dMHHHMHMHmtmi'S^') •^ ^ ^ (O) ^ ^ ^ '§) ^^ . "^ ... > 1 i I i 1 I I 1 I i I 1 ' i i . :fc^-5a5 v >^ A ~v-X -4^- ^t^: l--^; Z-^-- .^S^ .-vv ^ •*i^- '^z^^ >Crb'^'ylA^ yO STORIES ANIMALS CAPT. MAYNE REID, AND 0THEE3. A NEW EDITION, WITH A MEMOIE BY K. H. STODDARD. NEW YORK: THOMAS R. KNOX & CO., Successors to James Miller, 813 Broadway. 1885. TROWS PfttNTING AND BOOKBINDING CQMPAITl^ NEW YORIC HEMOIE OF MAYNE KEID. No one who has written books for the young during the present century ever had so large a circle of readers aa Captain Mayne Reid, or ever was so well fitted by circum- stances to write the books by which he is chiefly known. His life, which was an adventurous one, was ripened with the experience of two Continents, and his temperament, which was an ardent one, reflected the traits of two races. Irish by birth, he was American in his sympathies with the people of the New World, whose acquaintance he made at an early period, among whom he lived for years, and whose battles he helped to win. He was probably more familiar with the Southern and Western portion of the United States forty years ago than any native-born American of that time. A curious interest attaches to the life of Captain Reid, but it is not of the kind that casual biographers dwell upon. If he had written it himself it would have charmed thousands of readers, who -can now merely imagine what it might have been from the glimpses of it which they obtain in his writings. It was not passed in the fierce light of publicity, but in that simple, silent obscurity which is the lot of most men, and is their hap- piness, if they only knew it. Briefly related, the life of Captain Reid was as follows : He was born in 1818, in the north of Ireland, the son of a Presbyterian clergyman, who was a type of the class which Goldsmith has described so freshly in the " Deserted Village," and was highly thought of for his labors among the poor of his neighborhood. An earnest, reverent man, to whom his calling was indeed a sacred one, he designed his son Mayne for the ministry, in the hope, no doubt, that he would be his successor. But nature had some- thing to say about that, as well as his good father. He began to study for the ministry, but it was not long befor* 1 M6iJ,77 he was drawn in another direction. Always a great reader, his favorite books were descriptions of travel in foreign lands, particularly those which dealt with the scenery, the people, and the resources of America. The spell which these exercised over his imagination, joined to a love of adventure which was inherent in his temperament, and inherited, perhaps with his race, determined his career. At the age of twenty he closed his theological tomes, and girding up his loins with a stout heart he sailed from the shores of the Old World for the New. Following the spirit in his feet he landed at New Orleans, which was probably a more promising field for a young man of his talents than any Northern city, and was speedily engaged in business. The nature of this business is not stated, further than it was that of a trader ; but whatever it was it obliged this young Irishman to make long journeys into the interior of the country, which was almost a terra in- cognita. Sparsely settled, where settled at all, it was still clothed in primeval verdure — here in the endless reach of savannas, there in the depth of pathless woods, and far away to the North and the West in those monotonous ocean-like levels of land for which the speech of England has no name — the Prairies. Its population was nomadic, not to say barbaric, consisting of tribes of Indians whoee hunting grounds from time immemorial the region was ; hunters and trappers, who had turned their backs upon civilization for the free, wild life of nature ; men of doubtful or dangerous antecedents, who had found it con- venient to leave their country for their country's good ; and scattered about hardy pioneer communities from East- ern States, advancing waves of the great sea of emigration which is still drawing the course of empire westward. Travelling in a country like this, and among people like these, Mayne Reid passed five years of his early manhood. He was at home wherever he went, and never more so than when among the Indians of the Red River territory, with whom he spent several months, learning their lan- guage, studying their customs, and enjoying the wild and beautiful scenery of their camping grounds. Indian for the time, he lived in their lodges, rode with them, hunted with them, and night after night sat by their blazing camp-fires listening to the warlike stories of the braves and the quaint legends of the medicine men. There waa that in the blood of Mayne Reid which fitted him to lead this life at this time, and whether he knew it or not it 2 educated his genius as no other life could have done. It familiarized him with a large extent of country in the South and West ; it introduced him to men and manneri which existed nowhere else ; and it revealed to him the secrets of Indian life and character. There was another side, however, to Mayne Reid than that we have touched upon, and this, at the end of five years, drew him back to the average life of his kind. We find him next in Philadelphia, where he began to con- tribute stories and sketches of travel to the newspapers and magazines, Philadelphia was then the most literate city in the United States, the one in which a clever writer was at once encouraged and rewarded, Frank and warm- hearted, he made many friends there among journalists and authors. One of these friends was Edgar Allan Poe, whom he