In Far Bolivia: A Story of a Strange Wild Land. Stables Gordon

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СКАЧАТЬ it had no experience of the genus homo,and all the cruelties he is guilty of, under the title ofsport.

      Roland pitched several pieces of pie towards theinnocent. It just tasted a morsel, then back it rantowards the wood with wondrous speed.

      If they thought they had seen the last of it, theywere much mistaken, for the innocent returned intwo minutes time, accompanied not only by anotherof his own size, but by half a dozen of the funniestlittle fairies ever seen inside a forest.

      "My wife and children," said innocent No. 1.

      "My services to you," bobbed innocent No. 2.

      But the young ones squawked and squealed, andtumbled and leapt over each other as they fed in amanner so droll that boy and girl had to laugh tillthe woods rang.

      Innocent No. 1 looked on most lovingly, but tooknot a morsel to himself.

      Then all disappeared as suddenly as they had come.

      Truly the student of Nature who betakes himselfto lonely woods sees many wonders!

      It was time now to lie back in the moss and enjoythe dolce far niente.

      The sky was as blue as blue could be, all betweenthe rifts of slowly-moving clouds. The whisper of thewind among the forest trees, and the murmur of thefalling water, came like softest music to Roland's ears.Small wonder, therefore, that his eyes closed, and hewas soon in the land of sweet forgetfulness.

      But Peggy had a tiny book, from which she readpassages to Brawn, who seemed all attention, but keptone eye on the ponies at the same time.

      It was a copy of the "Song of Hiawatha", a poemwhich Peggy thought ineffably lovely. Hark to hersweet girl voice as she reads:

      "These songs so wild and wayward,

      These legends and traditions".

      They appealed to her simple soul, for dearly didshe love the haunts of Nature.

      "Loved the sunshine of the meadow,

      Loved the shadow of the forest,

      Loved the wind among the branches,

      The rushing of great rivers

      Through their palisades of pine-trees."

      She believed, too:

      "That even in savage bosoms

      There are longings, yearnings, strivings

      For the good they comprehend not;

      That feeble hands and helpless,

      Groping blindly in the darkness,

      Touch God's right hand…

      And are lifted up and strengthened".

—

      Roland slumbered quietly, and the day went on apace.

      He slept so peacefully that she hardly liked toarouse him.

      The little red book dropped from her hand and fellon the moss, and her thoughts now went far, far awayadown the mighty river that flows so sadly, sosolemnly onwards to the great Atlantic Ocean, fed onits way by a hundred rapid streams that melt in itsdark bosom and are seen nevermore.

      But it was not the river itself the little maiden'sthoughts were dwelling on; not the strange wild birdsthat sailed along its surface on snow-white wings; not the birds of prey-the eagle and the hawk-thathovered high in air, or with eldritch screams dartedon their prey like bolts from the blue, and bore theirbleeding quarries away to the silent forest; not eventhe wealth of wild flowers that nodded over the banksof the mighty stream.

      Her thoughts were on board a tall and darksomeraft that was slowly making its way seaward todistant Pará, or in the boats that towed it. Forthere was someone on the raft or in those boats whoeven then might be fondly thinking of thedark-haired maiden he had left behind.

      But Peggy's awakening from her dream of romance, and Roland's from his slumber, was indeed a terribleone.

      CHAPTER II-STRANGE ADVENTURES IN THE FOREST-LOST!

      Fierce eyes had been watching the little camp foran hour and more, glaring out on the sunnyglade from the dark depths of a forest tree not faroff; out from under a cloudland of waving foliagethat rustled in the balmy wind. Watching, andwatching unwaveringly, Peggy, while she read; watchingthe sleeping Roland; the great wolf-hound, Brawn; and watching the ponies too.

      Ever and anon these last would come closer to thetree, as they nibbled grass or moss, then those fierceeyes burned more fiercely, and the cat-like tail of amonster jaguar moved uneasily as if the wild beastmeditated a spring.

      But the ponies, sniffing danger in the air, perhaps-whocan tell? – would toss their manes and retreat tothe shadow of the rocks.

      Had the dog not been there the beast would havedared all, and sprung at once on one of those nimblesteeds.

      But he waited and watched, watched and waited, and at long last his time came. With a coughingroar he now launched himself into the air, theelasticity of the branch giving greater force to hisspring.

      Straight on the shoulders or back of poor Bozhe alighted. His talons were well driven home, hiswhite teeth were preparing to tear the flesh from thepony's neck.

      Both little steeds yelled wildly, and in nightmarish terror.

      Up sprang Brawn, the wolf-hound, and dashed on tothe rescue.

      Peggy seized her loaded rifle and hurried after him.

      Thoroughly awake now, and fully cognizant of theterrible danger, Roland too was quickly on the sceneof action.

      To fire at a distance were madness. He mighthave missed the struggling lion and shot poor Boz, oreven faithful Brawn.

      This enormous dog had seized the beast by onehock, and with his paws against the pony wasendeavouring to tear the monster off.

      The noise, the movement, the terror, caused poorRoland's head to whirl.

      He felt dazed, and almost stupid.

      Ah! but Peggy was clear-headed, and a brave andfearless child was she.

      Her feet seemed hardly to touch the moss, solightly did she spring along.

      Her little rifle was cocked and ready, and, takingadvantage of a few seconds' lull in the fearfulscrimmage, she fired at five yards' distance.

      The bullet found billet behind the monster's ear, his grip relaxed, and now Brawn tore him easily fromhis perch and finished him off on the ground, withawful din and habbering.

      Then, with blood-dripping jaws he came with hisears lower, half apologetically, to receive the praiseand caresses of his master and mistress.

      But though the adventure ended thus happily, frightened beyond measure, the ponies, Coz and Boz, had taken to the bush and disappeared.

      Knowing well the danger of the situation, Rolandand Peggy, with Brawn, tried to follow them. ButIrish wolf-hounds have but little scent, and so theysearched and searched in vain, and returned at lastto the sun-kissed glade.

      It was now well on towards three o'clock, and asthey had a long forest stretch of at least ten milesbefore them ere they could СКАЧАТЬ