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14 . -
selves whethet the forest was such as
i the natives call it, a hopo,
: The distance to the forest was decep-
tive. To us it seemed to be scarcely an
hour’s journey, but after three hours of
sturdy riding it was still in the distance.
* When we eventually reached the forest
we beheld a scene of sublime grandeur,
‘ The talha-trees, the most gigantic of
‘ ‘ the mimosa, known to arboriculturists as
reared their
almost penetrating the
clouds, their branches and leaves being
like delicate tracery or the most
recherche lace.
Here and there a monster baobob-tree,
or, as it is often called, the monkey-
bread tree, with its enormous body and
great branches, many of which were sixty
feet long and as large as ordinary trees,
stood like a leviathan of the forest, cov-
7 ering a space of a hundred and twenty
st feet in diameter.
‘ whose heads seemed to look down with
° a feeling akin to contempt on the mon-
4 sters beside them,
‘ It was a sight long to be remembered.
A little distance away was the river,
and leading thereto we saw the spoor of
many animals.
“Here is ust the place for our giraffe-
i - trap,” said Jac
I . . “Do you think we shall find any?” I
asked one of the Bechuanas,
. ie man was rejoiced at the auestion,
} - for he had begun to think we would not
hunt the gira:
j “Itisa forest of camel-dorn,” was his
: answer; meaning that where that partic-
ular species of mimosa grew, -giraffes
- would be in plenty.
“Jack, Jack!” I cried. “Look yonder.”
Right in the line of our vision was a
herd of the most beautiful creatures I
- ever saw.
They were zebra:
Their light, graceful forms, with slen-
der limbs and narrow hoofs; their heads,
with ears rather long and open, their yel-
low bodies striped with black, caused
them to iook not only beautiful, but pic-
e.
kill one!” shouted one of the
Bechuanas; but Jack resisted the tempta-
we re wiihia pistol- shot, and yet
- they stood their groun
‘ack raised his rifie to his shoulder,
but they evinced no fear. How different
when one of the Bechuanas poised his
assagai above his head!
‘They knew that weapon, and feared it.
With a peculiar neighing cry—unlike
that of a herse, and yet different from the
- braying of a donkey, they fled into the
| depths of the forest.
: ~ Our Bechuanas felt somewhat indig-
1 nant to think we had not killed some of
the pretty animals. They thought that,
q as we had the power, we ought to use it.
é We hastened back to the camp and
|
of mind bordering almost on distraction
because of our long absence.
They were rejoiced to see. us, and in-
stead of moving camp, we resolved to
maintain the Kral, but to drive over to
ths mimosa forest and commence at once
the erection of a gigantic trap for
[TO BE CONTINUED IN OUR NEXT.]
———-+ 2
[This Story Began tn No, 800.]
THE BOY GENTAUR
4 From the Adirondacks to the Andes,
By WILLIAM G, PATTEN.
Boe COPYRIGHTED, 1903, BY N. L. MUNRO.
ho, CHAPTER XVII. .
IN BUENOS AYRES,
N the 23d day of November, the
passengers on board the steam-
bound from the
Uni enos Ayres,
caught the. first glimpse of the South
American continent. It had been noticed
on the previous day that the water was
no longer of a deep yiolet-blue color,
‘but had a greenish tone, which told
. them they were approaching land.
2 When they arose the next morning, the
} color of the water had changed again.
it had assumed a brownish-yellow shade,
and wag full of the fine sand with whic
the Rio de la Plata discolors the ocean
i
would repay us for making a trap, or, as
Intermingled with them were palms,~-
* enjoyed it a great deal more.
toa, and I was glad.
the zebras saw us they were not /
, the Teast afraid, but watched our every
mov
“ found Anderson and Mahmoud in a state -
a GOLDEN HOURS oo
for a wonderful distance beyond the en-
trance of the estuary.
By nine in the mcrning the sand-dunes
of the Uruguay coast could be seen, and
soon some low, barren hills and round-
topped mountains were visible.
pect seemed dreary and desolate enough,
and more than one of the ship-sick pas-
sengers felt their hearts sink with dis-
appointment.
Although there. was nothing Inviting
about the first view of South America, no
feeling of disappointment entered the
‘heart of the tall, handsome boy who was
leaning on the leeward rail, straining his
eyes toward the distant
t boy was Con Kenton, who, after
Many vexing and disheartening delays,
had finally obtained passage to the port
he wished to reach. Nothing had daunt-
ed his spitit or made him waver in his
resolution to seek his father in.that far-
away land.
The voyage had been interesting, as
was ngtural, but unusually lacking in
events of importance. Had he not been
filled with such a feverish eagerness to
reach his destination, the boy would have
To him the
ship seemed to creep over the water, and
he hailed the sight of land with a feel-
ing of joy such as a shipwrecked sailor
might experience.
