The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1857-09-26
How Congo Killed the llOnesS.
From +" The Young laeyers," by Aoyne Reed.

CDe
From +" The Young laeyers," by Aoyne Reed.
Congo had now become an object of as great interest
as in the morning. Greater III fact, for the new danger
be was about to undergo combat with an enraged
lioness-was accounted still greater than that of fording
the Gareep. and the interest was in proportion. With
eager eyes the young yaegers stood watching him as he
prepared himself for the encounter.
he was but a short while in getting ready. He was
seen to enter the Van Wyk wagon, and in less than
three minutes come out again fully armed and equipped.
The lioness would not have long to wait for her assailant.
The equipment of the kaHir must needs be described.
1t was simple enough, though odd to a strangers eye.
II was neither more nor less than the equipment of a
Zooloo warrior.
In his RICH, hand he held a bunch Of osseyius-in all
six of them. An assegai is straight lance Or spear,
though not to be used as one 1t is smaller than either
of these weapons, shorter and more slender in the shaft,
but like them armed with an iron head Of arrow shape.
In battle it is not retained in the hand, but flung at
the enemy, often from Il considerable distance. 1t is, in
short, a jAvelin or dart, such as was used in Europe be-
fore firearms became known, and such as at present
forms the war weapon of all the savage tribes Of South
ern Africa, but especially those Of the Kafir nations.
And well know they how to project this dangerous mis-.
sile. AT the distance Of d hundred yards they will send
it with a force as great, and an aim as unerring as either
bullet or arrow The assegai is flung by.a single arm.
Of these javelins Congo carried six, spinning their
slender shafts with his long muscular fingers. The as.
segais were not the oldest part of his equipment. That
Was IA remarkable thing which be bore on his left arm.
1t Was Of oval form, full six feet in length by about
three in width, concave on The side towards his body,
and equally convex on the HpposiSe wore fkab any
thing else did it resemble a small boat or canoe made of
skins stretched over a framework OF wood, and of such
materials Was it constructed 1t was, i'll fact, a shield,
"a Zooloo shield-rhough of somewhat larger dimen.
sions than those used i'll war. Notwithstanding it's great
size il was lar from clumsy. hut light, tight, and firm,
so much so that arrow, assegai, or bullet, striking it
upou the convex side, would have glanced off as from a
plate of steel. y pair Of strong bands fastened inside
along the bottom enabled the wea,er to move it about at
will and placed upright, with its lower end resting
upon the ground, II would have sheltered the body of
the talIest man 1t sheltered that of Congo, and Congo
was not a dwarf. Without auo her word he walked ont,
the huge curnpo.e On his left arm, five of the assegais
clutched in his left hanA, while one that he had chosen
for the first throw he held in his right This one was
grasped near the middle, and carried upon the balance.
No change had taken place i'll the situation of affairs
out upon the plain. In fact, there had not been much
time for any. Scarce five inmates had elapsed from the
time the Kadir stated his purpose until he went forth to
execute it. The lioness was still roaming about, utter.
ing her frighttul screams The hyenas were still there.
The moment katfr was seen approaching the COW
ardly hyenas fed with u howl, and soon disappeared
under the bosch. Far different with the lioness she
seemed to pay no regard to the approach OF the hunter
she neither turned her head nor looked in the direction
he was coming her whole attention was absorbed by
the mass Of bodies upon the plain. She yelled her saw
NSC oVUNo ga ~ guy Twill ouC WQ6S ~
lamenting the fate of her grim and swarthy partner, that
lay dead before her eyes. At all events, she did not
seem to notice the hunter, until be had got within twenty
PAGES of the spot At that distance the KaHir halted,
rested his huge shield upon the ground-still holding
it erect-poised the assegai IA moment in his right hand,
aud then sent it whizzing through the air.
1t pierced the side Of the tawny brute, and hung
quivering between her ribs. Only for a moment. The
fierce animal doubled round upon herself, caught the
shaft in her teeth, and broke it off as if it had been a
straw! Tie blade Of the assegai still remained in the
flesh, but the lioness waited M longer. She had now
perceived her enemy, and uttering a vengeful scream,
she sprang towards him. With one tremendous bound
she cleared three fourths of the space that lay between
them, and a second would have carried her upon the
shoulders Of the Kadir; but the latter was prepared to
receive her, and as she rose to her second leap, he dis.
appeared suddenly from the scene -a
As if by magic he had vanished, and had not the boys
been watching his every movement, they would have
been at n loss to know what had become Of HIM but
they knew that under the oval convex form, whose edges
rested upon the earth, lay Congo the Kaf6r. There lay
he, like \ tortoise in its shell, clutching the straps with
all his might, AMI pressing his carapace firmly against
the ground !!
The lioness was more astonished than the spectators.
At the second leap she pitched right down upon the
shield, but the drum-ike noise made by her weight, and
the hard firm substance encountered by her claws, quite
Disconnected her, and s~pringing aside she stood gazing
at the odd object with looks Of alarm !! o
She stood but for a moment, and then uttering a saw
age growl Of disappointment, turned tail upon it and
trotted off This growl guided Congo. The shield was
raised from the ground-only on one side, and but q
little way at Grst-just enough toenable the hunter to:ssee
the retreating lion, when he rose quietly to his feet, and
holding the shield erect, quickly cast a second assegai,
which pierced the animal in the flank, where shaft and
all remained sticking in the flesh. The lioness turned
with redonbled fury, once more charged upon her assail-
ant, and as before, was met by the hard convex surface
of the shield. This time she did not Immediately re-
treat, but stool menacing the strange object, striking it
with her clawed hoofs and eudeavoring to turn 1t over.
Hal the lioness succeeded in making a capsize, it would
have been all up with him, poor fellow But he knew
the danger, and with one hand clutching the leather
straps, and the other bearing upon the edge of the frame,
he was able to hold firm aud close.
After venting her rage III several iwpotent attempts
to break or overturn the carapace, the lioness at length
went growing away to her former position. Congo was
soon upon his feet, another assegai whistled through the
air, aud pierced through the ne,k Of the lioness
But, ~ before, the wound was not fatal, and the AMI
NAL new enraged 70 . frenzy, charged once more upon
her assailant. So rapid was her advance that it was
with difficulty Congo got under cover. A moment later,
and his ruse would have failed, for the claws OF the lion.
ess ratified upon the shield AS it descended. He sue
ceeded, however, in planting himself firmly, and was