Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-04-11

Judged we must be about two hours from
daybreak'
iisselboom of the Scotch cart, were restless
they kept snuffing and blowing and rising
up and lying down again, so at once sus-
spected that they must wind something.
Presently I knew what it was that they
winded, for within fifty yards of us a lion
roared, not very loud, but quite loud enough
to make my heart come into my mouth.
"Pharaoh was sleeping on the other side of
the cart, and beneath it I saw him raise his
head and listen.
"sLion, Inkoos,' he whispered, lion.'
"Jim-Jim also jumped up, and by the faint
light could see that he was in very great
fright indeed.
"Thinking that it was as well to be pre-
pared for emergencies, I told Pharaoh to
throw wood upon the fire, and woke up
Harry, who I verify believe was capable Of
sleeping happily through the crack Of doom.
He was little scared at first, but presently
the excitement of the position came home to
him, and he became quite anxious to see his
majesty face to face I got my rifle handy
and gave Harry his-a Westly Richards fall
ing block, which is a very useful gun for a
youth, being light and yet good killing
Srile-and then we waited &4,J&.s&. q.
'1For q long time nothing happened, and
began to think that the best thing that we
could do would be to 60 to sleep again, when
suddenly I heard sound more like cough
than roar within about twenty yards Of the
skerm. We all looked out, but could see
nothing; and then followed another period
Of suspense 1t was very trying to the
nerves, this waiting for an attack that might
be developed from any quarter, or might not
be developed at all; and though was an old
hand at this sort Of business, was anxious
about Harry, for it is wonderful how the
presence of anybody to whom one is attached
unnerves a man in moments of danger, and
that made me nervous. know, although it
was now chilly enough, I could feel the per-
spiration running down my nose, and in order
to relieve the strain on my attention, en-
ployed myself in watching beetle which ap-
peared to be attracted by the freight, and
was sitting before it thoughtfully rubbing his
antenne against each other.
"Suddenly the beetle gave such jump
that he nearly pitched headlong into the fire,
and so did we all-gave jumps, l mean, and
no wonder, for from right under the skerm
fence there came a most frightful roar-a
roar that literally made the Scotch cart
shake and shake and took the breath out
Of me.
"Harry made an exclamation, Jim-Jim
howled outright, while the poor oxen, who
were terrified almost out Of their hides, shlV-
cred and lowed piteously.
"The night was almost entirely dark now,
for the moon had quite set and the clouds
had covered up the stars, so that the only
light that we had came from the fire, which
by this time was burning up brightly again.
But, US you know, freight is absolutely use
less to shoot by, it ouncertain, and besides
it penetrates but cry little way into the
darkness, although if one is in the dark out
side one can see it from so far away.
"Presently the oxen, after standing still
for q moment, suddenly winded the lion and
did what I feared they would-began to
SHREK that is, to try and break loose from
the trektow to which they were tied, and
rush off madly into the wilderness. Lions
know of this habit on the part Of oxen, which
are, do believe, the most foolish animals un.
der the sun, sheep being very Solomon
compared to them, and it is by no means un-
common for lion to get in such position
that herd or span Of oxen may wind him,
SHREK, break their reins and rush off into the
bush. OF course, once they are there they
are helpless in the dark; and then the lion
chooses the one that he loves best and eats
him at his leisure.
: 'Well, round and round went our six poor
oxen, nearly trampling us to death in their
mad rush; indeed, had we not hastily tum-
bled out of the way we should have been
trampled to death, or at the least seriously
injured. As it was, Harry was run over,
and poor Jim-Jim being caught by the trek
tow somewhere beneath the arm, was hurled
right across the skerm, landing by my side
only some PAGES off.
'Snap went the disselboom of the cart be-
meath the transverse strain put upon it. Had
it not broken the cart would have overset; as
it was, in another minute, oxen, cart, trek
tow, reims, broken disselboom, and every
thing were soon tied in one vast heaving,
plunging, believing and seemingly inextrica-
BILE knot.
''For a moment or two this state of affairs
took my attention off from the lion that had
caused it, but while I was wondering what
on earth was to be done next, and what we
should do if the cattle broke loose into the
bush and We're lost, for cattle frightened in
this manner will 60 right away like mad
things, it was suddenly recalled in a very
painful fashion.
"For at that moment l perceived by the
light of the fire a kind Of gleam OF yellow
travelling through the air toward us
"'The lion! the lionp holloaed Pharaoh,
and as he did so he, or she, for itwas great,
gaunt ioness, half wild, no doubt, with
hunger, lit right in the middle of the skerm,
and stood there in the smoky gloom and
lashed her tail and roared. seized my rife
and fired it at her, but what between the con-
fusion and my agitation and the uncertain
light, missed her and nearly shot Pharaoh
The flash of the rifle, however, threw the
whole scene into strong relief, and wild one
it was, can tell you-with the seething mass
Of oxen twisted all around the cart in such
fashion that their heads looked as though
they were growing out Of their rumps and
their horns seemed to protrude from their
backs; the smoking fire, with just blaze in
the heart Of the smoke; Jim-Jim in the fore
ground, where the oxen had thrown him in
and then, as o center to the picture, the
great, gaunt lioness glaring round with
hungry, yellow eyes, roaring and whining as
she made up her mind what to do.
"It did not take her long, however-just
as long as it takes a fash to die into dark
ness-for before l could fire again or do any
thing, with most fiendish snort she sprang
upon poor Jim-Jim.
II heard the unfortunate lad shrek, and
then almost instantly saw his legs thrown
into the air. The loness had seized him by
the neck, and with q sudden jerk thrown his
body over her back so that his legs hung
down at the further side.
"Then, without the slightest hesitation,
and apparently without any difficulty, she
cleared the skerm fence at a single bound,
and, bearing poor Jim-Jim with her, vanished
into the darkness beyond in the direction Of
the bathing place that I have already de-
scribed. We jumped up, perfectly mad with
horror and fear, and rushed after her, firing
shots ut haphazard, ON the chance that she
would be frightened by them into dropping
her prey, but nothing could we see and moth
ing could we hear. The lioness had vanished
into the darkness, taking Jim-Jim with her,
and to attempt to follow her till daylight was
madness. We should only expose ourselves
to the risk of a like fate.
$50 with scared and heavy hearts we crept
back to the skerm and sat down to wait for
daylight, which now could not be much more
than an hour off, It was absolutely useless
to try even to disentangle the oxen till then,
so all that was left for us to do was to sit and
49, zl.o