As the Bolivia advanced the landscape
grew more inviting. Signs of life became
visible on the shore. White buildings
and feeding cattle could be seen.
ie town of Maldonado appeared, to-
gether with its looming lighthouse, and
finally a high hill was seen, at the foot
of which lay the town of Montevideo.
The Bolivia plowed into the bay, which
was crowded with yessels ftom all parts
of the world, and she dropped anchor
much more than a mile from the shore.
Con learned she was not to go on again
for more than forty-eight hours, and,
with many others, the boy left her, hav-
ing been informed she would finally stop
at least fifteen miles from Buenos Ayres,
which is the custom of.all ocean steam-
ers,
So anxious was the boy to get on that
he had not a moment to spare for the
sights of Montevideo, but he immediately
took passage on one of the side-wheel
river steamers which ply between Monte-
video and Buenos Ayres.
The boy was not the only person eager
to reach. Buenos Ayres without delay.
Among the Bolivia’s passengers had been
a a strangely retiring and silent old gentle-
man, whose white beard, to-
~ gether with his gold- bowed ‘glasses, made
e spoke. with a slight accent
that seemed to proclaim him an English-
On the passenger-list, this gentleman
was registered as “Matthew, Norman,
New York City.” Somehow, the impres-
sion had obtained that he was a great
cattle speculator, but it scarcely seemed
e had learned this from his
made no acquaintance
during the voyage and had kept a great
deal to his stateroom, even on pleasant
ays. .
Matthew Norman had really seemed
rather mysterious in his demeanor. For
all of this, it was evident he did not care
to attract attention to himself.
This old gentleman also boarded one of
the river steamers, immediately securing
a berth, into which he piled the light lug-
gage he carried. Having done this, he
kept very quiet, eating a little of the
wretched food to be obtained on the boat,
and then seeking the seclusion of an un-
frequented corner,
Con also tried to eat, but, although the
table was showy, and the menu full of
names of palatable dishes, he found very
little to satisfy his hunger.
Con was a little surprised by the great
appearance of comfort and luxury on the
boat, and the actual lack of anything
that was really satisfactory or agreeable.
A few cabins were roomy and finely fur-
nished, being resplendent with gilding
and many mirrors. The dinner-tables
were covered with snowy cloths, and
there was a show of silver, china and
glassware; but ‘t did not take the obser-
yant boy long to find out that it was all
show.
Although land had been sighted from
the Bolivia at nine in the morning, it
was near sunset when Con found himself_
galling out rom Montevideo on the river
er. ng back, he could see the
tall hill gilded by the light of the de-
elining sun, a Co harbor
shipping lay in deepening shad
_ The boy soon found himself in the nldst
of. a seemingly ilmitless expanse of yel-
low water, for the Rio de Ja Plata fs so
broad that the river steamers soon pass
from view of land, and the vyoyager
might fancy himself out at
sea,
The only things Con found to divert his-
attention were occasional asses of trees
,
‘which formed floating islands, But ‘night
The as-'
_and the steamer had reached the dock at
night in Buenos Ayres, and was prompt-
ly on hand at the Central Station to take
an early train in the mornin;
Having secured his tieket” “at the big
wooden building, he was. waiting with
others when the train drew up, but h
soon game on and shut these from his
view.
He sought his berth early, resolved to
arise fresh and rested in the morning.
Some time in the night he awoke, feel-
ing as if a hand had gently withdrawn
the covering, which he had unconsciously” ceremonious rush for seats.
* pulled up io shield his eyes from the dim. his way into one of the coaches, feeling
quite at home when he discovered they
were built on the American plan. He se-
eured a seat near the window, wishing
to view the passing stenery, and soon the
or was packed.
‘w moments the guards on the
platform uttered signal ‘cries, a bell
clanged, and then the train started.
light.of the cabi
He listened, lainty hearing a retreat-
ing footstep that was soft and cat-like.
Con thrust his head out of the berth
from between the parted curtains, but he
saw no moving thing in the cabin,
He could hear the heavy breathing and
snoring of other sleepers all around him,
but that was all. + Con’s heart leaped as he thought how
“I must have been dreaming,” he comparatively. short was the distance
thought, as he fell back and composed that separated him from his destination,
himself for slumber. but he little dreamed of the adventures
But it was not easy to go to sleep which were to befall him before he
again. He wondered if there were thieves reached the end.
on the boat, and then he was glad all No sooner was the train under way
the money he pessessed was safely con- than a man passed through the car selling
cealed where a thie would be the least » books with gaudy covers, and a boy fol-
liable to look for lowed with a bundle of newspapers.
After a time he, “slept, and when he Liquors were ordered by the passengers
opened his eyes again, it was morning, and served bya confitero, as the waiter
was called.
Of a’sudden Con noticed a gentleman
sitting in a seat across the aisle, and he
gave a start of surprise as he saw it was
the white-bearded and mysterious old
man who had been known on the Bolivia
as Matthew Norman, -
Buenos Ayres,
Con was hungry, but, remembering his
experience of the previous evening, he
preferred to seek food on shore. He had
some ready money in his pocket, but the
most of his cash, which was in gold,”as
before starting, was hidden in the lining
of his clothes, each piece being sewed
by itself. Before shipping on the Bolivia
he had spent one whole night securing
his money in that manner.
