The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-04-03
AGAINST LONG ODDS.

Alttr OH Aiih H"A -
into power---I forgot how. Anyway | wa
there. had heard that the Bapedl peopl
had got down an enormous quantity OF ivor.
from the interior, and so | started with I
wagon-load of goods and came straight ava,
from Miidleburg TO try and trade some OF 1t
II was risky thing 10 90 into the country 81
early on account of the fever, but knew tina
there was one or two others after that lo
Of ivory, so determined 10 have try for II
and take my chance of fever. | had got SC
tough from continual knocking about that
did not set it down at much. Wen, got on
all right for while. 1t is n wonderfully
beautiful piece of bush veldt, with great
ranges of mountains running through 1t, and
round granite kopples starting up here and
there, looking out like sentinels over the roll
ing waste of bush. But it is very hot-hot
rs n stew-pan.
zone day had trekked from dawn till IL
c5clock-a long trek-but wanted to get on,
and, then had the oxen turned out to graze,
sending the voorlooper 70 look after them,
Meaning to inspan again about d o'clock, ana
nrek them with the moon till 10. Then got
into the wagon and had good sleep till half
past or 50 in the afternoon, when got up
and cooked some meat and had my dinner,
washing it down with pannlkin OF black
coiree--for it was difficult to get preserved
milk in those days Just as had finished,
and the driver, a man called Tom, was wash
ing up the things, in comes the young
scoundrel Of a voorlooper driving one OK
before him.
@'Where are the other oxenf asked.
"'Koosr he said, 'Koosl Chief the other
\ k,nR mr.
a minute and when | turned round again
they were all gone except Kaptein here, who
vas clubbing his back against tree.
"You mean that you have been asleep,
and let them stray, you villain. will rub
your back against stick, answered, feeling
very angry, for it was not a pleasant prospect
% he stuck up in Tat fever trap for week
or so while we were hunting for the oxen.
OF you go, and you, too, Tom, and mind
you don't come back till you have found
them. They have trekked back along the
Middleburg road, and are u dozen miles OF
ny now, I'll be bound. Now, no words go,
10th Of you
Tom, the driver, swore' and caught the
lad hearty kick, which he richly deserved,
and then, having tied old Kaptein up to the
disselboom with a rein, they got their as
segais and sticks and started. / would have
gone, too, only knew that somebody must
look after the wagon, and did not like to
leave either of the boys with it at night.
THE sun was down, and the full moon was
up, and beautiful moon il was. And then
there came down that wonderful hush that
.Jmetimes falls over the African bush in the
aarly hours of the night. No beast was moving,
aud no bird called Not breath of air stirred
the quiet trees, and the shadows did not even
culver; they only grew 1t was very oppres-
sive and very lonely, for there was not sign
5f the cattle or the boys was quite thank
iul for the society of old knptein, who was
lying down contentedly against the dissel-
BOOM chewing the cud with "A good con
science.
presently, however, Kaptein began to get
YestleSs First he snorted, then he got up and
5norted again. | could not make it out, 80
Ike q fool | got down Off the wagon-box TO
have a look round, thinking it might be the
lost oxen coming.
Next instant | regretted it, for all of a
uldden heard an awful roar and saw some
thing yellow flash past me and light on poor
Kaptein Then came n below Of agony from
The OK and crunch as the lion put his teeth
through the poor brutes neck, and began to
realize what had happened. My rifle was in
he wagon, and my first thought was to get
hold of it, and turned to make a bolt for it,
got my foot on tho wheel and flung my body
forward on to the wagon, and there ! stopped
Ms if were frozen and no wonder, for rs |
was about to spring up heard the hon be-
mind me, and next second ] felt the brute, ny,
as plainly as | can feel this table. felt him,
I say, shifting at my left leg that was hang
ing down.
"My wordl did feel queer; don't think
that | ever felt 50 queer before. dared not
move for tho life Of me, and the odd thing
was that | seemed to lose power over my leg,
which had an insane sort of inclination tG
kick out of is own nero motlon-just aS hyI-
terical people want TO laugh when they ought
~ 10 particularly solemn Well the lion
,niTed and shifted, beginning ut my ankle and
slowly nosingaway up to my thigh thought
that he was going TO get hold then, but no did
not He only growel softly, and went back
70 the OK. Shifting my head little | got
full view of him. He was the biggest lion |
aver saw, and have seen great :lany, and
he bad most tremendous black name. Al.
together he was a magnificent animal. and as
J 10y there sprawling on the fore-tongue of
ghe wagon it occurred 10 me that he would
look uncommouly well in cage He stood
there by tho carcass of poor khptein,
and deliberately disembowled him rs neatly
~ a butcher could have done. All this while
dare not move, Cor he kept lifting his head
and keeping an eye on mo rs he licked his
bloody chops. When he had cleaned kaptein
out he opened his mouth and roared and
am not exaggerating when | say that the
sound shook the wagon. Instantly there
came back an answering roar.
"'HeavensN thought, There is his mate '
Hardly was the thought out of my head
when caught sight in the moonlight of the
lone# bounding along through the long
grass, and after her a couple of cubs about
sho SiSs Of mastifs. She stopped within a
few feet of my head, and stood and waved
her tail, and fixed me with her glowing yell
low eyes, but just Us | thought that II was
all over she turned, and began 10 feed on
Kaptcin and so did the cups. There were the
four OF them within eight feet of me, growl-
ing and Quarreling, rendiug and tearing and
crunching poor Kaptein's bones; and there !
spiration pouring out of me, feeling like
another Daniel come TO Judgment in n new
sense Of the phrase. Presently tho cubs had
eaten their ill, and began to get restless One
went round to the back of the wagon and
pulled at the lmpala buck that hung there,
and the pthpr camn round INV UNIV md Ia