FROM THE STREET TO THE WILDS 241 



pleasant joke. Yet I walked up to one of the 

 men who standing in the light of the big camp- 

 fire was playfully cracking his whip, missing 

 only by inches some of his companions who were 

 sitting and smoking nearby. As I approached 

 he was threatening to cut the pipe out of the 

 mouth of a man who warned him of dire things 

 that would happen if he were touched by the lash. 

 When I held out my hand for the whip it was 

 given to me, but when I started to snap it a re- 

 straining hand was laid upon me and the bull- 

 whacker said: 



"If you ain't used to those whips you'll hurt 

 yourself!" 



I thanked him for the warning, but said I 

 would be careful and then drawing back the lash 

 as I had seen him do it felt its business end curl 

 about my forehead with a never-to-be-forgotten 

 sting. Was there a shout of laughter from the 

 rough onlookers? Not a bit of it, nothing but 

 sympathy, and when I declared that the hurt 

 was nothing and insisted on learning how to do 

 the trick I had kindly advice and assistance until 



