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Sept. 16, 1882.]

In 1878, the new lion-house at the Zoological Gardens was built, space being left for large outdoor playgrounds for the animals. The transfer of these large carnivora from their old dwelling required great care and a thorough knowledge of the habits of the animals, more especially as they are extremely suspicious, and very frightened at anything having the appearance of a trap. Formerly, the animals were made to move from one den to another by setting fire to some straw, and thus starting them; but in this instance Mr Bartlett preferred to employ stratagem rather than force, and had a strong box constructed called a 'shifting-den,' which was placed opposite the door of the cage. A tempting bit of meat placed between the bars at the far end of the box, eventually induced one of the animals to enter, when an attendant pulled a cord, and the slide fell down, thus making him a prisoner. In this way all the animals were transferred without much trouble to the new house. Singular to say, it was found more difficult to trap those which had been born in menageries and lived all their lives in confinement, than others which had come to the Gardens after being in a wild state. The difficulty of transferring the animals from the indoor dens to the playground was overcome by constructing an iron box, both ends of which could open or shut at will. This box was placed upon wheels, and by means of a tramway, shifted along the wide passage which runs between the dens and the playground, allowing communication between any two of the doors as required.

The carnivora were released for the first time in June 1879, when it was found how well the tunnel plan had answered. The tigers having ascertained that the door at the back of the den was wide open, and apparently communicated with the open air, naturally took advantage of what they thought to be a sure means of escape. The first tiger that went through the tunnel belonged to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. This tiger was a cautious gentleman. He approached the tunnel with the greatest caution, testing its stability with his huge paw at every step. The spectacle of the four tigers coming out into the open was really grand. First, there appeared the head of a tiger; he surveyed everything outside for a minute, and then cautiously came out, creeping along cat-like, without the least noise. It was indeed beautiful sight to see these lovely gigantic cats, the four tigers, gradually emerge one by one into their new, large, open playground. By a little imagination, one might easily fancy that the scene was situated in the middle of India, and that the tigers were coming out from their fastnesses to seek their food.

satin in the warm sun. All of a sudden, a new and, to them, a most interesting object made its appearance. This was a young and very white zebu calf of a few days old, which came out of its shed in full sight of the cage only a few yards off. The moment the Prince's big tiger saw it, he crouched to the ground, and remained stationary, watching the innocent-looking baby zebu. He was all fixed and statuelike, perfectly motionless except the very tip of his tail, about two inches of which kept jerking from side to side, signifying great anxiety, expectation, and readiness for immediate action. Presently the other three tigers perceived that their comrade had seen something. They also instantly assumed various attitudes of contemplated attack, indicating their intense desire to kill this young zebu calf and eat him. This group of four magnificent tigers, all intent upon one and the same object, was grand in the extreme. It was also very interesting to observe that the mother of the young zebu seemed to know instinctively that her calf was in danger, as she appeared to warn it in her own peculiar way. I left the four tigers still looking at the zebu calf, when we adjourned to watch the lions come out into their playground at the other end of the four large iron cages.'

In a paper upon singular accidents to animals, which had come under the author's observation, the most curious is that which occurred to a stag in Windsor Forest. The forefoot of the animal having become fixed in the fork of a tree, possibly while he was searching for food among the lower branches, he was unable to extricate himself; and the limb breaking, he had fallen upon his back, and probably died slowly of hunger.

The efforts of Lord Bute to acclimatise the beaver in the west of Scotland, which have now met with success, are touched upon by the author, who narrates several interesting anecdotes of this most industrious little animal which he noted while upon a visit to Mount Stuart House; a notice of which appeared in our columns several years ago.

After explaining

Mr Buckland in the course of his book has some amusing notes on the sea-serpent, together with observations on the habits of the manatee, and a valuable chapter on the structure of whales. In speaking of the Beluga or white whale, an example of which was lately at the Westminster Aquarium, the author mentions some curious facts in connection with the breathing functions of these immense creatures. how seals and other lung-breathing animals have the power of remaining under water, he says: 'In the whale we find altogether a different kind of self-acting breathing-valve. The wind"When they arrived at the open, it was very pipe does not communicate with the mouth; a beautiful to watch them crouch down, making hole is, as it were, bored right through the back themselves appear as small as possible. Finding of the head. Engineers would do well to copy nothing to hurt or alarm them, they curiously the action of the valve of the whale's blow-hole; examined the trunks of the trees and rockwork a more perfect piece of structure it is impossible placed there for their especial benefit. They trusted to their sense of smell and touch for objects near them, and to their sense of sight for objects distant from them. When the four tigers were loose in their playground, and the door closed behind them, they at once began to play, and very beautiful were their movements as they ran after each other, tumbled, and gamboled like young kittens, their coats looking like