often visited at his home in Spring Garden, and concerning whom years after, when he was dead, he wrote with loving tenderness. The next episode in the career of Mayne Reid was not what one would expect from a man of letters, though it was just what might have been expected from a man of his temperament and antecedents. It grew out of the time, which was warlike, and it drove him into the army with which the United States speedily crushed the forces of the sister Republic — Mexico, He obtained a commis- sion, and served throughout the war with great bravery and distinction. This stormy episode ended with a severe wound, which he received in storming the heights of Cha- pultepec — a terrible battle which practically ended the war. A second episode of a similar character, but with a more fortunate conclusion, occurred about four years later. It grew out of another war, which, happily for us, was not on our borders, but in the heart of Europe, where the Hun- garian race had risen in insurrection against the hated power of Austria. Their desperate valor in the face of tremen- dous odds excited the sympathy of the American people, and fired the heart of Captain Mayne Reid, who buckled on his sword once more, and sailed from New York with a body of volunteers to aid the Hungarians in their struggles for independence. They were too late, for hardly had they reached Paris before they learned that all was over : Gorgey had surrendered at Arad, and Hungary was crushed. They were at once dismissed, and Captain Reid betook himself to London. 3 The life of the Mayne Jfteld in whom we are most in* terested — Mayne Reid, the author — began at this time, when he was in his thirty -first year, and ended only on the day of his death, October 21, 1883. It covered one- third of a century, and was, when compared with that which had preceded it, uneventful, if not devoid of in- cident. There is not much that needs be told— not much, indeed, that can be told — in the life of a man of letters like Captain Mayne Eeid, It is written in his books. Mayne Reid was one of the best known authors of his time — differing in this from many authors who are popu- lar without being known — and in the walk of fiction which lie discovered for himself he is an acknowledged mas- ter. His reputation did not depend upon the admiration of the millions of young people who read his books, but upon the judgment of mature critics, to whom his delinea- tions of adventurous life were literature of no common order. His reputation as a story-teller was widely recog- nized on the Continent, where he was accepted as an authority in regard to the customs of the pioneers and the guerilla warfare of the Indian tribes, and was warmly praised for his freshness, his novelty, and his hardy origi- nality. The people of France and Germany delighted in this soldier- writer. " There was not a word in his books which a school-boy could not safely read aloud to his mother and sisters." So says a late English critic, to which another adds, that if he has somewhat gone out of fashion of late years, the more's the pity for the school-boy of the period. What Defoe is in Robinson Crusoe — realistic idyl of island solitude — that, in his romantic stories of wilder- Mem life, is his great scholar, Captain Mayne Reid. B. H. Stoddakd. 4 CONTENTS The Camelopard, 13 A Fight between a Qihaffe and Leopard, . 16 Lions Hunting, 19 Mrs. Strutt's Seminar r, 27 A Heavy Combat, 30 The Adventures of a Bear, .... 36 A Talk about Tigers, 113 A Tiger taken by Birdlime, .... 117 More about Tigers, 127 The Adventures op a Dog, .... 137 A Chapter on Pets, 220 The Moose Hunt, 226 Four Footed Hunters, 229 The Story of Reynard the Fox, ... 236 ^torie^ of S]:\iir\kl^. THE CAMELOPARD. THERE is, perhaps, no living animal so grace- ful in form, more beautiful in color, and more stately in appearance than the giraffe. Measuring eighteen feet from the hoof of the fore leg to the crest of its crown, it stands, to use an American expression, " The tallest animal in crea- tion." There is but one species of the giraSe, and from the elegance and stateliness of its shape, the pleasing variety of its colors, its first appearance in Europe excited considerable interest. Although this animal was well known to the ancient Homans, and played no inconsiderable part in the gorgeous exhibitions of that luxurious people, yet, with the ultimate overthrow of the 13 14 The Camelopard. Koman Empire, the camelopard finally disappeared from Europe, and for some centuries became a stranger to the civilized world. We do not find the giraffe again mentioned until the close of the fi-f'teeqth centui*)/, wjien it is reported Lorenzo de Medici exhi,¥itj3(3'';oiiQ at Florence. The first of ''the'sG' aivin^als. see^ in England was a gift from the Pasli'a''of ''Eg}^pt; ^.o', G.eorge IV. It arrived in London in 1828, and died the following jesiY. On the 24:th of May, 1836, four giraffes were exhibited in the Zoological Gardens in the Regent's Park, London. Tliey were brought from the south w^est of Kordofan, and cost to transport £2,386 3^. Id., or over twelve thousand dollars. From a cursory glance at the giraffe, its fore legs appear to be twice as long as the hind ones, but such is really not so. This difference of ap- pearance is caused by the great depth of the shoulder compared with the hips. The giraffe has a very small head, supported on a neck nearly six feet in length, gently tapering towards the crown. His height, reckoning from the top of the head to his fore foot, is about equally divided between neck, shoulders, and legs ; measuring from the summit of the hips to the hoofs of the hind feet it seldom exceeds seven feet. The head of the giraffe is furnished with a pair of excrescences of a porous bony texture, covered with short coarse bristles. These are usually called horns, The Camelopahd. 