"Did I ever tell you?" he asked, as he puffed at his long black Principe, "about an adventure I had in Africa a few years ago? No? Well, I see Paderewski is coming to Houston soon, and the story may not be inapropos. You have all heard Paderewski's wonderful hair spoken of, of course. Well, very few people know how he came by it. This is how it was. A few years ago, some of us made up a party to go lion hunting in Africa. There was Nat Goodwin, Paderewski, John L. Sullivan, Joe Pulitzer, and myself. That was before any of us had acquired fame, but we were all ambitious, and everyone of us needed the rest and recreation we were taking. We were a congenial, jolly crowd, and had a rattling good time on the trip. When we landed we hired guides, and stocked up with provisions and ammunition for a month's trip into the Zambesi country. "We were all anxious to kill a lion, and we penetrated into quite a wild and unexplored region. "We had great times at night over our camp fire, chatting and chaffing one another, and thoroughly enjoying ourselves. "Paderewski was the only member of our party who had been making money. It was just about the time there was such a furor about his playing, and he had plied up quite a neat sum from his piano recitals. "One day Goodwin, Sullivan, Paderewski and I were loafing around camp just before dinner. We had been out hunting all the morning without success. Pulitzer had not yet shown up. Goodwin and Sullivan got into a dispute about the proper way to dodge and counter a certain upper cut made famous by Heenan. You know Nat Goodwin is quite an athlete himself, and handles his hands like a professional. Paderewski was always a quiet sort of fellow, but amiable and well liked by everyone. He was sitting on the stump of a banyan tree gazing into the distance with a dreamy look in his magnetic eyes. I was loading some cartridges, and not paying much attention until I heard Sullivan and Goodwin raise their voices in quite an angry dispute. "'If I had a pair of gloves, I'd soon prove I am right,' said Nat. "'I wish you had,' said John. 'In a minute you wouldn't know anything.' "'You couldn't stand up two minutes before a man who knew the first principles of boxing,' said Goodwin. 'Your weight and your rush are the only points in your favor.' "'If we just had some gloves!' said John, grinding his teeth. * * * * * "They both turned and looked at Paderewski as if by common consent. "Paderewski at that time had coal black hair, as smooth and straight as an Indian's, that hung down his back in a thick mass. "Sullivan and Goodwin sprang upon him at the same time. I don't know which of them did it, but there was the flash of a knife, and in two seconds Paderewski was scalped as neatly as a Comanche Indian could have done it.