hat such an animal as
this would carry me to Zanzibar," and as he said this, while Selim was
on his back imitating the movements of a rider, the zebra rose to his
feet so quick that the boy had no time to throw himself off, and bounded
after the herd with the swiftness of lightning.

Kalulu uttered a cry of horror; but, recovering quickly, he drew his bow
and sent an arrow deep into the flanks of the fleeing animal.

This wound but spurred the furious and frightened beast, with his
strange rider, to quicker speed. Kalulu heard the glad neighing of the
zebra herd as they greeted the approach of their lord; he saw them
surround him, then looking suspiciously at the rider; saw them, while
furiously galloping over the park-land, run at the boy with open mouth
and drawn ears; saw them frantically kicking their heels about to the
right and left; and, while his heart stood still with fear for his white
brother's safety, he saw the herd, still chasing the ridden zebra,
vanish in the forest beyond.

Then, waking from the stupor of fear and surprise, Kalulu noted the
direction the herd had taken, he hastened back to the bivouac, where
Simba and Niani sat waiting the return of the hunters, and breathlessly
informed the astounded giant that Selim had galloped away on the back of
a zebra into the forest, and urged him to take his gun and follow him;
and, without waiting to see the effect of his words, he bounded off
again in pursuit of the flying herd.

Niani uttered a cry of sorrow, but Simba, after waiting a second to tell
him not to stir from his concealment, ran after Kalulu. Overtaking him,
they both stood for a moment under the tree where the zebra had lain
apparently dead. Kalulu pointed to the direction the herd had taken,
and without more words the two, Simba and Kalulu, braced themselves for
a run.

The soft ground showed the pursuers the traces of the hoofs which had
been fiercely struck deep into the ground, as the flanking animals
outside of the herd had charged at the rider of their lord; at the base
being who had audaciously usurped a seat no living man had a right to
claim. The pursuers noted these things as they ran, and could well have
described the fury of the herd, as they saw their noble king thus
ignominiously treated. What! they! free rovers of the virgin forest and
plain, the untamed creatures of the wilds, whose gorgeous backs and
splendid hides had never been defiled, within the memory of the olde