15 tliongli very unlike tlie horns of any other animal. Tliey cannot be either for defence or otfence, as they are too easily displaced to afford any resist- ance in case of collision ; nor can we conjecture any use for them. The eyes of the camelopard are worthy of all praise. They are very large, softer and more gentle than those of the far-famed gazelle, and are eo placed that it can see in almost every direction without turning its head. All its senses are so very acute and it is so very timid, that it can only be approached by man when mounted on a fleet horse. The giraffe feeds on tlije leaves and blossoms of an umbrella-shaped tree, called mokhara by the Africans, and kameel- doorn (camel thorn) by the Dutch settlers of the cape. As a grasper or feeler the tongue of the giraffe is used in the same way as the trunk of the ele- phant ; but its great height enables it to feed on the leaves of the mokhara far beyond the reach of the latter. The skin of the camelopard is exceedingly thick, often as much as an inch and a half, and so hard that frequently twenty or thirty bullets are re- quired to bring the creature to the ground. These wonnds are always born in silence, for the animal is dumb. The coat of the beast becomes darker with age. The color of the female is lighter than the male, and she is also inferior in point of size. 16 Fight between a Giraffe and a Leopard. The giraffe's only means of defence is in its legs, and it uses its heels for kicking to an extra- ordinary extent, more so tlian any other animal, not excepting the horse. The prominence of the eyes enable it to see behind, when directing its heels against an enemy, while the blow it gives will crush in the skull of a man, or give liim some broken ribs. If unmolested, it is one of the most innocent of animals. Though sometimes it meets its death from animals far below itself in size and strength, as the following account will show. A FIGHT BETWEEN A GIRAFFE AND A LEOPARD. THE hunters were now intent upon but one object — that of procuring the giraffe. By the side of the mimosa grove ran a small stream; on its bank they found traces of giraffes, at which they were quite elated. Some of the tracks were of small dimensions, but certainly the marks of calves. Here was again a chance to satisfy the hunters' ambition. The next day, on the borders of the kameeldoorn forest, a drove of giraffes were seen coming from the timber and making for the water. The timid animals, unaware of their proximity Fight between a Giraffe and a Leop^vrd. 17 to man, walked on, until within two liundred paces of where the hunters stood, without seeing them. The J then turned quickly, and with a swift but awkward gait retreated across the plain and away from the forest. The next day passed without seeing anything more of the giraffes, so the next day the party started on the trail of those they bad seen previously. Fifteen miles fai-ther to the west they found another mimosa forest with a small lagoon, whose banks bore hoof-marks of many giraffes. These were evidently new, and belonged to the same herd they had seen the previous day. The next day, being on the watch, their ears were assailed by the noise of breaking branches and the rushing of some large animals through the thicket. A few seconds only elapsed ere the forms of two full-grown giraffes were seen break- ing from the thicket, and on the back of one of them clung a leopard. Blood was flowing down its breast and it was reeling wildly from side to side. Knowing the leopard to be a cowardly creature, and its capability for taking its prey so great that it rarely suffers from want of food, and never where there is an abundance of game, we knew that its attack on the giraffe must have been caused by some other motive than hunger. On reaching the open ground we noticed that the other giraffe quickly forsook its mate, which was 18 Fight between a Giraffe and a Leopard. now showing unmistakable proof of fatigue, from the loss of blood which flowed from its ueek ; we could see the stately beast was about to topple over from the severe injuries it had received from its ferocious enemy. We were now spectators of a scene such as pro- bably had never before been witnessed — that of a leopard killing a giraffe. Circumstances had fa- vored tlie beast of prey ; and the great animal was being killed by one not the tenth part of its own strength and size. Two dogs that were with us, not heeding our voices, essayed to take part in the rencontre. Both ran yelping after the giraffe, trying to take hold of its heels. Raising one foot, the camelopard struck with unerring aim one of the dogs, dashing him several feet, where he lay sprawling in the last con- vulsions of expiring life. By making this effort, the reeling body of the giraffe lost its balance, and throwing its head violently to one side it fell heavily to the earth, crushing the leopard to death under it. What h'ttle life remained in the giraffe soon departed from it, along w^ith the blood which the beast of prey had let out of its veins. Standing over the bodies, we tried to arrive at some comprehension of the extraordinary scene we had just witnessed. We had heard of a lion having ridden on the back of a giraffe, but did not believe it. A Lion Hunt. 19 Before us was evidence that a leopard Lad done the same. Notwitlistanding the