to study their nature and habits, for Q., although the very best of fellows, was not in the line of scientific pursuits. Nevertheless, snakes he had galore ;-snakes in casks, snakes in boxes, snakes in baskets; huge pythons, slender whip-snakes, eel-like water snakes, long brown ugly rat-snakes; in fine all sorts and conditions of snakes. Puffadders and rattlesnakes he could not procure, as the country did not produce them; the tic polonga (Daboia elegans), common enough, and a deadly ophis of the viper tribe, he for some reason or other, best known to himself, fought shy of. But he compensated for the loss of this venomous gentleman, by keeping whole broods of equally poisonous brother Cobras, from the infants as they emerged from the shell, up to the parents and grandparents of the family-old hoary maters and paterfamiliases, with deeply-patched and mottled skins, and with spectacle-marked hoods, big enough for a doctor of laws. Well, with these reptiles generally Q. juggled, making armlets and necklets of his smaller subjects, and converting himself into a regular Laocoon with the bigger ones, though by the way, no friends were ever intrepid enough to personate that unhappy priest's sons. Periodically from the Cobra's jaws he pulled out the fangs, just as Mr. Blank had got the Cinghalese operator to do; and then, on the vantage ground that the grooved wound-inflicting teeth were gone, and the poison could not be injected, he trifled and toyed with these dangerous favourites. One day he had some visitors, ladies among them, to see his exhibition, and he was cleverer and more expert than ever, more to their horror than amusement. But in the midst of playing with a half-grown excited Cobra, whose eyes were sparkling, whose tongue was darting with hisses, in and out of its mouth, and whose hood was out-spread to the utmost, his hand got too close to the snake and it struck him just between the finger and thumb, making two very small pin-pointed punctures. He only gave the beast a tap, and went on with his performances. But after a few moments he suddenly turned ghastly pale, a heavy perspiration covered his forehead, he almost fainted away, and in the most anxious and distressing tones said, "I am a dead man-that Cobra's fangs have not been extracted since I had him." And then, what between intense alarm, and the "potent poison" rapidly "o'ercrowing his spirit," every one thought that poor Q.

The first dealt boldly with the scalpel, and at great risk to himself sucked the wound; had there been the least abrasion or scratch on his lips, his life would also have been endangered. When the other quickly arrived some further means were adopted, and after many hours of never-to-be-forgotten anxiety, they had the satisfaction of seeing the poison symptoms diminish, and ultimate recovery take place.

But right and left the serpents were slain, and, after his very narrow shave, Q. eschewed further acquaintance with the snake race.

M., a puisne judge of a West African settlement, possessed among his lares and penates an elegant leopard, which in its early days of cubhood a native chief had given him. Education-not without much stick-had taught the beast a considerable amount of docility; it would gambol and play with its master, but with others its temper was uncertain. Generally a small negro boy led it about by a thin collar and cord, but often it was wanting in even that feeble restraint. My first introduction to this feline was at a dinner party, at which M. was entertaining some of the European male society of the little town, and I admit that I did not feel quite at ease when shortly after the meal began a spotted animal, about the size of a small donkey, bounded into the room and jumped upon mine host, putting his heavy paws upon his shoulder, licking his face, and showing to the company not only a particularly red tongue, but a set of large, strong, hungry-looking incisor teeth. M. fed Jol-for so he was called after the Joliff donor-with morsels from his plate; but none of us paid him similar attention. Asked why such a powerful and but semi-tamed creature was allowed so much dangerous liberty, and whether he had ever abused it, the African Rhadamanthus, who hailed from the Sister Isle, replied, "Faith! the baste is roight enuf if he be trated on the squeer (square). Betimes he has been a troyfle playful, and loike most of us has had his lark, taking boite and sip of native flesh and blud; but that's neither here nor there in this counthry, where the troibe is as plentifool as pase. He has niver yet, I belave, tasted a whoite man; maybe he'd relish him bether-eh, Jol?" This was, of course, only chaff; but it did not make most of us happier, and I for one was particularly pleased when the leopard made its exit.

was gone.

river route there were the judge and his alter ego, Mr. Jol, going up, as the lesser evil to remaining behind minus his master. True, he was caged; but in so small a vessel even such proximity was undesirable, and we soon found out that "a life on the ocean wave" did not tend to sweeten the brute's temper. Growls and snarls issued constantly from him, and more particularly when the Kroomen (native sailors) passed and repassed his den. One evening we anchored close alongside a wooded island to wait for the flood tide, and Jol, the judge, and the boy keeper, landed for a run; so did others, but not I. Timeo Danaos, I have a wholesome dread of Jol enjoying himself on that Gambia isle. But no sooner are the shore-goers on terra firma than loud and piercing cries, such as no man makes but in his agony, are heard, and these are followed by angry shouts from M.'s voice and heavy strokes from his whip. Then a Krooman comes panting and howling down to the river's edge, jumps in, swims the few strokes that separate him from the ship, scrambles up the side, and presents himself to me much lacerated and bleeding from deep tears and bites. Jol, the inflicter, shortly follows, his face and claws betraying him. There are questions as to his being cast adrift then and there; but as the judge is a man of mark in these parts, as he is strangely moved at the prospect of parting with his ferocious favourite, as, moreover, it is proved that Lord Cardigan-all the Kroomen have soubriquets bestowed on them by English sailors- gave the first offence, and, more than all, as many good Mexican dollars are forthcoming to salve his lordship's wounds, why, Jol proceeds with us in durance vile until we reach our destination, and where I see him no more. Subsequently I heard that, having committed further assaults not quite so easily compensated, and which had brought M. before a brother judge's tribunal, a rifle shot had put an end to Mr. Jol's career.

