Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-03-12
4 Lion Killing a QmagDG.
TondOn Field

London f1elC.
I once had rare chance of seeing lion
catch and kill his prey in the open day
light. While on a short hunt to the north
of Waterberg, in the Transvaal, in the win
ter of 1874, with Dutch Boer, we saddled
up one afternoon to shoot a couple OF
quaggas (Burchell's zebra) for our follow
ers, quagga meat being preferred above all
others by the niger of that country. We
had ridden considerable round without
falling in with any, but an hour before
shutdown we came across troop of about
fifty. Gslloping up within shot,
we fired, when one mare dropped.
Reloading and mounting, we started after
the troop, which had now disappeared over
a ridge. On gaining the rise we saw the
quaggas failing out in the hollow and
commencing to ascend a second slope, one
or two stations bringing up the rear as is
usually the case. Gathering on, my COM
panion suddenly pulled up and pointed
out to me lion trotting swiftly up across
the quaggas' line of retreat, behind few
scattered boulders and low bushes dottin q
the slore, evidently with the intention of
securing his supper. We moved slowly
forward, when the hindermost stall
ion, thinking we were getting
too close, started after his companions at
a smart cantsr. 1t was now exciting. The
quagga was close to the line of the lions
approach; = couple of seconds more and
the dark mass of the lions form shot out
from behind q stone on his prey. In a
moment the qusgga was on the ground
The lion left him instantly, moved a few
yards distant and lay down with his head
away from the quaggs, twitehing his tail
nervously from side to side, as much as to
say, 81 have done that properly" The
whole thing was done so quickly and sud
| denly that ii is difficult to describe. The
lion had not yet seen us, but on riding
nearer he tzrned and faced, looking rather
put out at our appearing on the scene. Al
| first he seemed inclined to bolt, bat at last
lay down facing US, evidently unwilling to
| give up his game. Being anxious to ex-
anime the quagga, and knowing my Boel
friend to be reliable, We rode up to about
| fifty yards and dismountsd. 1 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 g
few steps towards US, growing savagely.
I told the Bosr to shoot straight, which
he did, hitting the lion with his old six to
the pound on the point of the shoulder;
the bullet, passing out behind the Other
shoulder, dropped the lion on the spot
On examining the quagga it would appear
from the clsw-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
claws had been driven into the flank lit
tie below the level of the hip-bons, the
right hind fost evidently on the ground
thus holding the animal az in vice, while
the teeth had met in the neck about three
or four inches behind the ears, smashing
the bone as effsctually az a two bull
let. Ny two fingers Ret in the bite-hole
Death was instantaneous. The lion was q
full grown male with perfect teeth. On G
previous occasion riding mare belonging
to friend of mine was killed near Won
derfontsin, Transvaal, one light, close to
the wagon, while on blesbok hunt. The
mare was hobblsd when caught. The claw
marks and bite that killed were identical
with those on the qusgga. From all tes-
timony that could gather from old hunt
ers during seventeen years. residence in
the Transvaal, and my own limited obser-
vation, would say that the lion uses his
claws as holding power, and kills by
bite