozen to death, to go on might mean the -same; but there was just a chance, and I stumbled forward and took the -chance. - -Heaven only knows how long I ploughed and pushed through those awful -snow-drifts with the falling flakes eddying about me in clouds; I lost all -account of time. I went stumbling blindly forward until I seemed not to be -myself, but just some machine without feeling or hope, mechanically -pulling one foot before the other, and groping through the freezing dark. - -I was just beginning to experience a drowsy, comfortable feeling, -when--bump!--the little sense left in me was nearly knocked out as my head -struck against something hard. - -That deadly, comfortable feeling left me at once. I felt about in the -darkness and touched boards. It was a cabin! With my half-frozen hands I -hammered at the woodwork, and I shall never forget my feelings as a door -opened and I was pulled in out of the storm, the door banging to behind -me. - -I couldn’t speak for a minute, and my eyes were blurred coming in from the -darkness and snow, but when they got accustomed to what little light there -was I didn’t feel I wanted to say much. - -Before me was a giant. He must have stood a good six-foot-six, but all I -could see of his face was his eyes. He was masked in what was called in -those days a “storm-cap,” which completely hid the face of the wearer, -showing only the eyes. A long, heavy overcoat, with collar upturned, -reached to his ankles. - -“Having arrived here, stranger,” he remarked, in an unpleasant, metallic -sort of voice, with a half laugh, “and it now being near Christmas Eve, -I’d be interested in knowing how you managed to bump up against this -building.” - -This was not the sort of greeting one would have expected under the -circumstances, and the man’s language did not smack of the prairie, but I -was too weak after my exertions and too thankful to be out of the storm to -notice trifles, and so I told him as briefly as possible that I was lost, -and should be grateful if he would give me shelter for the night. - -“Shelter?” said he. “Shelter? Yes, why not? All the shelter a man could -want. I wouldn’t turn a dog out such a night like this. Yes, stranger, you -can sleep here to-night, nice and quiet. I’ve nothing to give you to eat, -but there’s whisky here. Being nearly Christmas Eve, drink up, and -then--_go_ up!” - -As he spoke he poured whisky from a demi-john into two tin mugs and picked -up a lantern. Then, for the first time, I saw there was a rough ladder, up -which he went to a room above. - -Now all shacks, dug-outs, and cabins I had seen hitherto were of only one -storey. There was something uncanny about the man and the place, and tired -and knocked up as I was I did _not_ drink the whisky; I just wetted my -lips with it as my host’s feet clumped around above, and ere he descended -I carefully poured the contents of the tin cup into the ramshackle stove. - -“Now, up you go and sleep the sleep you’ve asked for,” said he, when he -came down. “A merry Christmas to you!” With that he tossed off his whisky -at a gulp. - -Up I went through the rough opening; it was not a trap-door, for there was -no flap to shut down. I found myself in a kind of loft, in which was a -wooden apology for a bed, heaped over with some evil-smelling blankets. -All this I saw by the light of a guttering candle stuck in the neck of a -cracked bottle. Though I was very, very weary, all thoughts of going to -sleep went out of my head. I distrusted that sinister-looking fellow -below. - -Pulling my flask from my pocket, I look a long drink, and the neat spirit -gradually warmed me. Then I sat down in the semi-darkness to think. - -Suddenly an inspiration came to me. Taking out my medicine-case I quickly -charged a syringe with whisky. This frail thing, in case of attack, was my -only weapon, with the exception of the cracked bottle holding the candle. - -As I crouched there in the attic there came crowding into my memory -stories of lonely travellers lost on these plains who had left not even a -button to tell how or where they had gone. There had been talk during the -last month of at least three men, settlers near the Fort, who had -mysteriously vanished, leaving not the faintest clue to their whereabouts. -At first their disappearance had been put down to raiding parties of Utes, -but careful scouting by some of the best men disproved this theory. - -Why should these thoughts come to me now? I asked myself, uneasily. Could -that villainous-looking giant below have had anything to do with the -disappearances? Lying prone, I peered cautiously through the trap, -striving to see what was going on below. Indistinctly I saw the big man -fill his tin cup three times and drain it off, muttering the while. Then, -struck by a sudden inspiration, I went back to the bed, pulled off my -coats, and heaped them up in a bundle on the bed to resemble as much as -possible a sleeping form. Next I took off my boots and hat and placed them -also in such a position, partly covered with the blankets, as to suggest -the idea that, worn out with fatigue, I had thrown myself down to sleep -fully clothed. Then I blew out the light and, keeping the bottle in my -hand, crept again to the opening by the ladder head. - -What I saw made my blood, which was chilly already, go colder yet. - -The big man was taking off his overcoat. He threw it to the floor, and -from his waist detached a belt from which dangled a heavy revolver and a -long bowie-knife. The latter he drew from its sheath, running his thumb -caressingly along the edge; then he laid it on the table. - -Crossing the room he returned with an iron bar about three feet long. I -heard it ring as he dumped it down on the table near the knife. - -Then, tossing off more whisky--this time from the demi-john--he snatched -up the bar and lantern and unsteadily approached the ladder. So my -half-formed suspicions were correct; he meant to murder me! - -With my heart beating like a sledge-hammer, I silently crouched behind the -bed. - -Never, if I live to be a hundred, shall I forget the next few minutes. He -emerged through the opening, tiptoed to the bed, swung up the bar, and -with a dull thwack brought it down just where my head might have lain. -Again and yet again he thrashed and beat the tumbled clothes. Then, as he -paused, from my place of concealment I squirted the whisky from the -syringe straight into his eyes. Dropping the bar, he staggered and rubbed -at his eyes, swearing horribly. As he reeled, half blinded, I sprang up -and brought the bottle down with all my strength on his head, at the same -time giving him a sideways push that sent him crashing through the opening -to the floor below. - -[Illustration: “I SENT HIM CRASHING THROUGH THE OPENING TO THE FLOOR -BELOW.”] - -I was trembling in every limb with excitement, but I managed to get my -boots, hat, and coats on. - -Then I cautiously descended. I had no doubt that the fall had killed him, -but I felt no pity; it was either his life or mine. Greatly to my -surprise, however, the giant was still breathing. He lay huddled up at the -ladder-foot, with blood on and about him. I tied his hands with a rope, -and then, turning him on his chest, cut away the back part of his flannel -shirt collar with his own villainous bowie-knife. Next, taking the small -phial of vitriol from my case, I spilt a few drops on the back of his bare -neck. The awful burning partly restored his senses, and he moaned. I had -no compunction, but proceeded to tear the visored cap from his head. - -I have never seen such a fiendish face in all my wanderings! The lower -part was covered with a thick jet-black beard and moustache, but the face, -taken altogether, was that of a murderer--the most horrible, -wolfish-looking visage I have ever gazed on. Like a cornered wolf, even as -he slowly revived he struggled and snapped to break the cords that bound -him, cursing savagely in his semi-drunken frenzy. - -Many a man would have shot him out of hand with his own weapon; but I -could not bring myself to that. I had left an indelible mark on him, -however, that he would carry with him to the grave, and should we ever -meet again there could be no disguising those awful eyes and his enormous -proportions. But, unless I killed or disabled him, it was obviously unsafe -to remain in the cabin. The storm had now ceased, so taking the villain’s -revolver, and leaving him struggling to unfasten his bonds, I set out to -try to find my way to the Fort, hoping against hope that I should soon -sight some familiar landmark. - -How long I blundered over the snow before I lost consciousness I do not -know, but I remember it flashed upon me once that this was the dawn of -Christmas Eve! Then I felt myself getting drowsier and drowsier. - -When I recovered my senses it had to be explained to me how I came to be -in bed back at my old quarters at Fort Hayes, minus two toes, which I had -bequeathed to “Jack Frost” during my stroll over the snow-clad prairies. - -A merciful Providence and three friendly Utes had found me and brought me -in. If it had not been for Black Cloud, one of the three Indians, and a -pretty big chief in his way, this story would never have been told. He was -the means of saving my life, and I thankfully presented him with the big -revolver I had taken from the rascal at the hut. - -Guided by Black Cloud, some of the boys and scouts a few days later -located the spot where the Indians had found me unconscious, slowly -freezing to death. From there they hunted in all directions, and at last -found the two-storeyed hut--empty. - -It was miles from the way I ought to have taken when I left the trapper’s -shack, which showed that trying to guide my poor old horse was the worst -thing I could have done. - -Later, when the weather broke and I was able to get about, I got two of -the boys to ride over to the hut with me. - -My tale had sent search-parties scouring the countryside to try to run the -would-be murderer down, but they never got him. What made the settlers and -the sheriff more than keen to catch him was the gruesome discovery the two -scouts and I made at the hut--three male skeletons, with their skulls -smashed in, roughly buried in the earth! I thought of the iron bar and -shuddered at my narrow escape. - -Three years after I happened to stroll into a crowded court-house in San -Jaleta, Southern Texas. A man was on trial for the murder of a lonely -rancher, and seemed likely to be acquitted, for the evidence was too -slight to convict him. There was no doubt that the motive of the crime had -been robbery; and there was no doubt, when I’d had a good look at the -prisoner, as to who he was. He was clean-shaven now, but, nevertheless, I -remembered those awful eyes. Making my way to the front, I asked -permission to give evidence for the prosecution. - -After I had told my story--although it took five men to master the -prisoner--the sheriff at last laid bare the scar on the neck where my -vitriol had branded him the night of the storm. - -Some of the crowd in court were pretty well worked up over the manner in -which the lonely ranchman had been done to death, and the tale I told did -not help to calm them. That night the jail at San Jaleta was “held up” by -an armed mob, and when the sun rose it shone down on the body of a giant -dangling from a telegraph pole at the end of a lariat. - -That’s my story, and every word of it is true. I am afraid it’s taken a -bit long in the telling, but I never hear the wind howling and moaning on -a Christmas Eve as it does to-night without thinking of that other -Christmas Eve on the Kansas plains so many years ago. - - - - -A White Woman in Cannibal-Land. - -BY ANNIE KER. - - Some incidents of a lady’s life in the wilds of New Guinea. Miss Ker - went out to Papua--as the country is now called--attached to a - mission, and describes the many strange, amusing, and exciting - experiences she encountered during her seven years’ sojourn among - the natives, who, not so very long ago, were always fighting and - much addicted to cannibalism--a practice which still prevails among - the wild tribes of the unexplored interior. - - -II. - -In many Papuan villages the visiting magistrates have raised one of the -chief men to the rank of local policeman, rewarding him with the princely -salary of ten shillings per annum (usually paid in tobacco) and two -uniforms. The latter consist of a neckless tunic with long sleeves, and a -strip of dark blue cloth covering the wearer from waist to knee. A flaming -red belt lends colour to the costume. - -The Wedau policeman lived a peaceful life on the whole, though when an -energetic magistrate swooped suddenly down on the village the -functionary’s life was, for the time being, scarcely worth living. -Luckily, the magistrate’s little vessel could be seen directly it rounded -the cape and long before it had crossed the bay, so that there was time -for preparations. Women set frantically to work with handfuls of stiff -stalks, which served as brooms, and swept fallen leaves into heaps, which -were immediately burned. Children buzzed backwards and forwards, carrying -loads of stones and rubbish, which they threw into the swamp on the beach. -“Gabemani” (Government) had ordered it to be filled in long ago, but the -villagers preferred swarms of malaria-disseminating mosquitoes rather than -exerting themselves to do away with the cause of them. - -[Illustration: THE HOUSE AT WAMIRA WHERE THE AUTHORESS LIVED FOR SEVEN -MONTHS, SPENDING AN EXCITING TIME OWING TO “EVIL SPIRITS” AND NATIVES -“RUNNING AMOK.” - -_From a Photograph._] - -The magistrate would find the village suspiciously neat and clean, and -after trying a few cases of petty theft would sail away satisfied, leaving -the policeman to distribute small portions of the tobacco he had received -and to enjoy his hard-earned rest. - -Another of the officer’s duties was to make journeys into the interior and -capture murderers, when such were heard of, and convey them down the coast -to Samarai to be tried. I saw one insignificant-looking little man on his -way to jail, whom I knew to have committed a cruel murder. A white man -named Sexton, a “fossicker,” whom we had entertained at the mission -station, had gone a few miles inland in quest of gold. One day, while -seated at his midday meal, he was seized from behind and his throat cut. -It seemed that a native of the village had died while working for a white -man; therefore, in accordance with Papuan ideas of justice, the next man -of that race who came along had to be slain in revenge for the native’s -life. - -The first photograph shows a house at Wamira where I lived for seven -months soon after my arrival in Papua. The missionary for whom it was -built was going on furlough, and during her absence I was in charge there. -It was situated on the edge of a coral cliff which rose straight up out of -the sea, so that the Pacific Ocean was, so to speak, at the door. Close by -was another house, used as a dormitory for the village girls who came as -boarders to the mission. There was also a boys’ dormitory and a kitchen. -This kitchen one day caught fire and was burnt to the ground in a very -little while. I rushed in and saved the pudding from the oven, while the -pupil-teacher, a Papuan boy, brought out our tin of kerosene before it -ignited. The kitchen was the only building that suffered, and the -villagers promptly built me a new one for five shillings, labour and -materials included! From this it will be obvious that there is not much -scope for a fire-insurance agent in Papua. - -My house was divided into two apartments, a bed and a sitting room, and -was built of native timber, the walls being composed of plaited coco-leaf -and the roof of grass. The floor was made of slender strips of wood laid -side by side, and, though airy, was anything but durable. It was slightly -discomposing to see a small boy enter at the doorway and then suddenly -disappear through a gap in the floor, though, having sufficient presence -of mind to spread out his arms, he was able to hold himself in that -position until someone could rescue him. For windows I had openings in the -leaf walls, closed when necessary by means of wooden shutters. - -Soon after I took charge the girls became much alarmed on account of some -midnight visitor who, they said, had tried to get into their house. The -natives were inclined to think the intruder was a prowling “bariawa,” or -spirit, and there were frightened faces and hushed voices among them as -night fell. Unfortunately, I was a heavy sleeper, and was usually only -roused by the girls’ shrieks after their mysterious visitor had left. A -few of the elder boys sat up one night, but saw nothing. Some barbed wire -was sent me, and complicated and formidable entanglements were constructed -between the girls’ house and mine. Soon after they had been placed there, -however, when we were congratulating ourselves that we were safe at last, -a little village child who was playing near fell over the wire and -severely injured himself, so I had to order the entanglement to be taken -away. One of the missionaries then lent me a revolver, but I am sure I -should never have been able to use it, even on a spirit. However, I showed -it to the old chief, and published the news of my acquisition, and soon -afterwards we were relieved to find that our mysterious visitor came no -longer. - -Another source of excitement at Wamira was a kind of madness which -attacked a man now and again, a state of exaltation somewhat resembling -the Malay “amok.” At first the victim only sat in the house suffering from -“heat in the heart.” Then, after muttering unintelligibly, he would seize -a handful of spears, rush out of the house, and career wildly through the -villages, flinging the spears to right and left and shouting as he ran. -Women would come shrieking to my house and take refuge inside the fence, -hoping to be safe with the “foreigner.” Once one of these half-crazed men, -exhausted after an attack, came up the path and demanded water. I gave him -some particularly nauseous medicine, which he drank greedily, afterwards -asking for more. On another occasion one of them, who had already aimed a -spear at a villager, came on to the school, where the pupil teacher and I -had our flock of fifty or sixty children. Seeing him approaching, however, -we hastily closed and barricaded the doors, standing the siege until the -old chief influenced our would-be assailant to withdraw. - -When my predecessor returned to her work a somewhat similar house to the -one I have described was built for me at Wedau, where I remained for -nearly two years. Ordinary village houses are built in very much the same -style: they possess only one room, and the supporting piles are higher. -The means of access to the interior is a sloping pole. These odd -“staircases” have slight notches cut in them, which afford very slight -purchase for a shod foot, though the nimble natives run up and down them -easily enough. - -While I was living at Wamira news was brought of a murder in the hills. -The girl who came to tell me said that her uncle had taken a journey there -to obtain betel-nut. On the way he heard voices and promptly hid himself. -From his place of concealment he saw two men attacking a third. One held -the victim’s arms while the other cut his throat with a “gatigati” (long -knife). As he did so the dying man cried, “Au dobu, au dobu!” (“Oh, my -home!” or, literally, village). The hidden onlooker, being a Papuan, did -not dream of interfering. His “skin trembled,” he said, and he hastily -made his way back to safety. - -[Illustration: A TYPICAL PAPUAN HUT. - -_From a Photograph._] - -The village policeman went out to capture the miscreants, and was -successful in bringing one to punishment. The crime, it was discovered, -had been committed for a very simple reason. The dead man had been -visiting a sick friend, who was the murderer’s brother. The invalid -received every kindness from his friend, but eventually, in the course of -nature, died. Therefore, argued the murderer, it was clear that the -visitor had bewitched the sick man and caused his death, and his own life -must necessarily be forfeited. - -The hill-folk generally only came into prominence through committing -murders or other crimes. Being removed from the coast, and able to hide in -many obscure caves and lurking-places, they naturally stood less in awe of -the power of Government than the coastal tribes. - -One day we were visited by two hill-women who had run away from their -husbands. Their bodies were covered with hideous raised scars, the result, -they assured us, of spear-thrusts inflicted on them by their inhuman -partners. They were in much fear of being pursued, but were given shelter -for the night at Dogura, the head station on the hill behind Wedau, where -I was living. - -That same evening I was startled by cries from the village. The natives -called to me to bring my lantern, and I ran down to find the place in an -uproar. The men were rushing about, searching and looking up in the trees, -while the women were huddled together, talking excitedly. I managed to -make out that the husbands of the two fugitives had traced them as far as -Wedau. One of the men had lurked outside a house in the village, and, so a -woman averred, would have speared her as she came out, thinking her to be -his missing wife. Fortunately for herself, however, she spoke, and he, -knowing her by her voice to be a Wedauan, ran off in the darkness. - -The villagers searched in vain, and the tumult subsided, but rumours soon -reached us that the baffled husbands were collecting a force and intended -to visit the head station at night and carry off the recalcitrant wives by -force. - -It was not thought safe for me to sleep alone in the village, so I went up -the hill to add one more to the crowded house. Our girl boarders were -packed in dozens into the different bedrooms, having forsaken their native -dormitories for the night, and I was accommodated with a cane lounge. It -was not furnished with mosquito curtains, and I decided by morning that -even the hill men’s spears could scarcely be sharper than the bites of the -vicious insects. No invaders arrived, however, so we put the story of -their intended raid down as an idle rumour. The women stayed with us for -some weeks and then slipped away. Some months later a policeman from up -the coast told me that the brothers of one of the injured wives had taken -summary vengeance on her husband, who paid for his cruelty with his life. - -We got excellent drinking water from a little stream, though care was -necessary in selecting the place from which to draw it, as the village -pigs were only too apt to bathe indiscriminately. The natives used -water-bottles made from hollowed coco-nut shells, fitted with a stopper of -twisted leaves, and carried six or seven at a time in a netted bag -suspended from the head. One of my girls, with a fine disregard for -proportion, styled them “New Guinea tanks.” - -[Illustration: “TOMMY” AND “TEDDY,” THE TWO LITTLE MITES WHO WERE SAVED BY -THE MISSIONARIES FROM BEING BURIED ALIVE. - -_From a Photograph._] - -The natives of Papua have some very curious superstitions, giving rise to -barbarous customs. For instance, a woman gave birth to twin boys. The -mother died, and the villagers, coming to the conclusion that the infants -were accursed, decided to bury the hapless babies alive on the woman’s -grave! This terrible deed would actually have been carried out had not a -native who had come under mission influence told his teacher what was -intended before it was too late. The missionary was thus able to save the -little mites, who were taken care of by a nurse. She is seen in the -annexed photograph with “Tommy” and “Teddy” when they were a year or two -old. Other babies, for various superstitious reasons, have been killed at -birth or hung in trees to die a slow and terrible death from starvation. - -[Illustration: A PAPUAN SERPENTINE--NATIVE BOYS SAILING THEIR HOME-MADE -BOATS IN A LAKE. - -_From a Photograph._] - -A favourite pastime with the village boys was sailing model boats, which -were surprisingly well made. The picture at the bottom of the page shows -lads sailing their “sikunas” (schooners) at a Papuan “Serpentine,” for all -the world like youngsters at home. - -[Illustration: PAPUANS FISH-SPEARING. - -_From a Photograph._] - -Favourite sports, though their object was utilitarian enough, are -fish-spearing and pig-hunting. The natives are wonderfully quick in -detecting the presence of a fish under the surface, and the many-pronged -fish-spear, shooting violently downwards, is more often than not recovered -with a brightly-coloured victim impaled upon it. The snapshot above shows -a group of Papuans, spear in hand, watching for fish in the shallow -water. - -The lower picture shows a number of fishing-nets hung up to dry. These are -made, of course, by the natives themselves. The twine is woven from the -peelings of liquorice-stalks netted together, the floats are light pieces -of wood, and the sinkers are cockle shells in which holes have been bored. - -[Illustration: A NATIVE WAITING TO SPEAR DRIVEN PIGS. - -_From a Photograph._] - -Pig-hunting is carried out in a very thorough fashion. Stout nets are -placed across the forest paths and clearings, and one party of natives -then beat the jungle, driving the game before them, while the spearmen -wait, as seen in the photograph, for the arrival of the quarry. - -[Illustration: DRYING NETS--THE NETS ARE MOST INGENIOUSLY MADE FROM THE -PEELINGS OF LICORICE-STALKS, WITH WOODEN FLOATS AND COCKLE-SHELL SINKERS. - -_From a Photograph._] - -Although stationed in a village, I often took short trips to other places, -travelling either by canoe or whale-boat. The native canoes are made of -logs, hollowed out with much labour, having an outrigger attached and a -small platform lashed between the two at either end. This the -passengers--myself and often Maebo, my little girl friend--shared with the -cargo. Canoes were of many shapes, varying according to the tribe of the -maker. Canoe travelling was idyllic in calm weather. Sometimes a turtle -would lift his lazy head and take a long look at us before diving, and we -could gaze far down into the depths of the crystal water and watch -brilliantly-hued fish disporting themselves among the branches of still -more dazzlingly-tinted coral, while the golden sunlight filtered mistily -down in cloudy rays. The crews paddled well, and we crossed the bay in -fine style, the men being quite content with a penny each as wages. - -[Illustration: A GROUP OF NATIVE CANOES--THE AUTHORESS MADE MANY TRIPS IN -THESE FRAIL CRAFT. - -_From a Photograph._] - -But, alas! it was very different in rough weather. Tired and hungry, -perhaps several miles from my destination, the captain would call to me, -“Misika (my native name), you’ll have to get out and go by the beach, for -the wind is rising.” My heart would sink, and I would beseech him to make -the crew paddle on; but the wind caught us up, and the waves broke -mercilessly over the little vessel, which was hugging the shore. Then, -perforce, after a thorough drenching, I got out, the canoe was hauled up, -and we tramped wearily home, the captain carrying me over the streams on -his back. This was rather a pleasant mode of crossing; but when the stream -was very deep I had to sit on the boy’s shoulders and hold on to his chin, -which--I speak from bitter experience--is a very unsafe position. Once, -with myself thus perched on high, we attempted to cross a wide river at -the mouth of which some natives were fishing with a drag-net. It so -happened that when we reached mid-stream--I holding only too insecurely to -a wobbly chin--something very special, I don’t know what, occurred in -connection with the fish, and we were ordered to remain where we were! It -seemed impossible, but there I remained, clinging desperately to my human -steed, until the slow old fishermen had gathered their net in and--to my -rather malicious satisfaction--discovered not a single fish in the meshes. - -[Illustration: MAEBO, MISS KER’S LITTLE TRAVELLING COMPANION. - -_From a Photograph._] - -My little girl companion, Maebo, who is seen in the annexed photograph, -had much charm of manner, but was not exactly pretty. She wore, as did all -Wedauan woman, several skirts of shredded coco-nut leaf; she had even, -while teeth, pretty hands and arms, and a satiny brown skin. On the many -occasions when she shaved her head, and even her eyebrows, her appearance -was certainly not improved. She was a nice child, however, and accompanied -me on many journeys. - -Maebo was betrothed to a village boy by her father when she was only ten -years old, though that did not prevent many others from wishing to marry -her. But she would have none of them, not even the highly educated, who -applied for the honour of her hand by letter. She would not marry out of -her village, she said, for fear of her life being taken by a sorcerer. A -short time ago her _fiancé_ became her husband, and so I lost my -travelling companion. - -Suicide is committed in Papua for what would seem very inadequate reasons -to white people. For instance, if a man goes on a long journey without -bidding farewell to his nearest relatives, one of them may feel it -incumbent on him to climb a coco palm and fling himself off it to his -death. A village girl who was very anxious to accompany me on a trip up -the coast finally reluctantly refused to go. If she did, she said, her -father would “throw himself from a high tree.” - -Ridicule and opposition are always very trying to a Papuan, and a sad case -of double suicide took place in consequence of the latter. - -A girl and a young man became much attached to each other and met -regularly. Each morning, however, the girl’s father and mother would say -to her, “Why do you talk to that boy? He is poor, and has not enough food -to give you.” At the same time the boy’s parents told him continually how -foolish he was to have anything to do with a girl who would never do good -work for him at the gardens. The constant opposition told on the unhappy -couple and at last the girl’s patience wore out. She said to her -lover--the speech is truly characteristic of a Papuan--“The tongues of our -people will never be silent. Let us cease to live, and their talk will be -done!” And the boy agreed. - -The next night they decked themselves in their best ornaments--necklaces, -shell armlets, and sweet-scented flowers--so that they appeared as though -dressed for a feast. Then they took a piece of tough jungle creeper and, -having made nooses, bade farewell to each other. They were found when -morning came hanging dead in the same tree. - -[Illustration: THE MISSION LAUNCH UNDER REPAIR--PRACTICALLY EVERY KIND OF -MISHAP SHORT OF BEING BLOWN UP HAS BEFALLEN THIS HARD-WORKED LITTLE -VESSEL. - -_From a Photograph._] - -The mission launch was, on the whole, my quickest mode of travelling--that -is to say, as long as it was whole. As seen in the accompanying picture, -it is being repaired after one of its many mishaps. It would be quite -beyond me to relate all the adventures that have befallen it during its -period of existence. It has not, I believe, been blown up yet, though it -came perilously near it when on fire once, for an over-zealous native, -imagining the benzine tank to hold water, was only hindered just in time -from chopping it open with an axe! - -(_To be concluded._) - - - - -SHORT STORIES. - - The second instalment of a budget of breezy little - narratives--exciting, humorous, and curious--hailing from all parts - of the world. This month we publish a humorous Canadian episode and - a terrible affair which occurred on an American train. - - -A BLUFF THAT WORKED. - -BY J. K. STRACHAN, J.P., OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. - -This amusing little story was told to me by Mr. John Wood, in the Tecumseh -Hotel at Winnipeg. He happened to see there the character I have called -“Slippery Dick,” whom he had known in 1881 or 1882 at a small village near -London, Ontario, where he then lived, and the sight of the man recalled -the facts to his mind. As most of the parties concerned are still living, -I have thought it advisable to alter the names. - - * * * * * - -Dick Small was his name, but we called him “Small Dick,” or “Slippery -Dick,” on account of his small and mean ways. Well, one night Sam Smart -and I and several other boys were in Steve Brown’s bar, “talking horse,” -when old Dick came meandering in, and, of course, chipped in with some of -his usual boasting. - -“I’ve got the best little mare in the settlement,” he told us, “and don’t -you forget it. I’m game to back that little bit of horseflesh for fifty -dollars for a mile, twice round the half-mile track, against anything you -can produce in these parts. Who’s got anything to say? I’ll run her now, -to-morrow, or any time.” - -“You ain’t produced the collateral,” put in Sam, quietly. - -With that old Dick thrust his hand into his back pocket and drew out quite -a wad. Counting out five ten-dollar bills, he put them on the counter. - -“Now, Steve, you’re stakeholder,” he said. “Who’s going to cover ’em? It’s -put up or shut up.” - -Sam got up, and, putting a fifty-dollar bill on top of Dick’s, replied, -“I’ll jest take that bet. Hold the stakes, Steve.” - -“All right,” said Steve, and pushed the money into his safe. - -The boys all looked at Sam, puzzled like, and old Slippery was wondering -what it all meant. - -“Didn’t know you had a horse, Sam,” he remarked. - -“You don’t know everything, Dick,” returned Sam, “but I ain’t surprised, -for I only brought him home to-day. Well, let’s settle the time for the -match. To-morrow morning at eight o’clock will suit me. I don’t want a -crowd to know too much of my horse’s points, so we’ll do it on the quiet.” - -The old man agreed to this, and Sam went on: “And now, as I’ve got to see -some business, I’ll say good-bye, boys. Say, Steve, a word with you before -I go.” - -Steve and Sam went into the back room, and in about five minutes Sam came -out and walked off. - -The boys and Slippery hung around, and you could see the old miser was -uneasy about his fifty dollars. So he began a-trying to pump Steve. “Say, -Steve,” said he, “what kind of a horse has Sam got?” - -“Don’t know; ain’t seen him,” replied Steve. - -“You don’t know anything about him, I suppose?” inquired Dick. - -“Only what Sam told me, and I don’t suppose he wanted me to repeat it. But -as the bet’s made I don’t see that it matters. He told me that he covered -fifteen miles with the horse yesterday in less than three-quarters of an -hour, and he landed it fresh as paint; hadn’t turned a hair.” - -“Gee whizz!” ejaculated Slippery, in dismay. “I’m a goner! I don’t know -what I’d better do. I’ve a note to meet at the bank to-morrow, and if Sam -wins my money I sha’n’t be able to come up to time on the note, and it’ll -go to protest. Everybody’ll know it and my credit will be gone. What a -fool I was!” - -“Well, Dick,” said Steve, “I’m sorry for you, but it’s your own fault; -nobody asked you to bet. Say, Sam’s not a bad sort when he’s treated -right; couldn’t you tell him you forgot an important engagement for -to-morrow, and ask him to agree to draw the bet? Maybe he would if you put -it to him right.” - -“Think he would, Steve?” asked Dick, doubtfully. “Wonder where I could -find him?” - -“I think I know where he could be located, and if you like I’ll send my -boy Jim to bring him along.” - -“Thanky, Steve. I wish you would,” said old Dick. - -Soon after the boy returned, and close behind him came Sam. Looking round, -and seeing old Slippery and nearly all the boys still there, he asked, -“What’s up? Want to double the bet, Dick? If so, you can be accommodated.” - -Steve, pretending to side with old Dick, explained that the old man had -forgotten a particular engagement and had to go away for some days. As -accidents might happen, he thought it would be better to cancel the bets -and arrange a fresh match later on. - -But Sam took it badly, angrily demanding what sort of idiot they took him -for. “Draw bets? Not much!” he cried. “I’ll double it, if you like.” - -Then he turned upon Dick Small, who was looking mighty miserable. “You old -rascal,” he went on, “I know what it is--you’re afraid you’ll lose your -money. Serve you right! You wanted to back your old mare, didn’t you? No -one asked you to. Draw bets, you say? No, siree, not by a jugful!” - -“Look here, Sam,” said Steve, “don’t be too hard. You think you’ve got a -sure thing, but accidents might happen even on your side. Why don’t you -two compromise? Supposing Dick allows you something for your trouble and -sets up drinks for the crowd?” - -“What do you mean by a compromise?” demanded Sam. “If Dick forfeits half -his bet, that would be about fair, I should say.” - -“Oh, I couldn’t do that, really,” cried old Slippery, in great distress. - -“Very well,” said Sam, “then the bet stands. Good-bye; I’m busy.” - -“Hold on a bit,” put in Steve, and, drawing the old man aside, he -whispered to him for a minute or two. You should have seen the different -emotions which chased over old Dick’s face! At last, however, he seemed to -agree with Steve; and then Steve, addressing the crowd, told us that he -quite understood the matter. The proposition he had to make was that Dick -should pay Sam ten dollars and stand a double treat round for the crowd. -If the boys now present considered that fair, he added, he thought Sam, as -a sportsman, should accept. - -“Do as you like,” said Sam. “I’m tired of the whole thing.” - -So Steve took the votes of the company. A few thought the bet ought to -stand; but the majority, being pretty thirsty, were in favour of the -proposition, and it was finally carried, Sam getting back his fifty -dollars and ten dollars of old Slippery’s. Steve charged three dollars for -the two rounds, and gave the old man back the remaining thirty-seven -dollars. - -“Say, Sam,” said old Dick, just as he was going, “I should like to see -your horse, if you have no objection.” - -“Why, certainly,” replied Sam. “Any time you like; if I’m not at home, ask -the missus.” - -When Dick had gone the boys all started asking questions about Sam’s -horse, but all he would say was, “You’ll know all about it by and by.” - -Next day, as Sam expected, old Dick went up to Sam’s place. There was only -the missus at home; Sam took care to be out of the way. - -“Mornin’, Mrs. Smart,” said Slippery, politely. - -“Good morning, Mr. Small,” answered Mrs. Smart. “What brings you round -these parts?” - -“Why, Sam said I might see the new horse if I came up.” - -“I don’t see why you should be interested in such a thing,” said Mrs. -Smart, looking puzzled, “but you can see it if you want to. It’s in the -kitchen.” - -Old Slippery was taken aback; he thought he must surely have misunderstood -her. - -“In the kitchen?” he echoed. - -“Yes, in the kitchen, standing by the stove,” replied the woman. “You can -go right in and look at it if you want to, but what there is to see in it -I can’t make out.” - -The old man, not comprehending things at all, went through into the -kitchen and looked around. But the only horse he saw there, if he expected -to see any other in such a place, was a new four-legged clothes-horse with -a few articles hanging on it to dry! - -In an instant he realized the trick that had been played upon him, and -very nearly went crazy. He stamped and swore, while poor Mrs. Smart -wondered what it all meant, or if the old man had suddenly gone mad. -Presently, however, she commenced to smell a rat. - -“What fool trick has that man of mine been up to now?” she asked. - -“I don’t know about a fool trick,” screamed the old man, “but I do know -that he has swindled me out of ten good dollars, besides making me pay -three dollars for a double round of drinks for all the thirsty loafers -down at Steve Brown’s saloon. But I’ll get even with him, the swindler, -and with Steve Brown, too, and all his gang! It was a put-up job; I can -see it all now. What a double-dyed fool I’ve been! But I’ll sue him--I’ll -show him up!” - -[Illustration: “I’LL SUE HIM--I’LL SHOW HIM UP!”] - -And away he went, leaving Mrs. Smart quite in the dark as to the cause of -his wrath. - -Still raving, the foolish old man came down town, where he saw Sam and -Steve and some more of the boys. He promptly called them all a lot of -thieves and crooks and swindlers, said it was all a put-up job, and that -he would report Steve to the Licence Commissioners, get his licence -cancelled, and make Sam return the ten dollars and Steve the three dollars -he had for the drinks. - -Steve heard him out quietly, and then told him to get out of his house. -Dick would hear from him later, he said. - -When Dick had gone, Sam and Steve went over to the town and told the whole -story to Lawyer Harris. Sam said he had never thought of making any bet, -but could not stand the old man’s everlasting boasting, so the idea struck -him that he would work off a “bluff” on Small. He certainly had stated -that he and his “horse” covered fifteen miles under forty-two minutes. It -was quite correct, for he brought it in on the train. Moreover, he had -stated that it landed “as fresh as paint”; that was true again--it had -been freshly painted. He had said, further, that it didn’t turn a hair, -and it didn’t--for the best of reasons. - -The lawyer roared with laughter; it was the best joke he had heard for a -long time, he said, and served the old skinflint right. “I’ll write and -claim two hundred and fifty dollars each for Steve and Sam for malicious -slander,” he added, “and threaten him with a writ if he doesn’t pay up.” - -The lawyer sent his clerk over to deliver the letter to old Dick, who read -it over two or three times before he understood it. Then he nearly had a -fit, but the clerk advised him to keep quiet and come over and see Mr. -Harris, and perhaps they could settle things. - -When Small arrived the lawyer let him have it hot and strong. He told him -he was always thrusting himself in where he wasn’t wanted, and now, -because for once he had overreached himself, he couldn’t take his medicine -quietly, but must go calling people thieves and swindlers, in spite of the -fact that he would have been glad enough to pocket Sam’s fifty dollars. If -he defended the suit, the lawyer said, he would certainly have to pay -damages and costs, besides making himself the laughing-stock of the -country for miles around. - -Dick saw the point and began to climb down, and finally Mr. Harris let him -off on paying ten dollars each to Sam and Steve, another ten dollars for -lawyer’s fees, and signing a letter of apology. And that’s the whole -story, but I don’t think old Dick has ever made a bet since. - - -THE YELLOW FIEND. - -BY JULIAN JOHNSON, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. - -[Illustration: MR. CONLISK, WHO WAS THE CONDUCTOR OF THE TRAIN AT THE TIME -THIS ADVENTURE HAPPENED. - -_From a Photograph._] - -Much of the history of railroading in Western America reads like a chapter -from some “penny dreadful,” but none of the thrilling pioneer episodes -surpasses in dramatic interest an incident which occurred a few years ago -on one of the regular passenger trains of the Denver and Rio Grande. - -The principal surviving actor in this singular tragedy is John Conlisk, -who has now retired from active railroad service, and is at present living -quietly at 2,717, Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, California. - -At the time of our story--March, 1892--Mr. Conlisk was a passenger -conductor on the Denver and Rio Grande, running between Ogden, Utah, and -Grand Junction, Colorado, making his home in the Utah city. This brief -introduction is sufficient, however, and the rest may be narrated just as -he told it to the writer recently. - - * * * * * - -The morning was crisp and clear and promised a bright March day. Shortly -after two o’clock I was on the platform at Grand Junction waiting for No. -7, which I was to take back to Ogden. She came in on time, the few -preliminaries attending the exchange of crews were finished as usual, and -at three I was ready to go, when the conductor for the other division ran -across the platform to me. - -“Jack,” he said, “there’s a Chinaman in the ladies’ wash-room in the -chair-car. He’s been in there two or three hours, and we can’t get him -out. He’s in an ugly temper, and you may have trouble with him. If I were -you I’d call the station officer.” - -So I started on a hunt for that person, but he was not to be found -anywhere, and after delaying the train two or three minutes I concluded to -settle the matter with my own crew and passed the signal to the engineer. -As we swung on board I spoke to my head brakeman, a young fellow named -James Genong. - -“There’s a Chinaman in the ladies’ wash-room in the chair-car,” I told -him. “He’s locked himself in, for some heathen reason or other, and I wish -you’d see if you can get him out without making any disturbance.” - -I had a heavy load of passengers, probably two hundred in all, and after -making my rounds, of course not disturbing the people in the sleepers, I -went into the coach just ahead of the chair-car, and, with my train-box -before me, sat down to count my tickets. - -I had hardly finished my work when the door flew open, as though hurled by -a violent gust of wind. Jim was behind it, with a pale, excited face. “Got -a gun about you?” he asked, in a hoarse, frightened whisper. - -“Why?” I asked, in astonishment. - -“That Chinaman’s stabbed me!” he replied, looking furtively over his -shoulder. - -“Jim,” I said, getting up at once, “this thing may be serious, but it -can’t be settled by indiscriminate shooting in a train-load of passengers. -We’ve got to find another way.” - -I must here interrupt my story for a moment to tell you what had actually -happened. Jim, thinking the Celestial an easy conquest, started after him -before the train was fairly under way. In those days chair-cars carried -the time-honoured stove and wood-box, and the brakeman, putting one foot -on the edge of the latter and the other on an opposite ledge, peered down -over the transom and ordered the Chinaman to come out in language that -admitted of no misinterpretation. And the Chinaman _did_ come out, ducking -fairly under Jim in his elevated position. As he ducked he slashed upward -with a great curved hunting-knife. The slash caught the white man on the -inside of the thigh, producing a wound that bled profusely and probably -gave a deal of inconvenience, but which was not really dangerous. - -Seeing Jim streaming with blood, and believing that the yellow man was -actually running amok, I started for the door, first telling the -passengers in that car to lie down on the floor if they heard any shooting -going on beyond. - -The train was making good speed, but as I stood on the platform I could -hear the culprit jabbering about, “Fiftleen hundled dolla! Me got plenty -monee!” He commanded his end of the car, from which practically all the -passengers had retired panic-stricken. The only exceptions to the general -decampment were a fine-looking young chap from Bunker Hill, Illinois, who -sat in a forward chair reading a book, and an army officer’s wife with a -little baby, bound for Salt Lake City--in the seat opposite. These were -directly under the Chinaman’s eye, and whenever they attempted to move he -waved them back with a ferocious gesture of his great glittering knife. - -Going to the door, which was locked, I rapped sharply on it with my -ticket-punch. I had no revolver with me, but I hoped to distract his -attention. And I did! Turning, he saw me, and with his face distorted with -an expression of the most hideous savagery he drew back his arm, and sent -it and the knife through the glass, clear to the shoulder, the blade just -missing me! - -Without more ado I pulled the bell-cord and ran into the forward car, -where I borrowed a big Colt’s revolver from a cowboy I knew. Then, -returning to the platform, I waited until the train had almost stopped, -and dropped to the ground, catching the rear platform of the chair-car as -the wheels ground down to their final revolution. - -The frightened people were packed so densely against the door that I had -to fight my way in, and then through them. The Chinaman, with his two -quiet prisoners, had the whole front end of the car to himself. I called -to him, exhibiting the pistol. - -At the sight of that gun the most awful frenzy blazed in his eyes. He was -a big fellow, and now, with the greatest deliberation, he rolled up his -wide sleeves, disclosing a tremendous pair of arms, covered with heavy -black hair. He looked like a typical Boxer on the war-path. - -Then he started in my direction, but in a moment changed his mind about -leaving a foe in his rear, and with the most calculating, revolting -cruelty that I have ever seen swirled his great blade down over the seated -boy’s head, and plunged it to the hilt in his body. Women shrieked and -fainted, and I felt myself all but falling. - -Raising my revolver I fired, and the ball broke his legs under him. He -fell, and the army officer’s wife, with a terrible shriek, raised her baby -to her shoulder and started down the car. - -But in an instant the Chinaman was on his feet, wounded as he was, and -struck the woman an appalling blow over the shoulder. She dropped like a -stone--apparently stabbed to the heart. - -I waited no more on the possibility of a high bullet glancing into the car -ahead, but fired straight at his heart. Even with the crash of my pistol -another sounded just behind me, and the yellow fiend fell headlong between -two chairs. - -Someone went over and kicked him, but the body gave no sign of life, and -we devoted our attention to the unfortunate young man, who now lay huddled -in a pathetic and bloody heap in his seat. - -Others crowded around us, and at length I saw my cowboy friend -approaching. Just as he reached me I was stooping over the Celestial’s -first victim, in an attempt to raise him, when I heard the puncher yell, -in an agonized voice, “For Heaven’s sake, Jack, look out!” - -I glanced backward, and there was that colourless, diabolical countenance -again blazing into mine. He was standing erect, and the knife was poised -for a blow which would have given me my quietus. As I looked, certain that -death was coming, I felt a wrench at my hip-pocket. It was the cowboy -tearing his revolver out of my clothes. Even as the knife descended, my -saviour jammed his weapon squarely into the Chinaman’s ear--and fired. - -The big bullet, at that distance, almost tore his head to pieces. Blood -was spattered over all of us, in the most sickening way that could be -imagined. Hating to touch the body, we pushed it under a seat and turned -our whole attention to the wounded. - -[Illustration: “EVEN AS THE KNIFE DESCENDED, MY SAVIOUR JAMMED HIS WEAPON -SQUARELY INTO THE CHINAMAN’S EAR.”] - -The officer’s wife, strangely enough, had not a scratch on her. She was in -a dead faint, but both she and the child were practically uninjured. The -explanation of her escape seems to have been that the Chinaman’s wrist -fell with full force on the baby, thus preventing the knife from doing any -damage to either. - -The poor boy, though conscious, was plainly mortally wounded. He made no -complaint, and smiled faintly as we carried him back to a vacant berth in -one of the Pullmans. - -About daylight, at one of the longer stops, several of the passengers -dragged the murderer’s horribly-battered body forward to the baggage-car. -They did not carry him, but dragged him, and, as it was in the spring, the -road-bed was very muddy. When the body reached the baggage-car the -features were absolutely hidden in a combined coating of dried blood and -slime. - -Then, as we got under way again, a physician on the train, with myself and -others, searched the remains. The dead man had on two pairs of trousers, -and, sewn inside his shirt, fifteen hundred dollars in greenbacks. In his -purse he had a first-class ticket from Pittsburg to San Francisco and, -what was still more singular, a paid-up life insurance policy for five -thousand dollars in favour of one Ah Say, of Evanston, Wyoming. - -We rolled the body into a corner and looked over his few effects. -Presently one of the men, who was sitting on a trunk facing us, gave a -peculiar gasp and turned as white as blotting-paper. His eyes were fixed -staringly on something behind our backs. We turned with one accord. - -The supposedly dead Chinaman--a Chinaman with a body as full of holes as a -sieve--was sitting up! I cannot convey in words the indescribably hideous -effect of that face, caked as it was with gore and filth. Only a ghastly -red crack of mouth was visible, grinning in demoniac vacancy, and two -burning black slants which indicated his eyes. - -The doctor was the only man who had his nerve in that excruciating moment. - -“Well, John, how d’you feel now?” he said, speaking in a tone that was -even jocular. - -The Chinaman did not deign to answer, but first felt carefully all over -himself. Then he put his hand to what should have been his trousers -pocket, and at length ran his fingers violently around the place in his -shirt from which we had taken his greenbacks. That frightful malevolence -came back into his eyes, and, never taking those snaky optics from our -faces, he began to hitch painfully across the floor towards a stand in -which were kept guns for emergency use, in case of train robbery. To me, -his actions seemed like those of some dreadful automaton. Every man of us -watched him--held motionless, as a rattlesnake holds its victim, by the -spell of terror. - -Slowly, painfully, he progressed. He gained inch by inch, and at last was -almost within reaching distance. He stretched out his arms to the guns, -and partially rose; then he fell over stone-dead--dead this time for good -and all. - -The doctor examined him, and reported his survival to be due to opiates, -which he had taken in enormous quantities. - -At Salt Lake City I received an order from Mr. W. H. Bancroft, then -receiver of the road, to stop there with the crew, which included James -Donohue, engineer, and Charles Francis, fireman. - -We arrived there about three o’clock, and the young man was still alive, -though fast weakening. In an ordinary conversational manner he told us -that his home was in Bunker Hill, Illinois, that his father was a banker, -and that, after leaving school, he had been sent on a Western trip before -assuming the business himself. Informed of his grave condition, he -expressed his best wishes for all of us, and went under the anæsthetic -with a happy smile. He died without ever returning to consciousness. - -At the coroner’s inquest it was decided that the Chinaman had suddenly -gone insane from an overdose of opium, for, as the evidence showed, he had -been pleasant enough during the day, and had talked to several ladies in -the car, telling them that he had been recently converted to Christianity -and that he proposed to preach in San Francisco. After his burial expenses -had been paid, the balance of his money was forwarded to the Chinese -Consul in the city toward which he was bound. - -There was an amusing sequel to the tragedy, though an exasperating one in -some ways. Some months afterwards the keeper of one of the -eating-stations, calling me to one side, inquired rather pointedly, “Have -you noticed that the Chinese seem to be afraid of you?” - -I replied that I hadn’t given the matter any thought, either way. - -“Well,” he added, “Agent ----, of the U.P. (an opposition road), has told -all the Chinks in the State that you killed their countryman for his -money!” - - - - -My Experiences in Algeria. - -BY THE BARONESS DE BOERIO. - - The Baroness’s husband, an officer in the French army, was ordered - to Algeria, and took his wife and children with him. There, located - at a tiny post far from civilization, in the midst of fierce and - unruly tribes, the authoress met with some very strange adventures, - which she here sets forth in a chatty and amusing fashion. - - -I. - -How well I remember the day when my husband, an officer in the French -army, was nominated for service in Algeria! I was still plunged in slumber -when I was suddenly aroused by a diabolical yell (if you ask my husband he -will hotly deny this, but men can never be believed). I sat up, thinking -the end of the world had come, and saw my husband frantically waving a -white paper and shouting: “Named in Algeria--1st Regiment of Spahis! With -a wife and children it’s impossible! Why am I married?” - -“Well!” I said, still half asleep, but seizing the sense of the remark -that referred to me. “_You_ ought to know why you are married. What’s the -matter with you? Do you want a divorce?” - -“Don’t be frivolous; it is a serious matter,” he groaned, holding out the -paper for my inspection. “Do you understand? I am nominated to an African -regiment, the 1st Spahis, and in a fortnight I must be _there_.” - -“Do you mean that we--you and I--are going out to North Africa?” I cried. -“Really? Hip, hip, hurrah!” - -“Are you mad?” he demanded, in astonishment. - -“Yes; mad with joy,” I replied. “I’m tired to death of poky French -garrison towns. We’ll go out to the sun and be stewed, have our throats -cut by Arabs, and enjoy ourselves down to the ground.” - -“My dear girl,” said my husband, with as much calmness as he could muster, -“we are ordered to a post in the mountains, Teniet-el-Haad. In all -probability you will get no servants to