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| Author of “ Lion Jack,” “ Jack in
THE GOLDEN ARGOSY,
41
oO
By P. T. BARNUM,
. the Jungle,”
“Struggles and Triumphs of
P. T. Barnum,” ete,
CHAPTER XXIX.
A ZEBRA HUNT.
ICK BROADHEAD told Jingo to
order his bearers to hurry forward.
e. was anxious to discover the
cause of the disturbance among the van-
guard of the Katendi
army.
“The valley along
which the river flowed
northward was at this
point narrower, bounded
on either side by rolling
hills of no great height,
which were covered with
short grass and low
bushes. On the slope of
one of these hills, on the
opposite side of the
stream, the natives had
observed a herd of zebras
‘azing.
Now the zebra, the
striped horse of Africa, is
an animal which the trav-
eler cannot see every day.
He keeps almost entirely
to mountainous districts,
and is only found in wila
and untraveled parts of
the country. And even
when they are met with,
zebras are not easy to kill
or capture. They are as
fleet-footed as the prong-
horn of the Rocky Moun-
tains, and generally as
timid. hey graze in
herds on the hillsides,
others of any approach-
ing danger.
*«TIn this case the zebras
seemed to be unusually
bold. They stood fear-
lessly upon the grassy
slope of the hill, in plain
sight of the Katendis.
Perhaps their curiosity at
the strange spectacle of
the passing army had
overcome their timidity,
or possibly they relied on
the fact that a river sepa-
rated them from the na-
tives.
“The zebra is greatly
prized by many of the
native tribes of. Africa,
where he is found, not
only for the sake of his
flesh, but also, when cap-
tured alive and tamed, as
a beast of burden.
««That the Katendis
were not going to pass by
the chance thus offered
to them, was soon made
clear, The joyful shouts
with which the werriors
who first noticed the
zebras annonnced their
discovery, were soon si-
lenced, and preparations
were made for a syste-
atichunt. A body of natives was dispatched
along the stream, with orders to swim
across itata point half a mile farther down,
and by circling round to get behind the
herd and drive it toward the lower ground.
Arother party of huntsmen was sent in the
opposite direction, to intercept the animals’
ight.
The sporting instinct was very strong
in Dick Broadhead, and a hunt for such uu-
usual game as this aroused his interest at
once. It would have been a very long
shot at the zebras from where he now was,
but by crossing the stream he might have
got within easy range, if he approached
them carefnlly among the bushes, for the
wind was blowing from them to him, and
they could not have detected him if he
kept ont of sight.
“He did not wish, however, to expend
asingle one of his scanty stock of cartridges,
even though a successful shot. would prob-
ably raise him still higher in the estima-
tion of the Katendis. Ie was determined
to reserve them for cases of actual danger
to the lives of the travelers—and snch dan-
gers were sure to arise.
“But he was anxious tojoin in the chase,
and he wanted to find some better weapon
than the long heavy spears of the natives.
An idea was suggested to him by the sight
of an assegai which was carried by a war-
rior who was marching near him.
“Tt was closely wound round, for nearly
its whole length, with a narrow strip of
what looked like thick, untantied hide,
whether for ornament or to strengthen the
shaft he could not tell. y means of
Jingo’s services as an interpreter, Dick ob-
tained a loan of this weapon from its owner,
and scrutinized it more closely. He found
that the rawhide thong would answer his
Across the river, all three alighted from
their litters, and concealed themselves
among the bushes, waiting for the natives
who had been sent to drive down the
ebras,
«Why, how did you get that rawhide,
Dick?’ asked Griswold, when he saw the
lasso that young Broadhead had impro-
N
vised,
“Dick explained, and looking around
among the natives who stood near them, he
found another Katendi who spear was dec-
orated like the one he had borrowed. The
owner readily gave up the long leathern
thong, Dick making clear by signs the use
to which he meant to putit. In this way
Griswold was provided with a serviceable
lasso, Carter said he did not think he could |
AS THE ZEBRA TURNED TO FLEE, DICK SENT THE LASSO HURTLING THROUGH THE AIR,
purpose well, and provide him with the
weapon he wanted.
“Hastily untwining it from the shaft of
the spear, Dick found that it was smooth
and flexible, and by tying a running knot
in the end he provided himself with a very
fair lasso. Dick knew something of the use
of the lasso—a deadly weapon in skillful
hands—and had formed the ambitions pro-
ject of capturing alive zebra, if by good
luck the herd came in his direction.
