The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1857-09-26
How lun.O allied tk1e R.lOneSS.
F,om" The Yang laeyers," by Moyne r.

Eom :" The Touny laeyes,' by Moyne Reed.
Congo had new become an object of as great interest
a. in the morning. Greater III fact, for the new danger
he was about to undergo--a 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.
lie was but = short while in getting ready. He was
seen to enter the Van Wyk wagon, and in less than
three minutes come cut again fully armed and equipped.
The lioness would not have long to wait for her assailant.
The equipment OF the kaf:r must needs be described.
1t was simple enough, though odd to a strangers eye.
Il was neither more nor less than the equipment OF a
Zooloo warrior.
In his RICH, hand he held d bunch Of o<seyios-in all
six of them. An assegai is straight lance or spear,
though not to be used az 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 band, but flung at
tie enemy, often from a considerable distance. 1t is, 10
short. a j.yelin 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
EN- Africa, but especially those - the Katir nations.
And we'll know they how TO project this dangerous mis-.
sil.. At ;he distance Of Il hundred yards they will send
it With a i"ree as great, ANA an aim as unerring as either
bullet OF arrow The assssai is flung by a single arm.
Of th, sc javeilns Congo carried six, spinning their
slender shafts with his long muscular fingers. The az.
sega's were aot the oidest part of his equipment. That
Was il remarkable thing which be bore Oh his left arm.
II vas u oval form, full six feet in length by about
three IL width, coDcaye On The side towards his body,
ana equally convex on The opposite. Wore than any
thing else did il ress mhle Il snaii boat or canoe made of
skins stretched over s irenIewu rk OF wood, and of such
materials Was it constructed 1t Was, iii fact, a shield,
"a Zooloo shield-tloush Of somewhat larger dimen-
siuiis than tliuse used il war. Not Withstanding its great
SIZE il was :t tr IN clumsy. Ia: light, tight, and frm,
80 much - that arrow. a>s.1ai, or bullet. striking ii
pou The cJny.x SIDE, wouid have glanced off as from a
Oia:6 Of steel. i BAR IT :truf;It hands fastened inside
along the hofrs'n enabled the veal er Ia move II about at
will aul paced upright, win It's lower end resting
upon the groan., II w'uii ua,e sheltered the body Of
the tal,st man II sheltered 'Gar vi congo, and Congo
was uot a dwarf. Withnut ato le5 word he walked ont,
the huge ro<opo.e on liz lttt arm, five Of The assegais
clntched in his left !anA, while QUE that ne had chosen
for the first throw he held III h< right This one vas
graspei near the middle. ant carried upon the balance.
No change had taken pIacc i'll the situation of affairs
out upnu the plain. In fact, there had not been much
time for any. Sc irct five minutes had elapsed from the
time the Kafir stated hs r.rp 4e until he went forth to
execute 1t. The lioness Wa still roaming about, utter.
ing her ~frighttul Sc rea'us The hyeuas were still there.
The moment katif Vas seen approaching the COW
ard!y hyehas fled with i howl, and soon disappeared
under the bosch. Fax different with the lioness she
seemed TO pay IA" regard 10 the approach of the hunter
she neither turned her head nor looked in the direction
hr was coming her whole attention was absorbed by
the mass Of bodies upon the plan. She yelled her saw
aye notes rs sme regarded them She was, no doubt,
hiieHtluS tUt litc III HT Eiiul aii SWa:tuy partner, tnat
lay dead before her eyes AZ all events, she did not
seem to notice the hunter, until he had got within twenty
PAGES of the spot At that distance the Kaf6r halted.
rested his huge SHELF upon the grouni-stil holding
it erect poised tie assegai a moment in his right hand,
and then sent it whizzing through the air.
1t pierced the side Of the tawny brute, aud hung
quivering between her ribs. Only for a moment. The
fierce animal doubled round upon herself, caught the
shaft i'll her teeth, aud broke 1t off as if it hal been a
straw Tie blade Of the a~.egai still remained in the
flesh, but he lione-s waited so longer. She had now
perceived her enemy, aud u,icring a vengeful scream,
she Sprang towards him. With one tremendous bound
she cleared three fourths of the space that lay between
them, and n second would have carried her upon the
shoulders of the Kafir but the latter was prepared to
receive her. and "a she rose to her second leap, he dis
appeared suddenly from the scene.
As if by lsagic he had vanished, and had not the boys
been watching his every movement, they would have
been at u 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 Kafhr. There lay
ne, Ike 4 tortoise in It's shell. c~lutching the straps with
all his might, anu pressing his carapace firmly against
the ground
The Iioncss was more s~stonished than the spectators.
At the second leap she pitche.! right down upon the
shield, out the drum-likc noise made by her weight, and
The hard firm substance encountered by her claws, quite
Disconnected her, and springing aside she stood gazing
at the odd object with looks Of alarm!
She stood but for a moment, and then uttering a saw
age growl Of disappointment, turned tail upon 1t and
trotted off This growi guided Congo. The shield was
raised from the ground-only on one side, and but a
little way at = just enough toenable the hunter to::see
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 ~ before, was met by the hard convex surface
of the shield. This time she did no, Immediately re-
treat, but Stool menacing thu strange object, striking it
with her clawei hrpfs an! en}eavoring to turn it over,
Hal the lioness succeeded in making Il capsize, it would
have been all up with him, poor fellow But he knew
the danger, AMI with one liant c~lutching the leather
straps, and the other bearing upon the edge of the frame,
he was able % hold firm AMI close.
After venting her rage ~ several impoient attempts
10 break on overturn the carapace. the loness at length
went growing away 10 her former position. Congo was
soon upon HIS feet, another as.egt' wllstled through the
air, and pierced through the heel Of the iloness
But, us bef,re, the wound wn- not fatal, and the AMI
nal now euraged 70 u frenzy, charco! once more upon
her assailant So rapid was her advance that 1t wa
with difficulty Congo 90, under cover. A moment later,
and his ruse would have failed, for the claws OF the lion.
esq ratified upon the shield AS It descended. He suo-
ceedea, however, in planting hi@sef firmly, and was