to imagine. Day and night, asleep or awake, the whale works his breathing apparatus in such a manner that not a drop of water ever gets down into the lungs. Again, the whale must of necessity stay a much longer period of time under water than seals; this alone might possibly drown him, inasmuch as the lungs cannot have access to fresh air. We find that this difficulty has been anticipated and obviated by a peculiar reservoir in

the venous system, which reservoir is situated at the back of the lungs.'

We will not draw further upon the many interesting topics which Mr Buckland places before his readers, but would recommend the book itself, not only to all lovers of nature, but to the general reader as well.

THE CLIFFORD DIAMONDS.

CHAPTER II.-WHAT WE SAW OF THEM.

WE were not a very pleasant party at breakfast at the Mills House next morning. Uncle's brows were knit. My brother Tom could not conceal his disgust at young Clifford's conduct; and I felt miserable when I thought of Naomi. Yet I had one crumb of comfort the preference might be all on one side. I had never seen anything in my sister's demeanour to warrant the supposition that her affections were engaged; and then, how could she help a young man's fancy for her? I had just reasoned myself into a quiet frame of mind about her, when uncle announced that he was going to Grange, and that he must have a few minutes' conversation with Clifford. I thought Arthur followed uncle with a very bad grace; and I was not surprised to see the two men issue from the library with set, angry faces.

Surely never was there so slow and weary a morning. The gardens were a good way off, beyond the great mills. I did not care to go there, lest uncle should suddenly return and require me; I could not talk to Arthur Clifford ; and I had not the heart to play the piano. As a last resource, I took down a volume of Ruskin, and forgot my worries.

'Olive, I've brought you your letters.' Naomi was standing at my side, with half-a-dozen letters in her hand, looking uncommonly well and bright. 'I've got such a jolly letter from Uncle Hugh,' she went on. "There is to be a delightful fancy ball in Liverpool next month. He wants us to go as "Night and Morning"-Ruth in very dark blue and silver; and in pale blue and gold. He says he'll give us our frocks if papa only will let us go.'

'And what does papa say?' I inquired, well pleased that her mind was full of such thoughts. 'Oh, he said he'd think of it; which is, being interpreted, we'll go.'

"Now, Naomi !' I cried, lifting a warning finger. 'Oh, you dear old tabby, I don't mean anything profane, only Arthur Clifford!' She drew back, looking so white and startled, that I felt startled too.

He came gaily forward, a bright smile on his handsome face, a proud light in his full dark eyes. "Yes, my dearest girl; just Arthur Clifford, and no one else. Are you not glad to see me?' He extended both his hands and caught hers. Have I startled you out of even a word of welcome, Naomi ?' he asked.

She recovered herself in a moment. 'Yes,' she said; 'I am surprised. I did not think you would have come so unexpectedly.'

'How could I tell any one I was coming, when I did not know it myself until ten minutes before I left London?' he said.

'And what brought you home?' she asked, gently disengaging her hands.

He made a grimace.

I suppose you have been going a little too far with one of your numerous flirtations?' Naomi remarked, very coolly.

'Now, I call that horribly unkind of you, Naomi,' exclaimed Clifford in an angry tone. 'I've never had a single flirtation since you told me that you'

She lifted her hand ever so slightly; but I saw the gesture, and drew my own conclusions. I felt grieved to the soul. These two had been carrying on an underhand courtship.

'I am shocked-shocked and surprised, Naomi,' I said; and like a goose, I began to cry.

She put her arm around me. 'Don't cry, Olive, pet. Really, there's nothing to cry about. It's half fun.-Now, isn't it, Arthur?'

"O yes-only fun altogether,' he answered with a laugh.