It made his hear: sink when he consid-
ered what an inroad he had already made
into the two hundred and ‘sixty-three
dollars. given him by his mother, The
money had seemed to melt and run away.
“But it must dast me till I Teach Santa
CHAPTER XIX,
THE MYSTERIOUS OLD MAN. —
diately decided it was very nat-
ural the old gentleman should be
ther
Con's interest in this gentleman in-
Rosa,” he mu d rapidly. He longed to arise and
When he was “forced to have recourse to Creaced rapidly. onged ‘to arise an
the supply, he would release one corner came rest and finally the impulse be-
of his yest lining, wo it up and cut away An:
the stitches that a coin where
could not clink against its fellows. yorse freely Pia te, Ti nthe hed th
Con sought a restaurant on shore. PP e aisle, lightly touched the
first he was confused by the strange peo- oe gentleman on the shoulder, and lifted
ple and odd language, but, as he knew a Bat, saying:
smattering of Spanish, he succeeded in etna eet Pardon, sir, but T sould not
finding his way to a fairly respectable ‘twi P nh E Solin saw you
eating-house, where he was able to sat- O%¢e or twice on the Bolivia, and now it
isfy the cravings of his hunger. pappens wears both going the same way.
Eager though he was to hasten on, Con do want to talk to on pore you, but I
could not repress his desire to look e boy's surpris ad tl
around a little in the Argentine capital. jontied 4 ee ish, pr ac ‘e gentleman
It was mid-summer, and therefore the tee dan 0 et S nL ‘on only under-
dullest season, as the wealthier class had © or cannot & eon S anish—that 1 I
deserted the city for country or seaside. , joy words” confessed th a z otk
resorts, just as those of social preten- h fusio “But I ki je lad wit
sions in New. York rush away with the English, coptus{on. u now you speak
Sonne Ot nee torbore to Saratoga, His amazement Increased when the old
Still there were many sights to interest
the lad. The buildings were strange, al-
though some of them were built after the
models familiar in northern countries.
At a glance, it would seem that many of
them were constructed of massive brown-
stone or costly marble, but they were
really the veriest shams, the outside be-
ing a veneering which was laid on over ¢
cheap wooden frames.
T boy wandered down<the famous
drive called Palermo, whic ‘as almos
deserted, save for plebeian picknickers,
who were lunching under the trees and
scattering their greasy papers and aban-
doned bottles on the grass, just as some
people are inclined to do in Central Park.
He might have spent several days.in *
s Ayres, but to linger would not
only take time, but it would cost money.
He had often wondered what the villain-
ous Hobart Dunton had done on discoy-
ering his boy captive had escaped from
the cellar dungeon, but his greatest fear
was that the wretch had. communicated
with his satellites in South.America, and
that something. would be done to get
James Kenton out of the way forever.
This thought made the determined boy
hasten onward much sooner than he
would have otherwise desired to do. He
knew a railroad ran to Mendoza, which
lay at the foot of the Andes, eight hun-
*
derstood, for Matthew Norman was de-
one ie knew nothing the boy was
Dazed and puzzled, the boy finally sunk
back into the seat he had just left, his
a
————————
A Clear Skin.
A smooth, clear, soft, velvety skin can-
not be retained if strong, harsh soaps
are used on face, hands or body, Laun-
dry soaps, or even cheap bargain coun-
ter, fancily done up toilet soaps, sold at
soap made like Kellar’s Tar Soap.
aii, MEDHISTO-soaneme
was necessary to travel by mule caravan
from Mendoza to Santa Rosa.
a . water, then show your friends the pin; wh
James Kenton had been at the latter jook at tt_you press the ball. Eno invenids eee
place when last heard from, and the know your business. Can coat or vert.
cipher letter to Dunton had been written To introduce them, price 13 Cents, 2 for
Therefore it Cents, postpald. with our large Catalog. Address
and dated at Santa Rosa.
was necessary for Con to reach Chili be-
fore he began a systematic search for his
ather.
Having obtained information concern-
ing the departure of “through trains”
over the Buenos Ayres el Pacifico, which
is the most direct line from the Argen-
tine capital to Mendoza, Con spent:a
oe Lae Wee MANUFACUTUR RING CO.,
OF 1-2 West 93d Street, New York City,
SED.WETTING Suiicy siodeumes Pr
’ CRACKER JACK TELEGRAPIL
New, novel gna aolsy and Is better than rattles
bones. Price Sc. Cat: free. EMPIRE NOVEL-
TY CO., Dept. A,1 Haddon Avenue, Camden, Nude
ATURALLY, the boy was a little
surprised at first, but he imme-
way, the boy was craving to con-| ~
it
‘