96 IN THE TREE TOP. 



1 can't see why Dick and the rest don't work their way over nere," thought he, 

 " for most of the animals must be near me, though I know they sometimes travel 

 in herds of thirty or forty. We could surround the whole lot, and Jack, with his 

 lasso, would be able to gather in one or two of the young " 



At that moment he heard a slight rustling, and turning his head, was so startled 

 by what he observed, that he came within a hair of losing his balance and falling to 

 the ground. 



The most extraordinary object he had ever beheld was moving among the 

 leaves. It showed no legs or arms, but from the front was thrust a tongue, fully a 

 foot long, that, wrapping about the green leaves, tore them off in handfuls and 

 shoved them into its capacious mouth. The oblique and narrow nostrils were pro- 

 tected by strong hairs, and surrounded by muscular fibers that could close the 

 organs of smell against the entrance of the sand dust which sometimes sweeps, 

 with fatal effect, over portions of the Dark Continent A pair of beautiful eyes were 

 so placed that the owner could gaze in any direction without moving his head. 



This remarkable object was gliding here and there among the leaves of the 

 cameeldorn tree, with a certain smooth grace that proved it was controlled by 

 some power beneath. Those lustrous eyes could not fail to see the lad, crouching 

 on the other side of the trunk, and peering around, as though in doubt whether he 

 eught to appeal to his weapons or drop from his perch and run for life. But no 

 notice was taken of him. The object, whatever its nature, glided hither and thither, 

 sometimes approaching and sometimes receding from the boy, and acting all the 

 while as though it cared naught for him or anything else. 



