Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-12-27
How the Lion Kills Ills PreI.

How the Liou Kills Wis freJ.
once had rare chance Of seeing
q lion catch and kill his prey in the
open daylight While on short hunt
10 tho north Of WaterbeFg ia the
Transyaai, in the winter Ut 1874, with
q Dutch bOer, We Raddled UP one after,
noon 10 shoot couple OF quaggas
(BuTehell's zebra) for our followers,
quagga meat being preferred above all
others by tho natives Of that country,
We had ridden u considerable round
without falling In with any, but about
an hour before shutdown we came across
q troop OF about lifty, GallOping up
within shot, VIC fired, when One mare
dropped, leloadlng and mounting, We
started after tho troop, which had now
disappeared over ridge, On gaining
the rise We saw the quaggas failing out
IN tho hollow and commencing 10 ~,
cend second slope, one or two stall.
lions bringing up tho rear, AZ Is
usually tho case, Gathering on, my
companion suddenly pulled up aud
pointed out u me lion tF0ttlng swift
ly up across tho quaggas' line Of re-
treat behind few scattered bOuldcrs
AMI low bushes d0ttlng tho slope, eyi-
IDENTITY with tho intention Of securing
tho supper, We moved slowly forward,
when the hlndmOSt stallion, thinking
wc were getting too close, started after
his companions NJ q smart canter. II
was now exciting, Tho quagga was
close to the line Of the Hons approach:
q couple Of seconds more and the dark
mass Of the lions form shot out from
behind stone on his prey, In q mo-
mcnt tho quagga was on the ground.
The lion left him instantly, moved
few yards distant and lay down with
his head away from the quagga, twltch
Ing his tail neryously from side to
side, ~ much as 10 say: II have done
that properly" The whole thing was
done so quickly and suddenly that II Il
difficult 10 describe The lion had not
yet seen us, but rldingnearer hc turned
and faced, looking rather put out at
our appearing on the scene, AT first he
seemed Inclined 10 bolt, but ut last lay
down, facing us, evidently unwilling
to give up his game, Being anxious
to examine the quagga, and knowing
my Bocr friend TO be reliable, we rode
up to about llity yards and dlsmountcd.
! held the horses, keeping my double
rifle In reserve In case Of accident.
The lion, not liking the look of things,
got up and walked few steps toward
~, growing sayagcly. | told the Boer
TO shoot straight, which he did. hitting
the lion with his old six to the pound
on the point Of the shoulder; the bullet
passed out behind the other shoulder,
dropped the lion on the spot, On en-
amining the quagga II would appear
from the claw mark that the lions left
forearm was thrown over the wither
and the claws fixed In the shoulder,
the right forearm's claws in the chest,
the left hind claw had been driven
into the flank little below the
level Of the hip-bone, the right hind
foot evidently on the ground, thus
holding the animal as in a wise, while
the teeth had met in the neck about
three inches or four inches behind the
ears, smashing the bone as cflectually
MS two-ouncc bullet. My two front
fingers met in the bite-hole. Death
was instantaneous. The lion was a
full-grown male with perfect teeth.
On previous occasion riding mare
belonging to a friend Of mine was
killed near Wondcrfontein, Trans
vaal, one night close to the wagon,
while on a blesbok hunt. The mare
was hobbled when caught. The claw
marks and the bite that killed were
identical with those on the quagga.
From all testimony that | could
gather from old hunters during seven
teen years residence in the Transvaal,
and my own limited observation, |
would say that the lion uses his claws |
as a holding power and kills by bite
London Field.