thickness of the hide that covered the neck of the giraffe, it liad been torn to slireds, that were hanging down over its shouklers. The h)ng claws and teeth of the leopard had been buried in its flesh, arteries and veins had been dragged from their beds and laid open, ere the strength of the giraffe had forsaken it. A LION HUNT. A S soon as we had got to the north of the -^^ Gareep, we fell in with an adventure worth relating. We had chosen for our camp the side of a lake in the midst of a wide plain where there happened to be both grass and water, though of an indif- ferent sort. The plain was open, with here and there clumps of low bushes, and between these stood at intervals the dome-shaped houses of the white ant, of the Termes mordax — rising to the height of several feet above the surface. We had just outspanned and allowed our oxen to wander upon the grass, when a voice exclaimed, — "De leuw ! de leuw !" and there sure enough we espied a black-man ed lion — right out on the 30 A Lion Hunt. plain and beyond the place where the oxen were feeding. There was a clump of 'bosch " just behind the lion. Out of this he had sighted the oxen ; and having advanced a few yards, he had lain down again among the grass, and now was watching the animals as a cat would a mouse. Just as we noticed him, another was seen ad- vancing with stealthy trot to the side of her com- panion. Her companion I say, because the second was a lioness, as the absence of a mane and the tiger-like form testified. She was very little in- ferior in size to the lion, and not a bit less fierce and dangerous in any encounter she might fall in with. Having joined the lion, she squatted beside him ; and both now sat upon their tails, like two immense cats, with full front towards the camp, eying the oxen with hungry looks. They most certainly contemplated supping either upon ox- beef or horse-flesh. These were the first lions we had encountered upon the expedition. "Spoar" had been seen several times, and the terrible roar of the king of beasts had been heard around the night camp ; but this was the first time he had made his ap- pearance with his queen along with him, and of course his presence created no small excitement, amounting almost to a " panic," among us. A Lion Hunt. 21 Our first fears were for our own skins ; after a time, however, this feeling subsided : we knew the lions would not attack the camp, it being a thing they very rarely do. It was the animals they were after, and so long as these were present they would not touch their owners. The lions lay quietly on the plain, though still in a menacing attitude. But they were a good way off — full five hundred yards — and were not likely to attack tlie oxen and horses so near to the camp. The huge wagons — strange sight to them — no doubt had the effect of restraining them for the present. They w^ere evidently wait- ing for night or till the oxen strayed nearer to them. It wanted yet an hour or two of sunset. The lions still sat squatted on the grass, closely watched by the hunters. All at once the eyes of the latter became di- rected upon a new object. Slowly approaching over the distant plain came two strange animals, similar in form and nearly so in color and size. They were about the size of an ass, and not very unlike in color the buff variety. Their forms, howevei", were more graceful than that of the ass, though far from being light or slender. They were singularly marked on the head and face; the ground color was white, but they had four dark bands so disposed as to give the appear- 22 A Lion Hunt, ance as though they had on a headstall of black leather. A reversed mane, a dark list down the back ; and a long black bushy tail reaching to the ground were characters to be observed, but the most dis- tinguished part of them was a splendid pair of horns, which were straight and slender, pointing backwards almost horizontally. They were regu- larly ringed till within a few inches of their tips, which were as sharp as steel spits — they were black as jet, and full three feet in lengtli. The horns of the female were longer than those of the male, though she was the smaller of the two. At the first glance we all recognized the beautiful oryx, one of the loveliest animals of Africa, in fact of the world. On seeing the " Gemsboks " — for such is the name by which the oryx is known in South Africa, our first thought was how to kill them, for we knew the delicacy of their flesh, which is not surpassed by that of any other antelope, and thought how far'superior a stake of that w^ould be to the jerked meat we had cooking, that we all felt willing to wait if we could only get some. What was the best course to pursue ? It would scarce be possible to stalk the gemsboks, they are so very wary. They rarely approach near any cover that might shelter an enemy ; and when alarmed they strike off in a straight line for the open plain — their natural home. A Lion Hunt. 23 They can only be captured by a swift horse and after a sevei'e chase : even then sometimes they manage to escape, for in the first mile they run like the wind. We at once thought of our horses, but as quickly changed our minds, for the ante- lopes were coming straight for us, and would per- haps come within gunshot, and so save ns the trouble of a chase. This was agreeable, as we were hungry, and our horses tired after a hard day's work. We at first thought they were coming for the water, forget- ting that the oryx is an animal that never drinks^ so being quite independent of springs, streams, or lakes, they are one of those creatures JS^ature has formed