But what they said to comfort me, only made my pain the keener. I restrained my tears, however; and seeing there was no help for it, I endeavoured to wrest a promise from Clifford that he would confide in uncle. I talked myself almost hoarse before I could get a reluctant half-promise from him to that effect; and then I partly coaxed, partly ordered, Naomi to return to Uplands. Arthur would have insisted upon accompanying her across the lawn, had not uncle's burly form appeared in the avenue.

I was leaving the room as uncle entered, with a look on his face such as I had never seen before. 'Stay!' he said, in a voice which made me shake.

I returned to the chair I had left a moment before. Uncle closed the door, and walked to the fire without a word. Clifford watched him with varying colour and flickering eyes. Through the profound stillness of the room, I could hear the slow tick-tock of the clock and the hum of the adjacent mill. My heart began to beat heavily as I looked at the two men.

At last Clifford spoke. 'Well, sir, you have seen my father?' he asked.

'Yes.' Uncle's voice was harsher than I could have believed.

'Am I to go to Grange?' the young man said. 'No. Sir Arthur will never see your face again.' It was I, and not the young man, who cried out in horror at uncle's words. What Clifford said was: 'Never's a long day.' And I thought there was most unseemly lightness in both tone and words.

'You have broken his heart,' uncle answered sternly; and for my part, I will never touch your hand in friendship again. Arthur Clifford, I'd rather have followed your father's eldest son to his grave, than stand here to-day knowing what I know of you.'

Clifford's face grew livid, his eyes seemed to contract into two fiery points, and his mouth worked convulsively. I suppose you know the whole affair now?' he said recklessly, turning on his heel.

'I do,' uncle said. "The bill to which you put your father's name, unauthorised by him, was not for three hundred pounds, but for three thousand.'

'That's the whole business,' Clifford said; and all the rascally Jew gave me was two thousand, and some rubbish of pictures.'

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'O sir, it's not so bad as all that.'

'Quite as bad. In your father's name, I have telegraphed to Lord Learmount, asking him for leave of absence for you-as your father's old friend, he will not refuse it-and then, you must flee the country.'

'Flee the country?' he cried amazed.

'Yes,' said uncle sternly; or remain here to be arrested as a felon-a forger.'

He winced at that. His teeth clenched so sharply on his under lip that the blood sprung, and his hand clutched the back of a chair fiercely.

'And where can I go, sir?' he asked hoarsely. 'To Liverpool-to my brother Hugh. He will put you on board his ship, The Twin Sisters. She sails for Brazil to-morrow. I have settled all with your father.' Uncle spoke in short sharp gasps, as if prolonged sentences were beyond his reach.

Clifford made two or three paces up and down the floor. 'I cannot go. I have no kit, no money,' he said.

'Hugh will supply anything you require for your journey. You shall have one hundred pounds lodged in the hands of our man of business at Rio; and-well, the same sum paid to your credit twice a year, so long as you remain away.'

Clifford gave a bitter laugh. on my swim?' he asked.

When do I start

I never saw such a look as uncle darted at him. It made me tremble. 'You leave this house to-night at seven o'clock. I will go with you to Liverpool, and see you off in the ship.'

Two days after, uncle returned, and Arthur Clifford was on his way to Brazil.

Well, there was no scandal. The man in whose hands the bill was, lost nothing; he got his three thousand pounds, and a little over, to hold his tongue. No one ever knew the magnitude of the young man's crime save Uncle Tom, Sir Arthur, and myself; for Lady Clifford thought, with the rest of the world, that he had got into a scrape, as young men will, and that in a boyish freak he had run off to see the world; and that he would come back a steadier and a wiser man. I dreaded meeting Naomi, howHow was I to tell her what manner of man this was to whom she had pledged her faith? And yet, when we met, I felt deeply amazed at her gay and careless demeanour. The fancy ball, her beautiful dress, and the enjoyment she was to have at Uncle Hugh's, seemed to occupy her mind, to the exclusion of everything else. And yet, my mind misgave

ever.

me.

To me she never alluded to the secret I had discovered, and the subject was too keenly painful for me to open it to her; and so a month went by, and the day of the great ball drew near. Ruth was to go as 'Twilight,' Naomi as 'Dawn;' and the dresses were designed by an artist-friend of Uncle Hugh's. They were really beautiful-one all cloudy, dark-blue tulle, and silver gauze; the other, pale blue, with gold stripes flashing through it. In her floating azure robes, with her golden

hair turned back from her white forehead, and a cloudy gauze veil floating over her shoulders, Naomi looked supremely lovely; while sweet Ruth's fair face gleamed like a star on the edge of a soft night-cloud from her misty draperies. Lady Clifford seemed to take a strange pleasure in hearing about the dresses; and the day before the ball, she called me to her side.

