Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-07-26

puny Victim. "A sheep was Out Small
potatoes to a beast who could kill an
eight hundred pound OK with one blow
of his mighty paw. but it was an Occa-
sion not to be neglected. With slow
step. and with those great yellow eyes
seeming to burn into the head of the
victim. the lion advanced. and by and
by he stood over the sheep. The poor
thing shivered and sank down. and for
two or three minutes the lion shifted
and playfully touched it with his paw.
Then he passed on. and the sheep was
left to struggle and shiver and die a
dozen deaths before the big beast re-
turned to finish him.
We dug our pit early in the after
noon, when we knew the lion must be
asleep. and about fifteen feet above the
point where the sheep had been tied.
The excavation was four feet wide by
eight feet long and fourteen feet deep,
and was so carefully covered that the
sharp-eyed native could not have told
that the ground had been disturbed.
In addition TO the sheep We sprinkled
some fresh OK blood on the path. and
below the victim We placed several
pieces of fresh meat. just before night
three of Us took our stand in a tree
about a quarter of a mile from
the pit, and to windward of the lion.
and the sun had not yet entirely disap-
peaTed when We heard the lion mutter.
His slunbers were broken and he was
stretching himself and making ready
for the usual night foray. Pretty soon
his mutterings changed to a roar. and
then we knew that he had started down
the path. We could hear the sheep
bleat in terror, and our hearts beat
faster as we wondered if our trap
would be success. The lion was ten
minutes going two hundred yards. As
soon as he saw the sheep and got the
scent of blood he said to himself:
"So-ho! These cowardly natives not
only bring fresh mutton every morn
ing to gain my good will, but tonight
they have added dessert. l smell fresh
blood. and if that isn't beef hanging to
the limbs of the tree then my eyes de-
ceive me. Poor fools! Do they thing l
will be content with this cheap supper
when there are full-grown cattle on the
plain? However, will make a closer
investigation, and
And we knew by the smothered roars
that he had fallen into the pit. His as
tonishment passed away in few min.
utes, and then his rage was something
awful. While we knew that he could
not leap out of the pit. having no room
to gather for spring, we dared not go
near him in the darkness.
Next morning, accompanied by
about hundred natives, and taking
a cage and ropes along. we made our
way to the pit. The sheep was stone
blind-killed by fright alone. The lion
had not yet reached him. but his near
presence had been sufficient. He heard
us coming. and all the rage in his royal
breast began to boil. Had the pit
lacked a foot of its depth he would
have escaped. Cramped as he
was in the space, he had leaped up I'M
til his paws had almost reached the sur
face. He growled. roared. clashed his
teeth, and tore at the roots in the side of
his living grave. and twice he leaped
so high that the natives had to use
their poles over his head and beat him
back. The scar was plainly to be
seen. ard the rejoicing over his capt
ure was intense. BY means of slip
nooses. which were finally worked
over his head and legs. we hauled him
up into the cage, and later on he
found his way to Amsterdam and
Paris. Naturalists judged him to be
about twenty years old. and last year,
when heard direct from him. he was
one of the attractions in a menagerie
travelling in Prussia--N T. Sun.