ough bears would occasionally visit the
buildings nearest to the woods, no other penetrated into the heart of
the town as I did. It had a curious fascination for me, and gradually I
grew so much at home, that even when a man came through the buildings
towards me, I only slipped out of his way round a corner, and--for man's
sight and smell are both miserably bad compared with ours--he never had
a suspicion that I was near.

On the third or fourth night I had gone nearer to the lighted buildings
than I had ever been before, when I heard a sound that made me stop dead
and throw myself up on my haunches to listen. Yes, there could be no
doubt of it! It was Kahwa's voice. Anyone who did not know her might
have thought that she was angry, but I knew better. She was making
exactly the noise that she used to make when romping with me, and I knew
that she was not angry, but only pretending, and that she must be
playing with someone. I suppose I ought to have been glad that she was
alive and happy enough to be able to play, but it only enraged me and
made me wonder who her playmates might be. Then gradually the truth, the
incredible truth, dawned upon me. Truly incredible it seemed at first,
but there could be no doubt of it. _She was playing with man._

I could hear men's voices speaking to her as if in anger, and then I
heard her voice and theirs in turn again, and at last I recognized that
their anger was no more real than hers. The sounds came from where the
lights were brightest, and it was long before I could make up my mind to
go near enough to be able to see. At last, however, I crept to a place
from which I could look out between two buildings, keeping in the deep
shade myself, and I can see now every detail of what met my eyes as
plainly as if it was all before me at this minute.

There was a building larger than those around it, with a big door wide
open, and from the door and from the windows on either side poured
streams of light out into the night. In the middle of the light, and
almost in front of the door, was a group of five or six men, and in the
centre of the group was Kahwa, tied to a post by a chain which was
fastened to a collar round her neck. I saw a man stoop down and hold
something out to her--presumably something to eat--and then, as she came
to take it from the hand which he held out, he suddenly drew it away and
hit her on the side of the head with his other hand. He did not hit hard
enough to hurt