I

'Olive,' she said, 'I have asked Sir Arthur if may add a little to the beauty of your sisters' dresses to-morrow night. He has given me leave to do what I will. Come with me, dear.'

Half expecting what was to come, I attended her through the familiar room; and then at her direction led her down the wide hall; and through many winding passages to a little dark closet off Sir Arthur's office. She gave me a bunch of keys, pointing out the one I was to use first, and then the others one by one. I opened four great iron-barred doors before I came upon a square box, which, at her bidding, I carried out and set on the desk in the office. The key which opened it hung on her watchchain; she gave it to me, and I opened the box. For the first time in my life, I saw the Clifford diamonds. There were eight trays in the box. The upper one contained the tiara, seven stars set on two glittering bands of gems. How they beamed out at me, as if glad to catch the light of day upon their glittering facets; and how they gave back light for light in that dim sombre little room, before the beautiful eyes that could not see! I could not speak for a moment, because thoughts came rushing upon me which took my breath away.

The tiara is uppermost,' Lady Clifford said, softly and sadly, her slender fingers touching the blazing jewels gently, regretfully.

I told her yes, while tears I could not restrain fell silently down my cheeks. To the blind, what worthless things are diamonds, after all! 'The necklace comes next,' she said.

I lifted the tray, and saw it. Nor could I repress a cry of wonder and admiration. It was superb. Three rows of blazing stones formed a collar for the throat; and from that collar depended nine stars, more brilliant, more gorgeous than those in the tiara. The centre star hung low in front; and from it descended three smaller ones, each vying with the other in brightness; while looped from star to star, forming a continuous festoon of flickering splendour, ran a diamond chain, like a river of light.

'Beautiful, is it not?' Lady Clifford said, with a sad smile. Yet I would give it and all the rest for a sight of your little face.' It was the only murmur of discontent or plaint I ever heard from her dear lips.

After she said it, I lost all care for the splendid jewels; their glory seemed dim, their beauty worthless. I lifted tray after tray, and looked at the glittering baubles with contempt. What were they worth, after all? Their radiance could not heal a broken heart, or purchase for their owner one moment's peace of mind.

Have you come to the last tray, Olive?' Lady Clifford said, in her gentle level voice. I told her 'yes.'

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mother, so that they are my own, to be given as I please. You'll give Naomi the star, as a little remembrance of a poor blind woman, whose darkened hours she has brightened a little. And the crescent is for my sweet Ruth. I'll send her no message, because she 'll understand. And you-you, Olive-lift the case containing the star and crescent; your gift is there.'

Apart from the rest, it lay in a case of its own, a cross of pure flame. Not diamonds this, but rubies-rubies, set in a crust of tiny diamonds, burning like living fire. I clasped my hands. 'Oh dear Lady Clifford! this is too much,' I cried, scarcely knowing what to say.

"Take the three cases; put the rest back, and come,' Lady Clifford answered, with a sad smile. 'Olive, you have helped me so long to carry my weary cross, that this shall be a token to you of my gratitude. Dear, you know whose price is above rubies; you are one of the few.' She kissed me tenderly, and we seemed to grow nearer to each other after that, than we had ever been before.

Reserving the dear lady's gifts, I put the rest of the diamonds back into their prison, and left them there. Many days went by, many changes came to us all, before I saw them again.

Ruth and Naomi went into ecstasies over their superb presents. Dear little Ruth ran up to the house to fling herself at Lady Clifford's feet, half crying, half laughing, wholly charming, in an ecstasy of delight.

I

Naomi_took her gift much more coolly. suppose I'll have them all some day,' she said. But she wrote Lady Clifford a very graceful letter; and she wore the star set in her golden hair at the ball; while Ruth's cloudlike veil fell from her sparkling crescent, and floated from her bright face like a mist behind a week-old moon.