to live in deserts ; so it was evident they w^ere not coming for the water ; still they were certainly approaching the camp, to which they still kept steadily on, cj^iiite unconscious of danger. It was not their fate to die by a leaden bullet, as the sequel wdll show. As we lay watching the approach of the gem s- boks we had forgotten the lions, but a movement on their part again drew our attention to them. Up to this time they had remained in an upright position, but now we observed them crouch flat down, as if to conceal themselves in the grass, and turn their heads in a new direction, towards the gemsboks. The lions had caught sight of the 24 A Lion Hunt. antelopes and contemplated an attack ; but if the oryx kept on in the same direction they would pass far out of the reach of the lion, as he is but a poor runner compared with the antelope, and has to catch liis prey by a few vigorous bounds. Unless, therefore, the lion could get within spring- ing distance, he had a poor chance of securing his prey. They knew this. The lion was observed to crawl forward so as to get in the ])ath of the oryx. Crawling along and hiding himself, he soon reached an ant-hill that stood right in the path by which they were advancing. But where was the lioness? Where had she gone? 'Not with the lion. On the contrary she had gone in the oppo- site direction. We saw she was progressing in the same way as the lion had done, evidently- making for the rear of the antelopes. The " strategy " of the lions was now perfectly plain. The lion was to place himself in the front while the lioness swept round to the rear and forced the prey to his grasp ; or should they re- treat or become frightened, then the lion could drive them to the lioness. Now we had grown 60 interested in the movement we could not help but watch them, though it was likely to rob us of our game. The ambuscade was well planned, and in a few minutes its success was no longer doubtful. The gemsboks advanced steadily towards the ant-hilh A Lion Hunt, 25 The lioness had arj*ived in the rear and was quiet- ly following them. As the antelopes drew near the hill, the lion was observed to draw iti his head under his shaggy mane. They could not have seen him nor he them, but he trusted to his ears to tell him their location. He waited till both were opposite and broadside to him at a dis- tance of less than twenty paces. Then, his tail was seen to vibrate with one or two quick jerks, his head shot suddenly forth, his body spread out apparently to twice its natural size, and the next instant he rose like a bird in the air. With one bound he cleared tlie space, alighting on the hind quarters of the gemsbok. A single blow of his powerful paw brought the antelope to the ground on its haunches, and another stretched its body lifeless on the plain. Without looking after the other or caring about it, the lion seized its throat and commenced to suck its warm blood. As the lion sprang upon her companion, the cow of course started with affright, and we ex- pected to see her start off across the plain. To our astonishment she did nothing of the sort. Such is not the nature of the noble oryx : recovering from her friglit, she wlieeled round towards the enemy, and, lowering her head to the very ground, so that her horns projected horizontally, she rushed with all her strength upon the lion. The first 26 A Lion Hunt. intimation lie had of this attack was to feel a pair of spears pierce right through his ribs. For some moments a confused struggling was observed in which both lion and oryx seemed to take part ; but the attitudes of both appeared so odd, and changed so rapidly, that we could not tell in what way they fought. The roar of the lion now ceased, and was suc- ceeded by the shrill notes of the lioness, who, bounding forward, mixed at once in the melee, and with a single blow of her paw brought the cow oryx to the ground and ended the strife. The lion was dead ; the sharp horns of the oryx had done the work ; but she was unable to withdraw her horns, so would have perished with her victim, had the lioness not ended the affray. This is not an uncommon occurrence on the plains. Mrs. Strctt's Seminary. 27 MRS. STRUTTS SEMINARY. ^T^HE bells of Farmfield's Churcli rang merrily ^ when young Mr. Strutt married his neighbour's daughter, Miss Waddle. The school-children had a holiday, and the labourers at all the farms in the village dined off roast beef and plum-pudding. Young Mr. Strutt had passed the College of Sur- geons, and set up in practice in London, in a new and fashionable neighbourhood at the West End; that is, he had hired two rooms in a respectable looking house, and bargained to have his name on a great brass plate on the door. But neither his wedding nor his brass plate brought him any patients; and after a two years' trial, Mr. Strutt retired from the profession in disgust. It luckily happened that Mrs. Strutt's papa, Mr. Waddle, determined that his daughter should receive a superior education, had sent her to a very distinguished seminary, where young ladies were taught the most wonderful accomplishments by the very first masters ; but where, unfortunately, they did not include the art of making apple-dumplings. As Mrs. Strutt had no children of her own, she now determined to devote her acquirements to the benefit of the children of other people. So Mr 28 Mrs. Strutt's Seminary. and Mrs. Strutt opened an "Academy for Young Ladies and Gentlemen" at Kentish Town; and, as good fortune would have it, they were soon intrast ed with the care of half-a-dozen " boarders," who brought their own forks