It was the strangest funeral
procession that ever a man saw!
While the grave was being prepared in the underground cemetery where we
had witnessed the interment of the first victim of our pistols, Henry and
I remained as a sort of guard of honor for Juba in the lower of the two
great chambers which have been described in the earlier chapters of this
history, and there a most singular thing occurred. We were startled by a
low whining, and looking about saw one of the doglike creatures which
appeared to be the only inhabitants of the caverns except the natives
seated on its haunches close to the coffin, and exhibiting exactly the
signs of distress that a dog sometimes displays over its dead master.
That we were taken aback by this scene I need not assure you. We had
never observed, during our former visit, that either Juba or any of his
people was followed by these creatures; in fact, they had always fled at
our approach, and we had paid little attention to them.
But now, if the poor animal could have spoken, he could not more plainly
have told us that, by means of the mysterious instinct which beings of
his kind possess, he had recognized the presence of his old master, and
was mourning for him.
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