After the ball, we seemed to slip back into the old smooth-running everyday life. Uncle Thomas came and went as usual. Sometimes I went to the Mills House and spent a few days there. Sometimes Ruth went, but never Naomi. Had uncle guessed her secret? Often I felt guilty concerning it, and yet I never had courage to ask the truth of him. Between my sister and myself, there was never a mention of Arthur Clifford's name; and yet, by some woman's instinct, I knew full well that she heard from him. Lady Clifford heard from him too. He was in Brazil, at first; then he went northward; and about a year after his departure, a letter from San Francisco told his mother he was settled in California.

Was it that spring or the next one that our brother Paul and Jack Clifford returned home? I can scarcely be certain; at anyrate, they came amongst us with the daffodils; and with the falling leaves, sweet Ruth went from us to the Hall, Jack Clifford's wife. Jack was as unlike his elder brother as two men born of the same parents could possibly be. Unlike in face, in form, in disposition; the soul of honour, truthful, straightforward, incapable of deceit, brave and daring, yet gentle as a woman. He and I were of the same age; we had been boy and girl together, and I loved him; but he was not to blame. He had his choice; and if it fell upon my sweet sister, it was no fault of his or mine.

I think Lady Clifford knew, for she grew more

loving and tender with me than ever, and now that the families were so closely linked, made me her confidante in many ways. Uncle Thomas and Uncle Hugh both added their splendid share to our dear Ruth's dower. She went to her husband nobly portioned; and the stately old baronet received her as his daughter with open arms. We all rejoiced in her joy; but I-I wore my bloodred cross in silence.

Naomi's temper did not grow sweeter for dear Ruth's happiness. I think that the contrast between the brothers was an evil thing to her, and that Ruth's perfect happiness cut her to the soul. She heard from Arthur Clifford pretty regularly, although he wrote from a different place almost every time. Now he was in Mexico, now at New York, now at Boston. Twice he wrote from some unknown place in the Far West. Once he told her he had been amongst the Mormons. Sometimes she told me little bits out of his letters, but oftener far she merely said where he was. So two years went by, and in the third year, the letters began to grow fewer and fewer at last they ceased.

She only set her red lips more proudly and held her head a little higher. No one could observe any other alteration in her lovely face or self-possessed demeanour.

I was standing one morning that year by the library window, when I saw Tom come flying up the avenue from the mills. He must have seen me before I saw him, for he came running towards me, and leaped through the open window. 'Go at once to Grange. Sir Arthur is'

I filled up the pause he made, crying out: 'Dead?' as the room seemed to spin round with me, and I reeled back into a chair.

Now, that's just the way of all you women,' cried Tom impatiently; 'going into faints all over the place, instead of having your wits about you when they're most wanted.'

His impatience roused me to a sense of all Sir Arthur's death involved. 'I am not fainting, Tom, not a bit. Tell me what I can do-tell me how.' I could hardly speak.

'There you go again. Pick yourself up, and go to the house as quick as you can. My lady is in a terrible state.'

I knew she would be stricken to the soul; and so I made an effort, and ere the news had spread far, I was at her side.

Sir Arthur's end was sudden; but for years he had known that it might come at any moment. As to his poor wife, she knew the parting could not be for very long, and she took comfort. Ruth and her husband were abroad, at Malta. Of course they came as soon as possible; but Arthur Clifford's whereabouts was not so easily discovered; that he was somewhere in the States, we fancied, but nothing more. Nor did we hear anything of him until the grass was green upon his father's grave. The Uplands was but a dull house for bright Naomi in those days, and so she made frequent long visits among our friends. She happened to be at home when Sir Arthur died; but feeling bored, as she called it, by the cloud which fell upon us all then, she went to Liverpool, as the nearest harbour of refuge from the dullness of home. Just one

month after her departure, Ruth came down to Uplands on a summer morning with a letter in

her hand.

Olive,' she said, 'I have some wonderful news to tell you. Arthur has written to his mother, telling her of his marriage.'

'O Ruth, his marriage!' I gasped. 'Yes. Why shouldn't he marry if he chooses? He is married to a Miss Almeria Scadder, a great beauty and a great heiress. They are on their way home. Here is the letter; read for your self.'

I took the paper out of her hand, and read it,

amazed. How was I to tell Naomi ?

WOLF-CHILDREN.