go with you, and there may not -even be a fit house to live in. A lady _cannot_ go there!” - -“An English one can--_we_ follow our husbands,” I said, stoutly. - -“I shall have to go alone,” he said, quietly, “unless I can find some -fellow to exchange.” - -“You can do as you like,” I answered, loftily, “but I am going to join!” - -And so I did, in his company and that of my three children. - -I was sadly disappointed in Algiers; it appeared to my jaundiced eyes -quite an ordinary town. Its arcades, filled with elegant Parisian-looking -women and top-hatted, frock-coated men straight from the Champs Elysées -and Bois de Boulogne, gave me quite a shock. However, I consoled myself -with the thought that our station was far away up in the wild mountains of -the Tell, where real live Arabs, hyenas, jackals, and a panther here and -there would advantageously replace these civilized banalities. - -[Illustration: “A WHEEL HUNG FOR AN INSTANT OVER BOTTOMLESS SPACE.”] - -Our journey from Algiers to Affreville was just like any other railway -journey. At the last-named town we got out, had a nice breakfast at the -station buffet, and at twelve got into the coupé of a diligence so -dilapidated and prehistoric in appearance that my heart sank within me; -but that was only the beginning. This vehicle was drawn by eight skinny -white horses, each of whom seemed to have his own private opinion as to -the manner of drawing the vehicle--and all their opinions seemed to differ -vastly from that of the driver, whose face wore an “I give it up” sort of -expression. So bored was the good man by things in general that during -the journey he indulged in sundry snoozes. This was bearable whilst the -road was wide and on the flat, but when it wound like a narrow white -ribbon round and round the mountains, and one gazed up on the left at a -grey wall of rock, and on the right down fathomless precipices, we glanced -at our slumbering Jehu and held on by the skin of our teeth, whilst the -skinny horses dashed headlong round narrow corners and a wheel hung for an -instant over bottomless space. This nightmare ride lasted for eight hours, -during which time I tried hard to feel that I was enjoying myself, despite -the cramp in my legs and the stiffness of my neck--necessarily slightly -bent on account of the lowness of the roof. Finally we arrived at -Teniet-el-Haad, which appeared to be composed of one narrow street hemmed -in abruptly on either side by the mountains. Thankfully we crawled out of -the diligence and walked up the hill to the “bordj,” or fort, where a -flat had been provided for us by the Government. So this was to be my -home! I gazed eagerly round at the small rooms with their bare, -whitewashed walls, and then--when I had a box to sit on--I sat down and -cried. - -“Nice place, Algeria, isn’t it?” mildly remarked my husband. I felt at -that moment as though I could have throttled him cheerfully. - -[Illustration: A VIEW OF TENIET-EL-HAAD. - -_From a Photograph._] - -Truly my position was not enviable. Accustomed hitherto to be waited on -hand and foot, I now found myself without a servant of any kind, save my -husband’s orderly. I was in a strange country, and was expected to do -everything for myself. However, repining would not help matters, so I set -to work to teach the orderly the rudiments of the culinary art, he knowing -nothing more about it than--than I did. What hard days those were, to be -sure! I wonder my husband survived them. My fried potatoes fell into -greasy bits instead of frying, my scrambled eggs flew up the chimney, my -omelettes were sickening messes, and the meat either would not cook at all -or exaggerated the matter and turned into coal. Then there was the washing -and ironing. I never thought--until I essayed the work--that there was -much difficulty about it; it seemed quite easy. You took soiled things -off, put them in water and soaped them; then you wrung them out, ironed -them, and there you were. Our linen, however, grew greyer and greyer, -yellower and yellower, and I became pensive. “What _do_ you think is wrong -with it?” I asked the orderly, who had become our washerman, there being -no other. - -“Well, madam,” he said, diffidently, “I think it wants sort of boiling -gently with something or other. I remember my mother----” - -“Oh, what did your mother do?” I asked, eagerly. - -“Well, she washed it first, and then put it in a barrel with a hole in the -bottom and--and boiled it, I think. Leastways, it was somehow all right -after.” - -“But you can’t boil in a barrel; it would catch fire,” I objected. “And -why a hole? Surely the water would run out?” - -He looked shy and unhappy. - -“Well, there may be something wrong about the boiling in the wooden -barrel. I misremember that, but”--a slow grin spread over his face--“I’m -sure about the hole, because I used to stop it up, and mother was awfully -wild.” - -After some weeks, however, the orderly began to see light, and, helped by -an Arab boy, managed these tiresome domestic matters well enough to allow -of my going out riding and seeing a little of the country. - -The mountains, burnt yellow by the hot summer sun when I first saw them, -were growing rapidly green after a few hours’ torrential rain. In the -forest all the spring flowers sprang to life again, flowering hastily on -tiny short stems as though fearing they would not find time before being -cut off by the winter frosts. A carpet of blue and white iris and crocus -spread out under the shade of the mighty cedars, together with all sorts -of bright creeping plants. Orchids and narcissi peeped up from every damp -corner, and in the crevices of the rocks wild carnations and geraniums -made a dash of bright colour. - -One day whilst out mushrooming I felt rather thirsty, and proposed to my -husband to go and ask for some goats’ milk at a tent I saw peeping through -the underwood higher up. He acceded, and, talking and picking flowers, we -wandered up slowly. Never in my life have I seen so dilapidated a tent. It -had been mended again and again with rags so various in shape and colour -that little of the original _felidga_ was left. Around it was the -traditional artificial hedge of jujube trees, whose thick, fine, long -thorns protected the inmates from thieves and wild beasts. A sad-looking -donkey and a few goats grazed around, while a particularly savage dog -began barking violently and straining at a very rotten cord at our -approach. Thin and mangy, he looked as if he could thoroughly enjoy a -steak out of my husband’s substantial calves, but he soon retired, with -more haste than dignity, when my better half stooped to pick up a stone. -All Kabyle dogs have a settled opinion about stones, and the gesture is -sufficient for them. - -The noise brought out the owner of the tent, and he stood gazing -majestically at us, draped in dirty white rags. A woman followed him. Her -thin, bony, brown face, scraggy neck and shoulders, skinny arms and legs -might have been those of an old woman, yet something told me that she was -young, but worn out by over-work and under-feeding. Such sights are often -seen and fill one with pity. Behind her came five little children, all, -except the two girls--who each modestly wore a red handkerchief on their -curly heads, and a necklet of wooden beads--clothed in sunbeams. - -My husband asked if we could have some milk. With a lordly gesture the -Arab signed to the woman, who slowly caught a goat by its hind leg and -began milking it into a broken yet clean-looking earthen bowl. -Nevertheless, I brought out my little picnic mug and made her milk into -that. - -My husband offered ten sous to the Arab, but he turned away disdainfully. -“He who drinks at my tent is welcome,” he said. “He is God’s guest, and -between him and me no money can pass.” - -And yet how the want of money showed itself on every side! - -I made up for it to myself by slipping a few pennies into the brown little -hands of the children, who had finally decided that I was not likely to -bite and had approached me. Delighted, they ran with them to their mother, -who seized them feverishly, with a terrified side-look at her husband. -Filled with pity, I slipped a silver piece into her lean hand--rather too -well rewarded by the ardent kisses she showered on my hands, my shoulders, -and the edge of my dress. I then asked the Arab to show me the interior of -his tent. He seemed pleased at my demand, but I regretted it deeply when I -beheld the dirtiness of it. Dirt was the principal furniture, together -with several wooden spoons, an “aguesseau” for rolling the semolina into -cous-cous, a “kess-kess” for cooking it by vapour, and a heap of -terrible-looking rags. On this heap lay an indistinct form, from which -came slow, painful gasps--the gasps of a departing life. Shuddering, I -bent down and saw a venerable woman--so small, so wizened, so -extraordinarily thin that I could not imagine how there was any life in -her. She opened her eyes and turned them slowly on the Arab; and I read -pitiful supplication, mingled with bitter reproach, in their cavernous -depths. - -The Arab looked down gloomily, and a wave of emotion swept over his -hitherto impassive face. - -“What is the matter with her?” I asked. - -“She has not eaten for two days,” he answered. - -“But why? Is she ill? Give her some milk at once. At once, do you hear?” - -I felt angry at the calmness of these people in the presence of this dying -woman. - -“She is dying,” he said, obstinately. - -“But you are doing nothing to save her,” I cried. - -My husband pulled my sleeve. - -“Come, come, dear,” he whispered, “you are giving yourself useless pain.” - -“But I will make him give this old woman something,” I persisted. “She is -his mother, perhaps, and is trying to ask him for food with all her -strength. Give her some milk,” I cried. - -The man mumbled something; I understood that he was telling me she was -old, worn out, and that it was waste to feed her. - -Overwhelmed with horror, I gasped: “Then you are letting her die--on -purpose! She--she is dying because you have let her starve to death?” - -He bowed his head. Then, as if he felt that some explanation was due to -the _roumia_ who was his guest, he added, in a low voice, “Her children -will have her share. They want it.” - -I seized my husband’s arm. “Come--come away from this horror,” I cried; -and quickly we ran down the hill to where the fragrant narcissi grew, and -there I flung myself on the ground and sobbed. - -Presently the sweet, balmy air was filled with sharp shrieks and -yells--the cries of mourning of the Arab women as they tear their faces -with their nails. And I knew that the poor old woman had passed away, and -that those who had starved her to death were now bemoaning her loss, and -consoling themselves by saying, “_In cha Allah!_” (“It is the will of -God”). - -[Illustration: “‘GIVE HER SOME MILK,’ I CRIED.”] - -I went home a wiser and a sadder woman; I have never forgotten the horror -of the incident. - -From my window in the fort I had a beautiful view. In front was the range -of mountains along which the cedar forest runs. I could just discern the -rock where General M----’s first lion tried to get at him, and the small, -scrubby tree up which the gallant General swarmed just in time. Lions are -very rare nowadays in these parts, though a forester signalled the passage -of one on the other side of the forest during my stay. On the left of my -window I could see the bee-hive habitations of a race of negroes who live -on the hill rising up immediately behind the chief street of Teniet. I -think I have never seen such inhuman-looking, hideous specimens of the -human race. Monkeys are far superior in looks to them, and their utter -malignity and wickedness of expression lent additional ugliness to their -distorted, pointed features. Murders were--well, if not daily occurrences, -at least very frequent among them, and at last I grew quite accustomed to -the diabolical shrieks and shouts which the warm, balmy air wafted to me -from the opposite hill. - -More often than not the rows originated over some very trivial matter. No -European would venture for love or money into this negro village, and -several French Spahis told me that they would not guarantee the life of -the white man who dared to enter it even in broad daylight. The Arabs held -the same opinion, and no honest man among them would visit the place on -any account. Thieves and murderers, however, were certain to find a safe -refuge, and many a one, I was informed, had hidden there, married a -negress, and become one of the sinister tribe. The police never thought of -entering the hamlet, and always abandoned pursuit of a criminal at its -boundaries. I cannot imagine why the whole place was not burnt down and -its lawless inhabitants dispersed. - -I failed to obtain a photograph of one of these beauties. They objected to -being taken, and no one dared to insist. The next picture, however, -depicts the village itself, as seen from Teniet-el-Haad. - -[Illustration: THE THIEVES’ VILLAGE AS SEEN FROM TENIET-EL-HAAD. - -_From a Photograph._] - -Talking of murders brings to my mind a double suicide which occurred in -the fort. One night I was awakened by a revolver-shot just outside my -window. I got up and looked out, but at first could see nothing, so black -was the night. After a time, however, I saw a dark mass on the ground and -heard a faint moaning. I was about to give the alarm when the sentry -passed, stooped down, and uttered an exclamation. Then he went away, to -return immediately with others. There was a murmur of voices, and finally -they carried something away. My husband was absent, so I was forced to -await morning in order to ascertain the facts of the matter. “_Cherchez la -femme_” is, alas! a very true adage. The shot was fired by one of our -non-commissioned officers, who had killed himself as he walked to and fro -in the barrack-yard smoking and talking with his best friend, whom he had -just discovered was a successful rival for the heart of the girl he loved -and meant to marry as soon as his service was over. Having had suspicions, -he had determined to draw the truth from his friend, who was perfectly -oblivious of there being any engagement between him and the girl, and -confessed freely when pressed that they loved each other and meant to be -married later on. Drawing a revolver from his pocket, the unhappy -_sous-officier_ cried, “She was to have been my wife!” and, before the -other understood what the phrase meant, pulled the trigger and fell dead -at his horrified comrade’s feet. - -The morning after, the friend, another non-commissioned officer, was -raving mad. When the girl learnt of the tragedy she had caused, we learnt -afterwards, she grew very white, but said nothing. All day she sat silent -with fixed eyes, deaf to the reproaches of her parents, who did not spare -their abuse. The next morning they found her asleep in death--she had -poisoned herself! - -I noticed here and there whilst riding about the country trees from whose -branches hung long shreds of different-coloured cloth. On making inquiries -I was told they were marabout, or holy, trees. Each district has one or -more of these sacred trees, and to them come all the women to beseech of -Allah to grant their prayers. In order to obtain the intercession of the -holy tree, they hang pieces of their clothing on the branches, which are -sometimes almost entirely covered with coloured rags, fluttering in the -breeze, and giving the tree a most curious appearance. - -A marabout is a saint, or holy man, and it is not given to every man to be -a saint, however pious he may be. Real saintship among the Arabs is -hereditary, and is one of the three castes of nobility. The sons are heirs -to the fathers’ piety, and, though often far from worthy, reap the benefit -of their birth-right. This religious nobility has great influence, and can -excite or quell revolts, as, Koran in hand, they preach its precepts, -often explained to satisfy their own wishes. - -Apart from the hereditary marabouts there are the “little” marabouts, who -live miserably on public charity beside the tomb of some ancestor who died -in the odour of sanctity. Many of these so-called marabouts manage their -affairs uncommonly well and are really wealthy men. Here is a story I have -been told, which gives one an idea of the way these “little” marabouts set -up in business. - -Mohammed ben Mohammed was a marabout whose affairs were in a most -flourishing condition. Pilgrims visited his ancestor’s tomb by hundreds, -leaving many and rich offerings, and Mohammed ben Mohammed grew fatter and -wealthier daily until his servitor, Ali ben Ali, became tired of watching -his master’s increased wealth and bulk, whilst his own pocket was as flat -as his body was thin. So one dark night he silently took his departure, -riding on the back of a young ass belonging to his master. - -After a march of about thirty miles the ass had enough of carrying Ali. It -was a young ass, and knew no better, so it went on strike, lay down, and -forthwith died. Thereupon Ali dug a big hole and put the ass in, piling a -great mountain of stones over it. Then, sitting down beside the heap, he -began to pray. A traveller passing inquired by whose tomb he prayed so -fervently. Ali was filled with astonishment. “What! Had he never heard of -the great Saint Amar ben Amar (literally ‘an ass, the son of an ass’)? All -the people of the country round came there to pray.” The traveller did not -fail to mention the Marabout Amar ben Amar’s tomb, and soon pilgrims -flocked to it with offerings, and Ali ben Ali grew fat and rich. The -faithful neglected Mohammed ben Mohammed, who at last, furious, abandoned -his marabout in order to pay a visit to his rival. Great was his -astonishment when he recognised his runaway servitor. - -Taking him aside, he whispered, “Tell me the truth. Who is your marabout?” - -“The ass I stole from you. And now tell me--who is your marabout?” - -“The mother of the ass you stole from me!” - -I conclude that the two Arabs chuckled together and continued to exploit -the faithful in common, but history does not relate any more of their -doings--nor, indeed, does it vouch for the complete veracity of the story. -It is, however, to my personal knowledge quite the sort of thing one might -expect to happen. - -[Illustration: THE AUTHORESS AND HER CHILDREN IN THE CEDAR FOREST NEAR -TENIET-EL-HAAD. - -_From a Photograph._] - -(_To be continued._) - - - - -My Alaskan Christmas. - -BY W. E. PRIESTLY, OF FAIRBANKS, ALASKA. - - We have published a number of stories of adventure in the icy North, - but none giving a more realistic impression of the hardships and - dangers which lie in wait for the traveller and prospector in these - inhospitable regions than this. Mr. Priestley and his partner set - out with dog-teams for a new goldfield, but the partner lost heart - and turned back, leaving him to struggle on alone. Death dogged his - footsteps through the great white wilderness, and but for the - intelligence of his leading dog he would undoubtedly have lost his - life. - - -It was my fortune, or misfortune, to be present in San Francisco at the -time of the earthquake and fire of April 18th, 1906. Although I gained a -good deal of valuable experience as my share of the catastrophe, I lost -all my belongings to offset the bargain. - -I stayed in San Francisco until June 1st, and then resolved to try my luck -in another country, where earthquakes and such petty worries are unknown. -Fate directed my roving footsteps to Alaska, glowingly described by the -transportation companies as “The Golden North--the land of fur, fish, and -gold.” I thanked the companies for their information, but did not avail -myself of their kind offer to sell me a ticket. Both Nature and Fate -seemed to have destined me for a rover, and one of the main tenets of a -roving life--to say nothing of my financial status--demanded and ordained -that I must travel at the least possible expense. I accordingly made -arrangements, and worked my passage from San Francisco to St. Michael’s, -_viâ_ Nome, on the ss. _Buckman_. St. Michael’s is a port on the Bering -Sea, and is the principal shipping port for the Yukon River and Central -Alaska. - -[Illustration: THE AUTHOR, MR. W. E. PRIESTLY, IN HIS ALASKAN COSTUME. - -_From a Photograph._] - -From St. Michael’s I found a boat was leaving for the Tanana district, and -again luck favoured me, for I got the chance to work my way up to that -part of the country. We traversed the Yukon River as far as Fort Gibbon, -and from there proceeded up the Tanana River to the mining camp of -Fairbanks, which is situated about four hundred miles up-stream from Fort -Gibbon. - -I arrived in Fairbanks on July 1st, having travelled nearly four thousand -miles since leaving San Francisco, and found myself about twenty-five -dollars better off than when I started. I stayed in the Fairbanks district -until the end of November. The physical features of this country are best -described as “eight months iceberg and four months swamp.” - -Towards the end of November rumour began to circulate reports that a new -goldfield of incredible richness had been discovered. Tales of “eight -dollars to the shovelful” were passed through the camp, and all kinds of -stories, real and imaginary, were discussed with feverish excitement. - -The new diggings were known as the Chandelar, and were situated at the -head-waters of the Chandelar River, a tributary of the Yukon, having its -source in the Arctic slope and entering the Yukon River about twenty miles -below Fort Yukon. - -I was anxious to try my luck in the newly-discovered country, but this was -a matter that could not be lightly considered. The diggings were about -four hundred miles due north of Fairbanks, and a good deal of preparation -was necessary before a trip of this kind could be undertaken. I was a -new-comer in the country (locally termed a “chechaco”); I was unused to -the ways of the trail; there was no food in the new district, except, of -course, wild game; and, finally, the temperature at that time was about -forty degrees below zero, with every possibility that it would drop to -sixty or seventy below zero by the end of December. - -I made up my mind that the first thing I must do would be to get a -travelling partner who could be depended on. I finally made arrangements -with an old-timer in the country, named Bartlett, who was also going up to -the Chandelar. He had been in the Klondike rush of ’98, and as he sat by a -hot stove and related his marvellous exploits on the trail, his thrilling -adventures and hair-breadth escapes, in a state of “chechaco” simplicity -that was almost pitiable I congratulated myself on my choice of a partner. - -Finding that I had not enough money to purchase everything necessary, I -spoke to two friends of mine, and they agreed to put seventy-five dollars -each into the trip; in return, they were to have a one-third interest -between them of any mining property that I located in the Chandelar. This -is a common occurrence in Alaska, and is generally known as a “grubstake -proposition.” - -[Illustration: A FACSIMILE OF THE AUTHOR’S POWER OF ATTORNEY, GIVING HIM -AUTHORITY TO STAKE GROUND ON BEHALF OF HIS PARTNERS. - -KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: That We, R.L. MENIFEE, and G.L. BLACKWELL, -of Fairbanks, Alaska, have made constituted and appointed, any by these -presents do hereby make, contribute and appoint, F. Priestley, of the -same place, our true and lawful attorney for us and in our name, place -and stead, and for our use and benefit, to locate stake and record for -us, places mining property in the CHANDELAR DISTRICT, in the Region of -Alaska, North of the Yukon River: [three lines erased here] - -hereby giving and granting onto W. PRIESTLEY as said attorney full power -and authority to do and perform all and every act and thing whatsoever -requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully -to all intents and purposes as we might or could do if personally -present, hereby ratifying and confirming all that our said Attorney, -W. PRIESTLEY, shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue of these -presents. - -In WITNESS WHEREOF, we have hereupon set our hands and seals this 3rd -day of December, A.D. 1905. - -SIGNED, SEALED & DELIVERED IN THE PRESENCE OF: [signatures]] - -Agreements were drawn up between us, one being styled a “grubstake -agreement” and the other a “power of attorney.” The “grubstake agreement” -stated that in return for the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars the -parties of the first part drew up this agreement in order that they might -have legal claim to a one-third interest in all placer and mining ground -staked by party of the second part in the Chandelar district and north of -the Yukon River. - -The power of attorney was simply a legal document, giving me permission to -stake ground for the benefit of absent parties. - -Having settled all legal matters and received my “grubstake,” I purchased -my outfit--four dogs, a fur robe, a Yukon sled, and a Yukon stove. In -addition I had to purchase dog harness, a gun, ammunition, axe, tent, and -compass, as well as dog-feed, a good supply of provisions, and suitable -clothing for the trip. - -My four dogs were of different breeds, only one being a pure native dog or -“malamute.” My leader deserves special mention. The most intelligent dog -is always placed in the lead, as the dogs are not driven by reins, but -simply by word. To tell the dogs to travel straight ahead, the command is -“Mush!” or “Mush on!” which is evidently a corruption of the term used by -the French-Canadian trappers of the Hudson Bay Company, who would -naturally say “Marchez” when ordering their team to travel. To travel to -the right the command is “Gee!” and to the left “Aw!” - -My leading dog was born in Circle City and had been christened Nellie. She -had both the native and the outside strain--a dog whose intelligence and -faithfulness cannot be questioned, as after-events will prove. - -We left Fairbanks on December 12th, my partner and myself each having four -dogs. We had an outfit consisting of tent, stove, guns, ammunition, robes, -snow-shoes, one hundred pounds of dog-feed, and about five hundred pounds -of food. It was our intention to proceed to Circle City, and there to -complete our outfit. - -For the first few miles the trail was in excellent condition and we made -good time. It was rather late when we started, and by the time we had -covered sixteen miles it was already dark. It must be remembered that in -the middle of winter there is only a very short period of daylight in -Alaska. The first night we stayed at a mining camp known as Golden City, -consisting of two saloons and a number of dilapidated cabins, the majority -being minus doors or windows. - -Next day we made an early start, as we had a very steep hill to climb, -known as Cleary Dome. There had been a light fall of snow during the -night, and this made the trail very heavy. We found it impossible to get -the loads up the hill, so we hitched the eight dogs on to one sled, and, -having dragged it to the top of the Dome, we took the dogs down again for -the other sled. From the summit there was a steep decline, and it took me -all my time to hold back the sled, to prevent it cutting the hind legs of -the wheeler dog. - -The trail was in bad condition, as it had been cut to pieces by some heavy -freight teams. The track at this point ran along the side of a hill down -into the valley, and the sleds were on one runner most of the way. Every -few minutes they would upset, and a good deal of physical energy would be -expended to right them again. The loads were lashed to the sleds, so -little actual damage was done. - -That night we stayed at Cleary Creek, having accomplished ten miles as the -result of the day’s trip, but as the greater part of the ten miles -consisted of the ascent and descent already mentioned we were both -satisfied. - -Next morning we started off, following the trail down Cleary Creek until -we struck the Chatanika River, and here we met our first big obstacle. Our -course lay up the Chatanika for about seventy miles, but as soon as we -arrived on the banks of this river we found it impossible to travel any -farther, on account of overflows. It may be as well to explain for the -benefit of the uninitiated what is meant by an overflow. - -The Chatanika is a river over one hundred miles in length, but is full of -gravel bars. At the beginning of winter the stream, of course, freezes, -and where the gravel bars are situated it freezes solid to the bottom, -owing to the fact that the water is very shallow at these points. - -There is always a large body of water flowing from the subterranean -springs at the source of this river, and, as this water cannot make its -way through the barriers of ice and gravel, it forces itself up through -the ice and flows over the top until such time as it freezes or finds its -way under the ice again. In some places the overflows thus formed are -three or four feet deep. - -Now, it is a serious matter to wade through water when the thermometer is -a long way below zero. It is the easiest thing in the world for a man to -lose his feet in this way, for as soon as one gets wet the moisture -freezes into a cake of ice, and unless precautions are immediately taken -the limbs may become so badly frozen that amputation is necessary, in -order to prevent mortification. - -When we found the river was so full of overflows we judged it best to wait -a few days and give the water a chance to freeze, as the weather was very -cold at this time. We found a deserted cabin, minus door and window, and -proceeded to make ourselves as comfortable as possible under these -circumstances. We had a stove with us, and as there was plenty of wood -handy we soon had the cabin warm. - -We stayed at this place over two weeks, waiting for the overflows to close -up. Time began to drag heavily on our hands, for the days were very short -and game scarce, so all we could do was to eat and sleep and wait for the -flood-water to freeze. Our Christmas Day--that day of all the year so -eagerly looked forward to in happier climes--we spent as follows. During -the few hours of daylight I took my gun and went off into the woods. I -found the tracks of a wolverine, but was unable to follow them up, as it -was already getting dark, though I could see that the tracks were newly -made. - -That night we did our best to celebrate Christmas properly. We prepared a -feast, which consisted of caribou steak, evaporated potatoes, evaporated -onions, canned butter, canned pears, and baking-powder bread. Such little -luxuries as plum-puddings and mince-pies were chiefly conspicuous by -their absence, and I finished my repast with a bad attack of -home-sickness, which was perhaps natural, but hardly in keeping with my -_rôle_ of dauntless pioneer. - -We waited by the banks of the Chatanika until January 1st, and then, as -the overflows still showed no signs of freezing over, we determined to -start the New Year and our trip up the river at the same time, and trust -to that special Providence which is supposed to guard sailors, fools, -drunken men, and little children. The dogs were in good condition, as they -had done nothing for two weeks but eat, sleep, and grow fat. They showed a -distinct dislike to their harness at first, which was perhaps natural, but -after a time resigned themselves to the inevitable. - -For the first two miles we managed to pick out a land trail, but after -that we had to take to the river, as the timber became too thick. After we -had travelled about two miles on the river trail, we began to congratulate -ourselves on the condition of the track, for by picking our way carefully -and avoiding the stretches of open water we were making good time. - -All at once we saw smoke issuing from a small cabin, so we halted the dogs -in order to make inquiries regarding the overflows higher up the river. We -found the cabin to be occupied by two hunters, who told us that round the -bend of the river there was an overflow over three feet deep, which it was -impossible to get through. They had been waiting for a week to see whether -it would freeze over. We, however, had had enough of delays, so we -determined to see whether we could get through. - -Reaching the overflow we found it covered with a thin coating of ice. We -had just succeeded in getting on to this “glare” ice when, with a crack, -it broke under us, and we sank up to our knees in ice-cold water, while -the poor dogs were nearly covered. Having once got wet, we thought we -might as well try to get through; but it was impossible for the dogs to -pull, as they could not get a foothold, and the noses of the sleds were -blocked with “slush” ice. We accordingly hitched our eight dogs on to one -sled, and I walked ahead in order to encourage the animals to follow me. - -Every time I put my foot down I broke through the ice, and it was easy to -follow my course by the holes I left behind me in the trail. The farther I -went the deeper the water became, and at last I realized that the only -thing to be done was to return to the cabin, as it was impossible for -either dogs or men to stand the deadly cold of the water much longer. As -soon as I arrived at this decision the two hunters, who had come out to -assist us, went back to the cabin and prepared a big fire and hot coffee. - -We succeeded in getting the dogs on to solid ice again, and the water on -the dogs, sleds, and harness--to say nothing of ourselves--immediately -turned to ice. - -We reached the cabin in a few minutes, got the dogs inside in order to -thaw them out, and proceeded to change our frozen clothes. The cabin could -hardly be described as pretentious, as the dimensions were only about -eight feet by ten, by five feet in height. Put four men and eight dogs, -all ice-coated, in this space, with a big fire going, and it will be -easily seen that the atmosphere is likely to become somewhat oppressive. -To add to our discomfort, the cabin became so hot that the snow on the -roof commenced to melt and find its way through the numerous cracks. The -floor, consisting as it did of plain mother earth, soon began to take on -the form of a small duck-pond, so we were compelled to make a thick carpet -of spruce boughs. - -Next morning, after a hearty breakfast, we were ready to try the overflow -again. My partner at this time began to show himself in his true colours. -He was ready to return to Fairbanks, for he had developed a disease -variously termed “cold feet,” “crawfish,” or “white feather.” - -Reaching the overflow again, we repeated the previous day’s programme, -with the same result, but we found that the ice was a little thicker than -before. We returned to the cabin, resolved to wait a few days. After -staying two more days in the cabin, in an atmosphere resembling a Hindu -bazaar or a Turkish bath, another man came up the river with four dogs, -and we determined to make a combined attempt to get through. - -We therefore hitched the twelve dogs on to one sled, and after a -tremendous effort succeeded in getting the sled through the overflow on to -solid ice. The first sled taken through contained the tent and stove, and -while my partner and myself returned for the other sleds our latest ally -pitched the tent and lit the stove, and by the time we got back with the -second sled a good cup of coffee was waiting for us. We then returned for -the third sled, and having succeeded in dragging it through to the tent we -unanimously decided to knock off work, for, although we had only travelled -about half a mile from the hunters’ cabin, we were all satisfied that we -had done a good day’s work. - -Next morning we started before daybreak, determined to put in a long day’s -“mush.” The thermometer was down to forty below zero, and we all had the -hoods of our “parkas” drawn tight. - -We passed Kokomo Creek and had travelled for about six miles when to our -dismay we came to a place where the river was open, as far as we could see -it round the bend. - -The same dreary programme of Chatanika overflow was repeated. Three -journeys were made through the water, which was in some places waist deep -and was over half a mile long. At the end of the first trip my partner -stayed to light a fire. After we had again succeeded in getting the three -sleds high and dry we changed our clothes in front of the fire, and, after -knocking the ice off the harness and sleds, we made a forced march to an -Indian camp about a mile farther ahead. We stayed here for two days, in -order to rest the dogs, as their feet had been badly cut by the ice. - -At the end of two days my partner and myself started on alone and, after a -hard struggle through water and drifts, succeeded in reaching a cabin -known as “Cy’s Place,” which is about thirty miles from Cleary Creek. My -partner here threw up the sponge and said he was going back to Fairbanks. -I told him that I was not in the habit of turning back, so we finally -decided to separate, he to go back to Fairbanks, while I made up my mind -to try and reach Circle City, and there wait for some party going to the -Chandelar. - -A bad wind-storm had arisen during the night, and up-river no signs of a -trail could be seen, so I left the dogs at “Cy’s Place” and tied on my -snow-shoes. Going ahead I “broke trail” for about six miles, returning at -night to Cy’s. Next morning I started off on my lone trip, and soon came -to the end of my beaten trail. I walked on ahead, wearing my snow-shoes, -and the dogs followed as best they could. Every few yards the nose of the -sled would bury itself in a drift, and the dogs would lie down until I -turned back and dragged it loose. - -After I had covered about nine miles in this way the wind began to blow -again. It was getting dark, so I tried to pitch the tent, but found it -impossible on account of the wind. The only thing left for me to do was to -light a big fire and make myself as comfortable as I could until morning. -Fortunately there was a good supply of dry wood handy, and I soon had a -big fire under the trees. I laid spruce boughs on the snow, and, having -fed myself and the dogs, rolled myself in my robe and slept till morning. -Of course I had to replenish the fire two or three times during the night, -and each time I awoke I found the dogs lying almost on the top of me for -warmth. - -Next morning, after a rather cheerless breakfast, I started off again. The -dogs seemed reluctant to travel, as though aware of some danger ahead. I -intended, if possible, to reach a cabin at the mouth of Faith Creek, which -was about twenty miles from my camp. I found the trail very heavy, and the -only way I could make any progress was to fasten a rope to the sled, tie -the other end round my waist, and pull with the dogs. Time and again the -sled would be buried in the drifts; but, notwithstanding this, by about -half-past two in the afternoon I had made some fourteen miles. It was just -commencing to get dark, and the temperature was about forty degrees below -zero. I was hoping to get into Faith Creek before five o’clock, as I had -not been bothered with overflows, when, suddenly turning a bend in the -river, I saw, straight ahead, a stretch of “glare” ice, which warned me to -look out for an overflow. I fully realized my serious position. With the -weather so cold I was running a chance of freezing to death if I got wet, -for the wood all round seemed to be green, and there was now no partner to -help me in case I got stuck. - -I walked ahead, with the dogs close at my heels, looking for solid ice. -Presently, without warning, there was a loud crack, and myself, dogs, and -sled were precipitated into the water. The thing happened so suddenly that -almost before I realized what had occurred I found myself standing in four -feet of water, with the dogs struggling to keep themselves afloat. - -My first thought was for them, so I drew out my hunting knife and cut them -loose from the sled. They scrambled out as best they could, dragging -themselves to solid ice. I next tried to haul the sled out of the water, -but found it impossible, so I cut the ropes, let the load sink under the -ice, and pulled out the empty sled. With all my food, clothes, dog-feed, -and everything else lost, I managed to flounder through the water with the -sled on my shoulder. When I got to solid ice once more I began to reflect -upon the serious nature of my position. I was at least six miles from any -cabin; from feet to neck I was covered with a solid coat of ice; and when -I tried to light a fire the green wood refused to burn and my fingers -began to freeze. Owing to the ice upon my clothes, I found it impossible -to bend my knees, and I realized that my only chance of salvation lay in -reaching Faith Creek, six miles away. - -Without wasting any further time, I fastened the dogs to the sled and -started off. The wind commenced to blow again, and the trail was -completely obliterated. The only thing I could do was to trust to the -instinct of Nellie, my leading dog. She struggled on gamely through drifts -and snow-banks, and the other dogs and myself followed her. The trail was -so bad and my clothes were frozen so stiff that I could only travel at -about a mile an hour. - -[Illustration: “THERE WAS A LOUD CRACK, AND MYSELF, DOGS, AND SLED WERE -PRECIPITATED INTO THE WATER.”] - -The night grew darker, and it was soon almost impossible to see the trees -on either side of the river, except at such times as the trail veered to -one side or the other; then the trees would be discernible, standing up -stark and naked, like gigantic skeletons rising from the snow. In the -zenith the Polar star glowed brilliantly, while as far as the eye could -reach the snow lay like a gleaming shroud on the earth. Not a sound was to -be heard save the panting of the dogs, the crunch of snow under my frozen -moccasins, and, somewhere in the distance, the howl of an animal. I cared -for nothing, thought of nothing, desired nothing, save to reach Faith -Creek. Time and again I was ready to drop, but I still kept on, spurred by -the thought that I was fighting for my life, for I knew that once I gave -way to the lassitude that seemed to be gripping my senses, my life would -pay the forfeit. I had heard so much of lone “mushers” on the trail, who -had lain down on the snow for a sleep from which they never awoke, that I -was prepared to struggle on to the last. - -Soon the dogs began to tire, and it was only by persistent effort that I -could keep them from lying down in the snow. They were so weary, poor -brutes, that it was cruelty to whip them; all I could do was to pat them -and encourage them with my voice. Nellie tried to lick my frozen gauntlet, -or, half in play, to bite my numbed hand. - -Still I kept on, hoping against hope that I should soon see the light in -the Faith Creek cabin. I kept shouting, but all the answer I got was a -mocking echo. Blundering through snow-drifts, with the wind-blown snow -driving against my face like particles of glass, the dogs panting with -exertion or moaning from the pain of their lacerated feet, without a sign -of a trail or landmark, and with my feet in a peculiar condition of -insensibility, still I staggered blindly but persistently towards my goal. - -At eight o’clock I was still on the trail; but somehow a doubt began to -take possession of me that perhaps I had missed the cabin altogether and -was wandering towards the Twelve-mile Divide. - -[Illustration: “I SAW TWO MEN APPROACHING ME, AND AT ONCE STRUGGLED TO MY -FEET.”] - -All at once the dogs stopped, and on stepping ahead to see what was the -matter I found they were tangled in their harness. I tried to bend over to -release them, but my clothes were so stiff that I found it impossible, and -I lurched over, falling head-foremost into a drift. - -I tried to raise myself to a sitting position, only to fall back weakly. A -new sensation seemed to be taking possession of me. I no longer desired to -struggle; a mysterious warmth appeared to surround me, and a drowsiness -stole over my senses. My only wish was to be left alone to sleep. I was -just dozing off when Nellie, my leading dog, lifted up her nose and gave -vent to a weird, wolf-like howl, which she repeated after a few seconds’ -interval. I gazed at her with an almost ludicrous amazement, wondering -stupidly why she was making such a noise. Almost simultaneously with her -second howl I heard a shout and, to my amazement, saw a lantern shining -through the trees. I at once realised that help was at hand, and -immediately the desire for sleep left me. A wild longing for life, for -warmth, for food, asserted itself instead, and I gave a yell that must -have sounded like the war-whoop of an Apache Indian. A moment later I saw -two men approaching me, and at once struggled to my feet. Through the -trees came the shouted query, “Are you all right?” “I’m all right,” I -answered. “Where’s the cabin?” By this time the two men had reached me, -and one of them, looking hard into my face, exclaimed, “Why, your nose is -frozen!” - -He put his arm round me and helped me to the cabin, while the other man -took charge of my dogs. I found that the cabin was only about a hundred -yards from the place where I had lain down to sleep, but, owing to the -fact that it was built in a grove of trees, it was impossible to see it -until one was close to it. It seems almost ironical that had it not been -for the howl of a dog I would surely have died within a hundred yards of -warmth and shelter. - -Once in the cabin the men examined me, and found that my nose, ears, and -fingers were frozen, but not dangerously so. Without any hesitation they -took a knife and cut off my socks and moccasins. My feet, from the toes to -the ankles, were as white and as hard as marble. They thawed them out with -snow, and for three hours I suffered indescribable torment as the -congealed blood began to circulate. - -Next morning my feet were so swollen and looked so bad that I was wrapped -in furs, packed in a dog-sled, and taken to the hospital at Fairbanks, -which was reached in three days. I lay in the hospital for three months, -but fortunately did not lose any portion of my feet. It will be many -months, however, before I shall be able to walk as well as formerly, but I -count myself as one of the most fortunate, because I escaped with my life. - -[Illustration: A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE AUTHOR’S ADVENTURE TAKEN FROM THE -“FAIRBANKS (ALASKA) TIMES.” - -PRIESTLY MAY LOSE TOES ON EACH FOOT - -_Young Englishman Who Was Frozen on Chatanika, Now at St. Joseph’s -Hospital--No Use of His Feet_ - -William Priestly, a young English man, was brought to St. Joseph’s -hospital yesterday suffering from frozen feet. It is possible that he may -recover the use of them, but it is more probable, judging from the -diagnosis of the doctors, that he will lose a few toes of both feet. - -It was the cursed Chatanika that caused Priestly’s suffering, for it was -in the treacherous overflows of that stream that he got his feet wet while -on the way to the Chandlar strike. - -He laid up at Cy’s for some time until he could be brought to the -hospital. Priestly’s feet are in fearful shape, and were frozen far up on -the instep. In fact it seems odd that his toes were not snapped off so -solid were they frozen it is said. - -It will be many long days before he can use his feet again, no matter -whether the toes can be saved or not. - -Priestly was in San Francisco at the time of the earthquake and fire, -afterward serving on the special police and relief corps. He it was who -last June told what great graft had been carried on in San Francisco and -said the Times was the first paper to publish the corruption, which few -believed at that time existed.] - -It only remains for me to add that Nellie is still with me; I intend never -to part with her. Very few men can say that they have cheated death -through the howl of a dog, and I consider it my duty to care for the -animal who, by her devotion and intelligence, saved my life that day on -the Circle trail. - -[Illustration: THE AUTHOR AND HIS DOGS--THE CENTRE ANIMAL IS NELLIE, WHO -SAVED HIS LIFE. - -_From a Photograph._] - - - - -THE WIDE WORLD: In Other Magazines. - - -THE HINDU IN THE COLONIES. - -[Illustration] - -The photograph reproduced herewith is taken from “The Captain,” and shows -a Hindu employed on a farm in British Columbia carrying on his head a load -of boxes of apples over six feet in height and weighing one hundred and -twenty-five pounds. The photograph incidentally gives a very good idea of -the grand scenery in this flourishing colony. - - -A MARKET FOR OLD HATS. - -The group of islands known as the Nicobars, about one hundred and fifty -miles south of the Andamans, has been but little explored, though the -manners and customs of the inhabitants offer very interesting -peculiarities to the ethnologist. One of the most noticeable of these is -the passion for old hats. Young and old, chief and subject alike, -endeavour to outvie one another in the singularity of shape, no less than -in the number of old hats they can acquire during their lifetime. On a -fine morning at the Nicobars it is no unusual thing to see the surface of -the ocean in the vicinity of the islands dotted over with canoes, in each -of which the noble savage, with nothing on but the conventional slip of -cloth and a tall white hat with a black band, may be watched catching fish -for his daily meal. Second-hand hats are in most request, new ones being -looked upon with suspicion and disfavour.--“TIT-BITS.” - - -EXTERMINATING BIG GAME IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. - -Numbers of irresponsible men ride along the trails in spring, when the -deer are in deplorable condition after a hard winter, and almost too weak -to get out of the way, taking pot shots at the poor brutes with revolvers, -hardly troubling to see whether they make a kill, and never following a -wounded animal. Almost every district which has had a mining excitement -has had the game almost entirely depleted in this manner. The more -outrageous offences have certainly been stopped to some extent; but there -is still a great deal of this sort of thing going on, and now that the -laws are being more strictly enforced many of these irresponsible persons -take out a miner’s licence so as to render themselves safe from -prosecution.--“COUNTRY LIFE.” - - -DICKENS STORIES IN CHINA. - -The Chinese are rapidly taking up Western ideas, and translations of -English and French novels are now in increasing demand. Our romantic and -sentimental treatment of love-affairs, however, is a thing so foreign to -Oriental ethics that the hero of the ordinary European novel appears to -the Chinese mind as a person of perverted moral sense and doubtful sanity. -Translations of Dickens, therefore, impress the Chinese reader less than -they amaze him, and detective stories and tales of adventure command a -more sympathetic audience.--“WOMAN’S LIFE.” - - -“THE VIRGIN’S TREE.” - -[Illustration] - -The annexed photograph shows a famous tree growing in the little Egyptian -village of Matariyah, which is partly built on the ruins of Heliopolis and -situated about four and a half miles to the north of Cairo. It is usually -called “The Virgin’s Tree,” from the tradition that the Virgin Mary sat -and rested under its shadow during her flight to Egypt. It is also said -that by remaining hidden in the hollow tree by means of a -marvellously-twisted cobweb she succeeded in escaping her -persecutors.--“THE STRAND MAGAZINE.” - - - - -Odds and Ends. - - The “Shark Papers”--A Mysterious Archway--British Columbian “Poverty - Socials,” etc., etc. - - -[Illustration: THE FAMOUS “SHARK PAPERS” OF JAMAICA, WHICH HAVE A MOST -CURIOUS AND ROMANTIC HISTORY. - -_From a Photograph._] - -Few exhibits in the Institute of Jamaica, British West Indies, possess a -more curious history than the famous “Shark Papers,” a photograph of which -is reproduced herewith. The story is, briefly, as follows: On August 28th, -1799, a naval officer named Hugh Wylie, in command of H.M. cutter -_Sparrow_, while cruising off the coast of Hayti, gave chase to, and -eventually captured, the American brig _Nancy_. The prize was sent in to -Port Royal, and a fortnight later a suit for salvage was brought on behalf -of Wylie against “a certain brig or vessel called the _Nancy_, her guns, -tackle, furniture, ammunition, and apparel, and the goods, wares, -merchandise, specie, and effects on board her, taken and seized as the -property of some person or persons, being enemies of our Sovereign Lord -and King, and good and lawful prize on the high seas, and within the -jurisdiction of this Court.” A claim for the dismissal of the case with -costs, backed with affidavits, was put in by the owners of the brig, in -which, as it subsequently turned out, they perjured themselves freely. -While the case was proceeding Lieutenant Michael Fitton, in command of the -_Ferret_, and Wylie in command of the _Sparrow_ (both tenders of H.M.S. -_Abergavenny_, the flagship at Port Royal), put out to sea with the object -of earning for the stationary flagship a share of the prizes which were -constantly being taken by the cruisers. On rejoining after an accidental -separation, Fitton invited Wylie by signal to come to breakfast. While -waiting for him to come aboard the _Ferret_ crew captured a huge shark, -which, on being opened, was found to contain a sealed packet of papers. -During the breakfast Wylie mentioned that he had detained an American brig -called the _Nancy_. Fitton thereupon said he had her papers. “Papers?” -answered Wylie. “Why, I sealed up her papers and sent them in with her.” -“Just so,” replied Fitton; “those were her false papers. Here are her real -ones; my men found them in the stomach of a shark!” These papers, together -with others of an incriminating nature found on the _Nancy_ some time -after her capture, carefully concealed in the captain’s cabin, led to the -condemnation of the brig and her cargo on the 25th November, 1799. The -head of the shark which swallowed the papers is still preserved in the -United Service Museum at Whitehall, London, S.W. - -[Illustration: A MYSTERIOUS ARCHWAY IN THE TONGAN ARCHIPELAGO--IT IS OF -VAST ANTIQUITY, AND IS BELIEVED TO POINT TO THE FACT THAT THE PACIFIC -ISLANDS WERE ONCE ONE VAST CONTINENT. - -_From a Photograph._] - -The archway here shown, made of enormous slabs of coral rock neatly -chiselled and mortised, is one of the many interesting problems of the -Pacific. If, as is generally believed, the South Sea Islands are of -comparatively recent volcanic and coralline formation, who built this -archway, which is situated on one of the smallest islands of the Tongan -group? The oldest native inhabitants of the islands know nothing of its -origin, and from its appearance the monument is of great antiquity. From -this and other indications it has been claimed that the “Milky Way” of the -Pacific was in prehistoric times one vast continent, inhabited by peoples -of whom the present-day world has lost all record. - -[Illustration: THE LAST RELICS OF AN ILL-STARRED ENTERPRISE, A “HORSE -RAILWAY” ACROSS AN AMERICAN DESERT. - -_From a Photograph._] - -“Travelling recently on donkey-back across a trackless portion of the -Conchilla Desert in South-Eastern California,” writes a correspondent, “we -sighted ahead of us above the sage-brush a nondescript object which on -nearer approach resolved itself into the two dilapidated tramcars shown in -the next photograph. They formed the equipment of a ‘horse railway’ across -the sands ten or twelve years ago to connect a solitary station on the -Southern Pacific Railway with an agricultural colony several miles -distant. The farming enterprise, however, failed utterly, and the ‘horse -railway’ with it. The incongruous sight of these two abandoned cars in the -midst of drifting sands is all that remains to-day to tell the tale of -shattered hope.” - -The amusing handbill shown below refers to a curious function which is -very popular in British Columbia--the “poverty social.” This is an -entertainment of the kind formerly known in more conventional circles as a -“conversazione.” Whereas the latter is chiefly distinguished for its -formality and general uncomfortableness, these “poverty socials” are -delightfully free and easy; indeed, the people attending them are actually -fined if their clothes are considered at all stylish or savouring of -ostentation, the idea, of course, being that everyone--rich and poor -alike--shall feel entirely at their ease. Needless to say, the bad -spelling and the mistakes made in the printing of the bill are all -carefully designed to heighten the homely effect of the gathering. - -[Illustration: THIS AMUSING HANDBILL REFERS TO A BRITISH COLUMBIAN -“POVERTY SOCIAL,” A FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT WHICH IS EXTREMELY POPULAR. - - _you air Axed to A Poverty Soshall_ - - THAT US FOLKS OF THE EPWORTH LEAGUE - - _Air A-goin Tu hAve in_ THE SCULE ROOM, - - _Queen’s Ave. Methodist Church_ - - _NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C._ - - THURSDY NITE, APRIL 26, 1906 - - RULS AND REGELASHUNS - -I. All wimmin wil be xpected tu bee togged out in kaliker dresses & good -Gingem apirins: rufles, flounces, etc. air not konsiddered stiLish and -oners aer lible too fyne. - -II. Evry man hoo is cawt wearin a biled shiRt or stannup kalar wil bee -find 5 sense. Hum-maid chees-cloth Nektys & ol Kentuk-ky Jeens wyll be -reKkonD senSible aS wel as ornimentl. - - A PRYSE - -Wil be givn tu the maN & Wuman havin the wurst lukin rig in the rhume. -These RulS wil be enforced tu the Letar. A Kompetent Komitty wil introDuce -Strangirs & Luk after Bashful Fellars. Al extrees & artikles of Adornment -wil Be Find. - -_Kum & hav Sum pHun & git sumpn tu eat._ - -Admishun to the Bilding 15 (fiftene) sense.] - -[Illustration: HALF-A-DOZEN ORANGES TRAVELLING DOWN THE THROAT OF A -CALIFORNIAN OSTRICH. - -_From a Photograph._] - -It is questionable if any animal on earth could duplicate the swallowing -feat that is to be seen daily (or as often as a tourist comes along) at -the Cawston Ostrich Farm in South Pasadena, California. The ostriches on -this farm are veritable giants of their race, having responded generously -to the genial climate, good food, and scientific care. Oranges are one of -their great dainties--the big “navel” oranges of California, measuring -upwards of three and a half inches in diameter. One old patriarch named -“Emperor William” will catch the oranges one after another, full ten feet -above the ground, until an even dozen may be seen at the same time slowly -bumping down his long expanse of neck, to be finally lost in the ruffle of -feathers where neck and body join! “William” has been known to gulp -thirty-five or forty oranges in succession, and the fact that he is in -robust health at twenty-three years of age seems to indicate that -California oranges agree with him. - -[Illustration: THE UBIQUITOUS GAME--A NATIVE OF BHUTAN PLAYING “DIABOLO” -AT DARJEELING. - -_From a Photograph._] - -An Indian reader writes: “I enclose a photograph which I recently took -whilst paying a visit to the Indian hill station of Darjeeling. The -picture represents a Bhutia, or native of Bhutan, playing ‘Diabolo.’ -Although the game has made big strides both at home and abroad, I think -that probably Darjeeling, at an altitude of seven thousand feet, -represents the highest point it has touched at present.” - -[Illustration: LOVE-MAKING IN MEXICO--THIS YOUNG MAN HAS PATIENTLY WAITED -UNDER THE WINDOW OF HIS INAMORATA UNTIL SHE CHOSE TO COME TO THE GRATING -AND SPEAK TO HIM. - -_From a Photograph._] - -In Spanish-speaking countries young women are allowed but little of the -liberty that they enjoy in lands where English is the native tongue. They -rarely meet young men at social entertainments, and are never permitted to -converse with them except in the presence of older people. They do, of -course, contrive to carry on flirtations, but chiefly with the eyes. In -every town in a Spanish-speaking country there is a _plaza_, where a band -plays on one or two evenings of the week. The young men and women -congregate there, the former walking round and round in one direction and -the latter in the opposite direction. Thus they are constantly meeting and -making eyes at each other, but they do not pair off or sit down on the -benches together. When a young man wants to pay his attentions to a girl, -he must get notes smuggled to her or “play the bear”--that is, stand under -the window of her room and try to attract her attention, either by -serenading her with some musical instrument, or, if he has no gift that -way, by simply waiting patiently until she chances to look out and cast -him an encouraging glance. In spite, however, of all difficulties and -obstacles, Cupid contrives to find a way, and young people fall in love -and marry just as in lands where etiquette is less strict and -opportunities for _tête-à-tête_ conversations more frequent. - -[Illustration: A PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS ON THE NORTH-WEST FRONTIER OF -INDIA--THEY COVERED THE HILLS FOR MILES, STRIPPED ALL THE LEAVES OFF THE -TREES, AND IN SOME CASES EVEN ATE THE BARK! - -_From a Photograph._] - -The striking little photograph above was sent by Colonel the Hon. H. E. -Maxwell, D.S.O., from the remote post of Cherat, on the North-West -frontier of India. “It was taken during a flight of locusts,” he writes. -“They covered the hills for miles in every direction, and during their two -or three days’ stay caused enormous damage to the few trees and shrubs -with which we are blessed, stripping them entirely of their leaves, and in -some cases even eating away the bark!” - -[Illustration: THE MAP-CONTENTS OF “THE WIDE WORLD MAGAZINE,” WHICH SHOWS -AT A GLANCE THE LOCALITY OF EACH ARTICLE AND NARRATIVE OF ADVENTURE IN -THIS NUMBER.] - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Wide World Magazine, Vol. 22, No. 129, -December, 1908, by Various - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WIDE WORLD MAGAZINE, DEC 1908 *** - -***** This file should be named 53928-0.txt or 53928-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/3/9/2/53928/ - -Produced by Victorian/Edwardian Pictorial Magazines, -Jonathan Ingram and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Wide World Magazine, Vol. 22, No. 129, December, 1908 - -Author: Various - -Release Date: January 9, 2017 [EBook #53928] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WIDE WORLD MAGAZINE, DEC 1908 *** - - - - -Produced by Victorian/Edwardian Pictorial Magazines, -Jonathan Ingram and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[210]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus1.jpg" width="400" height="600" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">“THE PYTHON LITERALLY LEAPT AT HER, STRIKING AGAIN AND AGAIN.”</p> - -<p class="caption"><a href="#Page_215">SEE PAGE 215.</a></p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[211]</a></span></p> - -<h1><span class="smcap">The Wide World Magazine.</span></h1> - -<p class="center">Vol. XXII. <span class="spacer">DECEMBER, 1908.</span> No. 129</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/heading-1.jpg" width="500" height="175" alt="Illustrated version of the heading below" /> -</div> - -<h2>The Terror in the Sanctuary.<br /> -<span class="smaller">A CHRISTMAS STORY FROM NATAL.</span></h2> - -<p class="by"><span class="smcap">By Mrs. K. Compton.</span></p> - -<div class="smaller"> - -<p>A lady’s account of the fearful ordeal she underwent as a young girl on an -estate in Natal—locked up in a tiny church, whither she had gone to -practise a Christmas voluntary, with a huge python!</p> - -</div> - -<div> -<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-i.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="dropcap">It was Christmas Eve, and one of -the hottest days I remember during -my sojourn in Natal. The recollection -of that day, spite of the many -years that have since passed, is so -vividly imprinted on my mind that I can still -see the heated atmosphere as it danced and -shimmered over the cotton bushes and the rows -of beans down the hillside.</p> - -<p>The last stroke of the twelve o’clock gong -summoning the gangs of Kaffirs to their midday -repast and siesta had died away, and never -a sound broke the stifling noontide stillness -save the booming of the surf on the lonely sea-shore, -three miles distant from my father’s -plantation—the Beaumont Estate, as it is now -called. The eye ached as it travelled over the -glaring, sun-dried landscape that lay stretched -before me, and sought grateful relief in the -shady depth of the dark orange grove and -spreading loquat trees that sheltered the -veranda on which I lounged on my luxurious -cane couch.</p> - -<p>My father was a retired Anglo-Indian officer, -who, having won distinction during the Indian -Mutiny, had taken up a “military grant” of -about two thousand acres of land in the Colony -of Natal. He judged this to be an excellent -opening for my brother Malcolm, who, although -showing a strong desire to follow in his father’s -military footsteps, lacked the capability and -application requisite to pass the competitive -examinations for the Army.</p> - -<p>We had been, by this time, about three years -in the Colony, and had half the estate under -cultivation. Whether father was satisfied with -the results I do not know. But, drowsily -reviewing the situation on this particular afternoon, -I came to the conclusion that a man who -has spent the best years of his life in the Army -cannot metamorphose himself immediately into -an agricultural success.</p> - -<p>I was aroused from my cogitations by Malcolm’s -voice exclaiming: “Why, Jessie, I do -believe you were asleep!”</p> - -<p>“I was, very nearly,” I confessed. “This -heat makes the physical exertion of unclosing -my eyelids a task to which I do not feel equal.”</p> - -<p>“When are you going down to the church?” -he asked, as he tapped his cane against the leg -of his long riding-boot.</p> - -<p>“Now,” I declared, sleepily, “if you will come -with me. Sam says he has got enough flowers -and greenstuff to fill two churches.” Sam, I -should explain, was the Kaffir boy whose duty -it was to ring the bell for service, hand the -collection-bag round, and gather the flowers for -the church decorations. St. John-in-the-Wilderness, -as it was called, stood on my father’s land, -a shining beacon of corrugated iron and wood.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[212]</a></span></p> - -<p>Struggling to my feet, I reached for my hat -and green-lined umbrella, and stood ready, -waiting to accompany my brother.</p> - -<p>“Don’t take Nellie,” I protested, as the fat old bulldog gambolled about, -panting and snorting in spite of the heat, in anticipation of a walk. But -Nellie proved obdurate alike to threats and entreaties, and presently -scampered off down the hill, leaving us to follow.</p> - -<p>Half-way across the Flat we came to one of those exquisite little streams -that are so frequently met with on the coast of Natal. Crossing this on -stepping-stones, we reached the opposite bank, whence it was but a few -paces through the narrow bush path to the clearing in the jungle where -stood St. John-in-the-Wilderness.</p> - -<p>“Look, Jessie, the door is open!” exclaimed Malcolm. “I suppose that -duffer Sam didn’t lock it properly this morning when he put the flowers -in.”</p> - -<p>“Probably,” I returned, gaining his side on the vestry steps. “The lock -has got so stiff that I cannot turn the key myself, so I am not -surprised.”</p> - -<p>The dim, subdued -light inside the church -caused us to pause a moment or so before -observing the extravagant profusion of flowers, -palms, and ferns that Sam had gathered—truly -more than enough for the decoration of two -churches the size of ours.</p> - -<p>“How glorious!” I cried, kneeling by the -side of this floral wealth and picking up a -bloom of the delicately-tinted waxen ginger. -“What would they say to Christmas decorations -like this in England?”</p> - -<p>“I think,” announced my brother, ignoring -my ecstasies, “that I will just run over and -inspect a gang at work at the other end of the -Flat, and then I’ll join you and we can work -undisturbed.”</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 280px;"> - -<img src="images/illus2.jpg" width="280" height="400" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE AUTHORESS, MRS. K. COMPTON, WHO HERE RELATES HER -TERRIFYING ADVENTURE WITH A HUGE PYTHON.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photo. by W. J. Hawker.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>I willingly agreed to this arrangement, as I -wanted to practise some hymns for the morrow. -To astonish our scanty congregation I thought -I would put my musical genius to the test and -attempt a voluntary.</p> - -<p>Picking up his sun helmet and cane, Malcolm -prepared to go.</p> - -<p>“Don’t be long, there’s a dear,” I said. -“And I think you -had better lock the -door and take the -key, because the door -won’t keep shut unless -it is locked, and -I do not care to have -it open.”</p> - -<p>“What are you -afraid of?” laughed -Malcolm, as he went -out once more into -the sunshine.</p> - -<p>“Oh, I don’t know, -I’m sure, but when I -am alone I prefer to -have the door shut.” -Still laughing, he -turned the key in the -lock and went off.</p> - -<p>Left by myself in -the silent little church, -I drew off my gloves -and prepared to open -the harmonium.</p> - -<p>It occupied a position -under a window -in the chancel, on the -first of the three wide -steps leading to the -sanctuary, on the -right-hand side of the -church. Immediately -opposite was the -vestry door by which -we had entered, and -between the harmonium and the vestry lay the -pile of flowers and greenstuff for the decorations, -so that I, seated at the organ, had my -back towards the flowers. Two rush-bottomed -chairs stood near, one bearing a basket of extra -choice white flowers I intended for the altar -vases; the other was on the right side by the -harmonium, supporting the small repertoire of -music that I needed for the service.</p> - -<p>I took my seat leisurely, thinking over my -voluntary for the morrow.</p> - -<p>I turned over first one piece of music, then -another, finally opening a tattered sheet of -an old copy of “The Blacksmith of Cologne.” -I settled on that; it looked so nice and easy.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[213]</a></span> -Played slowly, with a proper amount of -expression and a plentiful addition of the -tremolo stop, I thought it would make a very -telling and appropriate beginning to the Christmas -service.</p> - -<p>I had barely played a dozen bars of the -music when I thought I heard a rustle of leaves -behind me, but attributed the sound to some -slight current of air from an open window. I -was too much engrossed to pay the occurrence -much attention, and continued my performance -right through to the end, repeating a passage -here and there which I thought required a -different rendering. Then once again I seemed -to hear stirring leaves, and, glancing over -my shoulder at the lovely pile of flowers, I -noticed the sound could only have been caused -by the spray of wild ginger that I had carelessly -tossed on the top of the other blooms, and -which had apparently rolled down and now lay -a few inches apart from the rest.</p> - -<p>Rather amused that such a trifle should cause -me to interrupt my practising, I again turned to -the instrument, intent upon perfecting my piece.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 350px;"> - -<img src="images/illus3.jpg" width="350" height="240" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE CHURCH WHERE THE ADVENTURE HAPPENED AS IT APPEARED IN 1890.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Suddenly I was overtaken by a feeling of -unaccountable apprehension, and, at the same -time, became aware of a slow, continuous, rustling -sound. Turning my head sharply over my -shoulder, to my horror and intense surprise I saw -the whole mass of leaves and flowers undulating!</p> - -<p>Scarcely daring to breathe or move my fingers -from the notes, I mechanically continued my -playing. The fact that I was a prisoner behind -a locked door forced itself on my mind and held -me in my place, helpless. For a moment now -and then as I watched the mass of verdure was -quiet, only to begin upheaving again. What -could it be? The suspense was becoming -more than I could bear, and I was on the -point of shrieking hysterically when my tongue -refused utterance, and I felt as if life and -strength were oozing out of my fingers.</p> - -<p>On the farther side of the beautiful, fragrant -pile of ferns and flowers appeared the head of -an enormous snake. Slowly, quietly, with a -gentle dipping movement up and down, it raised -itself, and I saw that it was a python.</p> - -<p>Then the Kaffirs’ legend was indeed true! -They had told us a story which we had regarded -in the light of a fable. In spite of our ridicule, -they had maintained that a serpent of gigantic -dimensions had its haunt in the neighbourhood -of our little church. They said that it would -suddenly appear from out the bush when the -organ was played and lie in the sun as if listening -to the music. We had naturally received -the story as a Kaffir superstition, and gave it -no credence.</p> - -<p>But—Heaven help me!—it was no idle tale, -but a horrible fact, for there was the immense -snake before me.</p> - -<p>A tempest of fear seized me. My heart -seemed to beat all over me at once, and a singing -noise in my head drove me nearly distraught. -After a while, however, it appeared to turn into -a voice calling upon me to continue playing. “It -is your only chance, your only hope,” it seemed -to say.</p> - -<p>With a supreme effort of will I controlled -myself sufficiently to continue my performance.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[214]</a></span> -I compelled my hands and feet to move and -perform their duty. Never once, however, did -I move my eyes from the python, which was -gradually drawing the vast length of its body into -view.</p> - -<p>A faint hope sprang within me that I might -lull its savage proclivities with the music, and I -forced myself to continue a monotonous droning -on the little instrument. Calling to mind the -snake-charmers of India, and imitating to my -uttermost the mournful wail they produce on -their reed whistles, I kept this going until the -incessant thud, thud of the bellows seemed to -pound on the nerves of my brain and be the -only sound I extracted from the little organ.</p> - -<p>Presently, with a fresh horror, I observed -that the creature was rearing itself up, as if -endeavouring to locate the direction whence the -music came. Having done so, it gradually -made its way round the heap of flowers and -palms towards me.</p> - -<p>Once the python reared itself to the level of -the back rail of the chair where lay my choice -white flowers, and for a space of time remained -poised in that position, surveying its environment -from that improved elevation. During -this time its sinuous form quivered in perpetual -vibration, and its changeful, scintillating eye -gave indication of its exceedingly sensitive -nature. It was evidently a creature so susceptible -to sound that a human voice, far away -across the Flat, borne on the scented, heat-laden -air through the open window, smote its delicate -organization and sent a tremor through its -body, making the exquisite, shaded skin shiver, -and bringing into prominence a wonderful -iridescent bloom that glistened along the -smooth surface of its coils.</p> - -<p>Once, in its passage towards me, the snake -pushed the chair that impeded its progress an -inch or two from its former position, scraping it -along the varnished boards, causing a sharp -discordant sound.</p> - -<p>Instantly the python drew back its awful -head, assuming a swan-like attitude. The -quivering tongue, as sensitive as a butterfly’s -feelers, played and trembled, and its jewelled -eyes narrowed and flashed. The creature’s whole -position was one of threatening defence. How -deadly it looked, how awful in its cruel beauty!</p> - -<p>“Heaven send me help!” I inwardly prayed. -“Oh, for some means of escape!”</p> - -<p>Closer and closer the awful creature undulated -directly towards me, pausing now and again as -if to prolong my agony of suspense. In reality -I believe it was listening, its sensitive ear—or -if, as some scientists hold, snakes are deaf, then -some subtle sixth sense unknown to us—detecting -sounds my dull brain could not catch.</p> - -<p>At length it was so close to me I could have -stretched out my hand, had I wished, and -touched it, and a coil of its body actually lay -on my skirt as the creature rested at my side, -evidently enjoying the mournful music, which I -verily believed to be my funeral dirge. For the -end, I thought, must come soon. With this -deadly creature so close to me, and in such a -position that I could not but disturb it if I -moved, I was getting cold and numb with fear. -I felt myself getting faint, and realized that I -was going to fall. Desperately I fought -against the feeling, struggling against my -growing weakness.</p> - -<p>How long the serpent lay, like a watch-dog, -at my feet, how long I played I do not know. -I could not measure time; I was in a trance, -asphyxiated with fear.</p> - -<p>Suddenly a noise seemed to snap something -in my brain, and the spell was broken. It -was a sharp bark from Nellie, just outside the -window.</p> - -<p>And, coming nearer through the bush, I heard -the echo of my music whistled back to me, as -Malcolm, all unconscious of my peril, took up -the refrain with which I was endeavouring to -soothe my dread visitant to rest and peace.</p> - -<p>And now that help was at hand, a new danger -and difficulty confronted me. How was I to -warn Malcolm? How was I to drag my skirt -away from under this monster quickly enough -to escape through the open doorway before it -struck me?</p> - -<p>Long ere I was aware of the approach of help -the serpent had shown signs of irritation, its -intuitive sensibility detecting the advent of -danger, and at the noise of the key grinding in -the rusty lock the python gathered its sinuous -body under it, as if to obtain greater support -for a forward stroke. Then, with its head and a -portion of its body reared high above the floor -and darting angrily hither and thither, it waited -expectantly.</p> - -<p>Dazzled with the glaring sunlight outside, -Malcolm hesitated on the threshold for a -moment, and in that moment Nellie passed -him and ran into the church. Even then I -could not move my gaze from the snake, or -speak or move, or give a symptom of warning -But I was aware of poor old Nellie coming -towards me, panting and puffing with the heat -and fatigue of her walk, and with greeting and -gladness in her soft brown eyes.</p> - -<p>She was scarcely a yard from me, and I heard -my brother call to her: “Go out, Nellie; go -out!”</p> - -<p>Then there was a sound as if a whip were -cutting through the air, and something passed -before my vision like a flash of forked lightning<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[215]</a></span> -in the sky, and I knew that the death-blow had -fallen—not on me, but on dear, devoted old -Nellie, the bulldog. The python literally leapt -at her, striking again and again, as it endeavoured -to seize her in its awful coils.</p> - -<p>I waited no longer, but sprang from the chair, -upsetting it and the books in my flight, and -fairly flew to the door. I reached Malcolm in -safety, and he dragged me outside, shutting the -door behind us, and leaving Nellie and the -python in the church. The dog’s piteous cries -of agony and fear sickened us, and made Malcolm -attempt a rescue. He rushed in once again, -calling to the dog, in the vain hope that she -might at least die with us at her side. But she -could not see; blinded with fright she ran -wildly about. Her end was horrible to contemplate, -and I pressed my hands to my ears to -shut out the sounds, running from the church -and close proximity of the fearful creature under -whose spell I had been for so long. I sank -down under the shade of some trees and thanked -God I was safe!</p> - -<p>But the cries of poor Nellie, the thud, thud -of the bellows, and the mournful dirge I had -repeated over and over again banged and -clanged unceasingly in my head, remaining -with me through many days of utter prostration -and exhaustion.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus4.jpg" width="400" height="290" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">“THE KAFFIRS, SEEING ITS SKIN STRETCHED IN THE SUN TO DRY, LOST THEIR SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEF IN THE MAGIC -POWERS OF THE CREATURE.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>The last music that python heard was the -crack of Malcolm’s rifle as he shot it in the -church. That same afternoon the Kaffirs, -seeing its skin stretched in the sun to dry, lost -their superstitious belief in the magic powers of -the creature, and marvelled at its huge size. -The mottled, shaded skin now hangs, faded, dull, -and dusty, after many years, on the walls of a college -museum, amidst other South African trophies. -We buried what remained of poor Nellie in the -shadow of St. John-in-the-Wilderness.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[216]</a></span></p> - -<h2>Across America by Airship.<br /> -<span class="smaller">THE STORY OF AN ILL-STARRED ENTERPRISE.</span></h2> - -<p class="by"><span class="smcap">By Arthur Inkersley, of San Francisco.</span></p> - -<div class="smaller"> - -<p>Now that airships are so much to the fore, this account of the meteoric career of the largest “dirigible -balloon” ever constructed—larger even than Count Zeppelin’s unfortunate monster—will be read with -interest. The inventor had an ambitious scheme for running luxuriously-fitted aerial liners between -New York and San Francisco, but his first ship got no farther than the ascension ground. The -photographs accompanying the article are particularly striking.</p> - -</div> - -<div> -<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-s.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="dropcap">Some time last year there came -from the windy city of Chicago to -the hardly less breezy San Francisco -a man named John A. Morrell, -who built a small airship with a -balloon of insufficient size to lift the engines -and netting. The craft got loose before the -crew of twelve had taken their places and rose -from a hundred to two hundred feet in the air, -floating away in a southerly direction down the -San Francisco peninsula and coming to rest at -Burlingame, in San Mateo County, twenty miles -from its starting-point.</p> - -<p>Nothing daunted by this mishap, Morrell -organized the “National Airship Company,” -incorporated under the laws of South Dakota, -established offices in a leading street of San -Francisco, and put forth a glowing prospectus, -in which people were invited to invest their -money in a sure thing—to wit, an airship a -quarter of a mile long, already under construction, -and intended to make regular trips between -San Francisco and New York City, carrying -passengers as comfortably as a Pullman car. -The chairs in this remarkable craft were to be -made of hollow aluminium tubes and to weigh -only seventeen ounces; the bedsteads, of the -same material, weighing twenty-seven ounces. -The mattresses were to be inflated with a very -light gas of a secret nature. Extravagant and -fantastic though all this sounds, Morrell -possessed the enthusiasm and glibness of the -genuine promoter, contriving to obtain many -thousands of dollars from credulous people in -support of his wild project.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus5.jpg" width="400" height="240" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">MORRELL’S MONSTER AIRSHIP BEING INFLATED, READY FOR ITS FIRST ASCENT, IN THE PRESENCE OF A VAST CROWD.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>The National Airship Company established -shops in San Francisco, and went to work upon -the airship, which was named “Ariel.” The -construction was under the direction of George -H. Loose, who has had considerable experience -in building aeroplanes and airships. It was -intended that Loose should be first officer of -the aerial liner, but, when the time for making -the first ascent came, Loose wisely threw up his -job, because Morrell had disregarded his advice -in the construction.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[217]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus6.jpg" width="400" height="240" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">A NEAR VIEW OF PART OF THE AIRSHIP, SHOWING ONE OF THE ENGINES AND PROPELLERS—NOTICE THE FLIMSY NETTINGS AND THE MATTRESSES INTENDED TO SUPPORT THE CREW.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>Nearly every well-known principle of airship -construction was violated. The proportions -were impracticable, the craft being four hundred -and eighty-five feet long and having a diameter -of only thirty-four feet. The gas-bag was like a -huge snake, having no rigidity, either horizontally -or vertically, and not being stiffened by -trussing of any adequate sort. A gas-bag of -such length and proportionately small diameter -should have been strengthened by a vertical -framework, or by trusswork of rope or wire, so -as to impart rigidity; but nothing of this sort -was done. The motive-power was supplied by -six separate four-cylinder forty-horse-power -automobile engines, hung below the balloon at -intervals.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus7.jpg" width="400" height="240" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE AIRSHIP LEAVING THE GROUND AMID THE CHEERS OF THE EXCITED ONLOOKERS.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[218]</a></span></p> - -<p>These concentrated weights were carried on -a platform, not of planks, but of mattresses, -laid down on mere canvas, supported by the -netting which covered the gas-bag. Ropes -placed round the gas-bag at the points where -the engines were situated cut deeply into it, and -no arrangements whatever were made to meet -the special stresses caused by the steering of so -long-drawn-out an affair. Loose’s chief reasons -for refusing to make the ascent were that if the -envelope were filled with enough gas to render -it rigid the emergency valves would open, and -if these were tightened the envelope was liable -to burst.</p> - -<p>Serious as the various defects mentioned were, -the most fatal one was the fact that nothing -had been done to prevent collapse or deformation -caused by sudden expansion or contraction -of the gas from changes of temperature. The -balloon was one great, undivided bag, containing -from four hundred thousand to five hundred -thousand cubic feet of gas, but having no -compartments or internal air-bags. Its lifting -capacity was from eight to ten tons, so that it -was much the largest airship ever built in -America, even exceeding in dimensions the -great “dirigible” of Count von Zeppelin.</p> - -<p>It might be supposed that it would be pretty -hard to get together a score of persons who -would be willing to risk their lives in such an -unpractical affair as the Morrell airship; but, -strangely enough, the greatest difficulty was -experienced in keeping people off the craft. -One man, a well-known aeronaut named Captain -Penfold, repeatedly begged Morrell to let him -make the ascent, but his request was flatly -refused. Yet so eager was Penfold that at the -last minute he smuggled himself on to the craft -and went up with it and—a few moments later—came -down with it.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus8.jpg" width="400" height="250" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE “ARIEL” IN MID-AIR. ITS NOSE HAD A DECIDED TILT DOWNWARDS, AND THIS INCREASED UNTIL ALL EQUILIBRIUM WAS LOST.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>Some time before the attempted ascent was -made the airship was conveyed from San -Francisco across the Bay to Berkeley, in -Alameda County, Cal. The trial trip was fixed -for Saturday, May 23rd, and on that morning -thousands of excited people were on hand to -watch the ascent. The airship was released -from its moorings and began to mount into the -air, its nose having a decided tilt downwards. -The machine had risen scarcely two or three -hundred feet when the rear of the balloon had -an upward inclination of as much as forty-five -degrees.</p> - -<p>Morrell shouted to his crew, consisting -of engineers and valve-tenders, numbering -fourteen or fifteen, to go aft, so as to depress -the stern of the machine and cause it to resume -its equilibrium. But the shouts and cheers of -the people below drowned his voice so that he -could not be heard. A moment later the gas -rushed into the after-end of the bag with great -force, bursting the oiled cloth of which the -envelope was constructed, and the cheers had -hardly died away before the horror-stricken -crowd saw the great balloon collapse and come -headlong to the ground, with its nineteen passengers, -who included Morrell, eight engineers, five -valve-tenders, two photographers with their -assistants, and the aeronaut already mentioned.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[219]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus9.jpg" width="400" height="600" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">“THE HORROR-STRICKEN CROWD SAW THE GREAT BALLOON COLLAPSE AND COME HEADLONG TO THE GROUND WITH ITS NINETEEN -PASSENGERS.” NOTICE THE VALVE-TENDER SCRAMBLING WILDLY ALONG THE NETTING ON TOP OF THE GAS-BAG; HIS AGILITY STOOD HIM IN GOOD STEAD, FOR HE ESCAPED ALMOST UNINJURED.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[220]</a></span></p> - -<p>The unfortunate men were entangled in the -wreckage of flapping cloth, network, and machinery, -running the danger of being struck by the -propellers of the engines or of being suffocated -by the great volumes of escaping gas. One -valve-tender, who was on the top of the great -bag, can be seen in one of the photographs -climbing along the netting. His agility stood -him in good stead, for he escaped from the -wreck almost uninjured.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 300px;"> - -<img src="images/illus10.jpg" width="300" height="215" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">GATHERING UP THE WRECKAGE AFTER THE COLLAPSE OF THE AIRSHIP.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>It might be supposed that nearly all the men -on the ill-fated craft were killed; but, remarkable -to relate, not one lost his life. Morrell -himself sustained severe lacerations, and had -both his legs broken by one of the propellers; -Penfold, the persistent, had his right ankle and -left instep broken; Rogers, an assistant engineer, -suffered a broken right ankle; and another -engineer met with broken ribs and ankles. -Others were bruised or rendered unconscious -by the gas.</p> - -<p>Morrell ascribed the disaster to the fact that -he was forced by impatient stockholders in -the National Airship Company to make the -attempted flight before he had worked out -certain details of the vessel’s construction -thoroughly. It is believed by those who saw -the luckless craft that it was constructed flimsily -of poor materials and not inflated sufficiently. -The ill-starred aeronautic adventure not only -cost many broken bones, but some forty thousand -dollars (more than eight thousand pounds) in -money.</p> - -<p>It would naturally be supposed that so complete -and disastrous a failure, after the expenditure -of so large a sum of money, would have -destroyed all confidence in Morrell as a designer -of airships, and would have put him out of the -business of aerial navigation for all time. But -it was not so; the enthusiast still asserts that he -has discovered the -true principle of -the navigation of -the air, and that the -National Airship -Company is ready -to proceed with the -construction of -another craft, much -larger and costlier -than the first one.</p> - -<p>The new airship is -to be seven hundred -and fifty feet long -and forty feet in -diameter, equipped -with eight gasolene -engines, developing -nearly three hundred -and fifty horse-power -and operating -sixteen propellers. -The inside bag will -be of light silk and -the outside bag of -heavy silk interwoven -with a material -known as “flexible aluminium,” of which -Morrell possesses the secret. The new balloon -is to have more than a hundred compartments, -many of which might be broken without -disturbing the buoyancy or equilibrium of -the vessel.</p> - -<p>A rigid platform is to be substituted for the -canvas and netting cage in which the unfortunate -participants in the attempted ascent of the -“Ariel” rode. The new vessel is to cost one -hundred thousand dollars (more than twenty -thousand pounds), and to be capable, if the -inventor is to be believed, of a speed of a -hundred miles an hour. The really marvellous -things about the whole business are the unquenchable -enthusiasm of the inventor and the -unfailing credulity of those who believe in him.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[221]</a></span></p> - -<h2>FIGHTING A TYPHOON.</h2> - -<p class="by"><span class="smcap">By A. P. Taylor, Chief of Detectives, Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands.</span></p> - -<div class="smaller"> - -<p>The story of the most disastrous voyage in the annals of the United States transport service. The -steamship “Siam” left San Francisco with a cargo of three hundred and seventy three picked army horses -and mules, destined for “the front” in the Philippines. She landed two mules alive at Manila. In -this narrative Mr. Taylor, who was a passenger on the ill-fated vessel, tells what became of the remainder.</p> - -</div> - -<div> -<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-w.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="dropcap">When the Japanese Government -recently offered for sale the former -Austrian steamship <i>Siam</i>, a prize of -the late war, there was concluded -one of the most remarkable romances -of the United States army transport service. -Four flags have so far flown over this steamer, -but her career is not likely to conclude under -the ensign of the Land of the Chrysanthemum.</p> - -<p>Christened on the banks of the Clyde in the -early ’nineties as the British -tramp steamer <i>Resolve</i>, the -vessel later passed into the -hands of an Austrian corporation -at Fiume, and was renamed -the <i>Siam</i>. Fate and -charterers sent her to the -Pacific Ocean in the second -year of the Filipino insurrection, -and she was chartered by -an American firm of San -Francisco, and entered the -coal trade between Nanaimo -and the Bay City.</p> - -<p>In the summer of 1899 the -United States War Department -assembled at Jefferson -City, Missouri, one of the -finest trains of experienced -army mules and horses ever -organised for foreign service. -From Cuba, from the northern -borders of the United States, -from frontier army posts, and, -in fact, from every part of the -United States where the -quartermaster’s insignia were in -evidence, these animals were -brought to the common -rendezvous in Missouri. They were the pick -of the army—staid old mules and horses -that had been in the service for years, and -knew almost as much of military discipline as -the men in blue. Their transhipment to the -Presidio at San Francisco followed in July, and -then the War Department cast about for a -vessel in which to ship them to Manila, where -General Otis was even then delaying important -army movements in order that these animals -might accompany the troops to “the front.”</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 200px;"> - -<img src="images/illus11.jpg" width="200" height="375" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE AUTHOR, MR. A. P. TAYLOR, CHIEF -OF DETECTIVES, HONOLULU, HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>The <i>Siam</i> had just returned from Nanaimo -with a cargo of coal. She was a fine, big, ten-knot -boat, with Austrian officers and sailors. The -War Department decided, although she flew the -flag of the Emperor Joseph, that she was just -the vessel needed. Early in August, after several -weeks of hammering, sawing, and building of -superstructures, three hundred and seventy-three -horses and mules were sent aboard and placed -in separate stalls for the long voyage to Manila. -The loading of the animal -cargo was a matter of much -concern to the War Department, -with the result that -almost the pick of the packers -and teamsters of the army—fifty-six -in all—were chosen for -the voyage.</p> - -<p>In command of these rough-and-ready -plainsmen was Captain -J. P. O’Neil, 25th Infantry, -United States Army. -Captain O’Neil was just the -sort of man to deal with the -cowboys—no army dandy, but -a true-blue soldier, and the -men admired and loved him.</p> - -<p>Among the horses was the -thoroughbred presented to -General “Joe” Wheeler, -United States Army, by the -citizens of Alabama after his -return from the Cuban campaign. -“Beauty” he was -called by the men, and he -was given a place of honour -near the officers’ cabin. Yet -another splendid animal was -the horse belonging to Miss -Wheeler, daughter of the General, who was -then an army nurse in the Philippines.</p> - -<p>The officers and crew were all Austrians, with -the exception of two engineers. The commander -was Captain Sennen Raicich, sailor, gentleman, -and postage-stamp connoisseur. His hobby -was rare stamps, and his cabin was filled with -cases containing valuable specimens. Every -day he went over his collection, labelling, -classifying, and docketing the new ones which -he had purchased at the last port. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[222]</a></span> -collection was valued at about twelve thousand -dollars, and was insured. Messrs. Xigga and -Stepanovich were his two officers. Captain, -mates, and crew all hailed from the section -of Austria nearest Fiume.</p> - -<p>Ten days after leaving San Francisco the -<i>Siam</i> reached Honolulu, and the horses and -mules were taken ashore and sent to the Government -corrals, where they recuperated for two -days. During -this time Captain -O’Neil -spent much -time considering -the arrangement -of the -stalls. These -were arranged -along the main -deck and in the -first hold below. -Over the exposed -portions -of the main -deck superstructures -had -been raised to -protect the -animals from -the elements. -The forward -deck was loaded -with hay and -grain for use -during the -voyage, while -between decks -was a stock of -forage. Over -the officers’ section a deck-house was built, and -used as a sleeping-place for the cowboys.</p> - -<p>The Honolulans took great interest in the -horses, and hundreds examined the stalls, which -were arranged along the sides of the steamer, -the animals facing inward. Small chains hasped -to the supports on either side led to the rings of -the halters. Cleats were nailed to the flooring -to give the animals a footing during storms. -The leisure time of the cowboys was spent in -making canvas “slings,” intended to be placed -beneath the bellies of the animals during bad -weather, the ends fastened to rings in the deck -above, to assist the animals in keeping on their -feet should the vessel roll awkwardly. The -transport service had much to learn, and the use -of slings was a costly lesson.</p> - -<p>For several days the voyage toward the -Philippines was delightful. Half-cloudy days -and trade winds maintained an even temperature -throughout the ship. Officers, crew, cowboys, -the few passengers, and the animals were -on the best of terms. Captain O’Neil cheerfully -looked forward to the day when the <i>Siam</i> -should steam into Manila Bay and he could -report the voyage successfully ended and -without the loss of an animal. Captain -O’Neil’s enthusiasm was communicated to the -cowboys, and they resolved to make a reputation -for the -voyage and land -their animals -safe and sound. -Alas for human -hopes! That -voyage was to -prove the most -disastrous in -the annals of the -American transport -service.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 300px;"> - -<img src="images/illus12.jpg" width="300" height="300" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">GENERAL WHEELER’S HORSE “BEAUTY” BEING TAKEN ON BOARD THE “SIAM.”</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>On the morning -of September -17th came -a change in the -direction of the -wind. The -officers consulted -the barometer, -and the -land-lubbers, -taking amateurist -observations -of their own, saw -that it was falling. -Then came -a few gusts, the -sky changed, -and in a little -while a terrific storm burst over the steamer. The -vessel rolled, and the horses, unused to such a -motion, had difficulty in retaining their feet. -Clouds of spray dashed over the bridge and tons -of water broke upon the decks. The stalls -were flooded and became slippery, and the -animals frequently fell. Sometimes a lurch -threw at least fifty from their feet. Instantly -there was a struggling, kicking mass of horse and -mule flesh on the decks. The cowboys, although -experiencing the first real nausea during the -voyage, bravely went among the helpless brutes -and assisted them to their feet. For two days -and nights this went on, and few men were able -to sleep. Finally things got so bad that Captain -O’Neil sent a written request to Captain Raicich -to change the course of the vessel to any direction -that would give the least motion to the -ship.</p> - -<p>Those who have never been to sea may not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[223]</a></span> -know the danger of putting a vessel about in -a sea which is piling up angrily from every -direction. The order was sent through the ship -that she was to go about, and everyone clung to -a support during the manœuvre. Gradually the -vessel answered her helm; the roaring wind -beat against her hull, heeling her far over, until -the landsmen clung desperately to anything -handy to prevent them sliding into the boiling -sea. At length the manœuvre was safely -executed, and all hands breathed a sigh of -relief. The vessel scudded before the wind, -riding more easily, though she was going far out -of her course.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus13.jpg" width="400" height="300" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">“A TERRIFIC STORM BURST OVER THE STEAMER.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>When the sun broke through the clouds a -tropical-looking island loomed up on the horizon, -which proved to be the island of Saipan, of -the Ladrones group, just to the north of Guam. -Whether it was inhabited those aboard did not -know, for there was not on the ship a chart -or book bearing upon the island. A mysterious -column of smoke shot up from a grove of trees -as the vessel passed by, followed by a second -and a third. A “council of war” was held. -Were the mysterious smoke signals sent up by -shipwrecked sailors or by natives with questionable -intentions? Captain Raicich cut the -Gordian knot with the statement that the <i>Siam</i> -was under contract to the United States Government -at six hundred dollars a day, and as considerable -time had already been lost he could -not for a moment think of detaining the vessel -while an investigating committee went ashore.</p> - -<p>After that storm the ship was a hospital, for -two hundred and thirty-three horses and mules -were more or less injured, and every man -devoted his whole time to caring for them. -Strange to say, many of the cowboys and mules -had been associated for years in Government -work, and they were therefore old friends, and -the men were sympathetic veterinarian nurses. -Six animals died of their injuries.</p> - -<p>That storm was a heartrending set-back to -the ambitions of Captain O’Neil. However, he -made the best of the experience by preparing -for similar episodes. One day the engines gave -out, and the vessel lay to for several hours while -the engineers and firemen worked like Trojans -to repair the damage. At first it was decided -that the vessel, being then near the Philippines, -could make port with the one uninjured engine, -but it was finally decided that it would be best<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[224]</a></span> -to repair the damage at sea. It was well that -this decision was arrived at, otherwise the <i>Siam</i> -would never have reached port.</p> - -<p>On September 29th the steamer was close to -Cape Engano, on the northern coast of the -island of Luzon. On the morning of September -30th the sky became overcast, the wind freshened, -and the barometer fell. In the afternoon there -was a peculiar glow in the clouds, which behaved -most curiously; they seemed caught in -currents of wind and were stretched out across -the heavens in orderly lines, parallel with the -horizon. To the landsmen none of the signs -were ominous, but the ship’s officers sent orders -quietly among the crew.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 200px;"> - -<img src="images/illus14.jpg" width="200" height="300" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">CAPTAIN SENNEN RAICICH, OF THE “SIAM.”</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photo. by Antonio Funk.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>A passenger, going into the -chart-room, from which an -officer had made a hurried -exit, saw a book on navigation -lying there. It was open -at a chapter on typhoons, -and there were under-scorings -where “China Sea,” “The -Philippines,” “Yellow Sea,” -etc., occurred in the text. -The passenger looked at the -barometer again, saw that it -had fallen, and began to -understand. There was an -ominous silence throughout -the vessel, and a peculiar -stagnant feeling impregnated -the air. The growing sense -of menace affected every -living thing aboard; the -plainsmen had long since -stopped chaffing and the -animals stamped uneasily.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile the crew were -very busy. Canvas shields -were taken in, rigging was -examined, and the captain went below to the -engine-room and consulted with the engineers.</p> - -<p>Evening came on, the sea began to stir, and -the crests of little waves broke sharply. The -<i>Siam</i> was now in sight of the northernmost -portion of Luzon, and as Cape Engano was -approached she was slowed down, but the -captain and officers looked in vain for the lighthouse -on the cape. At ten o’clock the commander -changed the course of the vessel from -west to north, thereby keeping out of the -channel above the cape, for he would not risk -entering the waterway without first picking up -the light.</p> - -<p>It was well that he formed this decision, for -at eleven o’clock the heavens and the sea seemed -to meet in a mighty clash. There was one -mighty reverberating roar, the steamer heeled -over, the wind howled through the rigging, -and the stern, lifting high out of the water, -permitted the propeller to race, shaking the -vessel from stem to stern. The gong and -bells rang sharply in the engine-room, the -propeller stopped racing, stopped altogether, -spun again. The tramping of feet sounded -along the decks; orders were shouted from -the bridge in Austrian. The cowboys gathered -on the main deck and waited anxiously—for -what, they did not know. Then the passenger -transmitted the knowledge of the open -book in the chart-room to the landsmen. A -typhoon was on, perhaps, he suggested. -“Typhoon” in the China Sea, -“hurricane” in the Atlantic, -“pampero” off the South -American coast, “cyclone” -on land—all mean much the -same thing. The most terrifying -storm a vessel could -encounter held the <i>Siam</i> in -its mighty grip.</p> - -<p>Then, almost without warning, -a demoniacal sea and a -fearful wind, with legions of -horrible, never-to-be-forgotten -night terrors, appeared to leap -upon the ship from the -darkness.</p> - -<p>A sickening dread crept -into my heart. In fifteen -minutes the whole fury of -the typhoon was upon us. -It was almost midnight of -September 30th when we -realized, by a glance at the -captain’s face as he rushed -into the chart-room, that a -battle for our lives was upon -us. It was human science -matched against the ungovernable fury of the -elements. Which would win?</p> - -<p>I made my way to the bridge, clinging now to -a rope, and now down upon my knees with my -arms around a stanchion. By main force I -held on to the wheel-house, where the captain -and his two mates directed the course of the -stricken ship. Their faces were set with grim -determination, their eyes staring fiercely now at -the compass and then at the boiling seas, which -pitched and rolled us about like a paper box. -The wheel flew round from side to side. One -end of the bridge rose and towered above me -until I leaned over almost upright against the -ascending deck, and as suddenly it fell until it -seemed to plough the water. The wind, blowing -at eighty miles an hour, tore canvas and -rigging to shreds.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[225]</a></span></p> - -<p>Suddenly the bow lifted high upon a monster -wave. Higher, higher, higher it rose, while the -stern sank down into a yawning chasm. Simultaneously -a huge wave struck us abeam. Down -came the bow, and over heeled the steamer -upon her side. From below came the nerve-racking -bellowing and screaming of the terrified -animals as they strove madly to keep their feet. -Hoarse shouts came up from the lower decks, -where the cowboys were endeavouring to help -their charges. Now and then there was a crash -as an animal was flung bodily out of its stall -across the deck, where it smashed stalls and set -other animals loose. Each time the ship rolled -I set my teeth, for each swing seemed about to -plunge us into the boiling black abyss below. -Often my heart seemed to stand still, and I -waited for the moment when our devoted band -would be hurled into eternity.</p> - -<p>Presently half-a-dozen of us descended to the -stokehold in order to send ashes up to the deck -to be spread under the hoofs of the struggling -animals. Out of that stifling hole bucketful -after bucketful was hoisted until the deck was -strewn with <i lang="fr">débris</i>. But the heat of the stokehold -and the unusual labour caused the amateur -stokers to sicken, and, exhausted and nauseated, -we climbed to the deck again and lay there -gasping.</p> - -<p>With morning the storm grew worse. At nine -o’clock Captain Raicich determined to heave -the ship to, but the plan had to be abandoned, -owing to stress of weather. The steamer was -compelled to head directly into the wind, which -eddied in dizzy concentric circles around a -larger circumference. My diary contains the -following notes jotted down on the afternoon of -October 1st, written mainly in shorthand while -I lay ill in my bunk:—</p> - -<p>“Good heavens! Another such day and -night as we have been having and I believe I -shall become insane. Buffeted and tossed -about like a feather, careening, rolling, and -pitching, the <i>Siam</i> seems ready to take her final -plunge. Just now a great wave lifted the bow -until it seemed the vessel would stand straight -upon her stern; the stern went down and threw -us up again with a terrific lift. A wave strikes -the bow and races the full length of the vessel, -tearing everything loose it can rip from its -fastenings. It is sickening. I am writing this -in the very midst, the centre, of the worst kind -of storm one can encounter at sea. The men -are shouting and cursing, the animals pawing -and uttering plaintive sounds.</p> - -<p>“We don’t know where we are. We know -we are heading north-east to get away from -ragged reefs which lie to the north of Luzon. -We are steaming directly in the face of the -typhoon and make no progress. The barometer -has fallen twelve points since noon. May -Heaven have mercy on us!</p> - -<p>“7 a.m., October 2nd.—What terrible sights -I have witnessed during this awful time! The -storm increased every hour of the night, the -barometer going down from 82 to 30, disclosing -the fact that we were heading directly toward -the centre of the typhoon. We have rolled so -heavily that the rail goes under at each dip. -The men remained at their posts in the stable -division, striving to keep the animals from -plunging out of their stalls from sheer terror. -Suddenly a mule falls. Men hurry to raise it. -A return lurch, and down go a score—a mass of -maddened, screaming brutes. From every part -of the ship whistle-signals are heard calling for -help. None can be offered, and there the poor -beasts lie piled up on each other, sliding upon -their sides and backs from one side of the ship -to the other, tearing strips of flesh from their -bodies, causing them to groan piteously in their -helplessness. The ship is tossed every way, up -and down, side to side. Heavy seas break -across the decks.</p> - -<p>“Crash! There goes the cowboys’ bunk-house -on the poop deck. It is flooded, and the -men’s belongings are sweeping into the sea. -The water is pouring down into our cabins. -Destruction everywhere. Another crash—the -rending of timbers in the stable sections. I -hear the men shouting warnings and hear their -feet tramping across the decks. The stalls have -given way entirely. Horses are plunging -through the hatchways into the lower stable -divisions. A thud, a groan, and they are dead. -The rest are piled up in sickening, agonizing -masses, rolling, snorting, kicking, and endeavouring -to get upon their feet. No man dare move -from his holding-place. One has to stand -almost upon the cabin wall to keep erect.</p> - -<p>“There they lie, all our pets, the captain’s -thoroughbred, General Wheeler’s own charger. -There are twenty horses dead in one heap. A -mule has plunged right down into the engine-room, -breaking its legs. It lay there for two -hours before Captain O’Neil could shoot the -suffering beast. The engineers crawled over the -carcass as they stood at the throttles to ease the -engines down as the propeller races.</p> - -<p>“The terrific battle of the elements outside -beggars any description from me. Intensify -any storm you have experienced on land a -couple of thousand times, add all the terrors -that darkness can furnish, add the thoughts of -terrible death staring you in the face every -minute, with the sights and sounds of Dante’s -Inferno, and then perhaps you can gain some -idea of our misery.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[226]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus15.jpg" width="400" height="530" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">“A MASS OF MADDENED, SCREAMING BRUTES.