cultivated spots called oases, interspersed in various parts of this great desert, like islands in the ocean. These serve as watering-places, as well as occasions for feeding, resting, and refreshing the hardy and patient camels.

Many years ago a very large caravan of this kind, proceeding from Timbuctoo to Tafilet, was disappointed in not finding water at one of the usual watering-places, when, as a result, the whole outfit, consisting of two thousand persons, and one thousand eight hundred camels, perished from thirst. Accidents of this nature account for the large number of bones of men and camels which have been found in various parts of the desert.

THE FABLED CAMEL

WHAT is known as the fabled camel was no doubt a real camel once, and his history has come down to us as an illustration of many another usurper, encroacher, and interloper. It should not be forgotten. Freely told, it runs thus:

Once upon a time a camel, owned by an Arab, poked his nose into his master's tent. The goodnatured Arab made no remonstrance. Soon the camel put a leg in, and a little later another leg. Then came half his body.

"Look here," said the Arab, "I'm a goodnatured chap, but this happens to be my tent. Suppose you move on."

"Honorable sir," replied the camel by his actions, winking his left eye, "you are honorably mistaken. This was your tent, but henceforth it shall shelter me. It is you who will move on.” Whereupon he winked the other eye, and crowded his whole body in, thus forcing the Arab out.

We cannot trifle with usurpers. Their first encroachments must be resisted. Given an inch, they take an ell, and finally dominate everything.

ONE day a mother doe was seen in full flight before two dogs in the Aigle woods that forms a part of the forest of Chantilly, France. The doe was accompanied by a very young fawn which appeared quite exhausted and ready to drop. The mother, doubtless well aware of this, slackened her pace and presently stopped close to some thick bramble bushes. She remained some time there with lowered head as if awaiting the onset of her pursuers.

Suddenly an idea seemed to strike her, and with a butt of the head she tossed her fawn right

into the middle of the thicket. Then first advancing gently as if to make sure it was well hidden, she soon set off by rapid bounds in front of the dogs. While they were now barking close upon her heels, she made a sudden bend, and thus drew them far from the spot where she had left her fawn.

The howling of the dogs became fainter and fainter, the valiant animal having doubtless led them far away into the Canardiere peat-bogs, where the dogs often lose the scent.

Later they were seen returning to the village, from which they came, in an exhausted condition, while the intelligent mother doubtless returned to the bushes to find the little fawn she had so cleverly hidden and placed in safety.

A FRIGHTENED HYENA

A MR. ANDERSON was traveling alone through the jungles of South Africa a few years ago. In order to protect himself he built a fire at his place of encampment each night to scare the hyenas away.

He woke up one night; the fire was low, and he beheld the glaring eyes of one of these animals upon him not far away. Just his eyes could be seen through the darkness.

There was no time to be lost. He must act quickly. As a bold resort he decided not to fear it, but to yell and kick furiously under his blankets. The expedient worked splendidly.

The last he saw of the animal it was retreating as rapidly as possible into the darkness.

THE BADGER A CHICKEN-THIEF

AN Illinois farmer noticed that every now and then some of his chickens were disappearing, but he did not know what became of them; whether a skunk, a weasel, or an owl was catching them and making away with them.

One day, however, he was mowing the tall grass and weeds that had grown up on a small patch of land near the barnyard, when a large, fat badger came out from a hole under an old stump and ran at him and chattered menacingly at him with his teeth. He ran at the children and other members of the family also when they came out to see him.

Finding chicken bones and feathers near the stump, the farmer readily understood where his chickens had gone, and soon dispatched the badger, and hung his skin up on the side of the barn to dry.

Animals that destroy poultry are a menace.