Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1885-09-04
Lions Sparing a ChiId's Life.

At a gathering of gentlemen at the
dining table Of the Queens hotel Pieter-
maritzburg, Natal, South Lfrica, Colo
mel Spark Stabb said: "Gentlemen,
what ! shall tell you is the most Won
derful thing ever heard Of, but it is true,
provable, and occurred to my own
knowledge. What do you think Of
troop of lions sparing chilG's life, and
at night, far from any habitation!"
Every one drank in silence, aud the
colonel proceeded: SIN 1872 made an
expedition, partly for hunting purposes,
northward from Kurumau, past Merico
on the edge of the desert, right up 10
LimpopO. Near the banks OF that great
river, in the wooded lion country, We
fell in with some Boer travellers form
ing camp of four wagons and about
twenty-five persons. They received us
with the usual ospitality-tobacco
coffee, conversation and little Holland
gin, and AT night, the usual measures
having been taken to secure our stock
from attack or dispersal, we slept the
sleep of the elephant hunter" a much
sounder one, by the way, than that Of
the "just," who are intolerably restless
people at times. About II o'clock there
was an alarm. A little child, girl
aged nine years, one Of the daughters of
the famous shot and lion-kller, Viljoen,
was missing. A quiet search made for
an hour or so had failed to find her in
any Of the tents or wagons, so IL was
surmised she was lost. Our encamp-
ment was three-quarters Of mile from
the banks of the great river, measure
of security adopted because the actual
bottom and banks are at night positively
infested with wild animals going down
to drink, aud by lions which more
readily lind their prey at the watering
places OF their weaker neighbors. Ii
was dark and no trail Of the little girl
could be found or followed through the
woods or under the vast forest trees of
the river margin, while wild beasts OF
all sorts could be heard passing aud re-
passing, roaring, moaning, yelling, and
sometimes rushing in flight or scream
ing with pain or anger, as they devour-
ed or fell victims TO one another. No
hope was entertained OF the poor child's
safety. At the first blush Of dawn the
Hottentots, Kafli RS, and Beers, all good
fueldstmen and very experienced track
ers, commenced search for the child.
|, with Captain. PatterSon, rode with
the unfortunate father. Before the sun
was az hour high the little one was
found asleep in the centre of clump OF
giant mimosn, quite near the river. For
the affecting incidents Of the moment
none Of you would care. The interest OF
the find to me lay In the fact that the
sand right through and around the
mimosa tree was marked everywhere
with the spoor of lions, aud their foot
marks were plainly visible everywhere
between that point and the river. How
had the child escaped being deyouredS
When aroused by her father she ex-
pressed neither surprise nor any espe-
cial pleasure as one saved from death,
but was simply glad to see him and that
he had brought horse so that she could
ride back TO camp. 49,.
"'Were you not afraid, Katherine,
were you not afraid to be alone here in
such n place, away from mother and
me, last night?" asked the big Dutch
man.
"'No, pa; .he big dogs played with
me and were very good. and one OF
them lay here and kept me warm, said
the innocent, unprompted child, indi-
eating the spot where truly was the
mark Of some vast recumbent form be-
side that left by herself, which hardly
indented the sand. Now there were no
dogs foot marks or spoor about, there
were no dogs in that part Of the coun.
try nor kindly animals OF any sort.
The child had slept with aud been pro-
tected by lions. The girlstill lives, and
Colonel Stabb is still in the British
army. y. Times.
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