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>“At daylight the seas swept across and filled -up our decks. Then it was that Spartan -measures had to be taken. The hatches were -ordered to be battened down, thus confining in -a death-trap nearly two hundred mules. We -knew it meant death by suffocation to those -that were still living, but our own lives were at -stake, and to save our own the animals must be -sacrificed.</p> - -<p>“I am now writing in the chart-room. If we<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[227]</a></span> -sink, I don’t want to be caught like a rat down -in my cabin, although there will be no chance -for life in any case if we go down.</p> - -<p>“To make our terror worse the Austrian firemen -have mutinied. They heard that the -captain had given up the ship. They were right, -for he told us to prepare for the worst. Think -of knowing that we have got to drown! Our -boats are all smashed and hanging in bits at the -davits. The firemen tumbled up on the deck -looking like demons from the underworld. -Then Captain O’Neil showed his true nature. -He became the hard, steel-like soldier. He -sternly ordered them below, but the men did not -move. The cowboys knew instinctively that -without steam to turn the engines we must -surely founder. Two of the cowboys seized the -ringleader, and, placing the ends of a lasso about -his wrists and thumbs, started to draw the rope -over a guy wire, threatening to string him up by -the thumbs. Captain O’Neil had turned away -when these men took the prisoner in charge. -Immediately the frightened crew turned and fled -down to the stokehold.</p> - -<p>“Who can blame the poor beggars? Life is -as sweet to them as to us. Two hours later they -came up again, but the display of an army -revolver in Captain O’Neil’s hand caused them -to retreat.</p> - -<p>“The chief engineer, an Englishman, has -gone insane. Thirty-three years at sea, and now -he has gone to pieces! The terror of the long -vigils at the throttle unnerved him. I passed -him a little while ago; he was sitting in his -cabin wailing piteously, his face blanched with -terror. The little Scotch second engineer has -been on duty almost every hour since the night -of the 30th. His whole back was scalded by -steam. Dr. Calkins bound it up in cotton and -oil, and he is working as if nothing had happened, -brave little fellow.</p> - -<p>“6 a.m., Tuesday morning, October 3rd.—Another -chapter in my experience of Hades. -No one is on duty except the ship’s officers. It -is a ship of the dead. I have just taken a -look down the upper stable division, and the -sight sickened me. The poor brutes of horses -and mules, mangled and torn, lay in heaps, the -live ones trying to extricate themselves from the -dead.</p> - -<p>“At last the typhoon has spent itself, and by -to-morrow morning we shall probably be able -to get back on our course and make a fresh -start for Manila. Nearly all the horses and -about two hundred mules are wounded as far -as we can ascertain. Soon the hatches will be -taken off, and we can learn the horrible truth.</p> - -<p>“October 4th.—All morning long the dead -animals have been hoisted out and thrown overboard. -How horrible it all is! The men working -in the lower holds are overpowered and -compelled to come up on deck every few -minutes. We have three steam-winches going. -We found only one live mule in the lower hold. -Captain O’Neil has been shooting most of the -live animals, for they are beyond hope in their -terrible condition.</p> - -<p>“Captain Raicich told me to-day that for -four hours yesterday he did not know whether -the ship would pull through. The <i>Siam</i> got -into the trough and could not be steered. He -said he was prepared then for death. He said -he has never before experienced such a terrible -storm. We don’t know just where we are yet, -as we can take no observations.</p> - -<p>“What a terrible change in Captain Raicich’s -appearance! He never left the bridge for three -days and nights. He, as well as the two men at -the wheel, were lashed to stanchions. He wore -two oil ‘slickors,’ but they are in ribbons, and -the tar from them has sunk into his hair and -beard and deep into his skin. He is dirty and -wretched-looking. His cheeks are sunken and -there is an almost insane glare in his eyes. He -looks like a wreck, but in spite of his terrible -ordeal he is as decisive in manner as before. -Poor fellow, he hardly ate anything during the -whole of the typhoon. He saved our lives.</p> - -<p>“We have just located our position. We are -a hundred miles north of Luzon, and close by -are the dreaded coral-teeth we tried to avoid.</p> - -<p>“October 5th.—We are now nearing Manila -Bay and have cleared up the vessel fairly well -and thrown most of the carcasses overboard. The -ship is a wreck; everything seems to have been -twisted, broken, torn, or damaged in some way. -Up to last night we got overboard three hundred -and fifty-five carcasses. This morning four more -were found dead and two others had to be shot. -We now have only twelve animals left, some of -which we may land at Manila alive. This is all -we have left out of three hundred and seventy-three. -Dozens of sharks follow in the wake of -the vessel. The <i>Siam’s</i> expedition has been the -most disastrous in the transport service.”</p> - -<p>As a matter of fact, the <i>Siam</i> actually landed -only two animals at Manila. They were little -Spanish mules which had been thrown into the -coal-hold and, strange to say, had not a scratch -upon them. They were and are still known -in and about Manila as the “Million-Dollar -Beauties” of the quartermaster’s department.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;"> - -<img src="images/illus16.jpg" width="350" height="530" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">“HE NEVER LEFT THE BRIDGE FOR THREE DAYS.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>I accompanied Captain O’Neil to General -Otis’s head-quarters in the ancient Spanish -palace in old Manila. When informed of the -disaster the General was greatly grieved, and -remarked that it would have a serious effect -on the plans he had made. Captain O’Neil<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[228]</a></span> -then presented him with the following report of -the voyage, which, although an official document, -contains much of the romance connected -with the disastrous expedition:—</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p class="right"><span class="smcap">United States Transport “Siam.”</span></p> - -<p class="noindent">Adjutant-General Eighth Army Corps, Manila, P.I.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Sir</span>,—I have the honour to report my arrival with the -steamship <i>Siam</i>, chartered as a United States animal -transport. I left San Francisco, California, on the night -of the 19th of August with three hundred and seventy-three -animals aboard. We experienced ordinary weather, -and arrived in Honolulu, H.I., August 29th, leaving -there September 6th.</p> - -<p>After leaving Honolulu, and until the 17th of September, -we had fairly good weather, and up to this date -(a month away from San Francisco) all the animals were -in perfect condition. The duties of horse veterinary and -nurses were then sinecures. On the morning of the 17th -a heavy swell from E.N.E. and N.N.E. struck the ship -and made her roll considerably. This swell continued. -The next day, Monday, the 18th, the wind rose from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[229]</a></span> -S.S.E., and continued to increase in force until it -became a gale, blowing from S. and S.S.E., with a big -swell from S.S.W. and S.E. This rough sea was -extremely trying on the animals; as many as fifty would -be thrown from their feet at the same time, and for -forty-eight hours I was not able to spare a moment for -sleep, and the greatest rest that any man of my detachment -had was six hours. I, at this time, sent a written -order to the captain of the ship to change the course -of the vessel to any direction that would give her -the least roll. According to this order, he changed -the course to S.E. We were driven several hundred -miles out of our course. Wednesday morning the -wind abated; we were able to resume our course, and -passed the Ladrones, north of Saipan. Wednesday -morning the storm began to abate; Wednesday evening -and night we were busy caring for the injured and taking -stock of our animals. I found two hundred and thirty-three -animals injured more or less severely; of these, -six (6) died. The greatest care was given to the injured, -and they all pulled through remarkably well.</p> - -<p>Everything ran smoothly, fair winds and fair seas, -until Saturday night, September 30th. We arrived at -the head of the island of Luzon (Cape Engano). It was -after dark—there was no light—the weather looked -threatening. The captain and I discussed the matter -and finally decided that it was not safe to try and go -through this passage on a stormy night without being -able to locate any landmarks. The captain was directed -to cruise outside until daylight. About twelve o’clock -that night the wind started blowing from N.N.W., -gradually increasing into a gale; the vessel was headed -into the wind and sea and rode very smoothly until -Sunday morning, October 1st, when the wind began to -shift, increasing in force, and for the next two days continued -changing direction. Until the storm abated -Tuesday morning, the wind was blowing from the S.E. -The sea raised by this circular wind was tremendous. -From Saturday night at twelve o’clock, for fifty-six hours, -every man on board the vessel worked like a Trojan. -Animals were continually being thrown from their feet, -and the men worked getting them to their proper places. -As the storm increased, so increased the labour—the men, -almost exhausted, continuing their task. I cannot give -them too much praise for their utter disregard of danger, -and the heroism they displayed in trying to save their -charges.</p> - -<p>Monday morning, October 2nd, at five o’clock, the -captain of the ship gave orders to close the hatches to -save the ship, and just then a tremendous sea swept over -the vessel, throwing from their feet every animal on the -port side of the ship and most of the animals on the -starboard side; the vessel continued to do sharp rolling, -so that these animals would shoot from one side of the -deck to the other. It was absolutely impossible to do -anything for them; some men had been injured, and -I gave up the fight. I ordered every man to a place -of safety in the forecastle, cabins, and chart-room, -and we were forced to let the animals stay where they -were.</p> - -<p>Three hundred and sixty odd animals shifted from side -to side of the vessel, and it became too great a risk to -make men face it when nothing could be accomplished. -When I knew the captain had ordered the hatches -closed (which I felt meant suffocation for those animals -still alive in the holds), I knew he would not take this -step if ingenuity or human skill could possibly avoid the -danger. For a few hours I had no confidence in or -hope of saving even the vessel. The wind was so -strong that she was perfectly helpless; she would not -mind her helm though going at forced speed, but had to -drift helplessly in the direction the wind drove her.</p> - -<p>As soon as it was possible to go upon deck, every effort -was made to rescue those animals still living. A few that -were fortunately thrown on top of the heap of mangled -horses and mules were brought out. Many died from -their injuries. Six were saved, but I doubt if they will -be of any service for a long time to come.</p> - -<p>It is my opinion, and also the opinion of everyone on -board this vessel, that had the weather continued as fair -as it was up to September 17th, the ship would have -arrived in the port of Manila without the loss of a single -animal. As it was, every animal that died on this trip -did so from the effect of the storms encountered.</p> - -<p>A detailed report and copy of the orders on which -this vessel was run, and such suggestions as I have been -able to make from the experience I had in these two -storms, accompany this report.</p> - -<p class="center">I have the honour to remain,</p> - -<p class="center">Yours respectfully,</p> - -<p class="right">(Signed) <span class="smcap">J. P. O’Neil</span>.</p> - -<p class="right">Capt. 25th Infty., A.Q.M., U.S.A.</p> - -<p>(Dated) Manila Bay, P.I., October 6th, 1899.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 200px;"> - -<a href="images/text-siam.jpg"><img class="link" src="images/text-siam-small.jpg" width="200" height="100" alt="Major J. P. O’Neill, 30th Infantry, who was army quartermaster on the -transport Siam in the latter part of 1899, is a passenger aboard the -transport Sherman. Major O’Neill ran across Chief of Detectives Tailor -yesterday, both having been aboard the Siam on her memorable trip to -Manila in October, 1899, when 370 out of the 373 horses and mules -aboard were killed during a four days’ typhoon off the coast of Luzon. -That trip of the Siam was the most disastrous in the transport service -history and the vessel barely weathered the storm. On that trip Captain -O’Neill was called upon to put down two mutinies among the Austrian fire -crew, and at one time he threatened to string up the ringleader by the -thumbs. The English Chief Engineer became unbalanced during the storm -and had to be placed in irons by O’Neill. The Siam arrived at Manila a -perfect charnelship. During the Japan-Russo war the Siam was captured by -the Japanese while carrying coal to Vladivostok and was sold back to the -Austrian company through the prize court." /></a> - -<p class="caption">A CUTTING FROM THE “PACIFIC COMMERCIAL ADVERTISER,” REFERRING TO -THE “SIAM’S” DISASTROUS VOYAGE.</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[230]</a></span></p> - -<h2>A State Trial in Montenegro</h2> - -<p class="by"><span class="smcap">By Mrs. Herbert Vivian.</span></p> - -<div class="smaller"> - -<p>The recent State trial for high treason at Cetinje was a most sensational affair, the prisoners—many -of them ex-Ministers and politicians of high rank being accused of a conspiracy to destroy the -Montenegrin Royal Family root and branch. Mrs. Vivian was the only woman present, and her -photographs were the only ones taken. Her description of the trial, with its picturesque environment -and mediæval atmosphere, will be found extremely interesting.</p> - -</div> - -<div> -<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-i.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="dropcap">I feel quite spoilt for home-made -pageants or foreign processions after -assisting at the sensational State trial -for high treason in Montenegro—a -sight which transports one at once -into mediæval times again. The ordinary person -may imagine that it is quite an everyday -affair, and that conspirators grow like blackberries -on the hedges of Montenegro, but -then the ordinary -person knows little -about foreign -lands apart from -Norway, Switzerland, -or Italy, and -less than nothing -about the Near -East. When I was -in Montenegro my -family was besieged -with inquiries after -my safety and -hopes that I might -escape unhurt -from the brigands -and bandits who -must infest the -Black Mountains; -whereas in Montenegro -the remark -that greeted me -was that it was -very brave of me -to pass through so -many lands on the -way to the principality, -but that -now I was there -all was well.</p> - -<p>I think it is -time, therefore, -to explain that -the trial, far from -being an everyday -affair, was something -unheard-of in a land where everyone, -though, of course, warring against the fiery -Albanian and enjoying a certain amount of -friendly sparring with neighbours, adores his -beloved Prince and looks on him as chieftain, -father, and general Providence all rolled into -one.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 300px;"> - -<img src="images/illus17.jpg" width="300" height="400" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">PRINCE NICHOLAS OF MONTENEGRO—THE CONSPIRATORS PLOTTED TO DESTROY -NOT ONLY THE PRINCE, BUT THE ENTIRE ROYAL FAMILY.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>Indeed, Prince Nicholas must be counted -among the lucky ones of this earth. He has -not only been -blessed with -talents and tact -above those bestowed -on the -ordinary man, but -he has also been -watched over by -the gods and -allotted more luck -than falls to the lot -of most mortals. -Like King -Edward, he is -popular wherever -he goes, and he has -a genius for -statecraft. When -he came to the -throne forty years -ago Montenegro -was absolutely unknown; -probably -barely one in a -hundred of educated -people knew -that such a place -was to be found -in the atlas. -During those forty -years the Prince -has fought successful -wars against -the Turk, more -than doubled his -territory, married<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[231]</a></span> -his daughters to some of the greatest <i lang="fr">partis</i> in -Europe, and made the name Montenegro a -household word for valiant men and deeds of -daring.</p> - -<p>But Prince Nicholas, unluckily for himself, -married his eldest daughter to a certain Prince -Peter Karageorgevitch. This lady died many -years ago, and in the course of time Prince Peter -was called from his haunts in Switzerland to take -the Crown of Servia from the hands of the -regicides. Whether he knew anything of their -evil plans beforehand need not be discussed -here; but, at any rate, ever since the day he -entered Belgrade he has been their tool, and as -wax in the hands of the ringleaders. Nevertheless, -people were astonished when it was -discovered last October that bombs were being -smuggled over the Turkish frontier, coming from -Servia. A plot was discovered to blow up the -whole of the Montenegrin Royal House—not -only the Prince and his two sons, but the -Princess and her two daughters, her daughters-in-law, -and even the poor little grandchildren, -so that the entire family might be exterminated -root and branch!</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus18.jpg" width="400" height="300" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE EXTERIOR OF THE COURT-HOUSE, SHOWING SENTINEL ON GUARD.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>The affair was engineered in Belgrade, and -the bombs were manufactured by a Servian -officer at the State Arsenal of Kragujevats. -It was also rumoured by those who might be -expected to know that the dreams of the blood-stained -authorities in Belgrade are to unite -Montenegro, a Slav nation speaking the Servian -language, with Servia, and the idea was that if -there were no member of the House of Petrovitch -left alive the throne might possibly fall to -the share of a Prince Karageorgevitch, one of -the sons of Prince Nicholas’s eldest daughter.</p> - -<p>The Crown Prince George of Servia is not -exactly one’s ideal of a model ruler. This -young gentleman, whose hobby is said to be -to bury cats in the ground up to their necks and -then stamp them to death, is more one’s idea -of a youthful Nero or Caligula, and Heaven -help the nation delivered over to his tender -mercies. Before the trial, however, rumours -were all that one heard; so everyone was on -tiptoe with expectation, wondering what sensational -revelations would come to light.</p> - -<p>By great good luck we happened to arrive in -Montenegro just a week before the trial began.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[232]</a></span> -We steamed in one of the excellent boats of the -Austrian Lloyd past the grey mountains of -Istria and through the wonderful fjords of the -Bocche di Cattaro till we cast anchor under the -peak of Lovcen. In a victoria drawn by two -tough little Dalmatian horses we climbed the -mountain side in zigzags, persevering up the vast -rocky wall till we found ourselves some four -thousand feet above the sea below. I have -neither time nor words to describe the view, a -task which needs the pen of a poet like Prince -Nicholas himself, but must dash on, like our -game little horses, to Cetinje, down the steep -sides of silver mountains, which gleam in the -tropical sun without a vestige of green to relieve -their Quaker-like hues.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus19.jpg" width="400" height="340" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE JUDGES IN THEIR GORGEOUS NATIONAL COSTUMES—TO THE RIGHT OF THE SOLDIER WILL BE SEEN THE BOMBS WHICH WERE AN IMPORTANT “EXHIBIT” IN THE TRIAL.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>As a town Cetinje is not thrilling, but it lies -in a lovely neighbourhood and is peopled with -perhaps the most picturesque race in the world. -For the Montenegrins are not only the most -magnificent specimens of humanity in point of -size, clad in gorgeous raiment which, I feel -sure, Solomon in all his glory could not have -beaten, but they have behind them a past which -can scarcely be beaten by any fighting race on -earth.</p> - -<p>Some five hundred years ago the Turks -defeated all South-Eastern Europe in the -Battle of Kossovo, and Servia and Bulgaria -entirely, and Roumania to a certain extent, fell -under the sway of the Ottomans. Then, the -story goes, the bravest and the noblest of those -lands, disdaining to live beneath the banner of -the Crescent, withdrew to the eyries of the -Black Mountains, where, thanks partly to their -valour and partly to the favourable position of -the land (which is a natural fortress), they defied -the Turks. They never intermarried with the -inferior races, and so have preserved the magnificent -physique and extraordinary distinction -of bearing which strikes every stranger who -visits Tsernagora. Indeed, if it comes to a -question as to who should be the dominant race -in Servia and Montenegro, it seems more fit<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[233]</a></span> -that Servia should be taken under the wing of a -race which has done deeds all these centuries -instead of merely talking.</p> - -<p>We found at the hotel that half the newspapers -of the Near East and Vienna were -sending correspondents, and we therefore felt -ourselves lucky in getting a room in the front -looking down the main street, where everything -in Cetinje happens, and where, towards sundown, -when the siesta is over and the air -becomes cool and pleasant, you may find anyone -you want to see. Half-way down we saw a -crowd of people in national costume (for in -Cetinje, thanks to the Prince’s influence, it is -universally worn) standing outside a house. -“They are waiting to try and get a seat in court -to-morrow,” I was told, “but only a score or so -will succeed, for there are thirty-two prisoners, -each one guarded by a soldier, besides all these -journalists to be made room for.”</p> - -<p>Through the good offices of the Prince’s -secretary, to whom His Highness had confided -us, we were provided with tickets, which was -lucky for us, for when we arrived within sight of -the court-house we found a cordon of soldiers -guarding it. We were stopped and our passes -examined before we were allowed to proceed. -When we reached our destination, a long, low, -grey stone building with the Montenegrin two-headed -eagle over the door, an officer took us -in hand and led us with ceremony to our places. -I looked round me with great satisfaction from -my red velvet arm-chair in the ranks of the -Diplomatic Corps. Not only was I the only -English person there save one, but I was the -only woman in the whole place.</p> - -<p>It was the most thrilling trial I have ever -witnessed. At the top of the room, behind -a long table beneath the picture of Prince -Nicholas, sat the nine judges, all save one in the -most gorgeous national costume: long coats of -pale green cloth, heavily braided, with waistcoats -of vivid carnation red, crossing over to one side -and covered with beautiful gold embroidery. -Baggy breeches of ultramarine blue and smart -top-boots continued the gay effect, which was -completed by a bulky sash of striped and gold -silk wound round the waist, and containing an -assortment of daggers and revolvers; for a good -Montenegrin would as soon think of coming -out without them as an Englishman without his -collar.</p> - -<p>In the middle sat the President, a person of -extreme distinction and great dignity, who conducted -the proceedings in an irreproachable -manner. A small table stood before him, on -which a pair of high tapers were placed, and -between them was a copy of the Gospels, bound -in red velvet and gold metal-work, and a crucifix. -On his left hand sat a Mohammedan judge, with -red Turkish fez and simpler costume than that -of the Montenegrins; and on his right the -bombs were all set out on a little table as -evidence, guarded by an immense soldier -about six-foot-six in height and of a forbidding -aspect. It gave one a certain creepy sensation -to see, only a few feet away, enough of -these infernal machines to send the whole of -the court-house into the clouds, and to know -that close by were thirty-two desperate men who -would stick at no kind of devilry. The bombs -were little square flasks of grey metal with screw -tops, almost like the fittings of a common -dressing-bag or luncheon hamper, and certainly -did not betray by their appearance what terrible -things they really were. For these particular -bombs were manufactured in a very ingenious -fashion, and were enough to make an Anarchist -tear his hair with envy. At the foot of the table -was the black bag in which the infernal machines -had been smuggled over the frontier.</p> - -<p>A story is told of the conspirator’s journey -which brings a touch of comedy into the affair. -When he passed through Austria he had the -bag registered as luggage, for it was so heavy -that he feared it might attract attention if placed -in the rack. A mistake was made by the clerk -and he was overcharged. The honest official -discovered his mistake directly the train started, -and telegraphed off to the junction to describe -the man, giving orders that the money should -be refunded. At the junction the conspirator -was found, and the station-master came up to -him to inquire if he had not registered a black -bag. Overcome with terror and dismay, and -thinking he was discovered, the man seized the -bag and bolted, leaving the official greatly perturbed -and convinced that he had to do with a -madman.</p> - -<p>The court-house itself was long, low, and -white, with a blue ceiling and a boarded floor. -A long table ran half-way down either side of -the hall to accommodate the journalists, and -half-a-dozen arm-chairs were arranged in a good -position for the diplomatists. These were -almost empty on the first day, and my next-door -neighbour, a polite young Turkish attaché, -considerately moved out of the way whenever -he saw that I was trying to take a photograph. -And, indeed, it was not the easiest task in the -world to get pictures of the proceedings. The -prisoners were a restless set of people, who -fidgeted, sprang constantly to their feet, and -interrupted the speakers in a very tantalizing -way. As there was not very much light a fairly -long exposure had to be given, and there were -difficulties in propping the camera up satisfactorily -and also in disguising my intentions as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[234]</a></span> -much as possible. However, I had the satisfaction -of knowing that mine were the only -photographs taken, for the local photographer -who had been commissioned by the authorities -to take some pictures declined to try, owing to -the obstacles.</p> - -<p>The thirty-two prisoners, guarded by soldiers -on either side, occupied benches all down the -centre of the hall. Some of them were in -European dress, thus differing from the majority -of Montenegrins. Amongst them were all sorts -and conditions of men, from peasants to ex-Ministers -of the Crown. It is not often one -finds a former Prime Minister, four ex-Ministers, -three high State officials, and several Deputies -all in one trial for -high treason. As -a rule, the accused -were puny, furtive-looking -striplings, -a contrast to their -stalwart compatriots; -but their -imprisonment of -several months -may have had -something to do -with this. Many -were students who -had gone to Belgrade -to complete -their studies and -had there imbibed -Anarchistic and -revolutionary principles. -The judge -showed great tact -and firmness in -dealing with them.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 300px;"> - -<img src="images/illus20.jpg" width="300" height="325" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE CONSPIRATORS LISTENING TO THE READING OF THE INDICTMENT.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>As the long indictment -which -contained all the -particulars of -the plot was -being read out by -the counsel for the Crown—a handsome man in -full Montenegrin costume—first one prisoner -and then another started from his seat, rudely -interrupting and violently contradicting. A -clamour then arose from the whole thirty-two. -The judge expostulated, begged them to be -reasonable, and finally touched a silver hand-bell. -The soldiers pulled them down to their -seats again, but seemed as gentle in their -methods as policemen with Suffragettes. As -names were mentioned now and again in the -indictment, exclamations of derision and -protest were heard from the prisoners. They -next complained bitterly that they had no -note-books or pencils with which to take -down the points and prepare their defence, -whereupon the President ordered that paper -and pencils should be brought to them at -once. The indictment was long, and it finally -asked for the death penalty as punishment. At -this loud clamours arose, and the excitement -grew so intense that a nervous feeling communicated -itself to the public. The President by -this time despaired of keeping order, and directed -that the prisoners should be taken back to their -prisons. One alone remained, Raikovitch, the -man who brought the bombs into Montenegro, -and the principal prisoner.</p> - -<p>Raikovitch was a rather good-looking young -man, dark and -sallow. He had -a large, round -nose, a round chin, -and even his forehead -seemed to -bulge. But his -black, beady eyes -struck me as shifty, -and he appeared -somewhat ill at -ease. In spite of -his confident -manner he would -glance round at -the pressmen’s -table every few -seconds to note -what effect his -defence was having -on them. But he -had an amazing -fluency, and his -story flowed on -like a river. There -was no bullying -by Public Prosecutor -or judges.</p> - -<p>Every now and -then the President, -tapping his fingers with a pencil, would interrupt -the prisoner with a short, sharp question, evidently -very much to the point, and he pulled up the -prisoner’s counsel very sharply on one occasion -for attempting to prompt his client. Presently -there was a small stir, for Raikovitch was heard -to denounce Vukotic, the nephew of Princess -Milena, Prince Nicholas’s wife, as having been -in communication with and paid by the conspirators. -No one seemed to know who would -be accused next, and the Servian Minister, who -was present, must have experienced feelings of -uneasiness. Raikovitch was next led to the table -to examine the black bag, to identify it as his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[235]</a></span> -luggage, and acknowledged -that those -were the bombs he -had brought into the -country. His defence -lasted for the rest of -the day.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 300px;"> - -<img src="images/illus21.jpg" width="300" height="280" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">SOME OF THE AUDIENCE.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>Next morning, -when the prisoners -were brought back, -the sitting was even -more agitated. The -ex-Deputy Chulavitch -was accused. -He leapt to his feet, -and in a voice of -thunder shouted -that he had been -betrayed—he had -been sold! Later -on, however, he acknowledged -that he -had received thirteen -napoleons for his help in the plot. Various -other prisoners were accused, but all had -answers and excuses at first. Some said they -acted on behalf of others. Others said -they had taken no active part, but had only -known of the conspiracy. They would confess -one day, and the next flatly deny everything -they had said before. Later on in the trial, -however, they found means of communicating -with each other, -and arranged on -a line of common -action.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 300px;"> - -<img src="images/illus22.jpg" width="300" height="290" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">INSIDE THE PRISON AT CETINJE—THE CELL DOORS ARE GENERALLY OPEN AND -THE PRISONERS ARE ALLOWED TO TAKE EXERCISE IN THE YARD.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>Few documents -could be produced -in evidence against -the accused, but a -great sensation was -caused by the reading -of a letter -from a Montenegrin, -now an -officer in the Servian -army, to his -brother. In it he -promised both -moral and material -support for the -plot and enclosed -a thousand francs -from King Peter. -At this there was -profound silence -in the court, and -a deep impression -was left on -the minds of the -public.</p> - -<p>A student named -Voivoditch then gave -the details of the -plot. He had brought -bombs from Belgrade -with the express intention -of killing -Prince Nicholas and -Prince Mirko. It -was arranged that -various Government -offices were to be set -on fire and in the -confusion bombs -were to be thrown -against the palace, a -small building which -would be easily -destroyed. Then, -acting on the lines -of the Servian regicides, -the Ministers and principal people in -Cetinje were to be assassinated and their houses -wrecked.</p> - -<p>The trial lasted several weeks, for with fifty -persons accused and thirty-two prisoners to -examine and hear, things cannot be done in a -moment. But the principal witness against the -prisoners was a certain Nastitch, a Servian -journalist from Serajevo. He brought the gravest -charges against the -Servian Government. -As he had -been present at the -manufacture of the -bombs he said that -he was entitled to -speak with some -authority. Last -year he was sent -to Kragujevats -State Arsenal by -a Captain Nenadovitch, -cousin of -King Peter, who -gave him a letter -to the Commander -from the Servian -Crown Prince. In -this letter the -Prince begged the -Commander to -allow Nastitch to -stay ten days in -the arsenal whilst -the bombs were -being made. They<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[236]</a></span> -were then given to him to be consigned to -Captain Nenadovitch in Belgrade, who told -him that they were to be employed in a patriotic -enterprise. A little later he was informed that -the police had sequestrated the bombs, as -Pasitch, the Prime Minister, had been informed -of his stay in Kragujevats.</p> - -<p>Nastitch then began to -perceive that some mischief -was being hatched, and that -Nenadovitch was trying to -throw dust into -his eyes. He put -two and two -together and got -a shrewd suspicion -of what -was really up. -So he crossed -over to Semlin, -in Hungary, -from Belgrade, -as no letters are -safe from being -opened by the -Servian secret -police, and communicated -with -Tomanovitch, -Prime Minister -of Montenegro. -He asserted that -he did not fear -denials, since he -had documents -to prove the -truth of what he -said. He next -produced specifications -of the -bombs, and then -asked the judges -to have those in -their possession examined to -see whether they were not -identical. At the conclusion -of his evidence Nastitch was -applauded loudly by the -public, and was cheered as -he left the court.</p> - -<p>There were several rather interesting little -touches in the evidence of other prisoners. One -was found to be sending secret messages to a -friend written in microscopic handwriting under -the postage-stamps of the letter. Under one -was written: “Is it true that Stevo has confessed -everything?” Stevo being Raikovitch.</p> - -<p>Raikovitch was brought up a second time and -confronted with various prisoners, who accused -him of inventing the whole plot. He met every -accusation with complete calm and cynicism. -Indeed, it seemed impossible to disturb his -sang-froid. He proclaimed aloud that he would -laugh even when climbing the steps of the -gallows. He was the type of the complete -<i lang="fr">poseur</i>, considering himself -the centre of attraction, -choosing his language with -the utmost care, and throwing -himself into appropriate -attitudes. When -asked if he was -not a Socialist, -he replied, “Of -course I am a -Socialist. I must -confess, however, -that I am -not <em>absolutely</em> -sure what -Socialism is!”</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 300px;"> - -<img src="images/illus23.jpg" width="300" height="450" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE GOVERNOR OF THE PRISON (ON RIGHT) AND A MONTENEGRIN.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>The ex-Prime -Minister, Radovitch, -was the -most interesting -of the villains, -and was quite a -story-book -scoundrel. He -had enjoyed the -favour of the -Prince, and had -been Court -Chamberlain for -some years. It -was expected -that he would -make a favourable -impression -on the public, -for when he had -come back from -Paris to deliver himself up, -arriving dramatically the -very morning of the opening -of the trial, he had been -cheered all along the streets -of Cetinje, and flowers had -been thrown at his feet; but -in court he cut a sorry figure indeed. For six -weary hours he spoke unceasingly, and all the -time about himself only! According to his own -version he is the cleverest, the most capable of -Montenegrins—in a word, he is the only -patriot in the land. He alluded contemptuously -to the judges, and cried theatrically to the -President: “I am proud and happy to stand -before you as defendant, for I would not change<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[237]</a></span> -places with you, my Lord President!” He -boasted of the Prince’s affection for him and -openly betrayed that he expected to be let off -easily.</p> - -<p>The trial lasted over a month. This is no -joke in a sweltering Montenegrin summer, and -both judges and prisoners must have heaved -sighs of relief when -every witness was -heard and the suspense -was nearly over. -Six were condemned -to death, but only two -of these, Chulavitch -and Voivoditch, were -in custody; the others -had escaped abroad. -Raikovitch and the -Minister Radovitch -were sentenced to -fifteen years’ imprisonment. -Thirteen -others received sentences -varying from -two to ten years, and -several were discharged -either because -they were innocent or -from lack of proof.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 250px;"> - -<img src="images/illus24.jpg" width="250" height="250" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">A WARDER, WITH THE HEAVY CHAINS AND ANKLET WORN BY PRISONERS.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>I was interested in -visiting the prisons of -Cetinje and Podgoritza. -Both are very -small, which speaks well for the state of the -country. Few murders are committed, and these -are rarely for gain, but usually acts of revenge. -The men concerned in the plot were confined at -Cetinje, in a small and somewhat primitive -building, but when they had been sentenced -they were removed to Podgoritza. Both prisons -are built round a courtyard in which exercise -can be taken, for the doors of the light and -roomy cells were open all day long. Nearly -every cell contained an oven, and the prisoners -were allowed to cook their food themselves. -The daily rations consisted of two pounds of -bread and the sum of fourpence, with which -they could buy what they liked.</p> - -<p>I was taken over the place by the Governor, -a very kindly-looking giant, who seemed as -if he could not hurt a fly. If I am ever -unlucky enough to be put under lock and key, I -should like to have a jailer just like him. He -and a Montenegrin officer, who spoke most -excellent French, were very kind in helping me -to take photographs. Some of the prisoners -wore irons which I rather wanted to photograph, -but they thought it might hurt the men’s feelings, -so they offered to lend me a jailer to be -manacled and snap-shotted. He thought it the -greatest joke in the world, and quite entered -into the spirit of it all. Just as I was about to -press the button he gesticulated wildly. He had -remembered that there was a little collection -of a dozen or so weapons of warfare in his -capacious belt, and these were not at all in -keeping with the irons. -So he pulled out -daggers and pistols -galore, and looked -quite thin by the time -he had finished.</p> - -<p>We also visited the -prison at Podgoritza, -a large town some -forty miles from -Cetinje. Here we -found a strange collection -of men and -women. There was -a saintly-looking pope, -who had appropriated -the funds of his -church. He was -dressed in priest’s robes -and did the honours of -the place. We saw -several convicts who -were being kept in solitary -confinement, and -pushed cigarettes to -them between the bars. -They seemed to feel the boredom most; otherwise -they have an easy time. They do little -work in summer and still less in winter, and -a great part, of the day is spent in sleep. The -cells looked far more comfortable than barrack-rooms, -and prisoners in Montenegro evidently -have little to complain of.</p> - -<p>There were ten or twelve women there. -These were nearly all guilty of infanticide. -When I came into their quarters they rushed at -me, seized my hands and kissed them, and tried -to make me sit down and talk to them. But, as -I could not understand a word they said, and -one of them looked very mad, I made my escape -as soon as possible.</p> - -<p>It will be long before I forget that strange -trial, which for spectacular effect might have -taken place in Venice in the magnificent Middle -Ages. The splendid figures of the judges -rivalled the signori in all their glory, and the -gigantic soldiery in gay and glowing colour -made one almost forget the prisoners, until their -primitive, almost savage, behaviour reminded -one of their existence and of the fact that even -nowadays in Europe things happen that eclipse -the achievements of mediæval criminals.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[238]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CROSSING THE RIVER.</h2> - -<p class="by"><span class="smcap">By J. T. Newnham-Williams, of Salisbury, Mashonaland.</span></p> - -<div class="smaller"> - -<p>A trader’s story of the appalling catastrophe which, almost in the twinkling of an eye, wiped out the -fruits of a lengthy and arduous expedition and cost him the lives of two faithful “boys.”</p> - -</div> - -<div> -<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-i.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="dropcap">It was about the end of October, -1902, when I was returning from a -trading and hunting expedition -which had taken me into the wild -bush-country lying to the north-west -of the Limpopo valley, that the following -incident occurred—an incident which neither -myself nor any of the “boys” who accompanied -me are ever likely to forget. I had started out -from Pietersburg, in the Transvaal, about five -months before, taking with me a good “salted” -horse, a wagon and sixteen oxen, and half-a-dozen -boys. I had loaded up with a good -deal of the usual trading gear, and had made a -very successful trip.</p> - -<p>It was always my rule, on returning from -these expeditions, to shoot the whole of my way -back, and I arranged my departure from civilization -so that I could get through with my trading -in good time and have the game season well in -hand on the home trek.</p> - -<p>The rains had commenced rather earlier than -usual, and, although we had only had a few -showers as yet, I felt that there was not much -time to lose if I wished to get back to Pietersburg -before they had fairly set in. I had started -out in the morning from a little native village -called M’Sablai, and meant to push on through -the day in order to get to a native “staad” -called Wegdraai, which lay on the opposite side -of the Limpopo River, better known as the -Crocodile. Everything went well during the -day, and towards five o’clock in the afternoon I -sighted the group of kopjes by which Wegdraai -was surrounded. Telling the boys to make all -possible haste and follow me, I spurred my -horse and rode forward to find a suitable ford.</p> - -<p>The river at this point is about a quarter of a -mile in width, and in the dry season is very -shallow, the water usually lying about in pools. -It presents a very pretty appearance at this time -of the year, being dotted with innumerable -verdure-clad islands. I did not anticipate much -trouble in crossing, and, on reaching the bank, -soon selected a suitable spot. There was rather -more water than usual, but this was only to be -expected, as it had been raining a little the day -before.</p> - -<p>Having picked out the ford, I watered my -horse and rode slowly back to meet the wagon. -When it came in sight, creaking and rumbling, -I dismounted and, throwing the reins over the -horse’s head, sat down and lit my pipe whilst -waiting for it to come up. I had been smoking -for a few minutes, thinking of nothing in particular, -when my attention was attracted by a -curious murmuring sound, very faint and far -away; it sounded like the roar of a train -travelling at a high speed.</p> - -<p>I glanced uneasily towards the river, but as -far as the eye could reach it looked peaceful -enough. I knew the sound only too well, however—it -was the noise of flood-water coming -down stream. When the wagon arrived, my -head boy, Jim, called my attention to the -murmur, at the same time advising me not -to attempt to get across. I had half a mind to -follow his advice and outspan then and there, -but it occurred to me that the river might -remain “up” for several days, and then, if more -rain came, I should not be able to get across -for weeks. It seemed to me to be a case of -getting across at once or waiting for an indefinite -period.</p> - -<p>We were moving steadily forward all the -time, and when we came to the river-bank I -noticed that by this time the water was looking -slightly disturbed, little swirling eddies being -plainly visible about half-way across. I looked -doubtfully up the river, which here ran nearly -straight for about a mile, but, seeing nothing of -the wall of water which usually comes down -when a river is rising in flood, I threw prudence -to the winds and determined to get across. -Tying my horse to the rear of the wagon, and -shouting to the boys to look after the brake, I -seized the long whip which the driver was carrying, -and, making it whistle around the ears of the -oxen, urged them down the bank. I could see -that the boys were scared—they knew the -treacherous nature of the river only too well—but -I thought that we could gain the opposite -bank long before the water reached us.</p> - -<p>Urged on by wild yells and shrieks, such as -only a Kaffir wagon-boy can utter, the team -moved slowly on through the river-bed, and in -a very short time were half-way across. It was -then that I observed for the first time that the -water was slowly rising, and, looking backward, -I saw that what had been a dry place a few -seconds before was now entirely covered. -Glancing down, I saw that the water beneath -us, motionless a moment ago, was now slowly -running. Alarmed, we redoubled our efforts,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[239]</a></span> -but without avail. The oxen moved slower and -slower as the water increased in volume and -depth, until, the wagon listing slightly in a small -hole, they stopped altogether.</p> - -<p>I could see there was nothing for it now but -to cut loose the oxen and abandon the wagon, -so, shouting to the boys to assist me, I loosened -the trek chain and tried to whip the oxen across. -By this time, however, the poor beasts had -scented their danger, and lowing piteously they -huddled together and became hopelessly entangled -in the long chain. Jim, whipping out -his hunting-knife, shouted, “Sicca, baas, sicca -lo n’tambo” (“Cut the reins”), and immediately -began slashing at the reins which bound the -yokes to the oxen. I saw that it was the only -thing to do, and promptly followed suit. We -were just then quite close to one of the larger of -the islands which stood well out of the water, -and as the leading oxen were freed they made -for this.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus25.jpg" width="400" height="420" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">“I SUDDENLY HEARD A WILD SNORT, FOLLOWED BY AN AGONIZED SCREAM FROM THE REAR OF THE WAGON.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>We had cut most of them loose and the water -had risen above our waists, when I suddenly -heard a wild snort, followed by an agonized -scream from the rear of the wagon, and the -next moment my horse was down, and three of -the boys, with yells of terror, were making for -the island. “Hurry up, baas,” remarked Jim,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[240]</a></span> -coolly; “lo ingwania” (crocodiles). As he spoke -there was a huge splash alongside me, and down -went one of the oxen, the water round us turning -a sickening red.</p> - -<p>I must confess that at that moment I lost -heart completely, and shouting to the other -two boys, who had climbed on to the wagon, -to make for the island, I grabbed Jim by the -arm and literally had to drag him away, the -brave fellow wanting to remain and loosen the -remainder of the oxen. We reached the land -in safety, and, turning to look for the other two -boys, saw that they were still on the wagon, -being afraid to venture into the momentarily-deepening -water. I shouted to them to come -away, but without avail. Just then Jim touched -me on the shoulder and pointed up the river. -Looking in the direction indicated, I beheld a -line of foam stretching from bank to bank, and -coming towards us like an express train. The -two boys on the wagon also saw it, and one -of them plunged off into the water, which was -now running swiftly, and in a few seconds was -carried down to us, Jim catching hold of him -and hauling him up on to the higher ground. -There was not a moment to spare, for we could -plainly see that the onrushing water would -overwhelm us where we now stood.</p> - -<p>Yelling to the boys to follow my example, I -made a rush for a good-sized tree which stood -on the summit of the island—now looking little -more than a large mound. Getting a lift from -Jim, I was soon in its topmost branches. -Three of the boys were already perched in -trees, but the fourth, the boy who had swum -from the wagon, not having recovered his wind, -was clinging helplessly round a tree-trunk, too -exhausted to pull himself up. Noticing his -predicament, Jim rushed across and, giving him -a shove, sent him up on to the lower branches. -The water was now almost upon us, and I -shouted to Jim to follow the boy up the tree, -but my voice was drowned by the roar of the -flood. He ran towards me, then hesitated, -glanced round, and saw the roaring wall of -water within about fifty yards of him. The -sight seemed to paralyze him for a moment; -then, with a spring, he reached a small tree -which was within a few yards of him, and, -clambering like a monkey, reached the top just -as the water struck the wagon. The heavy -vehicle was picked up in the swirling tide as -though it had been a straw, the boy Zuzi -clinging to the top until it was nearly abreast -with us. Then it rolled over and over, and he -disappeared from view, never to be seen again.</p> - -<p>I had scarcely had time to realize that the boy -was gone when I noticed that the remainder of -the oxen which had been standing beneath us -were adrift. The poor beasts swam desperately, -but it was no use—they were carried away like -flies on the raging torrent.</p> - -<p>Darkness was now falling fast, and the water -had completely covered the island, while the -trees were swaying in a manner which brought -my heart into my mouth; I expected every -moment to see them torn out by the roots. -What made matters worse was that pieces of -timber, uprooted trees, etc., coming down-stream -at racing pace, would strike the trunks of -the trees we were sheltered in with terrific force, -and the smaller trees were one by one uprooted -and carried away in this manner.</p> - -<p>I clung desperately to my perch for about two -hours, expecting every moment that my frail -support would give way. By that time it was -pitch-dark, and, feeling cold and stiff in my wet -clothes, I shifted my position a little; I could see -nothing of the boys in the darkness, and shouting -brought me no answer. I moved about as -carefully as possible, seeking a better position, -and at length found a more comfortable place -in a fork a little lower down. Here—cold, wet, -and miserable—I could do nothing but wait -for daylight. I had now lost everything I possessed, -my wagon and oxen representing nearly -the whole of my capital. I felt deeply for the -loss of the poor boy Zuzi and my faithful -old horse, and would willingly have sacrificed -the wagon and oxen could I have saved these -two. I blamed myself bitterly for having made -the foolhardy attempt to cross, and with these -and other equally bitter reflections the long -hours of darkness dragged slowly through. -When, after what had seemed ages, the first -faint streaks of dawn appeared, I uttered -a prayer of thankfulness; and as the daylight -became clearer and surrounding objects visible, -I looked anxiously round to see how my boys -were faring.</p> - -<p>I first caught sight of the three boys who had -escaped when the crocodiles pulled my horse -down, and a little farther on I saw Pete, who -had been helped up by Jim, but of Jim himself -I could see no trace. Trembling with horror, I -began to realize that he had gone. The flood -had by now practically spent itself, and the top -of the island was again visible. I called out to -the three boys who were nearest the spot where -Jim’s tree had been, and, in a voice which I -could scarcely recognise as my own, asked them -where Jim was. Their answer only confirmed -my worst fears.</p> - -<p>“Jim hambili, baas, blakla futi” (“Jim gone, -master, tree and all”).</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus26.jpg" width="400" height="500" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">“THE HEAVY VEHICLE WAS PICKED UP IN THE SWIRLING TIDE AS THOUGH IT HAD BEEN A STRAW.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>This was the worst blow of all, for Jim, though -only a raw native when I had first got him, had -been with me for over five years and was deeply<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[241]</a></span> -attached to me. Bitterly I cursed my folly -in not taking his advice, trying to console myself -with the reflection that he might somehow -have managed to reach the opposite bank, -though in my inmost soul I knew this to be -almost an impossibility, as the river was full of -crocodiles, who lurked on the lower side of all -the small islands, awaiting their opportunity to -rush out and seize anybody or anything that -might be carried past them by the water. -The water was now going down slowly but -surely; and, as it sank, our little island grew -larger and larger. It must have been about -nine o’clock when I climbed down out of the -tree and stretched my stiffened limbs once -again. I called the boys down, and they came -gladly, but all the time casting anxious glances -around them, fearful of a visit from the crocodiles -again. I did not apprehend much danger from -these brutes now, however, as those in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[242]</a></span> -immediate vicinity would probably have gone -farther down the river after the cattle.</p> - -<p>The morning passed slowly away and I began -to feel hungry, but there was nothing to eat. -About eleven o’clock some natives came down -to the river-bank from the “staad” on the -opposite side, and shouted to us to remain -where we were until the afternoon; the river, -they thought, would have gone down sufficiently -by that time to enable us to make an attempt to -reach the mainland. The sun had dried the -greater part of the island by this time, and, -telling one of the boys to keep a look-out, I lay -down under a tree and was soon fast asleep. I -slept on until about four o’clock, when a boy -awakened me, and, glancing round, I saw that -the water had gone down enough to warrant our -making an attempt to get across. The natives -who had been on the bank in the morning had -meanwhile returned, and were gesticulating -and shouting to us to come away. The boys, -whilst I had been asleep, had made a long -strip of “n’tambo” (rope) from the bark of the -trees, and, fastening this around my waist, I -secured the others to it, each boy being as far -from the next as the length of the rope would -permit. Then, with myself leading, we started -off. The current was still very strong, and, had -we not been roped together, would undoubtedly -have carried us off our feet. We could stand -all right in the shallower places, but when I -came to a strip of deep water the boys let out -the rope until I had got over, then I in turn -would pull them over. In this manner we -finally reached the bank and were helped out -by the natives from the “staad.” After resting a -little I accompanied them to their kraal, where -my boys were fed and rested.