82 THE HUMAN BUCKLER. 



It would seem that this ought to have been sufficient to defeat any scheme of 

 betrayal, but, unfortunately, the only purpose it served was to place the horseman on 

 his guard against the single real danger that threatened him. 



He was unusually large and powerful for a native, being fully six inches taller 

 than Pongo, who was of the ordinary size. 



It may be interesting for you to know that, until lately, there were only two 

 known races with a mean height below five feet, the Negritor, of the Andaman 

 Islands, and the Bushmen of South Africa. There has been another race discov- 

 ered, however, which is still smaller. the Akkas, of the Monbuttu country, Central 

 Africa. Emin Pasha obtained two of the skeletons, and Schweinfurth discovered 

 them in 1870. They are the smallest people upon earth, their height being less 

 than four feet. 



The party of Bushmen which confronted our friends were, on the whole, above 

 the average in height, the leader especially being almost equal to a Caucasian in 

 stature, and, therefore, a giant among his own people. 



When several paces separated the friendly African from the savage, a misgiving 

 came over him. He saw he had committed a mistake that was likely to cost him 

 his life ; but it was too late to retreat. If he should turn about, and dash back 

 toward his friends, he would be filled with poisoned javelins and arrows, any one 

 of which was sufficient to cause death. Nothing remained, therefore, but to put 

 the best face possible on the matter and suppress all evidence of distrust, while 

 taking every possible precaution against the peril that threatened him. 



Within two minutes after the meeting of Pongo and the chief, Jack Harvey 

 exclaimed : 



" By gracious ! Pongo is gone ! The scamp has outwitted us all ! " 



With every seeming of friendship, his ugly countenance made still uglier by a 

 vast grin, the chieftain leaned over the side of his horse, and extended his hand to 

 his fellow-countryman after the most approved civilized fashion. 



Our friend was surprised, knowing that his people are not addicted to that style 

 of greeting ; but, being familiar with it himself, he reached up his right hand, with 

 no suspicion of the real meaning of the salutation. 



The fingers of the chieftain closed about those of the footman with a grip like 

 iron, and, in a twinkling, Pongo was lifted clear off the ground and forced upon the 

 back of the pony, directly in front of the savage, who thus made a shield of his 

 body. 



Quick as was the Texan to catch on to all such deviltry, he was not quick enough 

 to prepare lor this daring perfidy. By the time he could bring his Winchester to 

 his shoulder, the whole front of the leader was covered by the form of Pongo, who 

 did not struggle, knowing that instant death would follow any such act on his part. 



" Never mind," muttered Jack, " I'll let him have it when he turns with his 

 horse." 



But he didn't turn with his horse. No more striking proof could have been 

 given of his control over the animal, for, without anything bearing the slightest 