and spoons, and v/ere the children of very genteel parents, at least so Mrs. Strutt told her visitors. One thing must be said, that both master and mistress were very kind and attentive to their young charges ; and if they did not teach them much, it was simply because they did not know how. One fine summer's afternoon they all went to* gether for a ramble in the Highgate Fields. The elder Master Ilawke took his drum, and the younger had Mrs. Strutt's parasol; Miss Duckling's two brothers had a kite and a boat ; and Charley Light- hair a whirligig. They flew the kite high up till they could hardly see it, and sent card-messengera of every colour up to it : they swam their boat in the pond ; and when it sailed beyond their reach, Mr. Strutt pulled it back with his walking cane : they ran across the meadows, and tried to see who eould get over the stiles first ; and then when ihey were hot and tired, they all sat under the shade of the great elm-trees, and Mr. Strutt told them the following anecdote : — " Many years ago, as I was passing through the country town where I lived, my attention was drawn to a great crowd of people assembled round some apparently very amusing objects. Led by curiosity, I mixed in with them ; and what did I behold but a fellow whom I had long known, Mrs. Strutt's Sismtnary. 29 named Bruin, teaching a monkey to perform all kinds of tricks ? The animal stood on his head, and, with his hind feet, threw sticks up into the air; then he leaped on Mr. Bruin's head, and balanced himself on one hand, and jumped over the heads of the spectators; among whom, I re' member, were my neighbours, Mrs. Kangaroo and her daughter; my shoemaker, old Pidgeon, and his little girl ; Shark the lawyer ; Mrs. Whinchat the milliner; a fellow named Ratt, who had been twenty times taken up for thieving ; and the poul- terer's son, Bill Goose. I wish you had been with them to have seen how Bruin made Jocko the monkey dance, and how all these folks laughed. They capered about finely to get out of his way; but at last Jocko jumped from his master's head on to Mrs. Whin chat's back, tore off her bonnet, and in two seconds put it on the head of little Miss Kangaroo. Oh, how the crowd shouted I Bruin tried to beat the animal, but he laughed too much to be able to catch him ; and Jocko, pleased at his own performance, jumped on to Ratt's back, and the rascal ran half way down the street before the monkey would dismount. Bruin ran after them, and so great was the crowd that pursued, that he was glad to hide both himself and Jocko in an inn-yard." The yeung ones all laughed famously at this story ; and then, as it was near tea-time, they set off home, where they had, for a treat, hot toast for tea, and a game at forfeits afterwards. A HEAVY COMBAT. THE wliite rhinoceros came out of the thicket, and without halting, headed up the valley to a small lake, his object being to reach the water. This lake was nearly circular in shape, and about one hundred yards in diameter ; on its upper side its shore was high, and in one or two places rocky. On the west or outer side of the lake, the land lay lower, and the water at one or two points lipped lip nearly to the level of the plain, the bank being paddled all over with tracks of animals that had been to drink. It was for the lower end of the lake the rhi- noceros was making — his old drinking place, a lit- tle to one side of where the waste stream of the lake ran out. It was a sort of cove, with bright sandy beach. By entering this cove the tallest animal might get deep water and good bottom, so that they could drink without stooping. The rhi- noceros was evidently aware of this, for in a few moments he was knee-deep in the water, and swal- lowing copious draughts; soon he plunged his 30 A Heavy Combat. 31 snout, horn and all, into the water, tossed it abont, finally lying down in it, wallowing like a hog. Our first thought was how to circumvent the mighty beast and destroy him, as there was not any provisions in camp, and we had heard the food was good. We had not any horses fit to mount, and to attack him on foot would be idle and 'dangerous, as he would very likely either im- pale or trample us to death under his huge feet : so we determined to try and get near him, fire from an ambush, and by a lucky shot kill him by striking him in a vital spot. Y/e had determined to make the attempt, and had got to our feet for that purpose, when a sud- den fit seemed to have attacked our black servant, who kept muttering, "Da klow! da klow!" We looked in the direction in which he pointed ; there, sure enough, were signs of the elephant. Its rounded back was easily distinguished over the low bushes, and its broad hanging ears were mov- ing as it marched. We all saw at a glance he was coming toward the lake, and in the same track the rhinoceros had taken. This at once disconcerted our plans, the ele- phant at once taking the place of the other in our minds. Before we could arrange anything, the elephant had got to the edge of the lake. Here he halted, pointed his proboscis in different direc- tions, stood quite still and seemed to listen. There 32 A Heavy Combat. was nothing to disturb him: even the rlunoceros for the moment was quiet. After standing a minute or so, the hngli crea- ture moved forward again, and entered the gorge already described. He seemed an immense mass, being an old bull, his long yellow tusks projecting more than two yards from his jaws. Up to this time, the rhinoceros had not ha'd the slightest intimation of the elephant's approach, for the tread of the latter, big as he is, is as