</p> - -<p>Learning from the headman that he had -already sent a number of men down the river-bank -in search of anything that might have been -washed up, I partook of a little mealie meal, -which was the best he could offer, and, having -washed it down with copious draughts of new -milk, lay down on a bundle of skins and once -more fell asleep, being utterly exhausted by the -previous night’s hardship and the struggle we -had made to get out of the river.</p> - -<p>I must have been asleep several hours when -I was awakened by a light touch, and, sitting up, -saw the headman, who explained that his boys -had returned, having found several cases of -provisions, etc., and asked me if I would not like -some food. I made a good meal and once more -retired to rest, sleeping soundly until sunrise the -following morning. Rising early, I sent a number -of men to search the river-banks whilst I was -having my breakfast, telling them that I would -follow later. They had been gone about an -hour, and I was preparing to follow them, when -one of my own boys came running towards me -from the direction of the river, breathlessly -informing me that they had found Jim, and that -he was alive, but had been badly mauled about -by a crocodile. I immediately started off at a -run, the boy leading the way through the bush to a -spot where the river turned off to the left, about -a mile farther down. There, under a tree, surrounded -by half-a-dozen natives, lay Jim. He -was in a fearful plight, one arm being almost -eaten away and the whole side of his body -mangled in an awful manner; he was still conscious, -however, and recognised me immediately. -I at once set to work to construct a kind of -litter with branches and boughs, and, laying him -carefully on it, ordered the boys to carry him -back to the kraal. As they were moving off -I asked one of the natives where they had -found him. Pointing to what at first sight -looked like a large hole in the ground, the boy -answered, “Lapa, baas, hya ka lo ingwania” -(“Here, mas’er, in the crocodile’s house”). I -approached the place and, looking down the -hole, was astonished to see a large chamber -beneath and a small tunnel which seemed to -lead down to the water. The ground forming -the roof of the chamber had been worn away a -good deal, and the crocodile, in turning round -in the hole with his victim, had evidently broken -the crust above, thus exposing his hiding-place.</p> - -<p>I followed the boys back to the kraal, and -pulling poor Jim in a hut carefully washed his -wounds, doing all I could for him. He remained -conscious the whole morning and told -me that during the night, whilst he was on the -island, his tree, which was not a very strong one, -had been struck several times by floating driftwood. -Towards midnight, as near as he could -remember, a heavier log than usual had crashed -into it, carrying it away completely. He had -clung desperately to the branches in the hope of -reaching the bank when he got to the curve -in the river, and had managed to keep himself -above water until he found himself floating in a -place where the water was smoother and running -less rapidly. Divining that he must be near one -of the banks, he tried to reach it by swimming, -but had only made a few strokes when he suddenly -felt himself seized by one arm, and -was immediately dragged under the water. -He had just had time to realize that it was a -crocodile which had got him when he lost -consciousness. When he recovered his senses -again he found himself in a hole, lying on dry -ground, with the sunlight streaming in through -a small opening above. There was no sign of the -crocodile, and suffering agonies from his wounds -he managed to drag himself up to the orifice,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[243]</a></span> -where he at last gut out his hunting-knife, -which still hung on to his belt, and, digging at -the edges of the cavity, tried to enlarge it so that -he could crawl through. Weakness overcame -him, however, and he fainted again. At last, -hearing voices above him, he once more tried to -get out, and, managing to put his uninjured arm -up through the hole, had attracted the attention -of the boys, who were searching near.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus27.jpg" width="400" height="475" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">“IN THIS MANNER WE FINALLY REACHED THE BANK.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>I could plainly see that the poor fellow was -past all hope, but I did all I could to ease his -last moments for him. In the afternoon he -became unconscious again, and at about five -o’clock passed quietly away. I buried him -under a large tree, near the entrance to the -circle of small kopjes by which the “staad” was -surrounded, and, cutting a small wooden cross, -nailed it to the tree, with the simple inscription, -“<span class="smcap">Jim. 21-10-’02.</span>”</p> - -<p>Next day, sad at heart, I started off to -Pietersburg, having to walk the whole way. -Here I reported the matter to the police, who -sent out a patrol to investigate the affair, and -there the matter ended so far as I was concerned. -I never recovered any of the oxen, and -the wagon, or the remains of it, so far as I am -aware, still lies in the river-bed. I have never -done any trading in that district since.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[244]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/heading-2.jpg" width="500" height="175" alt="Illustrated version of the heading below" /> -</div> - -<h2>A Belgian Smoking Competition.</h2> - -<p class="by"><span class="smcap">By A. Pitcairn-Knowles.</span></p> - -<div class="smaller"> - -<p>There is more tobacco per head consumed in Belgium than in any other country in the world. It -is therefore fitting, perhaps, that one of the favourite pastimes of the menfolk should be smoking -competitions, at which valuable prizes are awarded to the man who can make his pipeful of -tobacco last the longest. Our representative was recently the guest of honour at a competition held -by the premier smokers’ club of Belgium, and here describes and illustrates what he saw.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="bordered"> - -<p class="center">BRUGSCHE ROOKERSCLUB.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Honoured Sir and Member</span>,—Once more an honour is being bestowed upon us. Mr. A. Pitcairn-Knowles, -the representative of three journals of world-wide reputation, will be present at our general meeting on Friday -next, and will give an account of this gathering in one or perhaps in all of those papers. We have, therefore, -decided to commence the meeting at an earlier hour. We shall assemble at 8.30 p.m., and open the entertainment -with a grand prize competition, and we urgently beg you to put in an appearance, as the reputation of our club -depends to a great extent upon the success of the fête. As true smokers you should look upon it as your duty -to join us at 8.30 p.m. sharp, on Friday, the 11th inst. Accept, honoured Sir and Member, the greetings of -your devoted committee.—(For the President) The Second Secretary, <span class="smcap">L. Monballiu</span>.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 300px;"> - -<img src="images/illus28.jpg" width="300" height="375" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE GORGEOUS BANNER OF THE BRUGES SMOKING CLUB.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<div> -<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-s.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="dropcap">Such were the contents of -a printed notice in Flemish -sent out to all members -of the Bruges Smoking -Club, as a result of my -expressing a desire to the indefatigable -secretary of this most famous of -all Belgian “Rookersclubs” to witness -one of their quaint smokers’ -competitions.</p> - -<p>I am glad to be able to state that -the invitation issued to the Bruges -devotees of the fragrant weed had -the desired effect, and when I reached -the cosy Graenenburg Estaminet of -the Grande Place I found the obliging -secretary and the genial president of -the Smokers’ Club preparing for a -record attendance, which, judging -from the number already present, -seemed assured. My introduction to -the assembly was looked upon as -needless, since everyone present was -acquainted with the reason for my -admission within the precincts of the -club, and the most strenuous efforts -were made to render my visit to the -Graenenburg an agreeable one.</p> - -<p>In response to the invitation of the -secretary, I ascended a steep staircase<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[245]</a></span> -leading from the -café to a room -reserved for the -club. It was -there that the -solemn function -of admitting new -members took -place, and -general regrets -were expressed -that my visit had -not been made -upon a day which -would have presented -an opportunity -for witnessing -such a -ceremony. As it -was, I had to -content myself -with an inspection -of the paten, -to which, on -such an occasion, -the would-be -member had to press his lips after taking -an oath in the following words: “I pledge -myself solemnly to be a faithful and honest -member of the club, and to conform strictly to -the rules.” Previously to installation, he had -to furnish proof -of his suitability -for election by -smoking a pipe -in the presence -of the committee.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 300px;"> - -<img src="images/illus29.jpg" width="300" height="275" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">A CURIOUS AND VERY ANCIENT PIPE-RACK IN THE POSSESSION OF THE BRUGES SMOKING CLUB.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>Although I -had not the good -fortune to be -present at such -an inauguration, -time did not -hang heavily on -my hands while -waiting for the -smokers to prepare -for the contest.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 350px;"> - -<img src="images/illus30.jpg" width="350" height="270" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE JUDGES WEIGHING OUT THE COMPETITORS’ ALLOWANCES OF TOBACCO AND FILLING THE PIPES.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>Glancing -around the room -I noticed with -interest a large -shield adorning -the wall, upon -which was -arranged an assortment of most curious pipes, -representing all corners of the globe. In -fact, the place was a veritable museum of -pipes, giving silent testimony of the character -and degree of culture attained, as well as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[246]</a></span> -of the individual taste of smokers of almost -every nation of the world. The lordly meerschaum, -elaborately carved; the Turkish chibouque; -the “hubble-bubble,” in which the -fumes pass through water; the long German -pipe, with its china bowl adorned with a gay -picture; the Indian’s pipe of peace—all, their -functions finished, now hang side by side in idle -repose. A huge pipe carved from the stump -of a tree and a pipe with a sea-shell for a -bowl were conspicuous among the curiosities of -the collection.</p> - -<p>After my inspection of the museum the labour -of deciphering the rules of the club, in Flemish, -came as a less welcome task, but the secretary, -always ready to be of service, aided my efforts, -and I was able to discover the real objects of -the association.</p> - -<p>A casual observer might be somewhat surprised -to find that a society of this kind should -require numerous laws and regulations, but a -glimpse at the workings behind the scenes of a -Belgian “Rookersclub” furnishes convincing -proof that the number of rules is in no way -excessive, considering the importance of the -institution, for the strictest discipline is a <i lang="la">sine -quâ non</i> in a well-conducted “Rookersclub.”</p> - -<p>Many are the duties of the members and the -regulations for competitions. No applicant can -be elected unless he has reached the age of -eighteen. Cigars and cigarettes are tabooed, -the pipe being looked upon as the only justifiable -means of satisfying that craving which -makes us slaves to the weed. The chief object -of the club being to teach, through its disciples, -the world at large the use of tobacco and to -guard against its abuse, it wisely refrains from -over-indulgence, and asks no more from its -members than that they should “smoke at least -one pipe at every club meeting.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus31.jpg" width="400" height="300" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE CONTEST IN FULL SWING.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>The picture the words “smoking competition” -call up to the mind’s eye of the uninitiated, -of competitors sitting in a room made almost -unbearable by the dense volumes of smoke they -are vigorously puffing from their pipes, is as far -from the reality as it is possible to imagine. -When I stepped into the spick and span Café -Graenenburg I was certainly under the impression -that I was conversant with the science of smoking, -though I must own I had up to that time been -willing to accept with blind faith its dictionary -definition as “a continuous drawing in and -puffing out of the fumes of burning tobacco,” -which is, I assume, what nine hundred and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[247]</a></span> -ninety-nine out of a thousand of my fellow-smokers -look upon as the desideratum of their -enjoyment.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus32.jpg" width="400" height="275" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">“SMOKE, PLEASE!” A COMMITTEEMAN DEMANDING PROOF THAT A COMPETITOR’S PIPE IS STILL ALIGHT.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>Now, however, after half the term usually -allotted for mankind’s existence upon this earth -had run out, the truth dawned upon me that I -had hitherto been chasing shadows, and would -have to learn all over again. Smoking was, I -began to realize, not the simple, easy pastime -I had considered it to be, but an art which one -might only expect to master after careful study, -silent pondering, and steady practice. In this -humble frame of mind I lost no time in repairing -to an expert for instruction in the management -of a pipe, so that all fatal mistakes should -be avoided at the outset of my second schooling; -and now that I am on the high road -towards experiencing hitherto dimly-conceived -moments of unalloyed bliss, let me impart my -experience as a valuable secret to those who -lie under the same mistaken impression which -I once fostered. In the words of my preceptor: -“The true art of smoking consists in -reducing the combustion to a minimum, and -yet never allowing the pipe to go out while a -particle of tobacco remains in the bowl. The -object is not to smoke quickly or much—we -are not locomotives bent upon producing force, -but men on the quest of solace and enjoyment.”</p> - -<p>But now let us see the outcome of his -doctrine, as displayed by the members of the -“Rookersclub” on the occasion of my visit to -their meeting-place.</p> - -<p>The preliminary arrangements for the battle -of pipes having been completed, I was led back -to the café, where the committee were busily -engaged at a table putting the finishing touches -to their work. Before them lay the empty -pipes, all of equal length and size. Tobacco -taken out of a jar was being apportioned into -little heaps to be weighed on a small pair of -scales. As each competitor’s share, consisting -of exactly forty-five grains, left the scales to -replenish the pipe awaiting it, the eyes of the -judge roved anxiously from the balance to the -hands of the colleague to whom the filling of -the bowls had been entrusted. Unerring -fairness characterized the operations of the -committee. Around another table the competitors -were seated indulging in “bocks” -while waiting to take part in the struggle for -supremacy in serious smoking.</p> - -<p>At last a general wave of excitement showed -that the proceedings were about to begin. The -pipes were placed in the hands of their claimants, -the matches put within easy reach, and the -president, in his capacity of judge, called for -attention.</p> - -<p>“You have two minutes in which to light -your pipes!” he announced, watch in hand;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[248]</a></span> -then, presently, “One minute!” “Half a -minute!” “One quarter of a minute!” These -successive announcements were followed by -the ringing of a bell, and then, almost -simultaneously, twenty hands holding burning -matches were raised to set the pipes alight. -All but one or two, whom anxiety to be in -time had slightly flurried, delayed setting the -match to the tobacco until the very last moment. -One unfortunate competitor procrastinated too -long, and was promptly disqualified before he -could apply the light. No time had been -wasted in removing the matches from the table, -and as soon as the time-limit had been reached -every one but the disappointed straggler was beginning -very slowly to draw short puffs. At this -critical moment, when all the rivals were applying -themselves with slow caution to the initial whiffs, -on which the final issue frequently depends, -so complete a silence reigned that one might -have heard the proverbial pin drop. It is -said by many that the secret of success is found -in the way of lighting, but as to which is the -correct <i lang="la">modus operandi</i> there exists a great -diversity of opinion, for while one expert will -attribute his success to the fact that he lights -the tobacco nearest the side of the bowl, another -equally practised smoker believes in applying -the match to a central spot. Be that as it may, -there is no denying the fact that to ensure -obtaining a satisfactory start both experience -and intelligence are essential factors.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;"> - -<img src="images/illus33.jpg" width="300" height="330" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">“IN DISTRESS.”</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>But to return to our friends of the “Rookersclub.” -Ten minutes had elapsed, and all were -still in the running except the disappointed man -who had been ejected at the outset. Some had -become quite communicative, trusting to their -pipes to look after themselves while they -exchanged views on politics. Others, not losing -for one moment their sense of the importance -of the occasion, kept the stems between their -teeth, without allowing their tense expressions -to relax into the faintest suspicion of a smile. -One competitor in particular looked as if he -were made of wax, even the chaffing of his -colleagues failing to upset his gravity. He had -been pointed out to me as a winner of many -prizes and the fortunate possessor of a temperament -any smoker might envy.</p> - -<p>“Ting-a-ling” went the bell, the announcement -of the extinction of a pipe—the first -defeat—and this early failure was received with -general merriment.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[249]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus34.jpg" width="400" height="230" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">AN OPEN-AIR CONTEST IN THE COUNTRY.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus35.jpg" width="400" height="250" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">A MEETING OF CHAMPIONS.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>But hark! The bell was heard again. This -time the victim was a man who had been trying -to give me some faint idea of the magnitude -of the feats he intended to accomplish, his -loquacity being undoubtedly the cause of his -premature downfall. As he made his exit amid -roars of laughter I attempted to assuage his -mortification by promising to convince myself -on a future occasion of the grounds for his self-praise. -He was forced to the indignity of -becoming a looker-on, and tried to find consolation -by critically regarding the performance of -each candidate. Each time the judge’s bell -gave the signal for the departure of another -competitor he had some infallible theory to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[250]</a></span> -expound in regard to the unsuccessful smoker’s -faults and follies, and upon those who still possessed -a winning chance he generously showered -well-meant, but unsolicited, counsel.</p> - -<p>Slowly but surely the tobacco of the remaining -competitors burnt itself out, and every -quarter of an hour, when the clock of the world-famed -belfry on the opposite side of the square -pealed forth one of its melodious airs, the -number of the possible victors had diminished.</p> - -<p>After the lapse of about three-quarters of an -hour the judge’s bell set up a continuous tinkle. -It was now time for those who acted as controllers -to keep a sharp look-out, and every now -and then the order “Smoke, please,” could be -heard, as a committee-man pointed at the bowl -of an apparently extinguished pipe, whereupon -the faintest cloud of smoke would rise into the -air from the clay of the cunning laggard, or the -bell would announce another failure.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus36.jpg" width="400" height="300" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">TOASTING THE WINNER AT A COUNTRY COMPETITION.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>Presently the fiftieth minute arrived, and the -number of smokers had dwindled down to six. -Opinions differed as to which would “live” to -bear the palm. Among the favourites was the -amiable secretary himself, one of the most -skilful of the Bruges “Rookers,” who, strange -as it may seem, is practically a non-smoker -when outside the precincts of the club. In the -president of the club he possesses a most formidable -rival, who enjoys the reputation of -being able to win one of the first prizes whenever -he chooses to do so.</p> - -<p>An hour and five minutes had passed when -the secretary and three other members were -found to be the sole survivors. Then the unexpected -happened. The secretary was seen to -be in distress. His efforts to entertain a guest -of the club—I had been given the honour of -sitting beside him—had diverted his attention -from his difficult task; and once more the bell -made itself heard as he laid down his pipe, -unable to respond to the judge’s request of -“Smoke, please.”</p> - -<p>One hour and ten minutes had run their -course, and only two men were competing. -The excitement became intense as the members -gathered round the two valiant champions to -get a close view and offer encouragement to the -one or the other. To outward appearance both -were calm and confident. They allowed the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[251]</a></span> -tiniest cloud of smoke to escape at intervals -from their pipes, and it looked as if these -motionless and imperturbable men might survive -long enough to eclipse the famous club-record -achieved by a champion who succeeded -in making sixty grains of tobacco last as long as -one hundred and twenty minutes.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 300px;"> - -<img src="images/illus37.jpg" width="300" height="300" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">A SUCCESSFUL COMPETITOR RECEIVING A MONEY PRIZE.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>But suddenly one of the rivals became -agitated. He was beginning to realize that the -end of his resources was last approaching, for -the spark in his pipe became more and more -difficult to keep alive. Anxiously he blew into -the stem, but only with the wasteful result of -dispersing a tiny particle of fire, the last that -remained, as it proved, for the pipe was empty. -Sadly he laid down his clay, leaving the victory -to his opponent. The latter smoked on with -an unmoved countenance, allowing not the -smallest sign of elation to escape him, as he -continued to foster, by an almost imperceptible -inhalation, the tiny spark in the clay bowl which -had now become the sole object of attention in -the crowded room. A hasty movement on the -part of the victor as if to settle himself more -comfortably in his chair to prepare for a long-dreamt-of -record, a slightly more animated whiff -to counteract the effect of this incautious action, -and the mischief was done—the smoker drew -an extinguished pipe from his mouth. He had -won, sure enough, but only by twelve short -seconds. “One hour twenty-one minutes and -thirty-three seconds,” announced the judge. -“And to think that I might have held on -another half-hour with a little more care!” -sighed the disappointed winner.</p> - -<p>Then followed the ceremony of presenting the -prizes, the successful candidates being allowed -to make their choice of rewards in the order -in which they were placed. A bread-basket, a -pocket-knife, a flower-vase, and other useful and -ornamental souvenirs were handed over to the -fortunate ones, after which victors and vanquished -assembled once more around the long table to -enjoy a pipe in the ordinary way, without restraint -or restriction.</p> - -<p>Nowhere in Belgium are competitions of the -kind I have described conducted in a more -correct and business-like manner than in -Bruges; in fact, the “Brugsche Rookersclub” -can be considered in every respect as authoritative<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[252]</a></span> -and exemplary in matters pertaining to -the world of “pipenrookers,” as the smoker -of the pipe is called in Flanders. It is among -the quaint Flemish people that smoking clubs -and smoking competitions enjoy more widespread -popularity than in any other part of King -Leopold’s little dominion, and nearly every village, -no matter how small, can boast of a “Rookersmaatschappij,” -which almost unpronounceable -word is the equivalent for what we term -“smokers’ club.” In the country districts it is -the custom to compete for money prizes, and to -decorate the winner with some floral adornment, -which is pinned on his breast as a visible proof -of the honour he has achieved. Many of the -<i lang="fr">estaminets</i>, which thrive in countless numbers -in thirsty Flanders, endeavour to stimulate -the desire of customers for refreshment by -organizing a “Prijskamp in Het Rooken,” and -offering prizes to those who best understand -the art of making a little tobacco go a very -long way.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus38.jpg" width="400" height="300" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE JUDGE DISTRIBUTING ARTIFICIAL FLORAL FAVOURS AMONG THE PRIZE-WINNERS.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>Smoking for prizes is a curious way of killing -time and may not appeal to the Anglo-Saxon, -who prefers to devote his leisure to more -active and health-giving occupations, but it -possesses certain advantages over other pastimes -which must be taken into consideration. It is -not costly, it is not dangerous, it is sociable, and, -as my kind hosts of the “Brugsche Rookersclub” -were at pains to convince me, it is a form of -rivalry from which much excitement can be -gained. But above all it teaches one the use, as -distinguished from the abuse, of tobacco, which -is undoubtedly the best <i lang="fr">raison d’être</i> for smokers’ -clubs and smokers’ contests in a country whose -army of smokers forms no less than a third of -its entire population, and whose annual consumption -of tobacco is six and a quarter pounds -per head. This is more than three times the -amount consumed in the United Kingdom, and -six times as much as in Italy. In fact, little -Belgium’s appreciation of tobacco reaches limits -unattained in any other part of the world.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/footer.jpg" width="400" height="175" alt="Decorative footer" /> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[253]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/heading-3.jpg" width="500" height="200" alt="Illustrated version of the heading below" /> -</div> - -<h2>The Adventures of “Wide World” Artists.</h2> - -<p class="by"><span class="smcap">By J. Sydney Boot.</span></p> - -<div class="smaller"> - -<p>It has always been our rule, in order to obtain accurate pictures, to entrust the illustration of our -stories only to artists who have actually visited or lived in the various countries referred to, and are -consequently familiar with the conditions of life prevailing there. The result of this custom is that -our artistic staff is composed of men who have travelled extensively, roughing it in many remote -parts of the world. In the course of their journeyings our illustrators have themselves met with -exciting and unusual experiences, some of the most interesting of which are here given, each artist -depicting his own adventure.</p> - -</div> - -<h3>II.</h3> - -<div> -<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-m.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="dropcap">Mr. Charles M. Sheldon, the -well-known war artist, who has done -splendid work for <span class="smcap">The Wide World</span>, -has had several exciting -experiences in the -course of his career. He was the -special artist for <cite>Black and -White</cite> during the Dongola -Campaign in 1896, and -received the Khedivial -medal with two clasps -awarded to the correspondents. -He went through -the Spanish-American War -in Cuba, was dispatched to -South Africa at the time of -the Jameson Raid, and has -also represented his paper -in India. Mr. Sheldon has -a studio full of interesting -souvenirs of his various -campaigns.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 250px;"> - -<img src="images/illus39.jpg" width="250" height="375" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">MR. CHARLES M. SHELDON, WHOSE -JOURNEY DOWN THE HANNOCK CATARACT -ON THE SIDE OF A CAPSIZED BOAT IS -HERE DESCRIBED.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>It was during the Dongola -Campaign that Mr. -Sheldon met with his most -exciting adventure, and the -fact that he is alive to-day -is more owing to good fortune, -he says, than to any -skill on his part on that -occasion.</p> - -<p>Mr. Sheldon joined the column -advancing on Dongola under -the command of the Sirdar, then -Sir Herbert Kitchener, at Wadi -Halfa, and was present at the -Battle of Firket. After the battle, and while -the railway was being brought up, the army -camped for a couple of months at Kosheh, -where, in addition to the terrible -heat and sandstorms, cholera -broke out, and threatened at one -time to annihilate the camp. -When the railway was completed -as far as Kosheh, -the force marched across an -arm of the desert to Hafir, -where the gunboats drove -the dervishes from their -forts with such loss that -Dongola fell after very little -resistance. The country -being cleared of the enemy, -and the war for that year at -an end, the correspondents -made hasty preparations for -their journey to Cairo on -their way back to England. -In order to reach rail-head, -they decided to travel -by boat down the Nile to -Firket, Mr. Sheldon and -Mr. Seppings Wright, the -artist of the <cite>Illustrated -London News</cite>, arranging to -make the journey together. -Having sold their horses and -camels and discharged their -native grooms, with the exception -of one camel-man, they packed -their baggage and war-trophies -on board a boat—purchased<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[254]</a></span> -from Mr. H. A. Gwynne, now editor of the -<cite>Standard</cite>—and started down the river. They -expected to accomplish the journey in about -six days and nights, and for the first three -days the conditions were delightful, as, floating -mainly with the swift current, they made rapid -progress, enjoying to the full their enforced ease -after the hard work of the campaign. As they -approached the Hannock, or third cataract of the -Nile, however, the voyage became more exciting, -and extreme caution was necessary on the part -of the pilot in charge of the boat. The Hannock -cataract is, indeed, a formidable menace to navigation, -consisting as it does of about sixty miles -of shelving ledges of rock and groups of huge -boulders, over and among which the water rushes -headlong in a series of whirlpools and rapids. -It was here that several of the boats taking -part in Sir Garnet Wolseley’s campaign were -overturned and many lives lost.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus40.jpg" width="400" height="130" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE ROUGH SKETCH OF THE RAPIDS WHICH MR. SHELDON WAS MAKING WHEN THE DISASTER OCCURRED—IT WAS AFTERWARDS -RECOVERED FROM THE WRECK OF THE BOAT.</p> - -</div> - -<p>The first few miles of the cataract were negotiated -in safety in the early morning, and Mr. -Sheldon had just finished making a sketch of the -rapids when sudden and dire disaster overtook -the party. The boat was a stoutly built, three-quarter-decked -craft, with one huge wing-like -sail, and the pilot had given the sheet into the -care of the camel-man, who, to save himself -trouble, tied it, unobserved, to one of the seats. -Finding it necessary to tack across the river, to -take the boat through a safe channel between -the rocks, the pilot, to bring the sail over, -shouted to the man to let go the rope. As it -was securely fastened to the seat, however, he -was unable to do so, and in an instant, as -the strong wind caught the tacking boat, it -capsized, flinging its occupants with startling -suddenness into the water.</p> - -<p>Mr. Sheldon sank, but, after what seemed to -him an interminable time, rose to the surface, -and, dashing the water from his eyes, found -himself battling with the full force of the seething -current, which threatened every instant to -hurl him against the rocks. He realized immediately -that he would have a hard fight for his -life, and at once struck out for the boat, which -was floating on her side some distance off. -The only other alternative was to swim to the -nearest shore, but, as that was a quarter of a mile -or more away, Mr. Sheldon knew that he would -be unable to reach it alive in such a terrific -current.</p> - -<p>After a desperate struggle he gained the boat -and pulled himself up astride the gunwale. Mr. -Seppings Wright had also managed to reach the -boat, which, under their combined weight, was -floating but six inches out of the water; while -the pilot and camel-man hung on to the mast -and spar—all of them looking, as Mr. Sheldon -says, more like half-drowned rats than anything -else he can think of.</p> - -<p>It was quite evident that their position was -critical, their one hope being to cling to the -boat, which was being carried down the Nile at -an alarming rate. At any moment it might go -to pieces among the great masses of rock and -huge basalt boulders which projected from the -surface of the river throughout the entire length -of the cataract. Indeed, their chances of ever -setting foot again on dry land appeared to be -well-nigh hopeless. It was only with extreme -difficulty that they managed to cling to the little -craft as it plunged and kicked in the swirling -eddies of the cataract, and, once at the mercy -of the furious torrent, they knew full well -that nothing short of a miracle could save -them.</p> - -<p>Both men discarded most of their clothing, -for, as the wreck carried them down the smooth -slides over the ledges of rock—for all the world -like weirs—the boat was continually being -sucked under the surface of the water. When -this happened and they were unable to retain -their hold, it was only by swimming with all<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[255]</a></span> -their strength that they were able to regain the -boat when she rose again. Their baggage and -cherished war trophies had all been thrown into -the water, and most of them went straight to -the bottom. But here and there they could see -saddles, valises, boxes, helmets, and other articles -bobbing about in the current until hurled -against the rocks and destroyed, or detained far -behind in eddies.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus41.jpg" width="400" height="575" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">“ON AND ON THE BOAT CARRIED THEM, SEEMINGLY ENDOWED WITH HUMAN INTELLIGENCE AS IT DODGED THE ROCKS.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>On and on the boat carried them, seemingly -endowed with human intelligence as it dodged -the rocks and found a way for itself through the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[256]</a></span> -intricate channels of the cataract, while the -shipwrecked crew could but cling to the gunwale -with all their strength and trust to Providence -for their ultimate safety.</p> - -<p>In this way mile after mile of the cataract -was passed, with Mr. Sheldon and his companions -hoping against hope that the current -would take them near enough to the shore to -swim for it. In this, however, they were disappointed, -for their craft kept well in the middle -of the stream. Presently, moreover, they drifted -into another and worse rapid, where, caught -suddenly in a huge eddy, they were carried -round and round until the boat, after twisting -and ducking in a manner that threatened to -break it up, incontinently sank beneath them—for -good and all, it seemed. This time it was -a swim for life, and they were all but exhausted -when, dazed and spluttering, they succeeded in -once more regaining the boat, which had come -up, in this instance, behind them. The principal -danger they feared was that the boat, which was -continually swinging round, would drift broad-side -on to the rocks and break up completely.</p> - -<p>Again and again, as they continued their mad -career, a huge boulder would loom up threateningly -from out a smother of foam, and it looked -as though nothing could save the wreck from -final disaster, but invariably the self-navigated -vessel would win a way for itself, at times -actually shaving the very side of the rock.</p> - -<p>During their passage down the cataract the -artists saw several native villages and also some -large ghyassas (native boats) drawn up on the -bank, but their frantic signals for help were -either absolutely ignored, or the natives, in their -usual way, expended their energy in urging one -another to do something until the capsized boat -was far out of sight.</p> - -<p>Hour after hour they raced along—sometimes -for a mile or two in comparatively easy water, -but more often struggling to retain their hold as -the vessel rolled and pitched in the rapids.</p> - -<p>The afternoon waned at last, and with -evening came a welcome abatement of the -sun’s pitiless rays, but still the anxious journey -continued, with current and rapid in long -succession. The strength of the two weary -artists and the natives had by this time all but -given out, and, thoroughly exhausted and -battered as they were, it was evident that if they -did not reach the shore before the rapidly-approaching -darkness fell it would certainly be -all up with them. Then, providentially, a curve -in the river took the current close into the bank, -carrying the boat to within some thirty yards of -the shore. The castaways realized at once that -this was a golden opportunity, but in their weak -state it was exceedingly doubtful if they would -be able to swim to the bank. As luck would -have it, however, a number of natives appeared -on the spot. They had been watching the -capsized craft with evident curiosity, and now, -in response to urgent signals for help, they put -off to the assistance of Mr. Sheldon and his -companions. They easily reached the boat, -bringing with them the curious, wedge-shaped -floats, constructed of reed-like sticks of ambatch -wood, which they use in crossing the Nile. -With the timely aid of this primitive form of -river craft, Mr. Sheldon, Mr. Seppings Wright, -and the natives reached the bank in safety. -Their voyage down the dangerous Hannock -cataract on the side of a derelict boat, lasting as -it did from nine o’clock in the morning until -sunset, in the course of which they were carried -through some sixty miles of rock-strewn rapids, -is, it is safe to say, unique as a record of -endurance and long-drawn-out peril, fraught with -possibilities of the most alarming description.</p> - -<p>On reaching the shore they sank down dead-beat -on the bank. Their condition was most -wretched, such little clothing as they retained -consisting of soaked and tattered rags. They -had no means of making a fire, which they -badly needed, as, with the setting of the sun, -the terrific heat of the day was succeeded by -the chill night air of the desert. To make -matters worse, the natives either could not or -would not give them anything to eat, and the -only food they had of their own was a tin of -preserved ginger, found in a valise which one of -the natives rescued from the current.</p> - -<p>The night, as may well be imagined, was -passed in misery and discomfort, but with the -morning the welcome discovery was made that -directly opposite, a mile away on the farther -bank, was one of the hospital camps established -by the Egyptian field force. Mr. Sheldon -thereupon bribed a native at the cost of a razor, -also found in the valise, to swim the river and -obtain help for the party.</p> - -<p>Now, at length, their troubles were ended. -The commandant of the camp signalled to a -steamer, which carried them over to the other -side, where the officer provided them with dry -clothes and what they most appreciated, comfortable -beds to sleep in.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>There are but few artists, even marine artists, -who have actually followed the sea as a profession. -A well-known name among the few -who have done so is that of Mr. E. S. Hodgson, -whose strong, vigorous illustrations of seafaring -adventures are a familiar feature in The Wide -World. A casual glance at his drawings is -sufficient to show that he has an intimate -acquaintance with the life and customs of a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[257]</a></span> -sailor, and they are executed with a realistic -touch that could not be attained except by -personal experience.</p> - -<p>Mr. Hodgson, while on a voyage, once met -with a serious accident which nearly cost him -his life; and it was entirely owing to the effects -of this mishap that he gave up the sea and -decided to become an artist. Mr. Hodgson -has provided us with the following account of -what happened to him for -inclusion in our series of -“Adventures of <span class="smcap">Wide World</span> -Artists.” His ship, the barque -<i>Her Majesty</i>, six hundred tons -register, sailed from the London -Docks bound for the West -Indies with a cargo of bricks -and rice for the prisons in -Martinique.</p> - -<p>For some weeks nothing out -of the ordinary routine of life -aboard ship occurred, <i>Her -Majesty</i> bowling along with a -favourable wind and making -good headway.</p> - -<p>The north-east trades had -only just been reached, however, -when bad weather was -encountered, storms and -squalls succeeding each other day after day.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 200px;"> - -<img src="images/illus42.jpg" width="200" height="200" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">MR. E. S. HODGSON, WHO FELL FROM THE MAST -OF A SHIP TO THE DECK BELOW, A DISTANCE OF -OVER A HUNDRED FEET.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>“All hands on deck,” was the order one bleak, -dark night when a sudden blustering gale arose, -and Mr. Hodgson, with the rest of the crew -who were keeping their watch below, tumbled -up, none too pleased at the prospect of a night -on deck instead of in their bunks.</p> - -<p>“Jump up there, my lad, and make fast the -fore-royal,” was the skipper’s order to our artist.</p> - -<p>“Aye, aye, sir,” he replied, as he made for -the foot of the shrouds. The gale was blowing -at a terrific rate, causing the ship to plunge and -roll heavily, and Mr. Hodgson’s task would have -been a dangerous one even for a much more -experienced sailor. The order had been given, -however, and up he had to go.</p> - -<p>It was a perilous journey up into the blackness -of the night, and he had literally to feel his -way rope by rope, hanging on by hands and -toes. The oscillation of the ship was so violent -that he expected every moment to be flung into -the sea, while the thudding of the clewed-up -sails threatened to carry the masts overboard. -Higher and higher he climbed until he reached -the top-gallant rigging, where the fury of the -gale literally pinned him to the ropes, but at -length he managed to crawl out on to the yard. -The foot-ropes were shallow, making it necessary -for him to kneel on them, but once out on the -yard Mr. Hodgson applied himself to the work -of securing the sail with all possible speed, a -task which the pitch-darkness of the night and -the plunging of the ship rendered one of extreme -difficulty, perched as he was over a hundred -feet above the level of the deck. He had bent -over to gather the madly-slatting canvas when -suddenly it bellied up over the yard and bore -him irresistibly backwards with it. In a flash he -saw his danger and, with a frantic clutch, tried to -grasp the sail—missed it—and -realized that he was falling! -The accident had happened so -suddenly that for the moment -he was unconscious of the full -extent of his peril; his brain was -unable to take in the terrible -significance of what had occurred, -and the situation seemed -unreal—a passing freak of the -imagination that would presently -be dispelled. Then the -blackness seemed to lessen -slightly and, coming slowly -towards him, he could see the -top-gallant yard and the men -on it busy furling the sail. Mr. -Hodgson says the sensation -he experienced was that of -floating easily and gently in -the air; he did not seem to be actually -falling. Next the upper topsail yard appeared -to pass him, brushing gently by him on its way -“up.” Then, with a vague sense of wonder, he -noticed that he could make out clearly all -the details of the deck, which seemed to be -rushing up towards him with a gigantic leap. At -once, as his brain cleared, the appalling truth -dawned on him that he was falling down, down, -through the darkness, and with a feeling of unutterable -horror he realized that, powerless to -help himself, he must, in the course of the next -few seconds, be dashed to his death on the -deck, or to an equally certain fate in the roaring -seas alongside.</p> - -<p>The various objects now began to lose their -shape and the darkness closed in again; then -came oblivion, for, mercifully, Mr. Hodgson lost -consciousness before he reached the deck.</p> - -<p>“Poor laddie! I doot he’s gone. This will -be sore news to send home.” This remark, -coming to him as though from far away, was -Mr. Hodgson’s first intimation that he was still -alive. He recognised the skipper’s voice, and, -opening his eyes, discovered that he was lying -on the deck, surrounded by the entire ship’s -crew, with the captain bending over him. He -was in such frightful agony, however, that he -promptly fainted away again, and did not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[258]</a></span> -recover consciousness for a week. He then -found out that his leg was fractured in three -places, and as the ship was three weeks’ journey -from the nearest port, and there was no doctor -on board, Mr. Hodgson experienced a long -period of excruciating agony, and, in fact, -thought that he was -dying.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;"> - -<img src="images/illus43.jpg" width="300" height="500" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">“HE TRIED TO GRASP THE SAIL—MISSED IT—AND -REALIZED THAT HE WAS FALLING!”</p> - -</div> - -<p>What doctoring he did -get was of an exceedingly -rough and ready -description, and was -provided by one of the -fo’c’s’le hands who had -at one time had his own -leg fractured, and on the -strength of this claimed -to know all about broken -bones. It may have -been that he was specially -gifted in this respect, -or it may have been -sheer luck, but he certainly -made a very fair -job of it, all things -considered.</p> - -<p>Three weeks later, -when <i>Her Majesty</i> -reached St. Pierre, after -an exceptionally long -passage out of ninety-eight -days, a medical -man was sent for at -once, who was not at -all satisfied with the -methods of his unprofessional -rival. In fact, -he announced that Mr. -Hodgson would never -be able to walk again, -and advised the immediate -amputation of his -injured limb. Mr. Hodgson, -however, decided -that if he was to return -home at all he would -do so as a whole man, -and flatly refused his -consent. Fearing that -the operation would be -performed against his -will, he declined, for -days together, to touch -any of the food offered -him, in case it should -have been “doctored” -and he would wake up -minus his leg. After <i>Her -Majesty</i> had unloaded -her cargo and taken another on board she sailed -for home, and Mr. Hodgson went with her, but -his troubles were by no means over, as the ship -foundered in a gale and the crew took to the -boats. As may well be imagined, Mr. Hodgson, -in his enfeebled state, was in no fit condition<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[259]</a></span> -for such an experience, and during the eight -days’ journey in open boats that followed until -the island of Santa Cruz was reached his sufferings -were beyond description.</p> - -<p>Mr. Hodgson went to sea for a year or two -after his accident, but as the unskilled treatment -of his amateur doctor was not entirely successful -the bones of his leg were never properly set. -Although the limb was sound enough for all -ordinary purposes it was not strong enough to -stand the continual strain of a seafaring career, -and he accordingly made a fresh start in life as -an artist, with what success is well known to our -readers.</p> - -<p>Mr. Hodgson says, “Until you have known -me quite a long time you would not think that -I was any the worse for my -accident,” and as he fell over -a hundred feet the wonder is -that he was not killed on the -spot. His escape from death -was, in fact, little short of -miraculous.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Mr. Norman H. Hardy’s -record of travel is certainly as -extensive as that of any artist -whose work appears in the -pages of <span class="smcap">The Wide World</span>—or -of any other magazine, for -that matter. He was for seven -years in Australia as the special -artist of the <cite>Sydney Mail</cite>, and -in the course of his wanderings -has visited the South Sea -Islands, New Guinea, Solomon -Islands, New Hebrides, New Britain, China, -Siam, India, and Egypt. His latest trip was on -a roving commission to Central Africa during -the early part of this year.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 200px;"> - -<img src="images/illus44.jpg" width="200" height="200" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">MR. NORMAN H. HARDY, WHO WAS ATTACKED -BY A MOB OF INFURIATED SHEEP-SHEARERS ON -STRIKE IN AUSTRALIA.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>While in Australia Mr. Hardy met with some -exciting experiences in connection with the New -South Wales sheep-shearing strike in 1894, one -which he will always remember as an occasion -on which he was lucky to escape with his life. -The strike was brought about by the union -sheep-shearers, who objected to the employment -of “free” or non-union men who were -willing to work at a lower rate of pay, and -caused wild excitement throughout New South -Wales. The unionists struck work in a body -and resorted to “picketing,” threatening the free -labourers with violence if they persisted in -carrying on their work. This affected many -thousand men, as in New South Wales sheep-shearing -is a trade of such importance that the -welfare of the entire State was involved. To -such a height did the excitement rise that the -bad feeling between the opposing factions grew -to alarming proportions, resulting in serious loss -of life, and the country rang with reports and -rumours of outrages perpetrated by the incensed -unionists. The seriousness of the situation was -such that the late Sir George Dibbs, then -Premier of New South Wales, issued a proclamation -in which he threatened to call out the -military to quell the riots.</p> - -<p>Burrowang station, in New South Wales, was -regarded as the stronghold of the unionists, and -it was recognised that on the turn of affairs there -the ultimate issue of the strike depended.</p> - -<p>Mr. Hardy was accordingly dispatched to -Burrowang as the special correspondent of -the <cite>Sydney Mail</cite>, making the journey in the -company of some forty “free” men, under the -charge of a Mr. Campbell. -The men were a very mixed -lot, drawn from all classes of -society, and were sent out by -a non union pastoral organization -to take the places of the -shearers who were on strike.</p> - -<p>A special train had been -chartered, and as, at six o’clock -in the evening, the closely-packed -cars left Sydney it was -evident that there was a feeling -of uneasiness among the passengers, -for it was well known -that the unionists were in strong -force at various points along -the line. Some of the younger -men had undertaken the journey -from pure love of adventure, -but the older men were mostly -out-of-luck miners and shearers who were -genuinely in search of work. While on their way -to Sydney a number of them had already come -into contact, at Circular Quay railway station, -with some of the unionists, and a fierce fight had -ensued; this fact undoubtedly helped to increase -the alarm of the rest of the men in the train.</p> - -<p>At Emu Plains station, where the train halted, -the less resolute were seized with an attack of -panic, and had literally to be driven back into -the cars when the train was ready to start -again, where they sat in gloomy apprehension -of danger as they approached nearer and nearer -their destination.</p> - -<p>The journey from Sydney to Burrowang is -made, in the ordinary course, by train to -Forbes, and thence by horse-buggies. But as -at the latter place an angry mob of unionists -was awaiting the arrival of the “free labourers’” -train, it was decided to resort to strategy to avoid -the risk of an ugly fight between the two parties.</p> - -<p>Accordingly, although, as a blind, coaches -and mounted police were ordered to meet the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[260]</a></span> -special train at Forbes, the driver was instructed -to stop at the small station of Droubalgie, where -a second contingent of four-horsed cars, also -guarded by mounted police, were waiting to -convey the men to Burrowang, thus avoiding -the unwelcome attentions of the rioters at -Forbes, whose anger, when they found they -had been outwitted, speedily brought them into -conflict with the police.</p> - -<p>The men were in a tremendous state of -excitement as the train drew up at the station, -and many of them were afraid to take their seats -in the buggies; but at length, when it was seen -that there were no union men in sight, Mr. -Campbell and Mr. Hardy were able to induce -them to take their seats. There was scarcely -room for all, and the cars were uncomfortably -crowded, but Mr. Hardy, owing to the fact that -he was popularly supposed to be a detective -from Sydney, was given a box-seat. Just as -they were starting two horsemen, who turned -out to be union men who had got wind of the -“blacklegs’” arrival, appeared on the scene. -They tried hard to induce the “free” men to -join them, but without success, and finally galloped -off to Forbes, after having announced -their intention of informing the waiting crowds -of the arrival of the train at Droubalgie and -bringing them in pursuit. The buggies containing -Mr. Hardy’s party thereupon started off with -all speed, led by the mounted police. The -going was bad, frequently over long stretches of -quagmire and marsh land, occasional stoppages -being necessary when one or other of the -coaches became bogged, sinking axle-deep in -the mud and requiring terrific exertion to -move it.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus45.jpg" width="400" height="260" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE COACHES ON THE ROAD FROM DROUBALGIE TO BURROWANG, GUARDED BY MOUNTED POLICE.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>Another uncomfortable night was spent in -the bush, the men camping out by the side of -the coaches, strict silence being enforced in -order not to attract the attention of the unionists. -Following an early and meagre breakfast a start -was made, and after a journey of some hours the -men became easier in their minds, as it was -thought that the pursuit had been abandoned. -Soon after, however, as the coaches emerged -from a belt of timber and scrub into open -ground, it was seen that a number of unionists -were waiting for them. The strikers were all -mounted and at once charged, yelling fiercely, -and started pelting the coaches with stones. It -looked as though there was bound to be serious -trouble, but the mounted police, with characteristic -promptitude, drew their carbines and prepared -to open fire.