The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-01-21
A PERILOUS VOYAGE.
Going Down the Rapids with a Lion for a
Companion.

AS | neared the bank, saw that the
river was in full food, more than
twice its usual breadth, and running
like a mill-race. knew at once that
should have n very tough job to get
acrossy-for u flooded African river is
no Joke, can tell you. But | knew
also, that my wife would be terribly
anxious if | didn't come back on the
day | had fXcd-South Africa being
II place where good many things may
happen TO mainland SO determined
to chance it.
Just at the waters edge | found an
old Bushman that | knew well, who
had boat of his own, so hailed him
ut once.
"Well, Kaloomi, what will you take
to put ne across the river?'
"No 90 fifty dollars this time, baas'
(master,D said the old fellow, in his
half Dutch, half English argon.
"Boat no get cross to-day water
groed!" (great)
And never bit could | persuade
him, although offered him money
enough to make any ordinary Bush
man jump head first down Il prccipice
Money was good he said, but it would
be no use TO him when he was drown
ed, and, in short, he wouldn't bulge.
"Well, if you won't put me across"
said at last, "lend me your boat, and
Pll Just 90 the Job for myself: cam +
very well take my horse with me, SO
III pay for the boat when | come
back"
keep horse for you, master, quite
willing; but 'sp0se you try cross to-
day you never come back to ask for
him.
He spoke so positively that, although
I'm not easily frightened, | certainly
did feel rather uncomfortable. How
ever, when you've got to do a thing Of
that sort, the less you think Of it the
better, SO jumped into the boat and
showed off.
had barely got clear of the shore
when | found that the old fellow was
right, for the boat shot down the
stream like an arrow. | saw in a mo-
ment that there was no hope Of pad
ding her across, and that all | could
do was just to keep her head straight.
But hadn't the chance of doing even
that very long; for lust then big tree
came driving along, and hitting my
boat full on Inc quarter, smashed her
like an egg-shell. | had just time to
clutch the projecting roofs and whi,k
myself upon them, and then tree and
| went away down stream together,
at | don't know how many miles an
hour.
At first was so rejoiced at escap-
ing just when all seemed over with
me, that didn't think much Of what
was to come next, but before long |
got something to think about with a
vengeance. The tree, as Eve said, was
Il large one, and the branch end (the
opposite one to where | saD was all
one mass Of green leaves. All at once,
just as was shifting myself to a safe
place among the roots, the leaves sud-
denly shook and parted, and out pop
ped The great yellow head and fierce
eyes of an enormous lion.
don't think | ever got such fright
in my lie. My gun had gone to the
bottom along with the boat, and the
only weapon had left was short
hunting knife, which against such
beast as that would be no more use
than bodkin. | fairly gave myself
up for lost, making sure that i'll an
other moment he'd spring forward
and tear me to bits.
But whether it was that he had al
ready gorgcd himself with prey, or
whether Gas | suSpecO he was really
frightened at finding himself in such
a scrape, he showed no disposition to
attack me so long, at least, as remain
cd still. The instant | made any
movement however, he would begin
roaring and lashing his tail, as if he
were going to fall on me at once. So,
to avoid provoking him, was forced
to remain stock still, although sitting
so long in one position crampcd me
drcadfully.
There we sat, Mr. Lion and /, STAR
ing at each other with all our might
ia very picturesque groupe, no doubt
if there had been anybody there to see
it. Down, down the stream we went,
the banks seeming TO race past us rs
if we were going by train, while all
around, broken timber, wagon wheels,
trees, bushes and the carcasses of
drowned horses and cattle went whirl-
ing past us upon the thick brown wa
ter.
All ut once noticed that the lion
seemed TO DO getting strangely restless,
and turning his great head from side
TO side in nervous kind of way, as if
he saw or heard something that he
didn't like. At first couldn't mag
inc what on earth was the matter with
him, but presently caught sound
which scared me much worse than it
had done the lion. Far in the dis
lance, could hear a dun, booming
roar, which had heard too often not
TO recognize at once; we were nearing
II waterfall
! had seen the great falls of Fish
River more than once, aud the bare
thought of being carried over these
tremendous prCci pices made my very
blood run cold. Yet being dcvoured
by lion would hardly be much of an
Improvement, and US | hadn't the
ghost of II chance Of being able to
swim ashore, there really seemed to
be no other alternative.
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