silent as a cat's. It is true that a loud rumbling noise, like distant thunder, proceeded from his inside as he moved along ; but the rhinoceros was in too high a caper, just then, to have lieard or noticed any sound that was not very distinct. The hugh body of the elephant coming sud- denly into " his sunshine," and flinging its dark shadow over the lake, was distinct enough, and caused the rhinoceros to get to his feet with an agility truly surprising for a creature of his build. At the same time a noise something between a grunt and a whistle escaped him, as the water was ejected from his nostrils. The elephant also uttered his salute, and halted as soon as he saw the rhinoceros. There is no doubt both were sur- prised, as they stood eyeing each other for some seconds in astonishment. Symptoms of anger soon began to show them- ielves, as the elephant could not get to the water A Heavy Combat. 33 comfortably unless the rhinoceros loft the cove, and the rhinoceros conld not well get out so long as the elephant filled the gorge ; he might have swum away to some other point, but that evident- ly did not suit hiui, as he fears neither man nor beast. Hence the old rhinoceros had no intention of yielding ground to the elephant. It remained to be seen how the point was to be decided. Af- fairs had become so interesting that we all stood gazing with fixed eyes upon the two great bulls, for the rhinoceros was a bull, and one of the larg- est of his species. For several minutes they stood eyeing each other, the elephant well knowing the power of his an- tagonist. Perhaps, ere now, he had had a touch of the rhinoceros's tusk. His patience, however, became exhausted, his dignity was insulted, and his rule disputed ; he wished to have his bath, and would put up with the insults of the rhinoceros no longer. With a bellow that made the rocks ring again, he charged forward, placed his tusks firmly under the shoulder of liis adversary, gave a lift, and turned the rliinoceros over in the water. For a moment the latter plunged, blowed and snorted, his head half under water ; but in a second he was on his feet, and chai-ging in turn. We could see that he aimed right at his antagonist's ribs with his horn, and that the latter did all he could 34 A Heavy Combat. to keep his head towards him ; again the elephant threw him, and again he rose and charged madly upon his huge foe, and so both fought, until the water around them was white with foam. The con- test so far had been carried on in the water, until the elephant, seeming to think his adversary had the advantage there, backed himself into the gorge, and stood waiting wdth his head towards the lake. In this position, the sides of the gorge did not protect him as he fancied. They were too low, and his broad flanks rose far above them ; they only kept him from turning round, and so inter- fered with his movements. As the elephant took up his position, the rhi- noceros clambered out on the bank, and then wheeling suddenly, with head to the ground, he rushed on his antagonist, striking him right among the ribs with his long horn. The loud scream of the elephant, with the quick motion of his trunk and tail, told plainly he had received a severe wound. Instead of standing any longer in the gorge, he rushed into the lake, and did not stop until he was knee-deep ; drawing the water up into his trunk, he discharged large volumes over his body and into the wound he had received. He then ran out of the lake, and charged about in search of the rliinoceros, who could not be found, for as soon as he had delivered his blow, A Heavy CoarBAT. 35 he had galloj^ed off, and disappeared among the brushes. The elephant, after looking about for his enein}^, retired to the lake and repeated the operation of bathing his back and wound, his tail continually in motion, and uttering low screams, he lifted liis huge limbs and then plunged them back until foam covered the water. Suddenly he ceased to churn with his feet, and no longer raised water in his trunk ; and now we saw the water was red with his blood. For several minutes lie kept the same position, but his tail no longer switched, and his attitude was drooping. He now made a motion as though he was coming out of the water, when he was seen to rock and stagger, and then roll over into the waters of the lake. TIC ADVENTURES OP A BEAR, iND A GHEAT BEAfi TOO. BY ALFRED ELWES. AT HOME. YES, it is an " at home" to which I am going to introduce you; but not the at-home that many of you — I hope all of you — have learnt to love, but the at-home of a bear. No carpeted rooms, no warm curtains, no glowing fireside, no pictures, no sofas, no tables, no chairs ; no music, no books ; no agreeable, cosy chat ; no anything half so pleasant: but soft moss or snow, spreading trees, skies with ever-changing, tinted clouds, some fun, some rough romps, a good deal of growling, and now and then a fight. With these points of difterence, you may believe the at-home of a bear is not quite so agreeable a matter as the at-home of a young gentleman or lady; yet I have nc At Home. 37 doubt Master Bruin is much more at his ease in it than he would find himself if he were compelled to conform to the usages of human society, and behave as a gentleman ought to do. But there is a quality that is quite as necessary to adorn one home as the other, without which the most delightful mansion and the warmest cavern can never be happy, and with which the simplest cottage and the meanest den may be truly blest ; and that one quality is, good temper. Of what avail are comforts, or even luxuries, when there