</p> - -<p>The attitude of the troopers had its effect on -the strikers, who, after a slight show of resistance, -drew off and allowed the coaches to -proceed on their way. Some few of them, -however, had managed to get to close quarters,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[261]</a></span> -and hard knocks were exchanged, resulting in -injuries to both sides, happily none of them -severe.</p> - -<p>As it turned out, this was the only real excitement -that occurred during the journey, and a -few hours later Mr. Hardy and the rest of the -party made their entry into Burrowang.</p> - -<p>A meeting was at once held at which both -sides were well represented, Mr. Hardy attending -in the ranks of the non-unionists. The conference -provoked a considerable amount of bad -feeling, and was broken up in wild disorder by -the strikers when they found they could not -induce the new arrivals to join them. The -presence of the police, however, prevented any -serious fighting, only one man being badly -injured.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 350px;"> - -<img src="images/illus46.jpg" width="350" height="215" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE COACH ON WHICH MR. HARDY WAS RIDING WHEN HE WAS ATTACKED BY THE STRIKERS.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>Mr. Hardy soon discovered that he was a -marked man, as it was thought that he was -either a detective or else an official of the non-unionist -organization, and for the next few days -it was only by seeking police protection that he -avoided bodily harm at the hands of the mob. -The whole place was in a suppressed state of -excitement owing to the attitude of the strikers, -who, it was evident, were liable to break out at -any moment, and neither life nor property was -regarded as safe. Several attempts were made -to burn down the wool-sheds, but happily they -were in every case discovered before serious -damage was done. Under police supervision -the new men started work, but it was at once -apparent that they were, in most cases, absolutely -unfitted for the work of sheep-shearing, -and as the season was by now well advanced -skilled labour was soon at a premium. The -situation was critical, and at length the union -men were approached and asked to resume -work at their own terms. This offer they -unanimously refused unless every “free” man -was discharged.</p> - -<p>At length, having treated the strike from -every possible point of view, Mr. Hardy decided -to return to Sydney, and accordingly booked -his place on the next mail-coach running to -Forbes, as it was not possible to get a conveyance -to Droubalgie on his way back. The -strike was still at its height, and the route to -Forbes and that town itself were strongly held by -the unionists. Mr. Hardy was prepared for an -exciting journey, as all coaches were subjected -to the closest scrutiny, and he himself was suspected -of non-unionist sympathies.</p> - -<p>When the Forbes coach drew up at Burrowang -for the mails, and the coachman discovered that -he was to have as a passenger Mr. Hardy, who -had taken an active part in the strike, he was in -an exceedingly perturbed state of mind. In spite -of his fears, however, the start was made quietly -enough.</p> - -<p>The day’s journey through bush and scrub -proved uneventful, and towards evening the -coach drew up at a small bush station, where a -halt was made for the night.</p> - -<p>In the morning three more passengers put in -an appearance—all non-union men—and also a -new driver, who was to take the reins as far as -Forbes, where, the latest report had it, the strikers -were in an extremely dangerous mood. The new -driver, when he had taken stock of his passengers, -appeared to be even more terror-stricken than -his predecessor. He warned them that there -was likely to be serious trouble, as the only -practicable road took them close to the unionist<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[262]</a></span> -camp just outside Forbes. He was also particularly -anxious to know whether any of the -party possessed unionist passes. These were -simply small scraps of paper scrawled over in a -peculiar manner in blue pencil; but, as they -enabled their holders to pass through the camps -without molestation, they were extremely useful, -and Mr. Hardy remembered with regret that he -had been offered one at Burrowang. Attaching -little importance to the offer at the time, -however, he had declined it.</p> - -<p>As the coach neared Forbes two mounted -union men were seen, who on the approach of -the vehicle at once turned about and galloped -back, with the object, it was thought, of informing -the strikers of its arrival. Their action -proved too much for two of the passengers, who -promptly insisted on being put down. The -journey was then resumed with Mr. Hardy and -the driver on the box, and the remaining -passenger inside, cowering under the seat.</p> - -<p>As the camp came in sight an outburst of -shouting gave ample proof of the hostile attitude -of the strikers, a number of whom at once -made a rush to meet the coach.</p> - -<p>A short distance along the road was a bridge -spanning a small creek, and at this point a -strong guard of strikers was posted to hold up -all traffic. On previous occasions their method -of procedure had been to haul out any passengers -who were without passes, rob them of everything -they possessed, and, after treating them -with the utmost brutality, set them to work in a -menial capacity about the camp. The driver of -the coach, when he found that he was in actual -danger, plucked up his courage and, lashing his -horses into a gallop, made a dash for the bridge -at a furious pace.</p> - -<p>Mr. Hardy was immediately recognised by -the foremost of the strikers, who, with hoarse -cries of rage, shouted to the men on the bridge -to stop the coach at all costs.</p> - -<p>The terrific rate at which the horses were -travelling showed plainly that it was the driver’s -intention to ride down any opposition, and this -action provoked such an outburst of fury among -the mob that it was perfectly clear that if they -did manage to stop the coach both he and Mr. -Hardy, even if they escaped with their lives, -would be treated with savage violence.</p> - -<p>Mr. Hardy’s presence on the coach—it will -be remembered that the men suspected him of -being a detective—had the same effect on the -strikers as a red rag on a bull, and with an -ungovernable fury of rage and at imminent risk -of their lives they literally hurled themselves at -the horses’ heads, meanwhile calling on the -driver, with the vilest imprecations, to halt.</p> - -<p>By way of reply the Jehu applied the whip to -his team still more vigorously, yelling at the -same time at the top of his voice that anyone -who dared to stop the Royal Mail would get ten -years for his trouble. His threat, however, was -ignored, and presently the sharp crack of a -revolver rang out. Mr. Hardy felt a bullet -whiz past his head, missing him by inches. -The shot was followed the next instant by -another, and it was only the celerity with which -he ducked down to avoid the bullet that saved -his life.</p> - -<p>The sound of the firing caused the frightened -horses to rear and kick, knocking down the men -who had seized their bridles and almost stopping -the coach.</p> - -<p>The check, however, was only momentary, -and as the horses plunged forward again some -of the more excited strikers, who, with wild -curses, had endeavoured to climb the side of -the coach to get at Mr. Hardy, were flung back -into the roadway.</p> - -<p>The panic-stricken horses in their mad -struggles had dragged the coach across the -road, and nearly over the side of the bridge into -the creek below, but the driver, applying his -whip freely, soon had his team under control -again, and, scattering the crowd to right and left, -the flying coach crossed the bridge, followed by -a volley of sticks, bottles, and stones. Mr. -Hardy, crouching low over the seat, was struck -with such violence by a brick on the left -shoulder that he at first thought it was -fractured, but happily he escaped further injury. -With the horses maddened and excited, the -coach dashed at a furious pace along the short -stretch of road to Forbes, where it drew up at a -small hotel. The coachman was white to the -lips from the strain, and the inside passenger -alighted trembling with fright, while Mr. -Hardy confesses that he felt more than a -little shaky.</p> - -<p>A large crowd soon collected, anxious to learn -the cause of the excitement, and the hotel-keeper, -when he heard the driver’s story, promptly -dragged Mr. Hardy indoors, telling him, if he -valued his life, to keep out of sight. The -presence of the police prevented an attack -being made on the place, and when things had -quietened down a little our artist was able to -slip out unnoticed. After another coach ride, -this time a peaceful one, he made his way back -by rail to Sydney.</p> - -<p>In the end the unionists gained the day at -Burrowang, going back to work on their own -terms, and thus virtually ending the strike -throughout New South Wales.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus47.jpg" width="400" height="425" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">“THE FLYING COACH CROSSED THE BRIDGE, FOLLOWED BY A VOLLEY OF STICKS, STONES, AND BOTTLES.”</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Mr. Inglis Sheldon-Williams is an artist with -a grievance. He complains that, although he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[263]</a></span> -has travelled a great deal and roughed it in -various parts of the world—and for so young a -man his record is remarkable—he has not met -with a single first-class adventure of a really -hair-raising nature. That he ought to have done -so is an obvious fact, he says, and, indeed, on -several occasions he has been perilously near as -much excitement as would last any man a lifetime. -In fact, it may be said that he has been -out looking for trouble most of his life, and he -is to be accounted lucky in that he has never -found it.</p> - -<p>Early in his career he emigrated to Canada, -where for some years he lived the rough-and-tumble -life and endured the manifold hardships -that fall to the lot of a farmer in the back-woods. -At the call of art, however, he returned -to England to study, but with the longing for -adventure strong upon him he later enlisted in -the Imperial Yeomanry and took part in the -South African Campaign, where he saw some -considerable amount of fighting.</p> - -<p>When the war between Japan and Russia -broke out, Mr. Sheldon-Williams was early in -the field as the special artist for the <cite>Sphere</cite>, and -was in China and Manchuria during the earlier<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[264]</a></span> -stages of the campaign. He has also visited -India and attended the Durbar.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 200px;"> - -<img src="images/illus48.jpg" width="200" height="265" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">MR. INGLIS SHELDON-WILLIAMS, SOME OF WHOSE VARIED -EXPERIENCES ABROAD ARE HERE RELATED.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>On numerous occasions he has congratulated -himself that he was at last placed in a critical -situation, only to finish up with an anti-climax.</p> - -<p>When he was in Canada, for instance, he lost -himself on the prairie while in charge of a team -of oxen. A terrific blizzard came on, and, as -the snow was absolutely blinding and the temperature -many degrees below freezing-point, all -sorts of unpleasant things might easily have -happened. Mr. Sheldon-Williams -had visions of -wandering about for days -in the snow, starving and -frostbitten, with a mere -possibility of rescue when -he was in the last stages of -exhaustion. But although -<em>he</em> was lost, his oxen were -not, and they took him -safely home.</p> - -<p>On another occasion he -attempted to rescue a duck -from the depths of a well, -but fell in himself—into -sixteen feet of water. Any -other man placed in this -situation would have been -drowned without any bother -at all. But Mr. Sheldon-Williams -had not been in -the water more than a few -minutes before he was discovered -and hauled out by -the united efforts of his -mother and sister.</p> - -<p>It was just the same in -South Africa—no luck at -all, simply a lot of dramatic situations which -fizzled out miserably. On one occasion Mr. -Sheldon-Williams’s company occupied a farm-house -near Johannesburg, and the very night -on which he was absent, having ridden into -town to deposit some money in the bank, -was the one selected by the Boers to attack -the place. His bed was close up against a -window through which the Boers fired volley -after volley. Had Mr. Sheldon-Williams -occupied it as usual, he would undoubtedly -have been shot!</p> - -<p>On another occasion he got leave of absence -from a patrol, as the neighbourhood was -supposed to be clear of the enemy, in order -to do some sketching. The patrol was, of -course, ambushed, and the man who took his -place shot dead.</p> - -<p>Another piece of particularly bad luck occurred -when Mr. Sheldon-Williams’s troop was attacking -Klip River Kopje. The Boers had actually -been seen on the ridge, and in the morning he -was one of the men selected for scouting -purposes. As he rode up the hill it certainly -looked as though he had a fine chance of -figuring in the next list of killed and wounded. -But, as Mr. Sheldon-Williams says, “It was not -my fault that the Boers had -left overnight!”</p> - -<p>At Diamond Hill it was -just the same. A mere -handful of Yeomanry, Mr. -Sheldon-Williams among -them, held an exposed -position throughout the -night in the face of the -enemy, determined to do -or die. As it happened -they did neither, for the -next day they were told -that there had been an -armistice on all the time.</p> - -<p>Before Pretoria Mr. -Sheldon-Williams was in -the firing-line, which was -strung out on the left of -the advance. The Boer -shell-fire had set the grass -alight, depriving them of -anything like adequate -cover, and in the open the -rifle-fire from the Boers -was nothing more or less -than a leaden hailstorm, -but he was not even -wounded. Presently the order to withdraw was -given, but, having fallen asleep, he failed to -notice it, and was the last man to leave. As he -thus offered himself as a suitable target for a -little individual sniping, a Boer marksman took -careful aim at him and fired. He was a remarkably -good shot, but, needless to say, he missed -Mr. Sheldon-Williams, who at that precise -moment stooped down to pick up a discarded -rifle, the bullet passing close over his head! -All things considered, therefore, Mr. Sheldon-Williams -has certainly received exceptional -treatment at the hands of Dame Fortune, but so -long as she continues to serve him in the same -way it is difficult to see that he has any just -cause for complaint.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[265]</a></span></p> - -<h2><i>Hunting the Hippopotamus.</i></h2> - -<p class="by"><span class="smcap">By Lieutenant Paul Durand.</span></p> - -<div class="smaller"> - -<p>The hippopotamus—that enormous pachydermatous creature whose shape reminds us of the antediluvian -monsters—was formerly met with over a large part of Africa, but it has been so pitilessly -pursued by hunters that it is every day becoming scarcer and scarcer. Within a hundred years, -perhaps, the hippopotamus will be numbered among the vanished curiosities of the animal world. -In this article a French sportsman describes his exciting experiences while in quest of “river -horses,” and furnishes a number of very impressive photographs.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus49.jpg" width="400" height="260" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">MALE AND FEMALE HIPPOPOTAMI ON THE BANKS OF AN AFRICAN RIVER.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<div> -<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-n.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="dropcap">Not many months ago the habitués -of the Jardin des Plantes, the Paris -“Zoo,” were much astonished to -notice that one of their favourites—Jack, -the hippopotamus—displayed -signs of unwonted irritation. The change in -the animal’s temper had been quite sudden. -Hitherto Jack had been extraordinarily docile; -now, whenever it became necessary to make -him change his quarters, either for the purpose -of cleaning the cage or to show him off to better -advantage to visitors, he yielded with manifest -surliness.</p> - -<p>Then there came a day when the keeper in -whose charge Jack had been for a great -number of years found it quite impossible to -induce the animal to leave his bath for the open -enclosure, beyond the bars of which a score or -two of nurses and children were eagerly waiting -to feast their eyes upon him. The more insistent -the keeper grew, the more did it become -evident that the great, unwieldy beast was -determined to try conclusions with its human -tormentor. On his side the keeper was equally -obstinate, but blandishment being clearly of no -avail he resorted to more convincing measures.</p> - -<p>Poor fellow, he little realized his danger! To -the unutterable horror of those present the -animal’s enormous jaws suddenly flew apart, disclosing -a cavernous mouth and throat. By the -time those jaws had closed again the unfortunate -keeper had ceased to be numbered among the -living!</p> - -<p>Appeased, apparently, by this act of savage -ferocity, Jack has since been as docile as he -ever was. His diminutive, befogged brain had,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[266]</a></span> -no doubt, suddenly shown him, as in the mirage -of fever, some dimly recognisable vision of the -luxuriant African landscapes he was eternally -severed from. He may—who knows?—have -thought of other creatures like himself, lazily -enjoying existence in sun-warmed, muddy -streams, browsing at will on unspeakably luscious -herbage. Then, perhaps, an illuminating -flash of lightning rage showed him instantaneously -the long tale of wrongs inflicted upon -his dull-witted race by the white man. Because -his ivory is finer-grained than that of the -elephant and because it does not so easily -become yellow, because his hide—cut into -narrow strips—makes superexcellent sticks, not -an instant’s respite from persecution is accorded -to the poor “river horse.” Pitilessly is he -harried and massacred, the hunter’s rifle -vomiting forth a constant stream of bullets—“dum-dum,” -explosive, or steel-pointed—to -pierce the massive, narrow skull.</p> - -<p>As a consequence of this ceaseless warfare -the rivers are so rapidly becoming depopulated -that the day cannot be far distant when, like the -American buffalo, the African hippopotamus -will be nothing but a memory. Possibly the -domesticated “dark continent” of to-morrow will -piously preserve in some park, national or international, -a model herd of the only surviving -representatives of this once prolific race. -Learned men will then bring forward convincing -arguments to prove the propriety of -favouring the propagation of such useful -animals; but the useful animals themselves, -wearied out by the last years of their persecuted -existence, will probably refuse to breed. Already -the hippopotamus is scarce enough to make us -realize some of the good that is in him. The -knowledge has come too late; the “river horse,” -it seems, is doomed to disappear. Under these -circumstances, perhaps, the recital of my own -recent experiences while hunting hippopotami -may be found of interest.</p> - -<p>To the African traveller the hippopotamus is -a species of game particularly desirable, for its -ivory and its hide are both valuable, while the -not inconsiderable danger involved in its pursuit -provides the delicious emotion without which -every kind of hunting is tame and insipid. -Moreover, the obligation under which the leader -of the expedition lies to feed his servants and -carriers adequately makes one of these enormous -beasts, twelve feet long or so and disproportionately -wide, a perfect godsend. Not only -does the hippopotamus furnish a formidable -amount of meat, but that meat has the inestimable -merit of keeping fresh much longer than -any other, principally owing to the fact that flies -seem to have an insurmountable horror for it. -I must admit that for a long time I thoroughly -sympathized with the flies! Alive, the hippopotamus -has a very peculiar odour, somewhat -resembling musk, which discloses the presence -of the animal from afar, when he happens to be -to windward of one. In the flesh of the dead -animal this odour—or the taste of it, rather—persists, -and is much appreciated by the natives, -though Europeans take a long time to get -accustomed to it; some are never able to -support it.</p> - -<p>Once, when I was in the neighbourhood of -the Chari River, my men informed me that a -herd of hippopotami were in possession of a -series of ponds not far from our camp. I -immediately marched in their direction. As we -approached the water we heard the trumpeting -of the leader of the herd, and almost simultaneously -caught sight of him. Erect on a -small bank, his formidable mouth widely -opened, he was uttering that characteristic -neighing sound in which there are notes that -remind one both of the lowing of a cow and -the roar of a lion. On the surface of the ponds, -moving quickly from place to place, were to be -seen what appeared to be large balks of some -kind of dark wood; these were the muzzles of -the remaining members of the herd.</p> - -<p>I succeeded in getting round the water unobserved -to a spot where I was concealed from -the animals by a small islet which occupied the -middle of the pond. To this island I transported -myself by means of a small and primitive -canoe, which two of my men had brought on -the chance of its being required.</p> - -<p>By this time the old male had taken to the -water again. The whole herd were now vaguely -alarmed, for from my place of ambush I could -obtain only fleeting glimpses every now and -then of a muzzle momentarily showing itself on -the surface of the water—just long enough for -the animal to take breath—and then disappearing.</p> - -<p>After waiting some time I grew impatient and -began to salute each of these distant apparitions -with a shot from my Express rifle. Nothing, -however, is so deceptive as to shoot across -water, especially when situated, as I then was, -facing the sun; and I was not successful in -lodging even one bullet in the targets I aimed at.</p> - -<p>I then made up my mind to lie low for such -time as might be necessary to reassure the -animals. I had to wait some considerable time—certainly -more than an hour; but finally my -patience was rewarded. The old male, still -swimming, was actually coming in my direction. -His head, carried well clear of the water, presented -a marvellous target at a distance of about -twenty-five feet from me—a regular tyro’s shot.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[267]</a></span> -And yet something or other -made my hand tremble, -and as I pulled the trigger -I realized that I had missed!</p> - -<p>I also realized more than -this. In order to make -the effect of the ball the -surer I had employed my largest gun, and I had -given it a full elephant charge. The shock of -the recoil was so tremendous that I was thrown -on my back several paces away, with a feeling -as if my shoulder had been put out of joint. -When I got on my feet once more all the natives -were shrieking with laughter, for this misadventure -to their white master appeared to -them highly diverting.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus50.jpg" width="400" height="500" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">A GLANCE AT THIS TRULY FORMIDABLE PAIR OF -JAWS WILL ENABLE THE READER TO REALIZE -HOW IT IS THAT THESE GREAT BRUTES ARE -ABLE TO DEMOLISH CANOES SO EASILY.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>Meanwhile, in the pond a terrible scene was -in progress. Maddened with rage and pain, the -old hippopotamus was swimming furiously, first -in one direction, then in another. Now he would -mount on a sandbank, now plunge with a -tremendous splash into the water, which was -reddened with his blood. He was -seeking an enemy on whom he might -be avenged, and blindly pursued his -fellows under the water. The ball had -struck him in the chest, whereas the -only immediately vital spot in the hippopotamus -is situated just beneath the -eye, the ball thence penetrating the -brain. My bullet, though it had not -killed him outright, must have caused -terrible internal injuries, for very soon -I saw him turn completely -over several -times, displaying successively -above the -surface of the water -his head and his feet. -Then, all at once, he -sank and did not -again reappear.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[268]</a><br /><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[269]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 565px;"> - -<img src="images/illus51.jpg" width="565" height="700" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE ALARM! A BOAT HAS APPEARED IN THE DISTANCE, AND THE GIGANTIC LEADER OF THE HERD ROARS OUT HIS WARNING.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[270]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus52.jpg" width="400" height="575" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">A DEAD HIPPOPOTAMUS WHICH HAS BEEN DRAGGED IN TO THE RIVER BANK.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[271]</a></span></p> - -<p>A dead hippopotamus -invariably sinks -to the bottom, and it -is only after an interval -which varies between -two and eight -hours that the body -rises and floats on the -surface. For this -reason, if you kill a -hippopotamus in a -river the current of -which is at all rapid, -you must, in nine -cases out of ten, give -up all hope of ever -recovering your -quarry. The carcass -may be carried a great -distance under the -water, reappearing at -the surface miles away, -where it furnishes a -providential feast to -the native inhabitants -on the banks, who call -down ironical blessings -upon the infallible -rifle of the -white man.</p> - -<p>In the present instance -there was no -necessity for me to -trouble about the carcass, -which by the following -morning, if not -that very evening, I -knew I should find -floating placidly on -the surface, waiting to -be hauled ashore. In -any case it would have -been sheer madness -to try to recover it at -that moment, as the -pond was infested with crocodiles.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 300px;"> - -<img src="images/illus53.jpg" width="300" height="535" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE HUNTER DRIFTING DOWN STREAM IN A -PRIMITIVE NATIVE CANOE.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>That day every member of the -unfortunate herd—there were six -in all—fell a prey to my rifle; the -massacre occupied about two<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[272]</a></span> -hours in all. When I returned on the morrow -half-a-dozen enormous carcasses lay stretched -out among the aquatic herbs, some floating on -the surface of the water, others stranded on the -banks.</p> - -<p>It was not without difficulty that I persuaded -my men to carry out the ropes necessary for -hauling in the carcasses that were out of reach, -the pond, as I have said, being full of crocodiles. -One of their number, however, at last volunteered -to do the job. While he was engaged in -his somewhat perilous undertaking the rest of -the natives set up a chorus of the most atrocious -howling it is possible to imagine, meanwhile -thrashing the surface of the water, creating by -one means and another so discordant a concert -that the saurians, terrified no doubt out of their -wits, must have sought refuge in the most hidden -depths, for we saw nothing of them.</p> - -<p>To cut up a hippopotamus is no easy task. -In some places the hide is almost two and a half -inches thick, and before you have got through a -hand’s-breadth your knife has completely lost its -edge, and requires to be resharpened. The -head and the feet are put on one side to be -preserved as trophies of the chase, while the -remainder of the flesh is cut into long, thin -strips which, after they have been dried by hanging -them on the tree-branches, will keep good -for a very long time. The ivory of the teeth -and tusks, which is of very fine quality, used to -be employed almost exclusively in the manufacture -of false teeth; nowadays it is turned to -all the purposes of ordinary ivory.</p> - -<p>As for the hide, cut into strips it is made into -sticks, which are as good defensive weapons as -one could wish to possess. Treated with oil -they become as transparent as tortoiseshell, and -look quite pretty. Out of hippopotamus-hide -bullock-drivers likewise make thongs for their -whips which are positively everlasting, and fetch, -relatively speaking, quite a good price.</p> - -<p>In this particular expedition the only trouble -I had was that involved in shooting the animals. -Things do not always go off so smoothly, however, -and hunting hippopotamus may turn out -to be a more dangerous sport than almost any -other.</p> - -<p>On one occasion, when we were descending -the course of the Chari in canoes, we perceived -a number of the great beasts in the river, playing -some clumsy sort of game among themselves -and throwing up in the air jets of water, somewhat -similar to those ejected by whales through -their blow-holes. We could distinctly hear the -animals’ powerful breathing.</p> - -<p>Carried away by the nearness of the game, I -forgot entirely how dangerous the pursuit of the -hippopotamus may become when the hunter is -in a boat.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile we were advancing steadily, and -every time a huge frontal bone or a giant muzzle -appeared above the level of the water I pulled -trigger. There were frequently quite long intervals, -for the hippopotamus is able to remain over -three minutes under water without coming up -for breath.</p> - -<p>Presently, out of the corner of my eye, I -caught sight of a female and her little one on -the river bank; then I saw her take to the -water. My attention, however, was riveted on a -spot in the river where I had seen an old male -plunge. Every instant I expected him to -reappear.</p> - -<p>Suddenly, ere I fully realized what was -occurring, I found myself projected upwards -in the air with incredible violence. Before I -descended I had time to see a gigantic jaw -open wide, and then close with a snap on the -unfortunate canoe which followed mine. An -instant later I was in the water, striking out -madly for the bank, almost persuaded that I -felt the sharp teeth of a crocodile nipping off a -thigh or an arm. I was fortunate enough to -reach the shore, however, without mishap. Then -we called over the roll. At first I supposed -nobody was missing, but we soon perceived that -our number was one short. We never saw the -poor fellow again. Doubtless he had been -injured when the jaws of the hippopotamus -closed over his canoe, and was thus unable to -reach the bank. At that moment, probably, a -crocodile was devouring his body at the bottom -of the river.</p> - -<p>By dint of a few questions I was able to piece -together what had happened. The female, -thinking to defend her young, had thrown herself -upon the canoe behind mine, and almost -simultaneously the old male had emerged from -the water with irresistible violence beneath my -own craft, pitching me upwards. It was a very -narrow escape, all things considered, and I can -assure you that, for the rest of that day at least, -we left the poor “river horses” in peace.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[273]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/heading-4.jpg" width="500" height="200" alt="Illustrated version of the heading below" /> -</div> - -<h2>The Tale the Doctor Told.<br /> -<span class="smaller">A CHRISTMAS STORY OF THE WESTERN PLAINS.</span></h2> - -<p class="by"><span class="smcap">Written and Illustrated by Stanley L. Wood.</span></p> - -<div class="smaller"> - -<p>Concerning this narrative, Mr. Wood writes: “I was a boy at the time, living with my parents on the -plains, the nearest point of civilization being Fort Hayes, now Hayes City, Kansas. The doctor had -occasion to ride out to our place, and told us of his adventure, and the sequel, much as I have set it down.”</p> - -</div> - -<div> -<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-i.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="dropcap">It was Christmas Eve.</p> - -<p>“Hear that wind?” said Dr. -McDonnell. “It sounds like a pack -of wolves, the way it howls; and the -snow means to keep on coming.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, and stayin’,” answered the cow-puncher, -nodding gravely at the stove.</p> - -<p>“Not a nice night to go walking,” ventured -the tenderfoot; “in fact, I think I’d rather be -here. It’d take a bit to get me out—and -Christmas Eve, too. As you say, doctor, the -wind <em>does</em> sound like wolves; and no doubt -if one were out they’d find the wolves—or the -wolves find them.”</p> - -<p>“No doubt whatever, young feller,” remarked -the puncher, dryly. “Wolves <em>are</em> out this weather -for grub; and when they’re out for grub they’re -out on a business trip, dead sure.”</p> - -<p>The doctor bit the end off a fresh cigar.</p> - -<p>“Do you boys want a story?” said he.</p> - -<p>“Go ahead, doc,” replied the cow-puncher, -proffering a match. And the doctor, after -lighting up, went ahead to the following effect.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Well, boys, it’s a long time ago now—a -Christmas Eve, too—way back in the ’seventies, -when things on the prairies were very different. -It was usual in those days to get a brush with -the Utes or the Cheyennes pretty regularly once -or twice a month.</p> - -<p>The twenty-third of December was a bright, -sunny day, with not more than three or four -inches of snow on the plains. Over the thin -snow-crust galloped Jimmie Dink—“Darky -Dink” we called him, because of his swarthy -hair and skin.</p> - -<p>“Doc,” said he, pulling his broncho up short -before me, “Wolfie Jim’s about done. Can’t -you go to him? He’s ’most busted up.”</p> - -<p>Poor old Wolfie! I knew why.</p> - -<p>Some time previously he had run in among -his dogs, which were attacking a timber wolf -they had turned up on the creek bank. He -intended to knife it, as he had done many a -time before, but the old fellow, maybe, was not -so agile as formerly, and things had gone a bit -wrong. Anyhow, he’d knifed the wolf all right, -but the wolf bit his foot badly, and Wolfie -doctored it in his own peculiar manner with -unlimited bad whisky, taken both outside and -in. Well, the foot didn’t heal, and Wolfie -couldn’t understand it.</p> - -<p>He was one of the old fur-cap-and-buckskin-shirt -trappers who never consulted even a -medicine-man, let alone a white doctor. I’d -stopped at his shack once or twice and got a -liking for the quaint old fellow, so I told Darky -to get one of the boys to put a saddle on my -old horse Pete while I got my “murder-bag,” -as they called my medicine outfit, and was soon -ready for Wolfie and his trouble.</p> - -<p>Away loped Pete over the beautiful glistening -prairie; I could have found my way to Wolfie’s -with my eyes shut.</p> - -<p>It occurred to me soon that I was foolish not -to have brought a heavier overcoat, but I knew -if I didn’t start on my return journey before -sundown I could either stay with old Wolf or -borrow something to make me warm; besides, -although it was December, it was one of those -prairie days that would almost fool a wise man -into the belief that it was spring.</p> - -<p>I shall never forget the shock I received as I -pushed the door of the little hut open. I had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[274]</a></span> -started with my case full of all I thought I should -want—even to vitriol, in case of a last resource. -But Wolfie was beyond my skill. He lay -stretched out on his blankets, dead, with his two -dead hounds beside him. There was a half-empty -bottle in his left hand and a big six-shooter -in his right. There were three cartridges -in the revolver and three empty shells. The -old man and both hounds had each been killed -with a bullet through the head.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 300px;"> - -<img src="images/illus54.jpg" width="300" height="435" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">“HE LAY STRETCHED OUT ON HIS BLANKETS, DEAD, WITH HIS TWO DEAD HOUNDS BESIDE HIM.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>I examined the -injured foot and -understood the -whole thing.</p> - -<p>Wolfie had -doctored himself, -but the wound had -got worse and worse, -and at last the old -fellow, in awful, -never-ending pain, -had drunk himself -half-dead and completed -the work with -his trigger finger.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile the -weather had been -growing gradually -colder, and the wind -started to moan as I -fastened the door -from the outside, -after quitting that -abode of death. The -sky, too, was rapidly -darkening, and Pete -shook his head up -and down and -stamped uneasily.</p> - -<p>Mounting, I rode -off; but I had not -been going long -when, away in the -distance, I heard the -dismal, long-drawn -howl of a prairie wolf, -then another, and -another. Not till that -moment did it flash -upon me what an all-round -fool I was.</p> - -<p>I had brought no -revolver with me. It -had started to snow, -evening was drawing -in, and there were -those gaunt brutes -in the distance—yet -I had no protection -against either the weather or the wolves. I -touched up old Pete, and we started to travel -fast for home.</p> - -<p>We had not gone more than a mile farther -before a real, genuine blizzard sprang up. How -it came down! Waves, absolute waves of snow, -whirred, cut, and beat about my face, while the -wind howled and shrieked dismally.</p> - -<p>Then I did the worst, most foolish thing a -man could have done. I tried to guide old<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[275]</a></span> -Pete! I steered him, and, though Pete knew -better, he obeyed; and so, between a good old -horse and a fool of a young man, we made a -fine mess of it. We got lost, tangled up, with -the snow whirling about us in sheets. Every -minute it got deeper and thicker, and at last -poor old Pete staggered, tried vainly to right -himself, fell over, and collapsed.</p> - -<p>Try as I would I couldn’t get him up, and—well, -I fear I lost my nerve, what with the -blinding snow and the distant howl of those -wretched wolves.</p> - -<p>As the snow beat down upon me, piling up -pitilessly over the now stiffening form of the -poor old horse, I thought it time to move on. -To stay where I was meant being frozen to -death, to go on might mean the same; but there -was just a chance, and I stumbled forward and -took the chance.</p> - -<p>Heaven only knows how long I ploughed and -pushed through those awful snow-drifts with the -falling flakes eddying about me in clouds; I lost -all account of time. I went stumbling blindly -forward until I seemed not to be myself, but -just some machine without feeling or hope, -mechanically pulling one foot before the other, -and groping through the freezing dark.</p> - -<p>I was just beginning to experience a drowsy, -comfortable feeling, when—bump!—the little -sense left in me was nearly knocked out as my -head struck against something hard.</p> - -<p>That deadly, comfortable feeling left me at -once. I felt about in the darkness and touched -boards. It was a cabin! With my half-frozen -hands I hammered at the woodwork, and I shall -never forget my feelings as a door opened and I -was pulled in out of the storm, the door banging -to behind me.</p> - -<p>I couldn’t speak for a minute, and my eyes -were blurred coming in from the darkness and -snow, but when they got accustomed to what -little light there was I didn’t feel I wanted to -say much.</p> - -<p>Before me was a giant. He must have stood a -good six-foot-six, but all I could see of his face was -his eyes. He was masked in what was called in -those days a “storm-cap,” which completely hid -the face of the wearer, showing only the eyes. -A long, heavy overcoat, with collar upturned, -reached to his ankles.</p> - -<p>“Having arrived here, stranger,” he remarked, -in an unpleasant, metallic sort of voice, with a -half laugh, “and it now being near Christmas -Eve, I’d be interested in knowing how you -managed to bump up against this building.”</p> - -<p>This was not the sort of greeting one would -have expected under the circumstances, and the -man’s language did not smack of the prairie, -but I was too weak after my exertions and too -thankful to be out of the storm to notice trifles, -and so I told him as briefly as possible that I -was lost, and should be grateful if he would give -me shelter for the night.</p> - -<p>“Shelter?” said he. “Shelter? Yes, why -not? All the shelter a man could want. I -wouldn’t turn a dog out such a night like this. -Yes, stranger, you can sleep here to-night, nice -and quiet. I’ve nothing to give you to eat, but -there’s whisky here. Being nearly Christmas -Eve, drink up, and then—<em>go</em> up!”</p> - -<p>As he spoke he poured whisky from a demi-john -into two tin mugs and picked up a lantern. -Then, for the first time, I saw there was a rough -ladder, up which he went to a room above.</p> - -<p>Now all shacks, dug-outs, and cabins I had -seen hitherto were of only one storey. There -was something uncanny about the man and the -place, and tired and knocked up as I was I did -<em>not</em> drink the whisky; I just wetted my lips with -it as my host’s feet clumped around above, and -ere he descended I carefully poured the contents -of the tin cup into the ramshackle stove.</p> - -<p>“Now, up you go and sleep the sleep you’ve -asked for,” said he, when he came down. “A -merry Christmas to you!” With that he tossed -off his whisky at a gulp.</p> - -<p>Up I went through the rough opening; it -was not a trap-door, for there was no flap to shut -down. I found myself in a kind of loft, in -which was a wooden apology for a bed, heaped -over with some evil-smelling blankets. All this -I saw by the light of a guttering candle stuck in -the neck of a cracked bottle. Though I was -very, very weary, all thoughts of going to sleep -went out of my head. I distrusted that sinister-looking -fellow below.</p> - -<p>Pulling my flask from my pocket, I look -a long drink, and the neat spirit gradually -warmed me. Then I sat down in the semi-darkness -to think.</p> - -<p>Suddenly an inspiration came to me. Taking -out my medicine-case I quickly charged a -syringe with whisky. This frail thing, in case of -attack, was my only weapon, with the exception -of the cracked bottle holding the candle.</p> - -<p>As I crouched there in the attic there came -crowding into my memory stories of lonely -travellers lost on these plains who had left not -even a button to tell how or where they had -gone. There had been talk during the last -month of at least three men, settlers near the -Fort, who had mysteriously vanished, leaving not -the faintest clue to their whereabouts. At first -their disappearance had been put down to raiding -parties of Utes, but careful scouting by some -of the best men disproved this theory.</p> - -<p>Why should these thoughts come to me now? -I asked myself, uneasily. Could that villainous-looking<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[276]</a></span> -giant below have had anything to do -with the disappearances? Lying prone, I peered -cautiously through the trap, striving to see what -was going on below. Indistinctly I saw the -big man fill his tin cup three times and drain it -off, muttering the while. Then, struck by a -sudden inspiration, I went back to the bed, -pulled off my coats, and heaped them up in a -bundle on the bed to resemble as much as -possible a sleeping form. Next I took off my -boots and hat and placed them also in such a -position, partly covered with the blankets, as to -suggest the idea that, worn out with fatigue, I -had thrown myself down to sleep fully clothed. -Then I blew out the light and, keeping the -bottle in my hand, crept again to the opening -by the ladder head.</p> - -<p>What I saw made my blood, which was chilly -already, go colder yet.</p> - -<p>The big man was taking off his overcoat. -He threw it to the floor, and from his waist -detached a belt from which dangled a heavy -revolver and a long bowie-knife. The latter he -drew from its sheath, running his thumb caressingly -along the edge; then he laid it on the -table.</p> - -<p>Crossing the room he returned with an iron -bar about three feet long. I heard it ring as he -dumped it down on the table near the knife.</p> - -<p>Then, tossing off more whisky—this time -from the demi-john—he -snatched up the bar and -lantern and unsteadily -approached the ladder. So -my half-formed suspicions -were correct; he meant -to murder me!</p> - -<p>With my heart beating -like a sledge-hammer, I -silently crouched behind -the bed.</p> - -<p>Never, if I live to be a -hundred, shall I forget the -next few minutes. He -emerged through the -opening, tiptoed to the -bed, swung up the bar, -and with a dull thwack -brought it down just -where my head might -have lain. Again and yet -again he thrashed and -beat the tumbled clothes. -Then, as he paused, from -my place of concealment -I squirted the whisky from -the syringe straight into -his eyes. Dropping the -bar, he staggered and rubbed -at his eyes, swearing -horribly. As he reeled, -half blinded, I sprang up -and brought the bottle -down with all my strength -on his head, at the same -time giving him a sideways -push that sent him -crashing through the opening -to the floor below.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 300px;"> - -<img src="images/illus55.jpg" width="300" height="420" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">“I SENT HIM CRASHING THROUGH THE OPENING TO THE FLOOR BELOW.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>I was trembling in -every limb with excitement, -but I managed to -get my boots, hat, and -coats on.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[277]</a></span></p> - -<p>Then I cautiously descended. I had no -doubt that the fall had killed him, but I felt -no pity; it was either his life or mine. Greatly -to my surprise, however, the giant was still -breathing. He lay huddled up at the ladder-foot, -with blood on and about him. I tied his -hands with a rope, and then, turning him on -his chest, cut away the back part of his flannel -shirt collar with his own villainous bowie-knife. -Next, taking the small phial of vitriol from my -case, I spilt a few drops on the back of his bare -neck. The awful burning partly restored his -senses, and he moaned. I had no compunction, -but proceeded to tear the visored cap from his -head.</p> - -<p>I have never seen such a fiendish face in all -my wanderings! The lower part was covered -with a thick jet-black beard and moustache, but -the face, taken altogether, was that of a murderer—the -most horrible, wolfish-looking -visage I have ever gazed on. Like a cornered -wolf, even as he slowly revived he struggled -and snapped to break the cords that bound -him, cursing savagely in his semi-drunken -frenzy.</p> - -<p>Many a man would have shot him out of hand -with his own weapon; but I could not bring -myself to that. I had left an indelible mark -on him, however, that he would carry with him -to the grave, and should we ever meet again -there could be no disguising those awful eyes -and his enormous proportions. But, unless I -killed or disabled him, it was obviously unsafe -to remain in the cabin. The storm had now -ceased, so taking the villain’s revolver, and -leaving him struggling to unfasten his bonds, -I set out to try to find my way to the Fort, -hoping against hope that I should soon sight -some familiar landmark.</p> - -<p>How long I blundered over the snow before -I lost consciousness I do not know, but I -remember it flashed upon me once that this -was the dawn of Christmas Eve! Then I felt -myself getting drowsier and drowsier.</p> - -<p>When I recovered my senses it had to be -explained to me how I came to be in bed back -at my old quarters at Fort Hayes, minus two -toes, which I had bequeathed to “Jack Frost” -during my stroll over the snow-clad prairies.</p> - -<p>A merciful Providence and three friendly -Utes had found me and brought me in. If it -had not been for Black Cloud, one of the three -Indians, and a pretty big chief in his way, this -story would never have been told. He was the -means of saving my life, and I thankfully -presented him with the big revolver I had taken -from the rascal at the hut.</p> - -<p>Guided by Black Cloud, some of the boys -and scouts a few days later located the spot -where the Indians had found me unconscious, -slowly freezing to death. From there they -hunted in all directions, and at last found -the two-storeyed hut—empty.</p> - -<p>It was miles from the way I ought to have -taken when I left the trapper’s shack, which -showed that trying to guide my poor old horse -was the worst thing I could have done.</p> - -<p>Later, when the weather broke and I was able -to get about, I got two of the boys to ride over -to the hut with me.</p> - -<p>My tale had sent search-parties scouring the -countryside to try to run the would-be murderer -down, but they never got him. What made the -settlers and the sheriff more than keen to catch -him was the gruesome discovery the two scouts -and I made at the hut—three male skeletons, -with their skulls smashed in, roughly buried in -the earth! I thought of the iron bar and -shuddered at my narrow escape.</p> - -<p>Three years after I happened to stroll into a -crowded court-house in San Jaleta, Southern -Texas. A man was on trial for the murder of -a lonely rancher, and seemed likely to be -acquitted, for the evidence was too slight to -convict him. There was no doubt that the -motive of the crime had been robbery; and -there was no doubt, when I’d had a good look -at the prisoner, as to who he was. He was -clean-shaven now, but, nevertheless, I remembered -those awful eyes. Making my way to the -front, I asked permission to give evidence for -the prosecution.</p> - -<p>After I had told my story—although it took -five men to master the prisoner—the sheriff at -last laid bare the scar on the neck where my -vitriol had branded him the night of the storm.</p> - -<p>Some of the crowd in court were pretty well -worked up over the manner in which the lonely -ranchman had been done to death, and the tale -I told did not help to calm them. That night -the jail at San Jaleta was “held up” by an -armed mob, and when the sun rose it shone -down on the body of a giant dangling from a -telegraph pole at the end of a lariat.</p> - -<p>That’s my story, and every word of it is true. -I am afraid it’s taken a bit long in the telling, -but I never hear the wind howling and moaning -on a Christmas Eve as it does to-night without -thinking of that other Christmas Eve on the -Kansas plains so many years ago.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[278]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/heading-5.jpg" width="500" height="200" alt="Illustrated version of the heading below" /> -</div> - -<h2>A White Woman in Cannibal-Land.</h2> - -<p class="by"><span class="smcap">By Annie Ker.</span></p> - -<div class="smaller"> - -<p>Some incidents of a lady’s life in the wilds of New Guinea. Miss Ker went out to Papua—as the -country is now called—attached to a mission, and describes the many strange, amusing, and -exciting experiences she encountered during her seven years’ sojourn among the natives, who, -not so very long ago, were always fighting and much addicted to cannibalism—a practice which -still prevails among the wild tribes of the unexplored interior.</p> - -</div> - -<h3>II.</h3> - -<div> -<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-i.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="dropcap">In many Papuan villages the visiting -magistrates have raised one of the -chief men to the rank of local -policeman, rewarding him with the -princely salary of ten shillings per -annum (usually paid in tobacco) and two uniforms. -The latter consist of a neckless tunic -with long sleeves, and a strip of dark blue cloth -covering the wearer from waist to knee. A -flaming red belt lends colour to the costume.</p> - -<p>The Wedau policeman -lived a peaceful life on -the whole, though when -an energetic magistrate -swooped suddenly down -on the village the functionary’s -life was, for the time -being, scarcely worth -living. Luckily, the magistrate’s -little vessel could -be seen directly it rounded -the cape and long before -it had crossed the bay, -so that there was time -for preparations. -Women set frantically to -work with handfuls of -stiff stalks, which served -as brooms, and swept -fallen leaves into heaps, -which were immediately -burned. Children -buzzed backwards and -forwards, carrying loads of -stones and rubbish, which -they threw into the swamp on the beach. -“Gabemani” (Government) had ordered it to -be filled in long ago, but the villagers preferred -swarms of malaria-disseminating mosquitoes -rather than exerting themselves to do away with -the cause of them.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 300px;"> - -<img src="images/illus56.jpg" width="300" height="220" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE HOUSE AT WAMIRA WHERE THE AUTHORESS LIVED FOR SEVEN MONTHS, SPENDING AN -EXCITING TIME OWING TO “EVIL SPIRITS” AND NATIVES “RUNNING AMOK.”</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>The magistrate would find the village suspiciously -neat and clean, and after trying a few -cases of petty theft would sail away satisfied, -leaving the policeman to distribute small<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[279]</a></span> -portions of the tobacco he had received and to -enjoy his hard-earned rest.</p> - -<p>Another of the officer’s duties was to make -journeys into the interior and capture murderers, -when such were heard of, and convey them down -the coast to Samarai to be tried. I saw one -insignificant-looking little man on his way to jail, -whom I knew to have committed a cruel murder. -A white man named Sexton, a “fossicker,” whom -we had entertained at the mission station, had -gone a few miles inland in quest of gold. One -day, while seated at his midday meal, he was -seized from behind and his throat cut. It -seemed that a native of the village had died -while working for a white man; therefore, in -accordance with Papuan ideas of justice, the -next man of that race who came along had to be -slain in revenge for the native’s life.</p> - -<p>The first photograph shows a house at -Wamira where I lived for seven months soon -after my arrival in Papua. The missionary for -whom it was built was going on furlough, and -during her absence I was in charge there. It -was situated on the edge of a coral cliff which -rose straight up out of the sea, so that the -Pacific Ocean was, so to speak, at the door. -Close by was another house, used as a dormitory -for the village girls who came as boarders -to the mission. There was also a boys’ dormitory -and a kitchen. This kitchen one day -caught fire and was burnt to the ground in a -very little while. I rushed in and saved the -pudding from the oven, while the pupil-teacher, -a Papuan boy, brought out our tin of kerosene -before it ignited. The kitchen was the only -building that suffered, and the villagers promptly -built me a new one for five shillings, labour and -materials included! From this it will be obvious -that there is not much scope for a fire-insurance -agent in Papua.</p> - -<p>My house was divided into two apartments, -a bed and a sitting room, and was built of -native timber, the walls being composed of -plaited coco-leaf and the roof of grass. The -floor was made of slender strips of wood laid -side by side, and, though airy, was anything -but durable. It was slightly discomposing to -see a small boy enter at the doorway and then -suddenly disappear through a gap in the floor, -though, having sufficient presence of mind to -spread out his arms, he was able to hold himself -in that position until someone could rescue him. -For windows I had openings in the leaf walls, -closed when necessary by means of wooden -shutters.</p> - -<p>Soon after I took charge the girls became -much alarmed on account of some midnight -visitor who, they said, had tried to get into -their house. The natives were inclined to think -the intruder was a prowling “bariawa,” or spirit, -and there were frightened faces and hushed -voices among them as night fell. Unfortunately, -I was a heavy sleeper, and was usually only -roused by the girls’ shrieks after their mysterious -visitor had left. A few of the elder boys sat -up one night, but saw nothing. Some barbed -wire was sent me, and complicated and formidable -entanglements were constructed between -the girls’ house and mine. Soon after they had -been placed there, however, when we were congratulating -ourselves that we were safe at last, -a little village child who was playing near fell -over the wire and severely injured himself, so I -had to order the entanglement to be taken away. -One of the missionaries then lent me a revolver, -but I am sure I should never have been able to -use it, even on a spirit. However, I showed it -to the old chief, and published the news of my -acquisition, and soon afterwards we were relieved -to find that our mysterious visitor came no -longer.