Is depicting the temper and disposition of the wolf, such adjectives as ruthless, cunning, and treacherous' are invariably used, and with perfect justice. It would appear, therefore, at first sight almost incredible that there should be many instances on record where children have been carried away, and instead of being devoured, as would assuredly have been the case had the marauder been a panther or leopard, they have been suckled, tended, and reared by them. Some of these have afterwards been recovered; and at this moment there exists a specimen wolf-child at Secundra, a small missionary station a few miles from Agra; so that the story of Romulus and Remus may not be so entirely without foundation as we have hitherto been led to suppose.

for some reason or other-not over-sensitiveness,
certainly, but perhaps because their carnivorous
instincts are
merely lick the child all over.
as yet comparatively dormant-
This probably,
according to the code of wolfish etiquette, is
equivalent to having eaten salt with an Arab,
and the infant is henceforth adopted by the
parent, and suckled and brought up with the
cubs. Although the human tendency is to go
on two legs, we know that even amongst ourselves
babies commence by crawling. Now, man is
essentially an imitative animal, and seeing the
wolves going on all-fours, the alien naturally
tries the same method of progression. It would
appear, however, that it has found the hands

ill-adapted for use in lieu of forefeet, and as a
in consequence of this choice, the knees too have
rule the elbows are employed for that purpose;
to be used instead of the feet, and hence horny
excrescences are usually found on both the knees
and the elbows.

wolf-children that have been captured in India, Perhaps the two subjoined true narratives of may prove interesting.

who

happened at the time to be magistrate and col-
One morning many years ago, Mr H
lector of the Etawah District, was out riding,
accompanied by a couple of sowars or mounted
road that lay in the vicinity of the ravines of
orderlies. They were passing over a portion of
the river Jumna, when two half-grown wolf-cubs
crossed their path; and following them more
which shambled along on all-fours in an extra-
slowly, came a very remarkable-looking creature,
ordinarily uncouth fashion. This turned out to
be a wolf-child. Letting the other two go un-
molested, the three men proceeded to hunt down
the human cub, and succeeded in bringing it to

Wolves as a rule prey upon the flocks and
herds of the inhabitants of the villages in whose
neighbourhood they have made their dens, and
upon such wild animals as they can hunt down
and capture. Among these latter may be men-
tioned the gazelle-antelope and the black-buck; bay. As they wished to take the creature alive,
and many and ingenious are the devices they and were altogether unwilling to hurt it in any
resort to in order to achieve their purpose. But
in the North-western Provinces of India, as about way, they found the greatest difficulty in attempt-
Agra, in Oude and Rajpootana, they are also ing to secure it; for it fought, bit, and clawed
with extreme fierceness and pertinacity; indeed,
having driven it into a corner, Mr H- and
one of the sowars had to mount guard, while
the other native proceeded to the nearest village,
and got a stout blanket, for the purpose of throw-
ing it over its head; and it was by this means
that the capture was at length effected. All the
way home, the wolf-child behaved like a mad
thing, screaming and howling, now piteously,
however, taken to Mr H's house; but it
now in a paroxysm of impotent rage.
would not be comforted, and for a long time
refused all kinds of food, including raw meat.
The creature was a boy of about nine years of
age; and it may here be stated that no female
wolf-child has ever been heard of or seen.
is not easy to assign a sufficient reason for the
fact that females have never been so discovered,
unless we suppose that, being less vigorously con-
terrible hardships of such an existence, and have
stituted, they have been unable to withstand the
very soon sickened and died.

very destructive to children. Hindus of all
classes are exceedingly superstitious regarding
the destruction of these predatory brutes, and
consider the individual who has been unfortunate
enough to shed a drop of wolf's blood, doomed
to suffer some grievous calamity. Hence, though
a government reward of three rupees per head
is offered, it is only the very lowest of all castes
-the 'Domes or Dungars,' as they are called-
who will take the trouble to snare and destroy
wolves.
These people lead a vagrant life, and
bivouac in the jungles, and have no superstitious
dread of killing any living thing.

The following hypothesis may explain how it comes to pass that so cruel and relentless an animal as the wolf should sometimes be found enacting the interesting part of foster-mother to one of the human species. A female with cubs goes prowling about in search of food for its young, and succeeds in ravishing an Indian home of its infant for that purpose. The cubs,

It was,

It

In appearance, this boy was exceedingly repulsive; his features were blunt and coarse, and

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