THE SEA TRAGEDY OF THE JUNGLE 

 FOLK 



T T seemed to me, as I waited in Mahommed Mun- 

 shee's village, that it might be a good plan to 

 establish a reputation among the natives as a work- 

 er of wonders. Fame as a magician is easily 

 acquired among these people and is of inestimable 

 value in handling them. For the task that lay 

 before us, I needed all their courage and confidence, 

 and I had a feeling that they were accepting me 

 with some doubt. That would never do, for, unless 

 I had them under perfect control when the hunt 

 reached its most exciting point, all our efforts might 

 be wasted. They showed proper awe of the express 

 rifle that Ali exhibited so proudly, and they took 

 fitting note of my stores, but still they regarded 

 me simply as a white man who might, or might 

 not, be able to do the things he said he was going 

 to do. They were respectful and hospitable, but 

 the more I saw of them, the more I realized the 

 importance of doing some spectacular thing that 

 would distinguish me in their minds and send tales 

 of my magic traveling through the wilderness of 

 jungle. It is astounding, by the way, how rapidly 



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