</p> - -<p>Another source of excitement at Wamira was -a kind of madness which attacked a man now -and again, a state of exaltation somewhat -resembling the Malay “amok.” At first the -victim only sat in the house suffering from -“heat in the heart.” Then, after muttering -unintelligibly, he would seize a handful of -spears, rush out of the house, and career wildly -through the villages, flinging the spears to right -and left and shouting as he ran. Women would -come shrieking to my house and take refuge -inside the fence, hoping to be safe with the -“foreigner.” Once one of these half-crazed -men, exhausted after an attack, came up the -path and demanded water. I gave him some -particularly nauseous medicine, which he drank -greedily, afterwards asking for more. On another -occasion one of them, who had already aimed a -spear at a villager, came on to the school, where -the pupil teacher and I had our flock of fifty or -sixty children. Seeing him approaching, however, -we hastily closed and barricaded the doors, -standing the siege until the old chief influenced -our would-be assailant to withdraw.</p> - -<p>When my predecessor returned to her work -a somewhat similar house to the one I have -described was built for me at Wedau, where I -remained for nearly two years. Ordinary village -houses are built in very much the same style: they -possess only one room, and the supporting piles -are higher. The means of access to the interior -is a sloping pole. These odd “staircases” have -slight notches cut in them, which afford very -slight purchase for a shod foot, though the -nimble natives run up and down them easily -enough.</p> - -<p>While I was living at Wamira news was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[280]</a></span> -brought of a murder in the hills. The girl who -came to tell me said that her uncle had taken a -journey there to obtain betel-nut. On the way -he heard voices and promptly hid himself. -From his place of concealment he saw two men -attacking a third. One held the victim’s arms -while the other cut his throat with a “gatigati” -(long knife). As he did so the dying man -cried, “Au dobu, au dobu!” (“Oh, my home!” -or, literally, village). The hidden onlooker, -being a Papuan, did not dream of interfering. -His “skin trembled,” he said, and he hastily -made his way back to safety.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 300px;"> - -<img src="images/illus57.jpg" width="300" height="230" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">A TYPICAL PAPUAN HUT.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>The village policeman went out to capture -the miscreants, and was successful in bringing -one to punishment. The crime, it was discovered, -had been committed for a very simple -reason. The dead man had been visiting a -sick friend, who was the murderer’s brother. -The invalid received every kindness from his -friend, but eventually, in the course of nature, -died. Therefore, argued the murderer, it was -clear that the visitor had bewitched the sick -man and caused his death, and his own life -must necessarily be forfeited.</p> - -<p>The hill-folk generally only came into prominence -through committing murders or other -crimes. Being removed from the coast, and -able to hide in many obscure caves and lurking-places, -they naturally stood less in awe of the -power of Government than the coastal tribes.</p> - -<p>One day we were visited by two hill-women -who had run away from their husbands. Their -bodies were covered with hideous raised scars, -the result, they assured us, of spear-thrusts -inflicted on them by their inhuman partners. -They were in much fear of -being pursued, but were given -shelter for the night at Dogura, -the head station on the hill -behind Wedau, where I was -living.</p> - -<p>That same evening I was -startled by cries from the -village. The natives called to -me to bring my lantern, and -I ran down to find the place -in an uproar. The men were -rushing about, searching and -looking up in the trees, while -the women were huddled -together, talking excitedly. I -managed to make out that the -husbands of the two fugitives -had traced them as far as -Wedau. One of the men had -lurked outside a house in the -village, and, so a woman -averred, would have speared -her as she came out, thinking her to be his -missing wife. Fortunately for herself, however, -she spoke, and he, knowing her by her voice to -be a Wedauan, ran off in the darkness.</p> - -<p>The villagers searched in vain, and the -tumult subsided, but rumours soon reached us -that the baffled husbands were collecting a -force and intended to visit the head station at -night and carry off the recalcitrant wives by -force.</p> - -<p>It was not thought safe for me to sleep alone -in the village, so I went up the hill to add one -more to the crowded house. Our girl boarders -were packed in dozens into the different bedrooms, -having forsaken their native dormitories for -the night, and I was accommodated with a cane -lounge. It was not furnished with mosquito -curtains, and I decided by morning that even -the hill men’s spears could scarcely be sharper -than the bites of the vicious insects. No -invaders arrived, however, so we put the story -of their intended raid down as an idle rumour. -The women stayed with us for some weeks -and then slipped away. Some months later a -policeman from up the coast told me that the -brothers of one of the injured wives had taken -summary vengeance on her husband, who paid -for his cruelty with his life.</p> - -<p>We got excellent drinking water from a little -stream, though care was necessary in selecting -the place from which to draw it, as the village -pigs were only too apt to bathe indiscriminately. -The natives used water-bottles made from -hollowed coco-nut shells, fitted with a stopper -of twisted leaves, and carried six or seven at a -time in a netted bag suspended from the head.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[281]</a></span> -One of my girls, with a fine disregard for -proportion, styled them “New Guinea tanks.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;"> - -<img src="images/illus58.jpg" width="300" height="235" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">“TOMMY” AND “TEDDY,” THE TWO LITTLE MITES WHO WERE -SAVED BY THE MISSIONARIES FROM BEING BURIED ALIVE.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>The natives of Papua have some very curious -superstitions, giving rise to barbarous customs. -For instance, a woman gave birth to twin boys. -The mother died, and the villagers, coming to -the conclusion that the infants were accursed, -decided to bury the hapless babies alive on -the woman’s grave! This terrible deed would -actually have been carried out had not a native -who had come under mission influence told his -teacher what was intended before it was too -late. The missionary was thus able to save the -little mites, who were taken care -of by a nurse. She is seen in the -annexed photograph with “Tommy” -and “Teddy” when they were a -year or two old. Other babies, for -various superstitious reasons, have -been killed at birth or hung in -trees to die a slow and terrible -death from starvation.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;"> - -<img src="images/illus59.jpg" width="300" height="220" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">A PAPUAN SERPENTINE—NATIVE BOYS SAILING THEIR HOME-MADE BOATS IN A LAKE.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>A favourite pastime with the -village boys was sailing model -boats, which were surprisingly well -made. The picture at the bottom -of the page shows lads sailing their -“sikunas” (schooners) at a Papuan -“Serpentine,” for all the world -like youngsters at home.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 200px;"> - -<img src="images/illus60.jpg" width="200" height="250" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">PAPUANS FISH-SPEARING.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>Favourite sports, though -their object was utilitarian -enough, are fish-spearing and -pig-hunting. The natives are -wonderfully quick in detecting -the presence of a fish under the -surface, and the many-pronged -fish-spear, shooting violently -downwards, is more often than -not recovered with a brightly-coloured -victim impaled upon -it. The snapshot above shows -a group of Papuans, spear in -hand, watching for fish in the -shallow water.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[282]</a></span></p> - -<p>The lower picture shows a number of fishing-nets -hung up to dry. These are made, of -course, by the natives themselves. The twine -is woven from the peelings of liquorice-stalks -netted together, the -floats are light pieces -of wood, and the sinkers -are cockle shells in -which holes have been -bored.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus61.jpg" width="400" height="285" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">A NATIVE WAITING TO SPEAR DRIVEN PIGS.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>Pig-hunting is carried -out in a very thorough -fashion. Stout nets are -placed across the forest -paths and clearings, and -one party of natives then -beat the jungle, driving the game before them, -while the spearmen wait, as seen in the photograph, -for the arrival of the quarry.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;"> - -<img src="images/illus62.jpg" width="350" height="250" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">DRYING NETS—THE NETS ARE MOST INGENIOUSLY MADE FROM THE PEELINGS OF LICORICE-STALKS, -WITH WOODEN FLOATS AND COCKLE-SHELL SINKERS.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>Although stationed in a village, I often took -short trips to other places, travelling either by -canoe or whale-boat. The native canoes are -made of logs, hollowed out with much labour, -having an outrigger -attached -and a small platform -lashed between -the two -at either end. -This the passengers—myself -and often -Maebo, my little -girl friend—shared -with the -cargo. Canoes -were of many -shapes, varying -according to the -tribe of the maker. Canoe travelling was idyllic -in calm weather. Sometimes a turtle would lift -his lazy head and take a long look at us before<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[283]</a></span> -diving, and we could gaze far down into the -depths of the crystal water and watch brilliantly-hued -fish disporting themselves among the -branches of still more dazzlingly-tinted coral, -while the golden sunlight filtered mistily down -in cloudy rays. The crews paddled well, and -we crossed the bay in fine style, the men being -quite content with a penny each -as wages.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus63.jpg" width="400" height="200" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">A GROUP OF NATIVE CANOES—THE AUTHORESS MADE MANY TRIPS IN THESE FRAIL CRAFT.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>But, alas! it was very different -in rough weather. Tired and -hungry, perhaps several miles -from my destination, the captain -would call to me, “Misika (my -native name), you’ll have to get -out and go by the beach, for the -wind is rising.” My heart would -sink, and I would beseech him -to make the crew paddle on; -but the wind caught us up, and -the waves broke mercilessly over -the little vessel, which was -hugging the shore. Then, perforce, -after a thorough drenching, -I got out, the canoe was hauled -up, and we tramped wearily -home, the captain carrying me -over the streams on his back. -This was rather a pleasant mode -of crossing; but when the stream -was very deep I had to sit on the -boy’s shoulders and hold on to -his chin, which—I speak from -bitter experience—is a very unsafe -position. Once, with myself thus perched on -high, we attempted to cross a wide river at the -mouth of which some natives were fishing with -a drag-net. It so happened that when we -reached mid-stream—I holding only too insecurely -to a wobbly chin—something very special, -I don’t know what, occurred in connection with -the fish, and we were ordered to remain where -we were! It seemed impossible, but there I -remained, clinging desperately to my human -steed, until the slow old fishermen -had gathered their net in -and—to my rather malicious satisfaction—discovered -not a single -fish in the meshes.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 150px;"> - -<img src="images/illus64.jpg" width="150" height="285" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">MAEBO, MISS KER’S LITTLE -TRAVELLING COMPANION.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>My little girl companion, -Maebo, who is seen in the -annexed photograph, had much -charm of manner, but was not -exactly pretty. She wore, as did -all Wedauan woman, several -skirts of shredded coco-nut leaf; -she had even, while teeth, pretty -hands and arms, and a satiny -brown skin. On the many occasions -when she shaved her head, -and even her eyebrows, her -appearance was certainly not improved. -She was a nice child, -however, and accompanied me -on many journeys.</p> - -<p>Maebo was betrothed to a -village boy by her father when -she was only ten years old, -though that did not prevent many -others from wishing to marry her. -But she would have none of -them, not even the highly educated, who applied -for the honour of her hand by letter. She -would not marry out of her village, she said,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[284]</a></span> -for fear of her life being taken by a sorcerer. -A short time ago her <i lang="fr">fiancé</i> became her -husband, and so I lost my travelling companion.</p> - -<p>Suicide is committed in Papua for what would -seem very inadequate reasons to white people. -For instance, if a man goes on a long journey -without bidding farewell to his nearest relatives, -one of them may feel it incumbent on him to -climb a coco palm and fling himself off it to his -death. A village girl who was very anxious to -accompany me on a trip up the coast finally -reluctantly refused to go. If she did, she said, -her father would “throw himself from a high -tree.”</p> - -<p>Ridicule and opposition are always very -trying to a Papuan, and a sad case of double -suicide took place in consequence of the latter.</p> - -<p>A girl and a young man became much -attached to each other and met regularly. Each -morning, however, the girl’s father and mother -would say to her, “Why do you talk to that -boy? He is poor, and has not enough food to -give you.” At the same time the boy’s parents -told him continually how foolish he was -to have anything to do with a girl who would -never do good work for him at the gardens. -The constant opposition told on the unhappy -couple and at last the girl’s patience wore out. -She said to her lover—the speech is truly -characteristic of a Papuan—“The tongues of -our people will never be silent. Let us cease -to live, and their talk will be done!” And the -boy agreed.</p> - -<p>The next night they decked themselves in -their best ornaments—necklaces, shell armlets, -and sweet-scented flowers—so that they appeared -as though dressed for a feast. Then they took -a piece of tough jungle creeper and, having -made nooses, bade farewell to each other. -They were found when morning came hanging -dead in the same tree.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;"> - -<img src="images/illus65.jpg" width="350" height="270" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE MISSION LAUNCH UNDER REPAIR—PRACTICALLY EVERY KIND OF MISHAP SHORT OF BEING -BLOWN UP HAS BEFALLEN THIS HARD-WORKED LITTLE VESSEL.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>The mission launch was, on the whole, my -quickest mode of travelling—that is to say, as -long as it was whole. As seen in the accompanying -picture, it is being repaired after one of -its many mishaps. It would be quite beyond -me to relate all the adventures that have befallen -it during its period of existence. It has not, -I believe, been blown up yet, though it came -perilously near it when on fire once, for an over-zealous -native, imagining the benzine tank to -hold water, was only hindered just in time from -chopping it open with an axe!</p> - -<p class="center">(<i>To be concluded.</i>)</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[285]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/heading-6.jpg" width="400" height="200" alt="Illustrated version of the heading below" /> -</div> - -<h2>SHORT STORIES.</h2> - -<div class="smaller"> - -<p>The second instalment of a budget of breezy little narratives—exciting, humorous, and curious—hailing -from all parts of the world. This month we publish a humorous Canadian episode and a terrible -affair which occurred on an American train.</p> - -</div> - -<h3>A BLUFF THAT WORKED.</h3> - -<p class="by"><span class="smcap">By J. K. Strachan, J.P., of British Columbia.</span></p> - -<div> -<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-t.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="dropcap">This amusing little story was told to -me by Mr. John Wood, in the -Tecumseh Hotel at Winnipeg. He -happened to see there the character -I have called “Slippery Dick,” -whom he had known in 1881 or 1882 at a small -village near London, Ontario, where he then -lived, and the sight of the man recalled the facts -to his mind. As most of the parties concerned -are still living, I have thought it advisable to -alter the names.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Dick Small was his name, but we called him -“Small Dick,” or “Slippery Dick,” on account -of his small and mean ways. Well, one night -Sam Smart and I and several other boys were -in Steve Brown’s bar, “talking horse,” when -old Dick came meandering in, and, of course, -chipped in with some of his usual boasting.</p> - -<p>“I’ve got the best little mare in the settlement,” -he told us, “and don’t you forget it. -I’m game to back that little bit of horseflesh for -fifty dollars for a mile, twice round the half-mile -track, against anything you can produce in these -parts. Who’s got anything to say? I’ll run -her now, to-morrow, or any time.”</p> - -<p>“You ain’t produced the collateral,” put in -Sam, quietly.</p> - -<p>With that old Dick thrust his hand into his -back pocket and drew out quite a wad. Counting -out five ten-dollar bills, he put them on the -counter.</p> - -<p>“Now, Steve, you’re stakeholder,” he said. -“Who’s going to cover ’em? It’s put up or -shut up.”</p> - -<p>Sam got up, and, putting a fifty-dollar bill on -top of Dick’s, replied, “I’ll jest take that bet. -Hold the stakes, Steve.”</p> - -<p>“All right,” said Steve, and pushed the money -into his safe.</p> - -<p>The boys all looked at Sam, puzzled like, and -old Slippery was wondering what it all meant.</p> - -<p>“Didn’t know you had a horse, Sam,” he -remarked.</p> - -<p>“You don’t know everything, Dick,” returned -Sam, “but I ain’t surprised, for I only brought -him home to-day. Well, let’s settle the time for -the match. To-morrow morning at eight o’clock -will suit me. I don’t want a crowd to know too -much of my horse’s points, so we’ll do it on the -quiet.”</p> - -<p>The old man agreed to this, and Sam went -on: “And now, as I’ve got to see some -business, I’ll say good-bye, boys. Say, Steve, a -word with you before I go.”</p> - -<p>Steve and Sam went into the back room, and -in about five minutes Sam came out and -walked off.</p> - -<p>The boys and Slippery hung around, and you -could see the old miser was uneasy about his -fifty dollars. So he began a-trying to pump -Steve. “Say, Steve,” said he, “what kind of -a horse has Sam got?”</p> - -<p>“Don’t know; ain’t seen him,” replied Steve.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[286]</a></span></p> - -<p>“You don’t know anything about him, I -suppose?” inquired Dick.</p> - -<p>“Only what Sam told me, and I don’t suppose -he wanted me to repeat it. But as the bet’s -made I don’t see that it matters. He told me -that he covered fifteen miles with the horse -yesterday in less than three-quarters of an hour, -and he landed it fresh as paint; hadn’t turned -a hair.”</p> - -<p>“Gee whizz!” ejaculated Slippery, in dismay. -“I’m a goner! I don’t know what I’d better -do. I’ve a note to meet at the bank to-morrow, -and if Sam wins my money I sha’n’t be able to -come up to time on the note, and it’ll go to -protest. Everybody’ll know it and my credit -will be gone. What a fool I was!”</p> - -<p>“Well, Dick,” said Steve, “I’m sorry for you, -but it’s your own fault; nobody asked you to -bet. Say, Sam’s not a bad sort when he’s -treated right; couldn’t you tell him you forgot -an important engagement for to-morrow, and ask -him to agree to draw the bet? Maybe he -would if you put it to him right.”</p> - -<p>“Think he would, Steve?” asked Dick, doubtfully. -“Wonder where I could find him?”</p> - -<p>“I think I know where he could be located, -and if you like I’ll send my boy Jim to bring him -along.”</p> - -<p>“Thanky, Steve. I wish you would,” said old -Dick.</p> - -<p>Soon after the boy returned, and close behind -him came Sam. Looking round, and seeing old -Slippery and nearly all the boys still there, he -asked, “What’s up? Want to double the bet, -Dick? If so, you can be accommodated.”</p> - -<p>Steve, pretending to side with old Dick, explained -that the old man had forgotten a -particular engagement and had to go away for -some days. As accidents might happen, he -thought it would be better to cancel the bets -and arrange a fresh match later on.</p> - -<p>But Sam took it badly, angrily demanding -what sort of idiot they took him for. “Draw -bets? Not much!” he cried. “I’ll double it, -if you like.”</p> - -<p>Then he turned upon Dick Small, who was -looking mighty miserable. “You old rascal,” -he went on, “I know what it is—you’re afraid -you’ll lose your money. Serve you right! You -wanted to back your old mare, didn’t you? No -one asked you to. Draw bets, you say? No, -siree, not by a jugful!”</p> - -<p>“Look here, Sam,” said Steve, “don’t be too -hard. You think you’ve got a sure thing, but -accidents might happen even on your side. -Why don’t you two compromise? Supposing -Dick allows you something for your trouble and -sets up drinks for the crowd?”</p> - -<p>“What do you mean by a compromise?” -demanded Sam. “If Dick forfeits half his bet, -that would be about fair, I should say.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I couldn’t do that, really,” cried old -Slippery, in great distress.</p> - -<p>“Very well,” said Sam, “then the bet stands. -Good-bye; I’m busy.”</p> - -<p>“Hold on a bit,” put in Steve, and, drawing -the old man aside, he whispered to him for a -minute or two. You should have seen the -different emotions which chased over old Dick’s -face! At last, however, he seemed to agree -with Steve; and then Steve, addressing the -crowd, told us that he quite understood the -matter. The proposition he had to make was -that Dick should pay Sam ten dollars and stand -a double treat round for the crowd. If the -boys now present considered that fair, he -added, he thought Sam, as a sportsman, should -accept.</p> - -<p>“Do as you like,” said Sam. “I’m tired of -the whole thing.”</p> - -<p>So Steve took the votes of the company. A -few thought the bet ought to stand; but the -majority, being pretty thirsty, were in favour of -the proposition, and it was finally carried, Sam -getting back his fifty dollars and ten dollars of -old Slippery’s. Steve charged three dollars for -the two rounds, and gave the old man back the -remaining thirty-seven dollars.</p> - -<p>“Say, Sam,” said old Dick, just as he was -going, “I should like to see your horse, if you -have no objection.”</p> - -<p>“Why, certainly,” replied Sam. “Any time -you like; if I’m not at home, ask the missus.”</p> - -<p>When Dick had gone the boys all started -asking questions about Sam’s horse, but all he -would say was, “You’ll know all about it by -and by.”</p> - -<p>Next day, as Sam expected, old Dick went -up to Sam’s place. There was only the missus -at home; Sam took care to be out of the way.</p> - -<p>“Mornin’, Mrs. Smart,” said Slippery, -politely.</p> - -<p>“Good morning, Mr. Small,” answered Mrs. -Smart. “What brings you round these parts?”</p> - -<p>“Why, Sam said I might see the new horse -if I came up.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t see why you should be interested -in such a thing,” said Mrs. Smart, looking -puzzled, “but you can see it if you want to. -It’s in the kitchen.”</p> - -<p>Old Slippery was taken aback; he thought he -must surely have misunderstood her.</p> - -<p>“In the kitchen?” he echoed.</p> - -<p>“Yes, in the kitchen, standing by the stove,” -replied the woman. “You can go right in and -look at it if you want to, but what there is to -see in it I can’t make out.”</p> - -<p>The old man, not comprehending things at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[287]</a></span> -all, went through into the kitchen and looked -around. But the only horse he saw there, if he -expected to see any other in such a place, was -a new four-legged clothes-horse with a few -articles hanging on it to dry!</p> - -<p>In an instant he realized the trick that had -been played upon him, and very nearly went -crazy. He stamped and swore, while poor Mrs. -Smart wondered what it all meant, or if the old -man had suddenly gone mad. Presently, however, -she commenced to smell a rat.</p> - -<p>“What fool trick has that man of mine been -up to now?” she asked.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know about a fool trick,” screamed -the old man, “but I do know that he has -swindled me out of ten good dollars, besides -making me pay three dollars for a double round -of drinks for all the thirsty loafers down at Steve -Brown’s saloon. But I’ll get even with him, the -swindler, and with Steve Brown, too, and all his -gang! It was a put-up job; I can see it all -now. What a double-dyed fool I’ve been! But -I’ll sue him—I’ll show him up!”</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 300px;"> - -<img src="images/illus66.jpg" width="300" height="275" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">“I’LL SUE HIM—I’LL SHOW HIM UP!”</p> - -</div> - -<p>And away he went, leaving Mrs. Smart quite -in the dark as to the cause of his wrath.</p> - -<p>Still raving, the foolish old man came down -town, where he saw Sam and Steve and some -more of the boys. He promptly called them all -a lot of thieves and crooks and swindlers, said it -was all a put-up job, and that he would report -Steve to the Licence Commissioners, get his -licence cancelled, and make Sam return the -ten dollars and Steve the three dollars he had -for the drinks.</p> - -<p>Steve heard him out quietly, and then told -him to get out of his house. Dick would hear -from him later, he said.</p> - -<p>When Dick had gone, Sam and Steve went -over to the town and told the whole story to -Lawyer Harris. Sam said he had never thought -of making any bet, but could not stand the old -man’s everlasting boasting, so the idea struck -him that he would work off a “bluff” on Small. -He certainly had stated that he and his “horse” -covered fifteen miles under forty-two minutes. -It was quite correct, for he brought it in on the -train. Moreover, he had stated that it landed -“as fresh as paint”; that was true again—it had -been freshly painted. He had said, further, that -it didn’t turn a hair, and it didn’t—for the best -of reasons.</p> - -<p>The lawyer roared with laughter; it was the -best joke he had heard for a long time, he said, -and served the old skinflint right. “I’ll write -and claim two hundred and fifty dollars each for -Steve and Sam for malicious slander,” he added,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[288]</a></span> -“and threaten him with a writ if he doesn’t -pay up.”</p> - -<p>The lawyer sent his clerk over to deliver the -letter to old Dick, who read it over two or three -times before he understood it. Then he nearly -had a fit, but the clerk advised him to keep -quiet and come over and see Mr. Harris, and -perhaps they could settle things.</p> - -<p>When Small arrived the lawyer let him have -it hot and strong. He told him he was always -thrusting himself in where he wasn’t wanted, -and now, because for once he had overreached -himself, he couldn’t take his medicine quietly, -but must go calling people thieves and swindlers, -in spite of the fact that he would have been -glad enough to pocket Sam’s fifty dollars. If -he defended the suit, the lawyer said, he would -certainly have to pay damages and costs, besides -making himself the laughing-stock of the -country for miles around.</p> - -<p>Dick saw the point and began to climb down, -and finally Mr. Harris let him off on paying ten -dollars each to Sam and Steve, another ten -dollars for lawyer’s fees, and signing a letter of -apology. And that’s the whole story, but I don’t -think old Dick has ever made a bet since.</p> - -<h3>THE YELLOW FIEND.</h3> - -<p class="by"><span class="smcap">By Julian Johnson, of Los Angeles, California.</span></p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 200px;"> - -<img src="images/illus67.jpg" width="200" height="280" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">MR. CONLISK, WHO WAS THE CONDUCTOR OF THE TRAIN -AT THE TIME THIS ADVENTURE HAPPENED.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>Much of the history of railroading in Western -America reads like a chapter from some -“penny dreadful,” but none of the thrilling -pioneer episodes surpasses in dramatic interest -an incident which occurred a few years ago on -one of the regular passenger trains of the -Denver and Rio Grande.</p> - -<p>The principal surviving actor in this singular -tragedy is John Conlisk, who -has now retired from active -railroad service, and is at -present living quietly at -2,717, Vermont Avenue, -Los Angeles, California.</p> - -<p>At the time of our story—March, -1892—Mr. Conlisk -was a passenger conductor -on the Denver and -Rio Grande, running between -Ogden, Utah, and -Grand Junction, Colorado, -making his home in the -Utah city. This brief introduction -is sufficient, however, -and the rest may be -narrated just as he told it -to the writer recently.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The morning was crisp -and clear and promised a -bright March day. Shortly -after two o’clock I was on the -platform at Grand Junction -waiting for No. 7, which I -was to take back to Ogden. -She came in on time, the -few preliminaries attending the exchange of -crews were finished as usual, and at three I was -ready to go, when the conductor for the other -division ran across the platform to me.</p> - -<p>“Jack,” he said, “there’s a Chinaman in the -ladies’ wash-room in the chair-car. He’s been in -there two or three hours, and we can’t get him -out. He’s in an ugly temper, and you may have -trouble with him. If I were you I’d call the -station officer.”</p> - -<p>So I started on a hunt for that person, but -he was not to be found anywhere, and after -delaying the train two or three minutes I concluded -to settle the matter with my own crew -and passed the signal to the -engineer. As we swung on -board I spoke to my head -brakeman, a young fellow -named James Genong.</p> - -<p>“There’s a Chinaman in -the ladies’ wash-room in the -chair-car,” I told him. -“He’s locked himself in, -for some heathen reason or -other, and I wish you’d see -if you can get him out without -making any disturbance.”</p> - -<p>I had a heavy load of -passengers, probably two -hundred in all, and after -making my rounds, of course -not disturbing the people in -the sleepers, I went into -the coach just ahead of the -chair-car, and, with my train-box -before me, sat down to -count my tickets.</p> - -<p>I had hardly finished my -work when the door flew -open, as though hurled by -a violent gust of wind. Jim -was behind it, with a pale, -excited face. “Got a gun about you?” he -asked, in a hoarse, frightened whisper.</p> - -<p>“Why?” I asked, in astonishment.</p> - -<p>“That Chinaman’s stabbed me!” he replied, -looking furtively over his shoulder.</p> - -<p>“Jim,” I said, getting up at once, “this thing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[289]</a></span> -may be serious, but it can’t be settled by -indiscriminate shooting in a train-load of -passengers. We’ve got to find another way.”</p> - -<p>I must here interrupt my story for a moment -to tell you what had actually happened. Jim, -thinking the Celestial an easy conquest, started -after him before the train was fairly under -way. In those days chair-cars carried the time-honoured -stove and wood-box, and the brakeman, -putting one foot on the edge of the latter -and the other on an opposite ledge, peered -down over the transom and ordered the Chinaman -to come out in language that admitted of -no misinterpretation. And the Chinaman <em>did</em> -come out, ducking fairly under Jim in his -elevated position. As he ducked he slashed -upward with a great curved hunting-knife. The -slash caught the white man on the inside of the -thigh, producing a wound that bled profusely -and probably gave a deal of inconvenience, but -which was not really dangerous.</p> - -<p>Seeing Jim streaming with blood, and -believing that the yellow man was actually -running amok, I started for the door, first -telling the passengers in that car to lie down on -the floor if they heard any shooting going on -beyond.</p> - -<p>The train was making good speed, but as I -stood on the platform I could hear the culprit -jabbering about, “Fiftleen hundled dolla! Me -got plenty monee!” He commanded his end -of the car, from which practically all the -passengers had retired panic-stricken. The only -exceptions to the general decampment were a -fine-looking young chap from Bunker Hill, -Illinois, who sat in a forward chair reading a -book, and an army officer’s wife with a little -baby, bound for Salt Lake City—in the seat -opposite. These were directly under the Chinaman’s -eye, and whenever they attempted to move -he waved them back with a ferocious gesture of -his great glittering knife.</p> - -<p>Going to the door, which was locked, I -rapped sharply on it with my ticket-punch. I -had no revolver with me, but I hoped to distract -his attention. And I did! Turning, he saw -me, and with his face distorted with an expression -of the most hideous savagery he drew back his -arm, and sent it and the knife through the glass, -clear to the shoulder, the blade just missing me!</p> - -<p>Without more ado I pulled the bell-cord -and ran into the forward car, where I borrowed -a big Colt’s revolver from a cowboy I knew. -Then, returning to the platform, I waited until -the train had almost stopped, and dropped to -the ground, catching the rear platform of the -chair-car as the wheels ground down to their -final revolution.</p> - -<p>The frightened people were packed so densely -against the door that I had to fight my way in, -and then through them. The Chinaman, with -his two quiet prisoners, had the whole front -end of the car to himself. I called to him, -exhibiting the pistol.</p> - -<p>At the sight of that gun the most awful -frenzy blazed in his eyes. He was a big fellow, -and now, with the greatest deliberation, he -rolled up his wide sleeves, disclosing a -tremendous pair of arms, covered with heavy -black hair. He looked like a typical Boxer on -the war-path.</p> - -<p>Then he started in my direction, but in a -moment changed his mind about leaving a foe -in his rear, and with the most calculating, -revolting cruelty that I have ever seen swirled -his great blade down over the seated boy’s head, -and plunged it to the hilt in his body. Women -shrieked and fainted, and I felt myself all but -falling.</p> - -<p>Raising my revolver I fired, and the ball -broke his legs under him. He fell, and the -army officer’s wife, with a terrible shriek, raised -her baby to her shoulder and started down the -car.</p> - -<p>But in an instant the Chinaman was on his -feet, wounded as he was, and struck the woman -an appalling blow over the shoulder. She -dropped like a stone—apparently stabbed to -the heart.</p> - -<p>I waited no more on the possibility of a high -bullet glancing into the car ahead, but fired -straight at his heart. Even with the crash of -my pistol another sounded just behind me, and -the yellow fiend fell headlong between two -chairs.</p> - -<p>Someone went over and kicked him, but the -body gave no sign of life, and we devoted our -attention to the unfortunate young man, who -now lay huddled in a pathetic and bloody heap -in his seat.</p> - -<p>Others crowded around us, and at length I -saw my cowboy friend approaching. Just as he -reached me I was stooping over the Celestial’s -first victim, in an attempt to raise him, when I -heard the puncher yell, in an agonized voice, -“For Heaven’s sake, Jack, look out!”</p> - -<p>I glanced backward, and there was that -colourless, diabolical countenance again blazing -into mine. He was standing erect, and the -knife was poised for a blow which would have -given me my quietus. As I looked, certain that -death was coming, I felt a wrench at my hip-pocket. -It was the cowboy tearing his revolver -out of my clothes. Even as the knife descended, -my saviour jammed his weapon squarely into -the Chinaman’s ear—and fired.</p> - -<p>The big bullet, at that distance, almost tore -his head to pieces. Blood was spattered over<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[290]</a></span> -all of us, in the most sickening way that could -be imagined. Hating to touch the body, we -pushed it under a seat and turned our whole -attention to the wounded.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus68.jpg" width="400" height="550" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">“EVEN AS THE KNIFE DESCENDED, MY SAVIOUR JAMMED HIS WEAPON SQUARELY INTO THE CHINAMAN’S EAR.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>The officer’s wife, strangely enough, had not a -scratch on her. She was in a dead faint, but -both she and the child were practically uninjured. -The explanation of her escape seems -to have been that the Chinaman’s wrist fell with -full force on the baby, thus preventing the knife -from doing any damage to either.</p> - -<p>The poor boy, though conscious, was plainly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[291]</a></span> -mortally wounded. He made no complaint, -and smiled faintly as we carried him back to a -vacant berth in one of the Pullmans.</p> - -<p>About daylight, at one of the longer stops, -several of the passengers dragged the murderer’s -horribly-battered body forward to the baggage-car. -They did not carry him, but dragged him, -and, as it was in the spring, the road-bed was -very muddy. When the body reached the -baggage-car the features were absolutely hidden -in a combined coating of dried blood and slime.</p> - -<p>Then, as we got under way again, a physician -on the train, with myself and others, searched -the remains. The dead man had on two pairs -of trousers, and, sewn inside his shirt, fifteen -hundred dollars in greenbacks. In his purse he -had a first-class ticket from Pittsburg to San -Francisco and, what was still more singular, a -paid-up life insurance policy for five thousand -dollars in favour of one Ah Say, of Evanston, -Wyoming.</p> - -<p>We rolled the body into a corner and looked -over his few effects. Presently one of the men, -who was sitting on a trunk facing us, gave a -peculiar gasp and turned as white as blotting-paper. -His eyes were fixed staringly on something -behind our backs. We turned with one -accord.</p> - -<p>The supposedly dead Chinaman—a Chinaman -with a body as full of holes as a sieve—was -sitting up! I cannot convey in words the -indescribably hideous effect of that face, caked -as it was with gore and filth. Only a ghastly -red crack of mouth was visible, grinning in -demoniac vacancy, and two burning black slants -which indicated his eyes.</p> - -<p>The doctor was the only man who had his -nerve in that excruciating moment.</p> - -<p>“Well, John, how d’you feel now?” he said, -speaking in a tone that was even jocular.</p> - -<p>The Chinaman did not deign to answer, but -first felt carefully all over himself. Then he put -his hand to what should have been his trousers -pocket, and at length ran his fingers violently -around the place in his shirt from which we had -taken his greenbacks. That frightful malevolence -came back into his eyes, and, never taking those -snaky optics from our faces, he began to hitch -painfully across the floor towards a stand in -which were kept guns for emergency use, in case -of train robbery. To me, his actions seemed -like those of some dreadful automaton. Every -man of us watched him—held motionless, as -a rattlesnake holds its victim, by the spell -of terror.</p> - -<p>Slowly, painfully, he progressed. He gained -inch by inch, and at last was almost within -reaching distance. He stretched out his arms -to the guns, and partially rose; then he fell over -stone-dead—dead this time for good and all.</p> - -<p>The doctor examined him, and reported his -survival to be due to opiates, which he had -taken in enormous quantities.</p> - -<p>At Salt Lake City I received an order from -Mr. W. H. Bancroft, then receiver of the road, -to stop there with the crew, which included -James Donohue, engineer, and Charles Francis, -fireman.</p> - -<p>We arrived there about three o’clock, and the -young man was still alive, though fast weakening. -In an ordinary conversational manner he -told us that his home was in Bunker Hill, -Illinois, that his father was a banker, and that, -after leaving school, he had been sent on a -Western trip before assuming the business himself. -Informed of his grave condition, he -expressed his best wishes for all of us, and -went under the anæsthetic with a happy smile. -He died without ever returning to consciousness.</p> - -<p>At the coroner’s inquest it was decided that -the Chinaman had suddenly gone insane from -an overdose of opium, for, as the evidence -showed, he had been pleasant enough during -the day, and had talked to several ladies in the -car, telling them that he had been recently converted -to Christianity and that he proposed -to preach in San Francisco. After his burial -expenses had been paid, the balance of his -money was forwarded to the Chinese Consul in -the city toward which he was bound.</p> - -<p>There was an amusing sequel to the tragedy, -though an exasperating one in some ways. -Some months afterwards the keeper of one of -the eating-stations, calling me to one side, -inquired rather pointedly, “Have you noticed -that the Chinese seem to be afraid of you?”</p> - -<p>I replied that I hadn’t given the matter -any thought, either way.</p> - -<p>“Well,” he added, “Agent ——, of the U.P. -(an opposition road), has told all the Chinks -in the State that you killed their countryman -for his money!”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[292]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/heading-7.jpg" width="500" height="200" alt="Illustrated version of the heading below" /> -</div> - -<h2>My Experiences in Algeria.</h2> - -<p class="by"><span class="smcap">By the Baroness de Boerio.</span></p> - -<div class="smaller"> - -<p>The Baroness’s husband, an officer in the French army, was ordered to Algeria, and took his wife -and children with him. There, located at a tiny post far from civilization, in the midst of fierce and -unruly tribes, the authoress met with some very strange adventures, which she here sets forth in a -chatty and amusing fashion.</p> - -</div> - -<h3>I.</h3> - -<div> -<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-h.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="dropcap">How well I remember the day when -my husband, an officer in the -French army, was nominated for -service in Algeria! I was still -plunged in slumber when I was -suddenly aroused by a diabolical yell (if you -ask my husband he will hotly deny this, but -men can never be believed). I sat up, thinking -the end of the world had come, and saw my -husband frantically waving a white paper and -shouting: “Named in Algeria—1st Regiment -of Spahis! With a wife and children it’s impossible! -Why am I married?”</p> - -<p>“Well!” I said, still half asleep, but seizing -the sense of the remark that referred to me. -“<em>You</em> ought to know why you are married. -What’s the matter with you? Do you want a -divorce?”</p> - -<p>“Don’t be frivolous; it is a serious matter,” -he groaned, holding out the paper for my -inspection. “Do you understand? I am -nominated to an African regiment, the 1st -Spahis, and in a fortnight I must be <em>there</em>.”</p> - -<p>“Do you mean that we—you and I—are -going out to North Africa?” I cried. “Really? -Hip, hip, hurrah!”</p> - -<p>“Are you mad?” he demanded, in astonishment.</p> - -<p>“Yes; mad with joy,” I replied. “I’m tired -to death of poky French garrison towns. -We’ll go out to the sun and be stewed, have -our throats cut by Arabs, and enjoy ourselves -down to the ground.”</p> - -<p>“My dear girl,” said my husband, with as -much calmness as he could muster, “we are -ordered to a post in the mountains, Teniet-el-Haad. -In all probability you will get no -servants to go with you, and there may not -even be a fit house to live in. A lady <em>cannot</em> -go there!”</p> - -<p>“An English one can—<em>we</em> follow our -husbands,” I said, stoutly.</p> - -<p>“I shall have to go alone,” he said, quietly, -“unless I can find some fellow to exchange.”</p> - -<p>“You can do as you like,” I answered, -loftily, “but I am going to join!”</p> - -<p>And so I did, in his company and that of -my three children.</p> - -<p>I was sadly disappointed in Algiers; it -appeared to my jaundiced eyes quite an -ordinary town. Its arcades, filled with elegant -Parisian-looking women and top-hatted, frock-coated -men straight from the Champs Elysées -and Bois de Boulogne, gave me quite a shock. -However, I consoled myself with the thought -that our station was far away up in the wild -mountains of the Tell, where real live Arabs, -hyenas, jackals, and a panther here and there -would advantageously replace these civilized -banalities.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus69.jpg" width="400" height="510" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">“A WHEEL HUNG FOR AN INSTANT OVER BOTTOMLESS SPACE.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>Our journey from Algiers to Affreville was -just like any other railway journey. At the last-named -town we got out, had a nice breakfast at -the station buffet, and at twelve got into the -coupé of a diligence so dilapidated and prehistoric -in appearance that my heart sank -within me; but that was only the beginning. -This vehicle was drawn by eight skinny white -horses, each of whom seemed to have his own -private opinion as to the manner of drawing the -vehicle—and all their opinions seemed to differ -vastly from that of the driver, whose face wore -an “I give it up” sort of expression. So bored -was the good man by things in general that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[293]</a></span> -during the journey he indulged in sundry -snoozes. This was bearable whilst the road -was wide and on the flat, but when it wound -like a narrow white ribbon round and round the -mountains, and one gazed up on the left at a -grey wall of rock, and on the right down -fathomless precipices, we glanced at our slumbering -Jehu and held on by the skin of our -teeth, whilst the skinny horses dashed headlong -round narrow corners and a wheel -hung for an instant over bottomless space. -This nightmare ride lasted for eight hours, -during which time I tried hard to feel that I was -enjoying myself, despite the cramp in my legs -and the stiffness of my neck—necessarily -slightly bent on account of the lowness of the -roof. Finally we arrived at Teniet-el-Haad, -which appeared to be composed of one narrow -street hemmed in abruptly on either side by the -mountains. Thankfully we crawled out of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[294]</a></span> -diligence and walked up the hill to the “bordj,” -or fort, where a flat had been provided for us -by the Government. So this was to be my -home! I gazed eagerly round at the small -rooms with their bare, whitewashed walls, and -then—when I had a box to sit on—I sat down -and cried.</p> - -<p>“Nice place, Algeria, isn’t it?” mildly remarked -my husband. I felt at that moment as though -I could have throttled him cheerfully.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus70.jpg" width="400" height="220" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">A VIEW OF TENIET-EL-HAAD.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>Truly my position was not enviable. Accustomed -hitherto to be waited on hand and -foot, I now found myself without a servant -of any kind, save my husband’s orderly. I was -in a strange country, and was expected to -do everything for myself. However, repining -would not help matters, so I set to work to teach -the orderly the rudiments of the culinary art, -he knowing nothing more about it than—than I did. -What hard days those were, to be sure! I -wonder my husband survived them. My fried -potatoes fell into greasy bits instead of frying, -my scrambled eggs flew up the chimney, my -omelettes were sickening messes, and the meat -either would not cook at all or exaggerated the -matter and turned into coal. Then there was -the washing and ironing. I never thought—until -I essayed the work—that there was much -difficulty about it; it seemed quite easy. You took -soiled things off, put them in water and soaped -them; then you wrung them out, ironed them, -and there you were. Our linen, however, grew -greyer and greyer, yellower and yellower, and I -became pensive. “What <em>do</em> you think is wrong -with it?” I asked the orderly, who had become -our washerman, there being no other.</p> - -<p>“Well, madam,” he said, diffidently, “I think -it wants sort of boiling gently with something or -other. I remember my mother——”</p> - -<p>“Oh, what did your mother do?” I asked, -eagerly.</p> - -<p>“Well, she washed it first, and then put it -in a barrel with a hole in the bottom and—and -boiled it, I think. Leastways, it was somehow -all right after.”</p> - -<p>“But you can’t boil in a barrel; it would -catch fire,” I objected. “And why a hole? -Surely the water would run out?”</p> - -<p>He looked shy and unhappy.</p> - -<p>“Well, there may be something wrong about -the boiling in the wooden barrel. I misremember -that, but”—a slow grin spread over -his face—“I’m sure about the hole, because I -used to stop it up, and mother was awfully -wild.”</p> - -<p>After some weeks, however, the orderly began -to see light, and, helped by an Arab boy, managed -these tiresome domestic matters well -enough to allow of my going out riding and -seeing a little of the country.</p> - -<p>The mountains, burnt yellow by the hot summer -sun when I first saw them, were growing -rapidly green after a few hours’ torrential rain. -In the forest all the spring flowers sprang to life -again, flowering hastily on tiny short stems as -though fearing they would not find time before -being cut off by the winter frosts. A carpet of -blue and white iris and crocus spread out under<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[295]</a></span> -the shade of the mighty cedars, together with all -sorts of bright creeping plants. Orchids and -narcissi peeped up from every damp corner, -and in the crevices of the rocks wild carnations -and geraniums made a dash of bright colour.</p> - -<p>One day whilst out mushrooming I felt rather -thirsty, and proposed to my husband to go and -ask for some goats’ milk at a tent I saw peeping -through the underwood higher up. He acceded, -and, talking and picking flowers, we wandered up -slowly. Never in my life have I seen so dilapidated -a tent. It had been mended again and -again with rags so various in shape and colour -that little of the original <i>felidga</i> was left. -Around it was the traditional artificial hedge of -jujube trees, whose thick, fine, long thorns protected -the inmates from thieves and wild beasts. -A sad-looking donkey and a few goats grazed -around, while a particularly savage dog began -barking violently and straining at a very rotten -cord at our approach. Thin and mangy, he -looked as if he could thoroughly enjoy a steak -out of my husband’s substantial calves, but he -soon retired, with more haste than dignity, when -my better half stooped to pick up a stone. All -Kabyle dogs have a settled opinion about -stones, and the gesture is sufficient for them.</p> - -<p>The noise brought out the owner of the tent, -and he stood gazing majestically at us, draped -in dirty white rags. A woman followed him. -Her thin, bony, brown face, scraggy neck and -shoulders, skinny arms and legs might have -been those of an old woman, yet something told -me that she was young, but worn out by over-work -and under-feeding. Such sights are often -seen and fill one with pity. Behind her came -five little children, all, except the two girls—who -each modestly wore a red handkerchief on -their curly heads, and a necklet of wooden -beads—clothed in sunbeams.</p> - -<p>My husband asked if we could have some -milk. With a lordly gesture the Arab signed to -the woman, who slowly caught a goat by its -hind leg and began milking it into a broken yet -clean-looking earthen bowl. Nevertheless, I -brought out my little picnic mug and made her -milk into that.</p> - -<p>My husband offered ten sous to the Arab, but -he turned away disdainfully. “He who drinks -at my tent is welcome,” he said. “He is God’s -guest, and between him and me no money can -pass.”</p> - -<p>And yet how the want of money showed itself -on every side!</p> - -<p>I made up for it to myself by slipping a few -pennies into the brown little hands of the -children, who had finally decided that I was -not likely to bite and had approached me. -Delighted, they ran with them to their mother, -who seized them feverishly, with a terrified side-look -at her husband. Filled with pity, I slipped -a silver piece into her lean hand—rather too -well rewarded by the ardent kisses she showered -on my hands, my shoulders, and the edge of my -dress. I then asked the Arab to show me the -interior of his tent. He seemed pleased at my -demand, but I regretted it deeply when I beheld -the dirtiness of it. Dirt was the principal furniture, -together with several wooden spoons, an -“aguesseau” for rolling the semolina into cous-cous, -a “kess-kess” for cooking it by vapour, -and a heap of terrible-looking rags. On this -heap lay an indistinct form, from which came -slow, painful gasps—the gasps of a departing -life. Shuddering, I bent down and saw a -venerable woman—so small, so wizened, so -extraordinarily thin that I could not imagine how -there was any life in her. She opened her eyes -and turned them slowly on the Arab; and I -read pitiful supplication, mingled with bitter -reproach, in their cavernous depths.</p> - -<p>The Arab looked down gloomily, and a wave -of emotion swept over his hitherto impassive -face.</p> - -<p>“What is the matter with her?” I asked.</p> - -<p>“She has not eaten for two days,” he answered.</p> - -<p>“But why? Is she ill? Give her some milk -at once. At once, do you hear?”</p> - -<p>I felt angry at the calmness of these people in -the presence of this dying woman.</p> - -<p>“She is dying,” he said, obstinately.</p> - -<p>“But you are doing nothing to save her,” I -cried.</p> - -<p>My husband pulled my sleeve.</p> - -<p>“Come, come, dear,” he whispered, “you are -giving yourself useless pain.”</p> - -<p>“But I will make him give this old woman -something,” I persisted. “She is his mother, -perhaps, and is trying to ask him for food with -all her strength. Give her some milk,” I cried.</p> - -<p>The man mumbled something; I understood -that he was telling me she was old, worn out, -and that it was waste to feed her.</p> - -<p>Overwhelmed with horror, I gasped: “Then -you are letting her die—on purpose! She—she -is dying because you have let her starve to -death?”</p> - -<p>He bowed his head. Then, as if he felt that -some explanation was due to the <i>roumia</i> who -was his guest, he added, in a low voice, “Her -children will have her share. They want it.”</p> - -<p>I seized my husband’s arm. “Come—come -away from this horror,” I cried; and quickly we -ran down the hill to where the fragrant narcissi -grew, and there I flung myself on the ground -and sobbed.</p> - -<p>Presently the sweet, balmy air was filled with -sharp shrieks and yells—the cries of mourning<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[296]</a></span> -of the Arab women as they tear their faces with -their nails. And I knew that the poor old -woman had passed away, and that those who -had starved her to death were now bemoaning -her loss, and consoling themselves by saying, -“<i>In cha Allah!</i>” (“It is the will of God”).</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus71.jpg" width="400" height="350" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">“‘GIVE HER SOME MILK,’ I CRIED.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>I went home a wiser and a sadder woman; I -have never forgotten the horror of the incident.