Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1885-10-17
A Lion Snarinu 4 Chi s lIie.

Lion Sparing a Chill S Tile.
At gathering OF gentlemen at the
dining table OF the Queens hotel pietet
Natal. South Africa, Colonel
Spark Stabb said "ientlcmen, vha,
shall tell yonis the most wonderful thing
ever heard Of, but it Is true. proyablc.
and occurred TO nv own knowledge 4
What do you think OF troop of lions
sparine chili's life. and at night, far
from any habitation7" Every one drank
in silence, ana the colonel proceeded:
IN 1872 mada An expedition, partly
for hunting purposes. northward from
kuruman, past Marico on the edge Of the
desert, right up TO Limpopo. Near the
banks of that great river in the wooded
lion country. we fell in with some Boer
travellers and hunters forming q camp of
four wagons and about twenty two per
sons. They received US with the usual
spitality-tobacco. coffee, converse
ton 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 'elc-
phant hunter, much soundcr one, by
the way, than that Of the lust, 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
ion-killer Niljocn, was missing. a quiet
search made for an hour or so had failed
to find her in any Of the tents or wagons.
SO it was surmised she was lost Our en-,
campment was three quarters of a mile
from the great river, measure OF security
adopted because the actual bottom ard
banks are at night positively infested
with wild animals going down to drink,
and by lions which more readily find
their prey at the watering places of their
weaker neighbors. 1t 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 and repassng, roaring
moaning, yelling, and sometimes rush
Ing in flight or screaming with pain or
anger, as they dcvoured or fell victims TO
one another, No hope was entertained
of the poor child's safety At the first
blush of dawn the lIottcntots, katirs
and Beers. all good fue,dstmen and very
experienced trackcrs. commenced
search for the child l. with Captain
Patterson, rode with the unfortunate
the little one was found asleep in the cen
ter of a clump Of giant mimos9, quite
near the river For the affecting Incl
dents 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 utlmosa tree clump was
marked everywhere with the spoor Of
lions, and their foot marks were plainly
visible everywhere between that point
dId tllS tiNCI iio" llk'f Llis tHiih CS
caped being devourcd> When aroused
by her father she expressed neither sur
prise nor any especial pleasure rs one
saved from death, but was simply glad
to see him and that he had brought n
horse so that she could ride back TO
camp.
Were you not afraid, Katherine. .
were you not afraid to be alone here in
such place, away from mother and nc,
last nightf asked the big Dutchman.
"'No, pa; the big dogs played with
me and were very good. and one Of them
lay here and kept me warm, said the
innocent, unpromptei child. indicating
the spot where truly ~as the mark Of
some vast recumbent form beside 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 country nor kindly
animals Of ans sort The child had
slept with and been protected by lions
The girl still lives, and Colonel Stabb is
still in the British army "--isu Y1rk
Times.