is no seasoning of good temper to enjoy them with ? How many deficiencies can there not be over- looked, when good temper is present to cover them with a veil? Perhaps you have not yet learnt what a valuable treasure this good temper is; when you have read the history of my bear, you will be better able to form an opinion. I cannot tell you when this bear was born, nor am I quite sure where ; bears are born in so many parts of the world now, that it becomes very diffi- cult to determine what country heard their first growl, and they never think to preserve a memo- randum of the circumstance. Let it suffice that our bear was born, that he had a mamma and papa, and some brothers and sisters ; that he lived in a cavern surrounded by trees and bushes ; that he was always a big lump of a bear, invariably wore a brown coat, and was often out of temper, or rather, was always in temper, only that tempei was a very bad one, Ko doubt his parents would have been very wil- a 38 Adventurls of a Bear. ling to cure this terrible defect, if they had known how ; but the fact is, they seemed always too much absorbed in their own thoughts to attend much to their family. Old Mr. Bruin would sit in hia corner by the hour together sucking his paw ; and his partner, Mrs. Bruin, would sit in her corner sucking her paw ; whilst the little ones, or big ones, for they were growing up fast, would make themselves into balls and roll about the ground, or bite one another's ears by way of a joke, or climb up the neighbouring trees to admire the prospect, and then slip dowm again, to the imminent destruc- tion of their clothes ; not that a rent or two would have grieved their mother very much, for she was a great deal too old, and too ignorant besides, to think of mending them. In all these sports Mas- ter Bruin, the eldest, was ever the foremost ; but as certain as he joined in the romps, so surely were uproar and fighting the consequence. The reason was clear enough ; his temper was so disagreeable, that although he was quite ready to play off his jokes on others, he could never bear to receive them in return ; and being, besides, very fierce and strong, he came at length to be considered as the most unbearable bear that the forest had know^n for many generations, and in his own family was looked on as quite a bug-bear. Now I privately think, that if a good oaken stick had been applied to his shoulders, or any other sensitive part of his body, whenever he dis- played these fits of spleen, the exercise would have had a very beneficial effect on his disposi' At Home. 30 tion ; but his father, on such occasions, only ut- tered his opinion in so low a growl that it was impossible to make out what he said, and then sucked his paw more vigorously than ever; and his mother was much too tender-hearted to think of mending his manners in so rude a way: so Master Bruin grew apace, until his brothers and sisters were wicked enough to wish he might some day go out for a walk and forget to come home again, or that he might be persuaded by a kind friend to emigrate, without going through the ceremony of taking leave of his family. It began to be conjectured that some such event had occurred when, for three whole days, he never made his appearance. The respectable family of the Bruins were puzzled, but calm, notwithstand- ing, at this unusual absence ; it evidently made them thoughtful, though it was impossible to guess what they thought about : if one could form an idea from the attitudes of the different members, each of whom sat in a corner sucking his right paw and his left paw alternately — it was a family habit, you must know — I should say their thoughts were too deep for expression ; but before their meditations were converted from uncertainty into mourning, the object of them made his appearance at the entrance of the cavern, with his coat torn, limpng in his gait, and with an ugly wound in his head, looking altogether as disconsolate a brute as you can well conceive. He did not condescend to say where he had been, nor what he had been doing; perhaps no one made the inquiry: but il 40 Adventures of a B?:ar. was very evident he harl K:en doing no good, and had got his reward accordingly. If, however, thia great bear's ill temper was remarkable before, judge what it must have been with such a sore head I The experience of mankind has led to the opinion, that there are few more disagreeable beings in crea- tion than ill-nurtured bears, — bears that have been ill-licked — those great, fierce, sullen, cross-grained, and ill-tempered beasts, that are, unhappily, to be found in every part of this various world ; but when all these unhandsome qualities are found in one individual of the species, and that one happens to have a sore head into the bargain, it is easy to believe the at home which he honours or dishonours with his presence can neither be very quiet nor par- ticularly comfortable. Habit makes many things supportable which at first would seem beyond our powers of endurance. Mr. and Mrs. B,, and, indeed, all the other B.'s, male and female, had got so used to the tyranny of this ill-tempered animal, that they put up with his moroseness almost without a growl ; but there is a limit to suflPerance, beyond which neither men nor bears can travel, and that boundary was at last attained with the B.'s. As what I am now about to relate is, however, rather an important fact in my biography, I must inform you how the matter occurred, and what were the circumstances which led to it. You are, perhaps, aware that bears, being of rather an indolent disposition, are not ac