778 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



this narrow place, husband ? Wait at least until we reach the 

 next village." 



And the husband replied, " You need never cook for me, wife, 

 for I eat my food raw." 



Then the young woman was frightened, and began to have 

 doubts about the man she had married. But she told the two 

 slaves to put the calabashes down on the ground and asked her 

 husband if he would eat some yam. 



And he said, " I am not one who eats roots," and he took the 

 fowls and ate them raw. He ate them all. 



Then they went again along the path, farther into the forest, 

 and presently the husband said again : " Wife, I am hungry. Is 

 there anything to ea.t ? " 



The young woman was very much frightened; she did not 

 know what to do, but she said, " Here are some sheep," and the 

 husband took the sheep and ate them all up. 



Then they went again on their way, and, after a little, the hus- 

 band said, " Wife, I am hungry." And she said, " There are goats." 

 And he took the goats and ate them. 



After he had eaten the goats they went on once more, and soon 

 the husband said again : " Wife, I am hungry. Give me something 

 to eat." 



And she said : " Is not everything finished ? Have you not 

 eaten the fowls and the sheep and the goats that my dear parents 

 gave me ? And now there is nothing more in my hand." 



And he said, " All is not finished, for there are these two per- 

 sons." 



Then the young woman wept, she wept bitterly, and she cried, 

 " Take them, then, and eat them, if it must be so." 



Now, in order to bring down this flesh so that he might eat it, 

 the husband had to turn himself back into a leopard. And he 

 sprang upon the two slaves, and tore them and killed them, and 

 ate them up. 



When he had finished eating he again turned himself into a 

 young man, and took his wife's hand and led her along the path. 

 She wished to run away, but she did not know the way out of the 

 forest, and fear had weakened her legs. 



Presently the husband said again : " Wife, I am hungry. Give 

 me something to eat." 



Then the young woman threw herself on the ground and wept 

 and lamented, for everything was finished, and there was nothing 

 more to give him. 



And the husband came and stood near her, looking side- 

 ways, and she was plump and soft, and he began to lick 

 his lips. 



Now, there was a hunter in the bush near by, and he heard 