So long as Captain B. was himself present to look after that large black shaggy bear, which he kept chained under a margosatree in the garden of his bungalow adjoining mine in an Indian station, Peter-the beast -was not too obtrusive a neighbour. Certainly I never went near him, as did some, to

receive his affectionate hugs; I never fed him with honey, or supplied him with white ants, for which he had a marvellous liking; and as certainly I never got the scratches or bruises which others showed from these rough embraces. But when the bold dragoon left, and Bruin got into other ownership, though still in the same domicile, either he missed his quondam master, or something or other changed his nature altogether. Instead of mere scratches, the effects of play, people got rents more or less severe, the results of rage. He was always breaking away from his tether, wandering in the bazaars, and making raids on fruit and vegetable stalls. He became so riotous and troublesome that complaints were rife against him. A story, not without foundation, was current, that after a symposium at mess, an officer of the Hussars found Peter in his bedroom, he having taken advantage of the situation by tearing up the bedclothes, breaking the nightlamp, and supping off the castor-oil with which that light was supplied. Anotherless credible-that a chokerah (small boy) expecting his mother with his evening meal, had, in the gloom of a dark verandah, mistaken the squatting bear for the black and aged materfamilias, and had been clawed and punished for the unflattering compliment, the four-footed animal being the more gainly of the two. Be this as it may, the creature became a regular wanderer, and wherever he strolled, if obstructed, he left his mark.

One hot dry-season night there was an outcry that the bear was again loose, and the women and children of the Parcherry (the quarters of the married troopers) were hurrying and scurrying about, and crying and screaming with alarm. While the hubbub was at its highest a lady came face to face with Peter, as, mad with rage at being chased and worried, he was making a short cut through our drawing-room,into the road. He passed almost within touching distance, and although his blood was up he did her no harm. But he did a vast deal of mauling and maiming among coolies and others that evening, before the carbines and pistols of the horsemen, and the sticks and staves of the local police, put an end to his existence, and converted his carcass into steaks and hams.

ΤΗ

CHAPTER XLIV.-THE PRISONER.

HE sudden noise overhead and the hurried tramp of the men on deck were startling enough; but surely there was nothing to alarm her in the calm and serious face of this man who stood before her. He did not advance to her. He regarded her with a sad tenderness-as if he were looking at one far away. When the beloved dead come back to us in the wonder-halls of sleep, there is no wild joy of meeting. There is something strange. And when appear again, there is no surprise dull aching returns to the heart.

they disonly the

"Gertrude," said he, "you are as safe here as ever you were in your mother's arms. No one will harm you."

"What is it? What do you mean?" said she quickly.

She was somewhat bewildered. She had not expected to meet him thus suddenly face to face. And then she became aware that the companion-way by which she had descended into the saloon had grown dark that was the meaning of the harsh noise.

"I want to go ashore, Keith," said she, hurriedly. "Put me on shore. I will speak to you there."

"You cannot go ashore," said he calmly. "I don't know what you mean," said she; and her heart began to beat hurriedly. "I tell you I want to go ashore, Keith. I will speak to you there."

"You cannot go ashore, Gertrude," he repeated. "We have already left Erith. Gerty, Gerty," he continued, for she was struck dumb with a sudden terror, "don't you understand now? I have stolen you away from yourself. There was but the one thing left the one way of saving you. And you will forgive me, Gerty, when you understand it all

She was gradually recovering from her terror. She did understand it now. And he was not ill at all? "Oh, you coward !-you coward!-you coward!" she exclaimed, with a blaze of fury in her eyes. "And I was to confer a kindness on you-a last kindness! But you dare not do this thing-I tell you, you dare not do it! I demand to be put on shore at once. Do you hear me?"

She turned wildly round, as if to seek for some way of escape. The door in the ladies'

The right of translation is reserved.

cabin stood open; the daylight was streaming down into that cheerful little place; there were some flowers on the dressing-table. But the way by which she had descended was barred over and dark.

She faced him again; and her eyes were full of fierce indignation and anger; she drew herself up to her full height; she overwhelmed him with taunts, and reproaches, and scorn. That was a splendid piece of acting, seeing that it had never been rehearsed. He stood unmoved before all this theatrical rage.

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Oh, yes, you were proud of your name," she was saying, with bitter emphasis, "and I thought you belonged to a race of gentlemen, to whom lying was unknown. And you were no longer murderous and revengeful; but you can take your revenge on a woman, for all that! And you ask me to come and see you, because you are ill! And you have laid a trap-like a coward!"

And if I am what you say, Gerty," said he, quite gently, "it is the love of you that has made me that. Oh, you do not know!"

She saw nothing of the lines that pain had written on this man's face; she recognised nothing of the very majesty of grief in the hopeless eyes. He was only her jailer, her enemy.

"Of course-of course," said she. "It is the woman- -it is always the woman who is in fault! That is a manly thing-to put the blame on the woman! And it is a manly thing to take your revenge on a woman! I thought when a man had a rival that it was his rival whom he sought out. But youyou kept out of the way——”

He strode forward, and caught her by the wrist. There was a look in his face that for a second terrified her into silence.

"Gerty," said he, "I warn you. Do not mention that man to me-now or at any time; or it will be bad for him and for you." She twisted her hand from his grasp. "How dare you come near me!" she cried.

"I beg your pardon," said he, with an instant return to his former grave gentleness of manner. "I wish to let you know how you are situated, if you will let me, Gerty. I don't wish to justify what I have done; for you would not hear me just yet. But this I must tell you, that I don't wish to force myself on your society. You will do as you

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