Miss Caprice

that the blood is chilled in the listeners' veins. Cries are heard down the steep street; cries

he declivity ending only at the water. It is a bustling street at all hours, with loungers, business men,

ady Ruth, as she looks bre

of the excitement. They see people running m

ire!" suggests the colon

see the smoke," decla

st crazed. I've seen such a sight in Chicago, when a wild Texan steer g

point at something as they run! Loo

e to appear, they fail to notice t

n to reappear below, as though the danger were past,

s and behold the crowd of commissionaires dashing headlong f

d finally in English. They hear him now, and no wonder the blood runs

save the ladies! To the

o they see? Advancing up the middle of the inclined street, turning aside for neither king nor peasant, comes a great

with horror to the spot. Fortunately

e shoulder, and drags him along in

he bite of a mad dog is. Haven't I seen a bitten man so furious tha

ace, and the dog, mad or not, that overtakes Aunt Gwen and her infant must be a rapid traveler, indeed. Thus

cavaliers to hurry her to a place of safety. Besides, after that one

ch arm; and if every one in the path of the mad brute were as w

safety is assured, for the hospitab

ded them, for they seem to

onel, who appears intensely

kly, I beg,

t look, impelled by an unknown power-turns,

and instinctively guessing, also cast a glance in

hough not moving out of the straight line in the center of the street

oldier, who has led forlorn hopes in the Zulu war, and performed prodigies of valor on

Just in front and directly in the line of the dog's advance

with his curly black head and half-naked

g of the clamor around until, chancing to look up, he sees

s one never t

every one w

of any kind. A peculiar paralysis a

en the form of a native woman, who w

ity her! to be an eye-wit

roudly declared that no English woman ever asked a favor tha

ing!" her pall

ouple of tottering steps forward, and t

ot," he

e aught in this world that Englishmen dare not imitate, and indeed they generally lea

ls. With that mother's shrieks in her ears, what can she think of a man who will hesitate t

ime before positively refused to risk h

she hope

n Craig is no longer there, though three

kneeling child. A shout that proceeds from a strong pair of lungs, and is intended to turn the attention of the brute toward th

n bounding to meet the maddened brut

may be. He has seen more than one hydrophobia patient meet

ght too cowardly to crawl out along that bleak r

which success will bring him. That mother's shriek of agony rings in his ears, and

tion inspires his action now, for he could never look into her dear eyes again, except in a shame-f

m his coat-sleeve. It is not the act of thou

ck motion he whirls it around, so

purpose, and realize that he means

ps a quarter of a minute has elapsed since Lady R

young medical student snatches the boy away, and throws him to the rear. The child rolls over and over,

to turn and fly, and pic

g is u

drop on his knee, and th

d they are many, hold thei

Lady Ruth, wringing her clas

ffer his bound arm to the beast, and tho

John Craig throws himself forward, his whole effort

teran hunter when met by a fierce pa

that his powerful strength would warrant, but is at once borne backward, nor c

s must be a terrible thing, and th

hey know his other hand has sought the animal's

people watch the dreadful conflict from windows, and ba

e is of bri

his soul to prevent this mad beast from injuring others l

he brute's throat, and in a few m

ess in the roadway. The smallest child in Valetta may play on the street n

nger is past, p

them with wild eyes and disheveled hair; a form that pounces upon the lit

e mother o

ho slew the dog, others to gaze upon the horrible spect

e seen a warmth of keenest admiration, such as poor Blunt failed to receive when

sh blunder I made. See! these people look upon you as a hero, for you ris

are enough to send any man into

a set look is upon his fac

little fellow w

gasps, a sudd

, and then rolls up his shirt-sleeve, to disclose to her horrified e