The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1888-04-14
THE LION.
At Times q Wonderful Coward,
But Not Always.

believe that every man who has
been in the lion country will agree with
me that he would rather meet full
grown lion under almost any circum-
stances than an English bull dog. The
lion is the king of beasts only now and
then. Now and then he is the king of
towards. A bull dog is all determine
ton. A lion schemes and calculates
and takes no chances.
While assisting in the official survey
Of the northern portion of Cape Colony
it was an almost everyday occurrence
TO sight lion. and the adventures of
our party were numerous, if not peril
Gus. We got so that we feared the
beasts only at night. or when we came
upon them at their meals. Almost the
first lion saw in Africa proved him
self an arrant coward. Twas left to
set boundary stone between districts
while the surveying party moved on.
The hunters were out after fresh meat,
the camp was two miles away. and
was working with my back to patch
of tall grass with bush in the center
oft The entire party of us had stood
there for quarter of an hour without
seeing or suspecting any danger. but a
lion was all the while concealed In the
patch. He kept quiet until the men
were mile away. and then crept for
ward for spring at me. ] heard .
movement in my rear as I.worked
away, and whirling about found my
self face to face with full-grown lion.
He was crouched for spring. and
would have been upon me in another
ten seconds
was terribly scared and had no time
to collect my wits, but l did Just tho
right thing after all. l jumped right
at the brute with q loud yell. and he
went bounding away like bull. fol
lowed him into the patch in my excite
ment and he ran out in the open plain,
dropping his tail like cur and evi.
IDENTIFY badly ratified. had . light
spasle in my hands, and as he lodged
about to get back to cover hit him q
swinging blow over the rump. He
yelled out like dog hit with stone.
fell over. made dash between nv
legs. and again got into the grass. 1
followed close upon his heels, yelling.
at the top Of my voice, and what did the
coward do but bolt for the open with
his tail dragging in the grass. As he
left cover | flung the spade and struck
him in the side and staggered him. He
growled and showed his yellow fangs,
but there was no fight in him. When
jumped at him he ran away over the
plain toward broken ground, and after
chasing him for quarter Of q mile, 1
gave up and sat down. The men of
the party came running up, amazed
and astonished, and even though they
had seen all that happened, they could
scarcely credit their sight and senses.
l knocked the courage all out Of the
beast by wheeling on him inst at the
right second. By upsetting his plan 1
made a coward of him. Had bull
dog meant to attack me. my turning
on him would not have made the slight
est difference.
A few weeks later. while pushing my
way down dry ravine to reach an
emineuce on which was to display 9
dag to the surveyor. turned bend at
q trot and ran square upon q lion, who
was gnawing at the bones of some old
victim. He lay on his stomach, head
to me, and / did not see him until I
was almost upon him. He spraug up
with growl. made short spring. and
seized me by tho left shoulder, and
next moment was down and he was
standing over me. It had come 30
suddenly that was dumbfounded. l
did not make q move. nor call out. The
beast could have done for me in fifteen
seconds had he SO willed, but after he
had downed me and growled q little be
backed OF. and as soon as I moved to
got up ne ran away like scared cat.
! had a good look at him as he stood
over me. and / noticed long. deem
cut or scratch. on his right fore
shoulder i hsd been made either BY