The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1875-09-16
Lions at Dinner.

Ihe following Interesting account OF
lions dinner is from entitled Large Game
III Southeastern Africa" =
Perhaps the most beautiful sight that [
ever saw in connection with them was on a
morning when | went out to hunt with one
bearer at dawn. l had not gone far from
camp, and, most carelcssly, my gun was till
unloaded while / was examining some buf-
falo spoor, when upon looking up, | saw
my gun-bearor, who had my cartridges,
running away at full speed. Knowing that
he must have seen something to frighten
him SO, did not shout but went to were
he had been standing, few yards ahead,
and there, sure enough, not twenty yards
off were a pair of lions they were both
full grown and the male had an immense
name, altogether as handsome pair as ever
| saw. The lioness was rolling on her back,
playfully striking out at her lord and mas
ter with her fore paws like kitten, while
he stood gravely and majestically looking
on. stopped moment to watch them,
though the ground was quite open, and
they must have seen me If they looked
around, and then [ rushed off after my
Kaffr to load. The position they were in
was good, and might have killed one to
certainty, if not both but when had sue
ceeded in getting him down from big tree
and went back they were both gone. | sup
pose they must have got our wind. No
doubt they had been hunting all night, and
been down to the river to drink prepara-
tory to going to bed.
once had the pleasure of, unobservcd
myself, Watching lion family feeding. was
encamped on the Black Unifolsi, Zululand,
and towards evening, expecting a friend, L
went out to meet him, and enstead of tax
ing gun, which | should have done nine
ty-ninc times out of Il hundred, | only took
up one of the Kaffir's spears, not intend
iny to 80 over a couple Of hundred yards.
However, not meeting my friend L went
about Il half a mile from camp, | saw herd
of zebras galloping toward me, and when
they were nearly two hundred yards off, |
saw yellow body flash towards the leader,
and saw him fall heneath the lion's weight.
There was a tall tree about sixty yards from
the place, and anxious to see what went on, L
stalked up to it, while the lion was too
much occupied to look about him, and
climbed up He had by this time quite
killed the beautifully striped animal, but
instead of proceeding to eat it, he got up
and roared vigorously, until there was an
answer, and in a few minutes a lioness, ac-
companied by four whclps, came trotting
UP from the same direction as the zebra,
which no doubt she had gone to drive to-
wards her husband. They formed fine
picture as they all stood around the carcass,
the whelps tearing and biting at it but un-
able to get through the tough skin. Then
the lion lay down, and the lioness, driving
her offspring before her, did the same, four
or five yards off, upon which he got up and
commenced to eat, and had soon finished
hind lee, retiring a few yards on one side
as soon as he had done so. The llonesS
came up next, and tore the carcass to shreds,
bolting huge mouthfulls, but not objecting
to the wheps eating as they could lind.
There was good deal Of snarlng among
| the Young lions and occasionally a stand up
! fight for minute, but their mother did
not take any notice Of them, except to give
them a smart blow with her paw If they
got in her way At last one Of the whelps,
having probably eaten as much as 1t could
gorge, began to wander about, and IN few
minutes came my way. Seeing it so near,
the idea of catching it entered my head,
and descending to the lower branch | waited
till it came underneath and dropped down
over it, Selling it with both hands ; but
had counted without my host the little
beast snarled and bit and tore my bare arms
in such fashion that | was glad to fling 1t
away and scuttle up tree as fast as could
out of the way of the cnraged mother, who
was coming down at full gallop, her tai
carried out straight behind and looking the
very personifcation Of fury. She rushed
right against the tree in her blind fury, and
then running up, glared at me, and roarec
terribly | might easily enough have sem
my spear into her, but as there was not The
faintest chance of killing her, and it woul(
answer no useful purpose, | rctralned, anC
watched her instead as she flew at her oft
spring, and drove it, yelling at her rouSl
treatment, towards the others. There wa
now left of the zebra but a few bones, which
hundreds of vulturcs were circllng roun'
waiting to pick, while almost an equal mum
Der hoped awkwardIy on the ground with
in fifty or sixty yards Of it and the Who'll
lion family walked quietly away, the Homes
leading, and the lion, often turning III
head to see that they were not followed
bringing up the rear.