</p> - -<p>From my window in the fort I had a beautiful -view. In front was the range of mountains -along which the cedar forest runs. I could just -discern the rock where General M——’s first -lion tried to get at him, and the small, scrubby -tree up which the gallant General swarmed just -in time. Lions are very rare nowadays in these -parts, though a forester signalled the passage of -one on the other side of the forest during my -stay. On the left of my window I could see the -bee-hive habitations of a race of negroes who -live on the hill rising up immediately behind the -chief street of Teniet. I think I have never -seen such inhuman-looking, hideous specimens -of the human race. Monkeys are far superior -in looks to them, and their utter malignity and -wickedness of expression lent additional ugliness -to their distorted, pointed features. Murders -were—well, if not daily occurrences, at -least very frequent among them, and at -last I grew quite accustomed to the diabolical -shrieks and shouts which the warm, -balmy air wafted to me from the opposite hill.</p> - -<p>More often than not the rows originated over -some very trivial matter. No European would -venture for love or money into this negro -village, and several French Spahis told me that -they would not guarantee the life of the white -man who dared to enter it even in broad daylight. -The Arabs held the same opinion, and -no honest man among them would visit the -place on any account. Thieves and murderers, -however, were certain to find a safe refuge, and -many a one, I was informed, had hidden there, -married a negress, and become one of the -sinister tribe. The police never thought of -entering the hamlet, and always abandoned -pursuit of a criminal at its boundaries. I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[297]</a></span> -cannot imagine why the whole place was not -burnt down and its lawless inhabitants dispersed.</p> - -<p>I failed to obtain a photograph of one of -these beauties. They objected to being taken, -and no one dared to insist. The next picture, -however, depicts the village itself, as seen from -Teniet-el-Haad.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus72.jpg" width="400" height="275" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE THIEVES’ VILLAGE AS SEEN FROM TENIET-EL-HAAD.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>Talking of murders brings to my mind a -double suicide which occurred in the fort. One -night I was awakened by a revolver-shot just -outside my window. I got up and looked out, -but at first could see nothing, so black was the -night. After a time, however, I saw a dark -mass on the ground and heard a faint moaning. -I was about to give the alarm when the sentry -passed, stooped down, and uttered an exclamation. -Then he went away, to return immediately -with others. There was a murmur of voices, -and finally they carried something away. My -husband was absent, so I was forced to await -morning in order to ascertain the facts of the -matter. “<i lang="fr">Cherchez la femme</i>” is, alas! a very -true adage. The shot was fired by one of our -non-commissioned officers, who had killed -himself as he walked to and fro in the barrack-yard -smoking and talking with his best friend, -whom he had just discovered was a successful -rival for the heart of the girl he loved and -meant to marry as soon as his service was over. -Having had suspicions, he had determined to -draw the truth from his friend, who was perfectly -oblivious of there being any engagement -between him and the girl, and confessed freely -when pressed that they loved each other and -meant to be married later on. Drawing a -revolver from his pocket, the unhappy <i lang="fr">sous-officier</i> -cried, “She was to have been my wife!” -and, before the other understood what the -phrase meant, pulled the trigger and fell dead -at his horrified comrade’s feet.</p> - -<p>The morning after, the friend, another non-commissioned -officer, was raving mad. When -the girl learnt of the tragedy she had caused, -we learnt afterwards, she grew very white, but -said nothing. All day she sat silent with fixed -eyes, deaf to the reproaches of her parents, who -did not spare their abuse. The next morning -they found her asleep in death—she had -poisoned herself!</p> - -<p>I noticed here and there whilst riding about -the country trees from whose branches hung -long shreds of different-coloured cloth. On -making inquiries I was told they were marabout, -or holy, trees. Each district has one or more -of these sacred trees, and to them come all the -women to beseech of Allah to grant their prayers. -In order to obtain the intercession of the holy -tree, they hang pieces of their clothing on the -branches, which are sometimes almost entirely<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[298]</a></span> -covered with coloured rags, fluttering in the breeze, -and giving the tree a most curious appearance.</p> - -<p>A marabout is a saint, or holy man, and it is -not given to every man to be a saint, however -pious he may be. -Real saintship -among the Arabs -is hereditary, and -is one of the -three castes of -nobility. The -sons are heirs to -the fathers’ piety, -and, though often -far from worthy, -reap the benefit -of their birth-right. -This -religious nobility -has great influence, -and can -excite or quell -revolts, as, Koran -in hand, they -preach its precepts, -often explained -to satisfy -their own wishes.</p> - -<p>Apart from the -hereditary marabouts -there are -the “little” -marabouts, who -live miserably on -public charity -beside the tomb -of some ancestor -who died in the -odour of sanctity. -Many of these -so-called marabouts -manage -their affairs uncommonly -well -and are really wealthy men. Here is a story I -have been told, which gives one an idea of the -way these “little” marabouts set up in business.</p> - -<p>Mohammed ben Mohammed was a marabout -whose affairs were in a most flourishing condition. -Pilgrims visited his ancestor’s tomb by -hundreds, leaving many and rich offerings, and -Mohammed ben Mohammed grew fatter and -wealthier daily until his servitor, Ali ben Ali, -became tired of watching his master’s increased -wealth and bulk, whilst his own pocket was as -flat as his body was thin. So one dark night he -silently took his departure, riding on the back of -a young ass belonging to his master.</p> - -<p>After a march of about thirty miles the ass -had enough of carrying Ali. It was a young ass, -and knew no better, so it went on strike, lay -down, and forthwith died. Thereupon Ali dug -a big hole and put -the ass in, piling -a great mountain -of stones over -it. Then, sitting -down beside the -heap, he began to -pray. A traveller -passing inquired -by whose tomb -he prayed so fervently. -Ali was -filled with astonishment. -“What! -Had he never -heard of the great -Saint Amar ben -Amar (literally -‘an ass, the son -of an ass’)? All -the people of the -country round -came there to -pray.” The traveller -did not fail -to mention the -Marabout Amar -ben Amar’s tomb, -and soon pilgrims -flocked to it with -offerings, and Ali -ben Ali grew fat -and rich. The -faithful neglected -Mohammed ben -Mohammed, who -at last, furious, -abandoned his marabout in -order to pay a -visit to his rival. Great was his astonishment -when he recognised his runaway servitor.</p> - -<p>Taking him aside, he whispered, “Tell me -the truth. Who is your marabout?”</p> - -<p>“The ass I stole from you. And now tell -me—who is your marabout?”</p> - -<p>“The mother of the ass you stole from me!”</p> - -<p>I conclude that the two Arabs chuckled -together and continued to exploit the faithful -in common, but history does not relate any -more of their doings—nor, indeed, does it vouch -for the complete veracity of the story. It is, -however, to my personal knowledge quite the -sort of thing one might expect to happen.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;"> - -<img src="images/illus73.jpg" width="300" height="410" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE AUTHORESS AND HER CHILDREN IN THE CEDAR FOREST NEAR TENIET-EL-HAAD.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p class="center">(<i>To be continued.</i>)</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[299]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/heading-8.jpg" width="500" height="175" alt="Illustrated version of the heading below" /> -</div> - -<h2>My Alaskan Christmas.</h2> - -<p class="by"><span class="smcap">By W. E. Priestly, of Fairbanks, Alaska.</span></p> - -<div class="smaller"> - -<p>We have published a number of stories of adventure in the icy North, but none giving a more -realistic impression of the hardships and dangers which lie in wait for the traveller and prospector -in these inhospitable regions than this. Mr. Priestley and his partner set out with dog-teams for -a new goldfield, but the partner lost heart and turned back, leaving him to struggle on alone. -Death dogged his footsteps through the great white wilderness, and but for the intelligence of -his leading dog he would undoubtedly have lost his life.</p> - -</div> - -<div> -<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-i.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="dropcap">It was my fortune, or misfortune, to -be present in San Francisco at the -time of the earthquake and fire -of April 18th, 1906. Although I -gained a good deal of valuable -experience as my share of the catastrophe, I -lost all my belongings to offset the bargain.</p> - -<p>I stayed in San Francisco -until June 1st, and -then resolved to try my -luck in another country, -where earthquakes and -such petty worries are -unknown. Fate directed -my roving footsteps to -Alaska, glowingly -described by the transportation -companies as -“The Golden North—the -land of fur, fish, and -gold.” I thanked the -companies for their information, -but did not avail -myself of their kind offer -to sell me a ticket. Both -Nature and Fate seemed -to have destined me for -a rover, and one of the -main tenets of a roving -life—to say nothing of my financial status—demanded -and ordained that I must travel at -the least possible expense. I accordingly made -arrangements, and worked my passage from San -Francisco to St. Michael’s, <i lang="fr">viâ</i> Nome, on the -ss. <i>Buckman</i>. St. Michael’s is a port on the -Bering Sea, and is the principal shipping port -for the Yukon River and Central Alaska.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 200px;"> - -<img src="images/illus74.jpg" width="200" height="200" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE AUTHOR, MR. W. E. PRIESTLY, IN HIS ALASKAN COSTUME.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>From St. Michael’s I found a boat was leaving -for the Tanana district, and again luck favoured -me, for I got the chance to work my way up to -that part of the country. We traversed the -Yukon River as far as Fort Gibbon, and from -there proceeded up the Tanana River to the -mining camp of Fairbanks, which is situated -about four hundred miles -up-stream from Fort -Gibbon.</p> - -<p>I arrived in Fairbanks -on July 1st, having -travelled nearly four thousand -miles since leaving -San Francisco, and found -myself about twenty-five -dollars better off than -when I started. I stayed -in the Fairbanks district -until the end of November. -The physical features -of this country are best -described as “eight -months iceberg and four -months swamp.”</p> - -<p>Towards the end of -November rumour began -to circulate reports that -a new goldfield of incredible -richness had been discovered. Tales -of “eight dollars to the shovelful” were passed -through the camp, and all kinds of stories, real -and imaginary, were discussed with feverish -excitement.</p> - -<p>The new diggings were known as the Chandelar, -and were situated at the head-waters of -the Chandelar River, a tributary of the Yukon,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[300]</a></span> -having its source in the Arctic slope and entering -the Yukon River about twenty miles below -Fort Yukon.</p> - -<p>I was anxious to try my luck in the newly-discovered -country, but this was a matter that -could not be lightly considered. The diggings -were about four hundred miles due north of -Fairbanks, and a good deal of preparation was -necessary before a trip of this kind could be -undertaken. I was a new-comer in the country -(locally termed a “chechaco”); I was unused -to the ways of -the trail; there -was no food in -the new district, -except, of -course, wild -game; and, -finally, the temperature -at that -time was about -forty degrees -below zero, with -every possibility -that it would -drop to sixty or -seventy below -zero by the end -of December.</p> - -<p>I made up -my mind that -the first thing I -must do would -be to get a travelling -partner -who could be -depended on. -I finally made -arrangements -with an old-timer -in the -country, named -Bartlett, who -was also going -up to the -Chandelar. He -had been in the -Klondike rush -of ’98, and as -he sat by a hot -stove and related -his marvellous -exploits -on the trail, his thrilling adventures and hair-breadth -escapes, in a state of “chechaco” -simplicity that was almost pitiable I congratulated -myself on my choice of a partner.</p> - -<p>Finding that I had not enough money to -purchase everything necessary, I spoke to two -friends of mine, and they agreed to put seventy-five -dollars each into the trip; in return, they -were to have a one-third interest between them -of any mining property that I located in the -Chandelar. This is a common occurrence in -Alaska, and is generally known as a “grubstake -proposition.”</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 200px;"> - -<a href="images/text-power.jpg"><img class="link" src="images/text-power-small.jpg" width="200" height="290" alt="KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: That We, R.L. MENIFEE, and G.L. BLACKWELL, -of Fairbanks, Alaska, have made constituted and appointed, any by these -presents do hereby make, contribute and appoint, F. Priestley, of the -same place, our true and lawful attorney for us and in our name, place -and stead, and for our use and benefit, to locate stake and record for -us, places mining property in the CHANDELAR DISTRICT, in the Region of -Alaska, North of the Yukon River: [three lines erased here] - -hereby giving and granting onto W. PRIESTLEY as said attorney full power -and authority to do and perform all and every act and thing whatsoever -requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully -to all intents and purposes as we might or could do if personally -present, hereby ratifying and confirming all that our said Attorney, -W. PRIESTLEY, shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue of these -presents. - -In WITNESS WHEREOF, we have hereupon set our hands and seals this 3rd -day of December, A.D. 1905. - -SIGNED, SEALED & DELIVERED IN THE PRESENCE OF: [signatures]" /></a> - -<p class="caption">A FACSIMILE OF THE AUTHOR’S POWER OF ATTORNEY, GIVING HIM AUTHORITY TO -STAKE GROUND ON BEHALF OF HIS PARTNERS.</p> - -</div> - -<p>Agreements were drawn up between us, one -being styled a “grubstake agreement” and the -other a “power of attorney.” The “grubstake -agreement” stated that in return for the sum of -one hundred -and fifty dollars -the parties of -the first part -drew up this -agreement in -order that they -might have legal -claim to a one-third -interest in -all placer and -mining ground -staked by party -of the second -part in the -Chandelar district -and north -of the Yukon -River.</p> - -<p>The power of -attorney was -simply a legal -document, giving -me permission -to stake -ground for the -benefit of absent -parties.</p> - -<p>Having settled -all legal matters -and received my -“grubstake,” I -purchased my -outfit—four -dogs, a fur robe, -a Yukon sled, -and a Yukon -stove. In addition -I had to -purchase dog -harness, a gun, -ammunition, -axe, tent, and compass, as well as dog-feed, a -good supply of provisions, and suitable clothing -for the trip.</p> - -<p>My four dogs were of different breeds, only -one being a pure native dog or “malamute.” -My leader deserves special mention. The most<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[301]</a></span> -intelligent dog is always placed in the lead, as -the dogs are not driven by reins, but simply by -word. To tell the dogs to travel straight ahead, -the command is “Mush!” or “Mush on!” -which is evidently a corruption of the term -used by the French-Canadian trappers of the -Hudson Bay Company, who would naturally -say “Marchez” when ordering their team to -travel. To travel to the right the command is -“Gee!” and to the left “Aw!”</p> - -<p>My leading dog was born in Circle City and -had been christened Nellie. She had both the -native and the outside strain—a dog whose -intelligence and faithfulness cannot be questioned, -as after-events will prove.</p> - -<p>We left Fairbanks on December 12th, my -partner and myself each having four dogs. We -had an outfit consisting of tent, stove, guns, -ammunition, robes, snow-shoes, one hundred -pounds of dog-feed, and about five hundred -pounds of food. It was our intention to proceed -to Circle City, and there to complete our outfit.</p> - -<p>For the first few miles the trail was in excellent -condition and we made good time. It was -rather late when we started, and by the time we -had covered sixteen miles it was already dark. -It must be remembered that in the middle of -winter there is only a very short period of daylight -in Alaska. The first night we stayed at a -mining camp known as Golden City, consisting -of two saloons and a number of dilapidated -cabins, the majority being minus doors or -windows.</p> - -<p>Next day we made an early start, as we had -a very steep hill to climb, known as Cleary -Dome. There had been a light fall of snow -during the night, and this made the trail very -heavy. We found it impossible to get the loads -up the hill, so we hitched the eight dogs on to -one sled, and, having dragged it to the top of -the Dome, we took the dogs down again for the -other sled. From the summit there was a steep -decline, and it took me all my time to hold back -the sled, to prevent it cutting the hind legs of -the wheeler dog.</p> - -<p>The trail was in bad condition, as it had been -cut to pieces by some heavy freight teams. The -track at this point ran along the side of a hill -down into the valley, and the sleds were on one -runner most of the way. Every few minutes -they would upset, and a good deal of physical -energy would be expended to right them again. -The loads were lashed to the sleds, so little -actual damage was done.</p> - -<p>That night we stayed at Cleary Creek, having -accomplished ten miles as the result of the day’s -trip, but as the greater part of the ten miles -consisted of the ascent and descent already -mentioned we were both satisfied.</p> - -<p>Next morning we started off, following the -trail down Cleary Creek until we struck the -Chatanika River, and here we met our first big -obstacle. Our course lay up the Chatanika for -about seventy miles, but as soon as we arrived -on the banks of this river we found it impossible -to travel any farther, on account of overflows. -It may be as well to explain for the benefit of -the uninitiated what is meant by an overflow.</p> - -<p>The Chatanika is a river over one hundred -miles in length, but is full of gravel bars. At -the beginning of winter the stream, of course, -freezes, and where the gravel bars are situated -it freezes solid to the bottom, owing to the fact -that the water is very shallow at these points.</p> - -<p>There is always a large body of water flowing -from the subterranean springs at the source of -this river, and, as this water cannot make its way -through the barriers of ice and gravel, it forces -itself up through the ice and flows over the top -until such time as it freezes or finds its way -under the ice again. In some places the overflows -thus formed are three or four feet deep.</p> - -<p>Now, it is a serious matter to wade through -water when the thermometer is a long way below -zero. It is the easiest thing in the world for a -man to lose his feet in this way, for as soon as -one gets wet the moisture freezes into a cake -of ice, and unless precautions are immediately -taken the limbs may become so badly frozen -that amputation is necessary, in order to prevent -mortification.</p> - -<p>When we found the river was so full of -overflows we judged it best to wait a few days -and give the water a chance to freeze, as the -weather was very cold at this time. We found -a deserted cabin, minus door and window, and -proceeded to make ourselves as comfortable as -possible under these circumstances. We had a -stove with us, and as there was plenty of wood -handy we soon had the cabin warm.</p> - -<p>We stayed at this place over two weeks, -waiting for the overflows to close up. Time -began to drag heavily on our hands, for the -days were very short and game scarce, so all -we could do was to eat and sleep and wait for -the flood-water to freeze. Our Christmas Day—that -day of all the year so eagerly looked forward -to in happier climes—we spent as follows. -During the few hours of daylight I took my -gun and went off into the woods. I found the -tracks of a wolverine, but was unable to follow -them up, as it was already getting dark, though -I could see that the tracks were newly made.</p> - -<p>That night we did our best to celebrate -Christmas properly. We prepared a feast, which -consisted of caribou steak, evaporated potatoes, -evaporated onions, canned butter, canned pears, -and baking-powder bread. Such little luxuries<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[302]</a></span> -as plum-puddings and mince-pies were chiefly -conspicuous by their absence, and I finished my -repast with a bad attack of home-sickness, which -was perhaps natural, but hardly in keeping with -my <i lang="fr">rôle</i> of dauntless pioneer.</p> - -<p>We waited by the banks of the Chatanika -until January 1st, and then, as the overflows -still showed no signs of freezing over, we determined -to start the New Year and our trip up -the river at the same time, and trust to that -special Providence which is supposed to guard -sailors, fools, drunken men, and little children. -The dogs were in good condition, as they had -done nothing for two weeks but eat, sleep, and -grow fat. They showed a distinct dislike to -their harness at first, which was perhaps natural, -but after a time resigned themselves to the -inevitable.</p> - -<p>For the first two miles we managed to pick out -a land trail, but after that we had to take to the -river, as the timber became too thick. After we -had travelled about two miles on the river trail, -we began to congratulate ourselves on the condition -of the track, for by picking our way carefully -and avoiding the stretches of open water -we were making good time.</p> - -<p>All at once we saw smoke issuing from a -small cabin, so we halted the dogs in order to -make inquiries regarding the overflows higher -up the river. We found the cabin to be occupied -by two hunters, who told us that round -the bend of the river there was an overflow over -three feet deep, which it was impossible to get -through. They had been waiting for a week to -see whether it would freeze over. We, however, -had had enough of delays, so we determined to -see whether we could get through.</p> - -<p>Reaching the overflow we found it covered -with a thin coating of ice. We had just succeeded -in getting on to this “glare” ice when, -with a crack, it broke under us, and we sank up -to our knees in ice-cold water, while the poor -dogs were nearly covered. Having once got -wet, we thought we might as well try to get -through; but it was impossible for the dogs to -pull, as they could not get a foothold, and the -noses of the sleds were blocked with “slush” -ice. We accordingly hitched our eight dogs on -to one sled, and I walked ahead in order to -encourage the animals to follow me.</p> - -<p>Every time I put my foot down I broke -through the ice, and it was easy to follow my -course by the holes I left behind me in the trail. -The farther I went the deeper the water became, -and at last I realized that the only thing to -be done was to return to the cabin, as it was -impossible for either dogs or men to stand the -deadly cold of the water much longer. As soon -as I arrived at this decision the two hunters, -who had come out to assist us, went back to the -cabin and prepared a big fire and hot coffee.</p> - -<p>We succeeded in getting the dogs on to solid -ice again, and the water on the dogs, sleds, -and harness—to say nothing of ourselves—immediately -turned to ice.</p> - -<p>We reached the cabin in a few minutes, got -the dogs inside in order to thaw them out, and -proceeded to change our frozen clothes. The -cabin could hardly be described as pretentious, -as the dimensions were only about eight feet by -ten, by five feet in height. Put four men and -eight dogs, all ice-coated, in this space, with a -big fire going, and it will be easily seen that -the atmosphere is likely to become somewhat -oppressive. To add to our discomfort, the -cabin became so hot that the snow on the roof -commenced to melt and find its way through -the numerous cracks. The floor, consisting as -it did of plain mother earth, soon began to take -on the form of a small duck-pond, so we were -compelled to make a thick carpet of spruce -boughs.</p> - -<p>Next morning, after a hearty breakfast, we were -ready to try the overflow again. My partner at -this time began to show himself in his true -colours. He was ready to return to Fairbanks, -for he had developed a disease variously termed -“cold feet,” “crawfish,” or “white feather.”</p> - -<p>Reaching the overflow again, we repeated -the previous day’s programme, with the same -result, but we found that the ice was a little -thicker than before. We returned to the cabin, -resolved to wait a few days. After staying two -more days in the cabin, in an atmosphere -resembling a Hindu bazaar or a Turkish bath, -another man came up the river with four dogs, -and we determined to make a combined attempt -to get through.</p> - -<p>We therefore hitched the twelve dogs on to -one sled, and after a tremendous effort -succeeded in getting the sled through the overflow -on to solid ice. The first sled taken through -contained the tent and stove, and while my -partner and myself returned for the other sleds -our latest ally pitched the tent and lit the stove, -and by the time we got back with the second -sled a good cup of coffee was waiting for us. -We then returned for the third sled, and having -succeeded in dragging it through to the tent -we unanimously decided to knock off work, -for, although we had only travelled about half a -mile from the hunters’ cabin, we were all satisfied -that we had done a good day’s work.</p> - -<p>Next morning we started before daybreak, -determined to put in a long day’s “mush.” -The thermometer was down to forty below zero, -and we all had the hoods of our “parkas” -drawn tight.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[303]</a></span></p> - -<p>We passed Kokomo Creek and had travelled -for about six miles when to our dismay we came -to a place where the river was open, as far as we -could see it round the bend.</p> - -<p>The same dreary programme of Chatanika -overflow was repeated. Three journeys were -made through the water, which was in some -places waist deep and was over half a mile long. -At the end of the first trip my partner stayed to -light a fire. After we had again succeeded in -getting the three sleds high and dry we changed -our clothes in front of the fire, and, after knocking -the ice off the harness and sleds, we made a -forced march to an Indian camp about a mile -farther ahead. We stayed here for two days, in -order to rest the dogs, as their feet had been -badly cut by the ice.</p> - -<p>At the end of two days my partner and -myself started on alone and, after a hard struggle -through water and drifts, succeeded in reaching -a cabin known as “Cy’s Place,” which is about -thirty miles from Cleary Creek. My partner -here threw up the sponge and said he was going -back to Fairbanks. I told him that I was not -in the habit of turning back, so we finally -decided to separate, he to go back to Fairbanks, -while I made up my mind to try and reach -Circle City, and there wait for some party going -to the Chandelar.</p> - -<p>A bad wind-storm had arisen during the -night, and up-river no signs of a trail could be -seen, so I left the dogs at “Cy’s Place” and tied -on my snow-shoes. Going ahead I “broke -trail” for about six miles, returning at night to -Cy’s. Next morning I started off on my lone -trip, and soon came to the end of my beaten -trail. I walked on ahead, wearing my snow-shoes, -and the dogs followed as best they could. -Every few yards the nose of the sled would -bury itself in a drift, and the dogs would lie -down until I turned back and dragged it loose.</p> - -<p>After I had covered about nine miles in this -way the wind began to blow again. It was -getting dark, so I tried to pitch the tent, but -found it impossible on account of the wind. -The only thing left for me to do was to light a -big fire and make myself as comfortable as I -could until morning. Fortunately there was a -good supply of dry wood handy, and I soon -had a big fire under the trees. I laid spruce -boughs on the snow, and, having fed myself and -the dogs, rolled myself in my robe and slept till -morning. Of course I had to replenish the fire -two or three times during the night, and each -time I awoke I found the dogs lying almost on -the top of me for warmth.</p> - -<p>Next morning, after a rather cheerless breakfast, -I started off again. The dogs seemed -reluctant to travel, as though aware of some -danger ahead. I intended, if possible, to reach -a cabin at the mouth of Faith Creek, which was -about twenty miles from my camp. I found -the trail very heavy, and the only way I could -make any progress was to fasten a rope to the -sled, tie the other end round my waist, and pull -with the dogs. Time and again the sled would -be buried in the drifts; but, notwithstanding -this, by about half-past two in the afternoon I -had made some fourteen miles. It was just -commencing to get dark, and the temperature -was about forty degrees below zero. I was -hoping to get into Faith Creek before five -o’clock, as I had not been bothered with overflows, -when, suddenly turning a bend in the -river, I saw, straight ahead, a stretch of “glare” -ice, which warned me to look out for an overflow. -I fully realized my serious position. -With the weather so cold I was running a -chance of freezing to death if I got wet, for the -wood all round seemed to be green, and there -was now no partner to help me in case I got -stuck.</p> - -<p>I walked ahead, with the dogs close at my -heels, looking for solid ice. Presently, without -warning, there was a loud crack, and myself, -dogs, and sled were precipitated into the water. -The thing happened so suddenly that almost -before I realized what had occurred I found -myself standing in four feet of water, with the -dogs struggling to keep themselves afloat.</p> - -<p>My first thought was for them, so I drew out -my hunting knife and cut them loose from the -sled. They scrambled out as best they could, -dragging themselves to solid ice. I next tried -to haul the sled out of the water, but found it -impossible, so I cut the ropes, let the load sink -under the ice, and pulled out the empty sled. -With all my food, clothes, dog-feed, and everything -else lost, I managed to flounder through -the water with the sled on my shoulder. When -I got to solid ice once more I began to reflect -upon the serious nature of my position. I was -at least six miles from any cabin; from feet to -neck I was covered with a solid coat of ice; -and when I tried to light a fire the green wood -refused to burn and my fingers began to freeze. -Owing to the ice upon my clothes, I found it -impossible to bend my knees, and I realized -that my only chance of salvation lay in reaching -Faith Creek, six miles away.</p> - -<p>Without wasting any further time, I fastened -the dogs to the sled and started off. The wind -commenced to blow again, and the trail was -completely obliterated. The only thing I could -do was to trust to the instinct of Nellie, my -leading dog. She struggled on gamely through -drifts and snow-banks, and the other dogs and -myself followed her. The trail was so bad and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[304]</a></span> -my clothes were frozen so stiff that I could only -travel at about a mile an hour.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus75.jpg" width="400" height="475" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">“THERE WAS A LOUD CRACK, AND MYSELF, DOGS, AND SLED WERE PRECIPITATED INTO THE WATER.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>The night grew darker, and it was soon almost -impossible to see the trees on either side of the -river, except at such times as the trail veered to -one side or the other; then the trees would be -discernible, standing up stark and naked, like -gigantic skeletons rising from the snow. In the -zenith the Polar star glowed brilliantly, while as -far as the eye could reach the snow lay like a -gleaming shroud on the earth. Not a sound -was to be heard save the panting of the dogs, -the crunch of snow under my frozen moccasins, -and, somewhere in the distance, the howl of an -animal. I cared for nothing, thought of nothing, -desired nothing, save to reach Faith Creek. -Time and again I was ready to drop, but I still -kept on, spurred by the thought that I was -fighting for my life, for I knew that once I gave -way to the lassitude that seemed to be gripping -my senses, my life would pay the forfeit. I had -heard so much of lone “mushers” on the trail, -who had lain down on the snow for a sleep from -which they never awoke, that I was prepared to -struggle on to the last.</p> - -<p>Soon the dogs began to tire, and it was only -by persistent effort that I could keep them from -lying down in the snow. They were so weary, -poor brutes, that it was cruelty to whip them; -all I could do was to pat them and encourage -them with my voice. Nellie tried to lick my -frozen gauntlet, or, half in play, to bite my -numbed hand.</p> - -<p>Still I kept on, hoping against hope that I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[305]</a></span> -should soon see the light in the Faith Creek -cabin. I kept shouting, but all the answer I -got was a mocking echo. Blundering through -snow-drifts, with the wind-blown snow driving -against my face like particles of glass, the dogs -panting with exertion or moaning from the -pain of their lacerated feet, without a sign of a -trail or landmark, and with my feet in a peculiar -condition of insensibility, still I staggered blindly -but persistently towards my goal.</p> - -<p>At eight o’clock I was still on the trail; but -somehow a doubt began to take possession of -me that perhaps I had missed the cabin -altogether and was wandering towards the -Twelve-mile Divide.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 350px;"> - -<img src="images/illus76.jpg" width="350" height="440" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">“I SAW TWO MEN APPROACHING ME, AND AT ONCE STRUGGLED TO MY FEET.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>All at once the dogs stopped, and on stepping -ahead to see what was the matter I found -they were tangled in their harness. I tried to -bend over to release them, but my clothes were -so stiff that I found it impossible, and I lurched -over, falling head-foremost into a drift.</p> - -<p>I tried to raise myself to a sitting position, -only to fall back weakly. A new sensation -seemed to be taking possession of me. I no -longer desired to struggle; a mysterious warmth -appeared to surround me, and a drowsiness stole -over my senses. My only wish was to be left -alone to sleep. I was just dozing off when -Nellie, my leading dog, lifted up her nose and -gave vent to a weird, wolf-like howl, which she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[306]</a></span> -repeated after a few -seconds’ interval. I -gazed at her with -an almost ludicrous -amazement, wondering -stupidly why she -was making such a -noise. Almost simultaneously -with her -second howl I heard -a shout and, to my -amazement, saw a -lantern shining -through the trees. I -at once realised that -help was at hand, -and immediately the -desire for sleep left -me. A wild longing -for life, for warmth, -for food, asserted -itself instead, and I -gave a yell that must -have sounded like -the war-whoop of an -Apache Indian. A -moment later I saw -two men approaching -me, and at once -struggled to my feet. -Through the trees -came the shouted query, “Are you all right?” -“I’m all right,” I answered. “Where’s the -cabin?” By this time the two men had -reached me, and one of them, looking hard into -my face, exclaimed, “Why, your nose is frozen!”</p> - -<p>He put his arm round me and helped me to -the cabin, while the other man took charge of -my dogs. I found that the cabin was only -about a hundred yards from the place where I -had lain down to sleep, but, owing to the fact -that it was built -in a grove of -trees, it was impossible -to see -it until one was -close to it. It -seems almost -ironical that had -it not been for -the howl of a dog -I would surely -have died within -a hundred yards of -warmth and shelter.</p> - -<p>Once in the cabin -the men examined -me, and found that -my nose, ears, and -fingers were frozen, -but not dangerously -so. Without any -hesitation they took -a knife and cut off -my socks and moccasins. -My feet, -from the toes to the -ankles, were as white -and as hard as -marble. They thawed -them out with snow, -and for three hours -I suffered indescribable -torment as the -congealed blood -began to circulate.</p> - -<p>Next morning my -feet were so swollen -and looked so bad -that I was wrapped -in furs, packed in a -dog-sled, and taken -to the hospital at -Fairbanks, which -was reached in three days. I lay in the -hospital for three months, but fortunately did not -lose any portion of my feet. It will be many -months, however, before I shall be able to walk -as well as formerly, but I count myself as one -of the most fortunate, because I escaped with -my life.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 200px;"> - -<a href="images/text-priestly.jpg"><img class="link" src="images/text-priestly-small.jpg" width="200" height="235" alt="PRIESTLY MAY LOSE TOES ON EACH FOOT - -Young Englishman Who Was Frozen on Chatanika, Now at St. Joseph’s -Hospital--No Use of His Feet - -William Priestly, a young English man, was brought to St. Joseph’s -hospital yesterday suffering from frozen feet. It is possible that he may -recover the use of them, but it is more probable, judging from the -diagnosis of the doctors, that he will lose a few toes of both feet. - -It was the cursed Chatanika that caused Priestly’s suffering, for it was -in the treacherous overflows of that stream that he got his feet wet while -on the way to the Chandlar strike. - -He laid up at Cy’s for some time until he could be brought to the -hospital. Priestly’s feet are in fearful shape, and were frozen far up on -the instep. In fact it seems odd that his toes were not snapped off so -solid were they frozen it is said. - -It will be many long days before he can use his feet again, no matter -whether the toes can be saved or not. - -Priestly was in San Francisco at the time of the earthquake and fire, -afterward serving on the special police and relief corps. He it was who -last June told what great graft had been carried on in San Francisco and -said the Times was the first paper to publish the corruption, which few -believed at that time existed." /></a> - -<p class="caption">A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE AUTHOR’S ADVENTURE TAKEN FROM THE -“FAIRBANKS (ALASKA) TIMES.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>It only remains for me to add that Nellie -is still with me; I intend never to part with -her. Very few men can say that they have -cheated death -through the -howl of a dog, -and I consider -it my duty to -care for the animal -who, by her -devotion and intelligence, -saved -my life that -day on the -Circle trail.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;"> - -<img src="images/illus77.jpg" width="300" height="170" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE AUTHOR AND HIS DOGS—THE CENTRE ANIMAL IS NELLIE, WHO SAVED HIS LIFE.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[307]</a></span></p> - -<h2>THE WIDE WORLD: In Other Magazines.</h2> - -<h3>THE HINDU IN THE COLONIES.</h3> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 200px;"> - -<img src="images/illus78.jpg" width="200" height="210" alt="" /> - -</div> - -<p>The photograph reproduced herewith is taken from -“The Captain,” and shows a Hindu employed -on a farm in British Columbia carrying on his head a -load of boxes of apples over six feet in height and weighing -one hundred and twenty-five pounds. The photograph -incidentally gives a very good idea of the grand scenery -in this flourishing colony.</p> - -<h3>A MARKET FOR OLD HATS.</h3> - -<p>The group of islands known as the Nicobars, about -one hundred and fifty miles south of the Andamans, -has been but little explored, though the manners -and customs of the inhabitants offer very -interesting peculiarities to the ethnologist. -One of the most noticeable of these is the -passion for old hats. Young and old, -chief and subject alike, endeavour to -outvie one another in the singularity of -shape, no less than in the number of old -hats they can acquire during their lifetime. -On a fine morning at the Nicobars it is -no unusual thing to see the surface of the -ocean in the vicinity of the islands dotted -over with canoes, in each of which the -noble savage, with nothing on but the -conventional slip of cloth and a tall white -hat with a black band, may be watched -catching fish for his daily meal. Second-hand -hats are in most request, new ones -being looked upon with suspicion and -disfavour.—“<span class="smcapuc">TIT-BITS.</span>”</p> - -<h3>EXTERMINATING BIG GAME IN BRITISH COLUMBIA.</h3> - -<p>Numbers of irresponsible men ride -along the trails in spring, when -the deer are in deplorable condition -after a hard winter, and almost too weak to get out -of the way, taking pot shots at the poor brutes with -revolvers, hardly troubling to see whether they make a -kill, and never following a wounded animal. Almost -every district which has had a mining excitement has -had the game almost entirely depleted in this manner. -The more outrageous offences have certainly been -stopped to some extent; but there is still a great deal of -this sort of thing going on, and now that the laws are -being more strictly enforced many of these irresponsible -persons take out a miner’s licence so as to render -themselves safe from prosecution.—“<span class="smcapuc">COUNTRY LIFE.</span>”</p> - -<h3>DICKENS STORIES IN CHINA.</h3> - -<p>The Chinese are rapidly taking up Western ideas, -and translations of English and French novels are -now in increasing demand. Our romantic and sentimental -treatment of love-affairs, however, is a thing so -foreign to Oriental ethics that the hero of the ordinary -European novel appears to the Chinese mind as a person -of perverted moral sense and doubtful sanity. Translations -of Dickens, therefore, impress the Chinese reader -less than they amaze him, and detective stories and tales -of adventure command a more sympathetic audience.—“<span class="smcapuc">WOMAN’S -LIFE.</span>”</p> - -<h3>“THE VIRGIN’S TREE.”</h3> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 250px;"> - -<img src="images/illus79.jpg" width="250" height="190" alt="" /> - -</div> - -<p>The annexed photograph shows a famous tree growing -in the little Egyptian village of Matariyah, -which is partly built on the ruins of Heliopolis and -situated about four and a half miles to the north of Cairo. -It is usually called “The Virgin’s Tree,” from the -tradition that the Virgin Mary sat and rested under its -shadow during her flight to Egypt. It is also said that -by remaining hidden in the hollow tree by means of a -marvellously-twisted cobweb she succeeded in escaping -her persecutors.—“<span class="smcapuc">THE STRAND MAGAZINE.</span>”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[308]</a></span></p> - -<h2>Odds and Ends.</h2> - -<div class="smaller"> - -<p>The “Shark Papers”—A Mysterious Archway—British Columbian “Poverty Socials,” etc., etc.</p> - -</div> - - -<div class="figright" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus80.jpg" width="400" height="375" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE FAMOUS “SHARK PAPERS” OF JAMAICA, WHICH HAVE A MOST CURIOUS AND ROMANTIC HISTORY.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<div> -<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-f.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="dropcap">Few exhibits in the Institute of -Jamaica, British West Indies, possess -a more curious history than the -famous “Shark Papers,” a photograph -of which is reproduced herewith. -The story is, briefly, as follows: On August -28th, 1799, a naval officer named Hugh Wylie, -in command of H.M. cutter <i>Sparrow</i>, while -cruising off the coast of Hayti, gave chase -to, and eventually captured, the American brig -<i>Nancy</i>. The prize was sent in to Port Royal, -and a fortnight later a suit for salvage was -brought on behalf of Wylie against “a certain -brig or vessel called the <i>Nancy</i>, her guns, -tackle, furniture, ammunition, and apparel, -and the goods, wares, merchandise, specie, -and effects on board her, taken and seized -as the property of some person or persons, being -enemies of our Sovereign Lord and King, and -good and lawful prize on the high seas, and -within the jurisdiction of this Court.” A claim -for the dismissal of the case with costs, backed -with affidavits, -was put in by -the owners of the -brig, in which, -as it subsequently -turned -out, they perjured -themselves -freely. While the -case was proceeding -Lieutenant -Michael Fitton, -in command of -the <i>Ferret</i>, and -Wylie in command -of the -<i>Sparrow</i> (both -tenders of -H.M.S. <i>Abergavenny</i>, -the flagship -at Port -Royal), put out -to sea with the -object of earning -for the stationary -flagship a share -of the prizes -which were constantly -being -taken by the -cruisers. On -rejoining after an -accidental separation, -Fitton invited<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[309]</a></span> -Wylie by signal to come to breakfast. While -waiting for him to come aboard the <i>Ferret</i> crew -captured a huge shark, which, on being opened, -was found to contain a sealed packet of papers. -During the breakfast Wylie mentioned that he -had detained an American brig called the <i>Nancy</i>. -Fitton thereupon said he had her papers. -“Papers?” answered Wylie. “Why, I sealed up -her papers and sent them in with her.” “Just -so,” replied Fitton; “those were her false -papers. Here are her real ones; my men -found them in the stomach of a shark!” These -papers, together with others of an incriminating -nature found on the <i>Nancy</i> some time after -her capture, carefully concealed in the captain’s -cabin, led to the condemnation of the brig -and her cargo on the 25th November, 1799. -The head of the shark which swallowed the -papers is still preserved in the -United Service Museum at -Whitehall, London, S.W.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 300px;"> - -<img src="images/illus81.jpg" width="300" height="225" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">A MYSTERIOUS ARCHWAY IN THE TONGAN ARCHIPELAGO—IT IS OF VAST ANTIQUITY, AND -IS BELIEVED TO POINT TO THE FACT THAT THE PACIFIC ISLANDS WERE ONCE ONE VAST CONTINENT.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>The archway here shown, -made of enormous slabs of -coral rock neatly chiselled and -mortised, is one of the many -interesting problems of the -Pacific. If, as is generally -believed, the South Sea Islands -are of comparatively recent -volcanic and coralline formation, -who built this archway, -which is situated on one of the -smallest islands of the Tongan -group? The oldest native inhabitants -of the islands know -nothing of its origin, and from -its appearance the monument -is of great antiquity. From this -and other indications it has -been claimed that the “Milky -Way” of the Pacific was in prehistoric -times one vast continent, -inhabited by peoples of whom the -present-day world has lost all record.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/illus82.jpg" width="400" height="140" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE LAST RELICS OF AN ILL-STARRED ENTERPRISE, A “HORSE RAILWAY” ACROSS AN AMERICAN DESERT.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>“Travelling recently on donkey-back across -a trackless portion of the Conchilla Desert in -South-Eastern California,” writes a correspondent, -“we sighted ahead of us above the sage-brush a -nondescript object which on nearer approach -resolved itself into the two dilapidated tramcars -shown in the next photograph. They formed the -equipment of a ‘horse railway’ across the sands -ten or twelve years ago to connect a solitary -station on the Southern Pacific Railway with an -agricultural colony several miles distant. The -farming enterprise, however, failed utterly, and -the ‘horse railway’ with it. The incongruous -sight of these two abandoned cars in the midst -of drifting sands is all that remains to-day -to tell the tale of shattered hope.”</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[310]</a></span></p> - -<p>The amusing handbill shown below refers to a -curious function which is very popular in British -Columbia—the “poverty social.” This is an -entertainment of the kind formerly known in -more conventional circles as a “conversazione.” -Whereas the latter is chiefly distinguished for its -formality and general uncomfortableness, these -“poverty socials” are delightfully free and easy; -indeed, the people attending them are actually -fined if their clothes are considered at all stylish -or savouring of ostentation, the idea, of course, -being that everyone—rich and poor alike—shall -feel entirely at their ease. Needless to -say, the bad spelling and the mistakes made -in the printing of the bill are all carefully -designed to heighten the homely effect of the -gathering.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 200px;"> - -<a href="images/text-handbill.jpg"><img class="link" src="images/text-handbill-small.jpg" width="200" height="310" alt="you air Axed to A Poverty Soshall - -THAT US FOLKS OF THE EPWORTH LEAGUE - -Air A-goin Tu hAve in THE SCULE ROOM, - -Queen’s Ave. Methodist Church - -NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. - -THURSDY NITE, APRIL 26, 1906 - -RULS AND REGELASHUNS - -I. All wimmin wil be xpected tu bee togged out in kaliker dresses & good -Gingem apirins: rufles, flounces, etc. air not konsiddered stiLish and -oners aer lible too fyne. - -II. Evry man hoo is cawt wearin a biled shiRt or stannup kalar wil bee -find 5 sense. Hum-maid chees-cloth Nektys & ol Kentuk-ky Jeens wyll be -reKkonD senSible aS wel as ornimentl. - -A PRYSE - -Wil be givn tu the maN & Wuman havin the wurst lukin rig in the rhume. -These RulS wil be enforced tu the Letar. A Kompetent Komitty wil introDuce -Strangirs & Luk after Bashful Fellars. Al extrees & artikles of Adornment -wil Be Find. - -Kum & hav Sum pHun & git sumpn tu eat. - -Admishun to the Bilding 15 (fiftene) sense." /></a> - -<p class="caption">THIS AMUSING HANDBILL REFERS TO A BRITISH COLUMBIAN “POVERTY SOCIAL,” -A FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT WHICH IS EXTREMELY POPULAR.</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 150px;"> - -<img src="images/illus83.jpg" width="150" height="380" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">HALF-A-DOZEN ORANGES TRAVELLING DOWN THE -THROAT OF A CALIFORNIAN OSTRICH.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>It is questionable if any animal on earth -could duplicate the swallowing feat -that is to be seen daily (or as -often as a tourist comes along) -at the Cawston Ostrich Farm -in South Pasadena, California. The -ostriches on this farm are veritable -giants of their race, having responded -generously to the genial climate, good -food, and scientific care. Oranges are -one of their great dainties—the big -“navel” oranges of California, measuring -upwards of three and a half inches -in diameter. One old patriarch named -“Emperor William” will catch the -oranges one after another, full ten feet -above the ground, until an even dozen -may be seen at the same time slowly -bumping down his long expanse of -neck, to be finally lost in the ruffle -of feathers where neck and body -join! “William” has been known -to gulp thirty-five or forty oranges in -succession, and the fact that he is in -robust health at twenty-three years of -age seems to indicate that California -oranges agree with him.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[311]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 200px;"> - -<img src="images/illus84.jpg" width="200" height="250" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE UBIQUITOUS GAME—A NATIVE OF BHUTAN PLAYING -“DIABOLO” AT DARJEELING.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>An Indian reader writes: “I enclose a -photograph which I recently took whilst -paying a visit to the Indian hill station of -Darjeeling. The picture represents a Bhutia, -or native of Bhutan, playing ‘Diabolo.’ -Although the game has made big strides -both at home and abroad, I think that -probably Darjeeling, at an altitude of seven -thousand feet, represents the highest point -it has touched at present.”</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 200px;"> - -<img src="images/illus85.jpg" width="200" height="410" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">LOVE-MAKING IN MEXICO—THIS YOUNG MAN HAS PATIENTLY WAITED -UNDER THE WINDOW OF HIS INAMORATA UNTIL SHE CHOSE TO COME TO THE GRATING AND SPEAK TO HIM.</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>In Spanish-speaking countries young -women are allowed but little of the liberty -that they enjoy in lands where English is -the native tongue. They rarely meet young -men at social entertainments, and are never -permitted to converse with them except in -the presence of older people. They do, of -course, contrive to carry on flirtations, but -chiefly with the eyes. In every town in a -Spanish-speaking country there is a <i lang="es">plaza</i>, -where a band plays on one or two evenings -of the week. The young men and women -congregate there, the former walking round -and round in one direction and the latter -in the opposite direction. Thus they are -constantly meeting and making eyes at each -other, but they do not pair off or sit down -on the benches together. When a young -man wants to pay his attentions to a girl, -he must get notes smuggled to her or -“play the bear”—that is, stand under the -window of her room and try to attract -her attention, either by serenading her -with some musical instrument, or, if he -has no gift that way, by simply waiting patiently -until she chances to look out and cast him an -encouraging glance. In spite, however, of all -difficulties and obstacles, Cupid contrives to -find a way, and young people fall in love and -marry just as in lands where etiquette is less -strict and opportunities for <i lang="fr">tête-à-tête</i> conversations -more frequent.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[312]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;"> - -<img src="images/illus86.jpg" width="350" height="220" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">A PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS ON THE NORTH-WEST FRONTIER OF INDIA—THEY COVERED THE HILLS FOR MILES, -STRIPPED ALL THE LEAVES OFF THE TREES, AND IN SOME CASES EVEN ATE THE BARK!</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>From a Photograph.</i></p> - -</div> - -<p>The striking little photograph above was sent -by Colonel the Hon. H. E. Maxwell, D.S.O., -from the remote post of Cherat, on the North-West -frontier of India. “It was taken during a -flight of locusts,” he writes. “They covered the -hills for miles in every direction, and during their -two or three days’ stay caused enormous damage -to the few trees and shrubs with which we are -blessed, stripping them entirely of their leaves, -and in some cases even eating away the bark!”</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> - -<img src="images/map-contents.jpg" width="600" height="400" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">THE MAP-CONTENTS OF “THE WIDE WORLD MAGAZINE,” WHICH SHOWS AT A GLANCE THE LOCALITY OF EACH ARTICLE AND -NARRATIVE OF ADVENTURE IN THIS NUMBER.</p> - -</div> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Wide World Magazine, Vol. 22, No. 129, -December, 1908, by Various - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WIDE WORLD MAGAZINE, DEC 1908 *** - -***** This file should be named 53928-h.htm or 53928-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/3/9/2/53928/ - -Produced by Victorian/Edwardian Pictorial Magazines, -Jonathan Ingram and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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