108 SPORTING ADVENTURES 



small hut on the beach, where we had landed 

 two days before. The colonel told us that his 

 son had died near this place some time ago, and 

 thrusting his hand into the thatched roof of 

 the hut he pulled out a human thigh bone. 

 " Ah," said he, " dis is de bone of my poor 

 leetle boy," and, overcome by his emotions, he 

 dropped it on the ground. Boxer and another 

 dog immediately seized it and commenced to 

 worry it, but a kick in the ribs made them drop 

 it, when the colonel reverently replaced it in 

 the thatch. Whilst the boat was being got 

 ready, one of the girls, the best-looking of 

 the two, retired into the inmost recesses of the 

 hut, and presently reappeared en grande tenue, 

 with gold earrings and brooch, and wearing 

 a flowing bright-coloured, garment. As she 

 evidently wanted to see the ship, I invited her 

 to accompany the colonel on board, which she 

 willingly agreed to. A couple of tars carried 

 her into the boat, and away we went with a 

 flowing sheet, reaching the ship at four p.m. 

 The colonel dined with me, and we passed a 



