In Afric’s Forest and Jungle 
I gave vent to mine by furiously ringing the 
alarm bell. My interpreter and hostler quickly 
responded, fearing that something dreadful was 
the matter. I had closed the door leading to the 
reception-room, but I could hear the beast snort¬ 
ing, growling, and gnawing the trap. We were 
much in need of volunteers to go on a scouting 
expedition, but I didn’t volunteer. I did not 
come to Africa to investigate mysterious speci¬ 
mens in natural history. After a council of war 
in which I acted as commander-in-chief, it was 
arranged that the interpreter should enter the 
room armed with a long club which he had 
brought with him, and that the hostler, who was 
a mere boy, should hold a lighted candle for him. 
Arrayed in my sleeping robe, 1 cautiously brought 
up the rear. The beast had become still, and we 
did not see him until, with a sniff and rush he 
made at us from beneath the table. The inter¬ 
preter struck it down and fastened it to the floor 
with the club while it struggled to free itself, 
growling and snorting terribly. The hostler was 
seized with a panic and fled with the light and 
closed the door behind him. I felt it to be my 
duty to hurry up and bring him back (?) The 
interpreter in the meantime was yelling for the 
light and for help. My wife naturally supposed we 
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