The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-03-06

pretty thickly sprinkled with bush, among which grew some large trees, l forget of what sort.
 cit at once struck me that the dry pan would be likely place to find my friends in, as there is nothing lion is fonder of than lying up in reeds, through which he can see things without being seen him self. Accordingly thither l went aad prospected. Before had got half way round the pan found the remains of . blue vildeIbeeste that had evideatly been killed within the last three or four days and partially deveured by lions; and from other indications about was soon assured that if the family were not in the pan that day, they spent 2 good deal of their spare time tbere. But if there, the question was how to get them out for it was clearly impossible to think of going In after them unless one was quite deter mined to commit suicide. Now, there was strong wind blowing from the di- recdon of the wagon, across the reedy pan toward the bush-clad kloof or donga, and this first gave me the idea of 6ring the reeds, which, as 1 think told you, were pretty dry. Accordingly, Tom took some
 
 the left, and 1 did the same to the right. But the reeds were still green at the bot. tom, and we should never have got them well alight had 1t not been for the wind, which got stronger as the sun got higher, and forced the fire into them. At last, after half an hours trouble, the flames got hold, and began to spread out like a fan, whereupon l got round to the further side of the pan to wait for the lions, standing we'll out in the open, as we stood at the copse to-day where you shot the woodcock. It was a rather risky thing to do, but used to be so sure of ny shooting in those days that did not so much mind the risk. Scarcely had got round when heard the reeds parting before the onward rush of some animal. Now for it, said l. On it came. could sec that 1t was yellow, and prepared for action, when iasteaa of lion out bounded beautiful reit bok which had been lying in the shelter of the pan. 1t must, by the way, have been a reit bok of peculiarly con6ding nature to lay it. self down with the lion like the lamb of prophecy, but suppose that the reeds were thick, and that it kept long way of.
 "Well, let the reit bok go, and it went like the wind, and kept my eyes fixed upon the reeds. The fire was burn ing like furnace now; the flames crack. ling and roaring as they bit into the reeds, sending spouts of fire twenty feet and more into the air. and making the hot air dance above it in a way that was perfectly dazzling. But the reeds were still half green, and created an enor- nous quantity of smoke, which came roll ing toward me like curtain, lying very low on account of the wind. Presently, above the cracking of the fire, I heard a startled roar, then another and another So the lions were at home.
 was beginning to get excited now, tor, as you fellows know, there is nothing in experience to warm up your nerves like lion at close quarters, unless it Is a wounded buffalo; and got still more so when made out through the smoke that the lions were all moving about on the extreme edge of tae reeds. Occasionally they would pop their heads out like rab- bits from burrow, and then, catching sight of me standing about fifty yards out, draw them back again. knew that it must be getting warm behind them, and that they could not keep the game up for long; and was not mistaken, for sud- denly all four of them broke cover to- gether, the old black maned lion leading by few yards. never saw more splendid sight in all my hunting exper- fences than those four lions bounding across the veldt, oversh allowed by the dense pail of smoke and backed by the fiery furnace of the burning reeds.
 " reckoned that they would pass, on the road to the bushy kloof within about five and twenty yards of me, so, taking g. long breath, l got my gun welt on to the lions shoulder-the black-maned one so as to allow for an inch or two ot mo. ton, and catch him through tho heart. was on, dead on. and my finger was just beginning to tighten on the trigger, when suddenly went blind-a bit of reed-ash had drifted into my right eye. danced and rubbed and got it more or less clear just in time to see the tail of the last lion vanishing round the bushes up the kloof.
 !" If ever man was mad, l was that man. Itwas too bad and such a shot in the open, tool However, was not going to be beaten, so just turned and marched for the kloof Tom, the driver, begged and implored me not to go, but though as general rule never pretended to be very brave which am not) l was determined that would either kill those lions or they should kill me. So told Tom that he need not come unless he liked, but was going; and being a plucky fellow, Swazi by birth, he shrugged his shoulders, muttered that was mad or bewitched, and folio we'd dog gedly in my tracks.
 "We soon got to the kloof, which was about 300 yards in length and but sparsely wooded, and then the real fun began. There might be a lion behind every bush-there certainly were four lions somewhere; the delicate question was where. peeped and poked and looked In every possible direction, with my heart in my mouth, and was at last rewarded by catching a glimpse of some htvsA AAk t>I Az