“The first thing to be done was to cross
the river. This was accomplished without
even wetting the soles of his feet. The na-
tives who were carrying Dick’s litter would
not let him get out when he began to do so
in order to swim or wade across. They
bore litter.and all to the ether bank, ford-
ing the stream at aplace where the water
was very shallow, uot rising above their
knees.
“Dick shouted to Griswold and Carter to
follow his example, avd they easily made
use one with effect, so he borrowed an asse-
ni
ni.
* There was a long wait before the natives
could get round behind the herd to drive it
down toward the stream. Dick began to
fear that the zebras would escape, as they
had moved gradually round the slope of the
hill where they had been grazing, and only
one or two of them now remained in sight.
* Nearly an hour had been passed in the
broiling afternoon sun, and Dick had
almost fallen asleep, when the stillness of
the tropical valley was suddenly broken.
One of the zebras, who was probably
the sentinel of the herd, raised his head
and sniffed the air uneasily for a moment;
then with a shrill whinny, he gave the
signal of danger, and the stampede began !
“It was hastened by aserics of yells that
arose from different points along the crest
of the hills, The Katendis had done their
work skillfully. When the sentinel zebra
scented theit approach, tney had already
their bearers understand what was wanted,
got bebied the herd, and cut off ils retreat,
“The frightened animals seemed not to
know whither they should flee, and turned
first to one side and then to another, or
halted fora moment in indecision; then,
following the leader, they dashed oft at the
top of their speed, striking obliquely down
the slope and toward the river.
“The direction of their flight, however,
would not bring them near the spot where
the travelers were lying in ambush, read
to spring out upon them as they passed.
The zebras were making fora spot between
the hills and river, where there was a gap
in the line of huntsmen that surrounded
them on other sides.
«The natives who were with Dick Broad-
head and his friends sprang forward with
furious shonts, and tried to head off the
escaping animals, The:
_ Were too far away, and the
zebras had almost passed
beyond the hunters, and
gained the open country
beyond, when a dark fig-
ure sprang up directly in
their path,
“It was Jingo, The
white men had not noticed
his absence, but whila
they were dozing as they
Jay in ambush for the ze
bras, he had slipped away,
and posted himself where
he foresaw that he might
be able to do good service,
“The leader of the herd
was close upon him when
he leaped from a small
hollow in the ground, wav-
ing his g arms, and
yelling with all his lungs.
Dick and his companions
thought they had never
eard such a_hideons
noise as tle Kaffir made.
“lis tactics were ef-
fective. With a snort of
terror, the leading zebra
turned sharp away and
galloped off, apparently at
random, and directly tow-
ards the spot where the
white men were crouch-
~ ing among the bushes,
CHAPTER XXX.
THE EATENDIS AND THEIR
FOES.
ICK BROAD-
HEAD'S fingers
tightened around
the coil of the lasso as he
saw the swift-footed ze-
bras charging down upon
him. He was crouching
bebind a low thorn bush,
and in front of this there
was a considerable stretch
of open. ground, along
the wild horses
were rushing.
“‘The leader was nota
half dozen yards from
Dick when he sprang for-
ward and stood directly
in the path of the gallop-
ing herd. he animals
were running so fast that
it seemed ns if they couid
not possibly stop or turn,
and Dick must be knocked”
over and trodden under
their feet.
“But the foremost ze-
bra partially stopped him-
self, and turned of
obliquely. In another
moment he would have been out of reach,
but before he could recover his speed,
Dick had swung the coil of rawhide twice
around his head, and sent it hurtling
through the sir.
“The throw was a skillful one, and a
lue'sy one as well. As the zebra, in execnt-
ing his sudden turn, tossed up his bind
legs, the slip noose settled down upon one
of his hoofs.
“For a moment the animal continued
its career, and then, as the suddenly tight-
ened rawhide pulled its foot from under it,
fell rolling over and over on the ground,
Dick had braced himself firmly to meet the
shock, but he, too, lost his balance, and was
dragged down, still holding the end of the
lariat.
“IIe was on his feet in a moment. before
the zebra could recover itself. Fearing
that the rawhide might snap if he held his
captive by it, Dick ran to the fallea animal,
and grasped it by its head, to which he
clung, in spite of all its kicking and strng-