The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-02-13

was UNCONSCIOUS OF what was going on.
On the ground beside me was large red
silk handkerchief. When Icouid realize
what was passing the tiger was playing
with that. exactly Us cat would. he
tossed it up, caught it, pulled it along
the ground, and for three or four min
utcs he had great fun. When he was
through he rubbed against me and
purred, and with my left hand l
smoothed his back. The old fellow
purred louder and louder, but after mo,
ment some noise in the village disturbed
him, and he uttered low growl ana
| wall ked off without even turning his
head. Five minutes later he attempted
to leap into the window OF hut. got
caught in the small opening, and we
killed him while he was thus held q
prisoner. There was witness as to
! what happened between the tiger and
myself. Unknown to me, one OF the
hunters had slipped back to one of the
huts for a drink of water, and he saw
the tiger skulking along between the
huts, having entered the village by new
route. lie was not over forty feet from
us as the beast made himself so agreca-
| be
CAPTAIN Stevens of the Bengal 1nfan-
try was on one occasion waiting IN a ra'
vine for shot at tiger which the beat
crs were trying to drive out of thicket,
when the beast approached him from be,
hind. Its presence was not known until
it uttered an uneasy whine. When the
Captain whirled around he could put
his hand on the beast. He was greatly
unset for the moment, during which the
tiger smcllcd of his legs several times
and licked his long boot legs, which hao
been freshly oiled that morning. Alter
three or four minutes, the beaters COM
ino nearer with their confusion, the tiger
uttered u low growl and trotted off, and
fifteen minutes late: tore native all to
pieces.
While in the lion country on the Cape
of Coed Hope a party of thirty. OF us
were one day crossing sandy plain. we
were not within mile of the woods,
and it was the hottest hour of the day. A
sudden cry was raised, and big lion
came charging US across the hot sands.
He came from the woods, and that with
out the slightest provocation on our part,
aud he came for blood. A dozen of US
tireo at him, and he was hit twice before
he reached US, but he came right ahead,
and had knocked native down and was
standing over him when he got his quiet
us. He was an immense fellow aud
we'll along in years. We tried to find
some explanation of his conduct, and
finally concluded that he had been
hunted and perhaps wounded and had
become reckless and desperate.
once had such an alarm from lion
as to send me to bed for a couple OF days.
We were riding on a strip of sand with
the heavy forest at our right and scat
tering line of bushes on our left, when
our attention was called to something
skulking in the bushes. We dismounted,
three of us, and crept forward, scatter
ing as we went. l made for bush,
whence hoped to secure better obser-
walton, and. as turned it, being on my
hands and knees. l came face to face
with big lion who was skulklng IN the
hollow. was within four feet OF his
head when I discovered him. His eyes
were open very wide, and his breath
came to me with sickening odor, but ne
neither growled nor moved for long
minute. We looked into each others
eyes, and I was so overcome that
I was like one paralyzed for the
time. At that short distance his
ewes had the brightness of electric
lights. Indeed, they seemed to burn
mine. and the feeling did not leave me
for four or five days.
After q minute or so the lion uttered a
low growl, and sat up for better look
at me. I was on my knees, and he
snuffcd at me and uncovered his great
teeth. Perhaps another might have
fired at him, as his big head and chest
offered target like barn door, and
had my gun all ready, but | hadn't the
power to raise my arms. He growled
again, and then turned around and
sneaked off through the bushes and got
away. When my companions came up!
was too weak to walk to my horse and
on reaching camp had to 60 to bed.
1t was while referring to this adventure
some time later that native related his
Queer experience with lion. lie was
returning to his village one afternoon
when a snake bit him. He was obliged
to stop and ind certain roots, and make
a poultice, and thus got belated. As ne
hurried on in the twilight lion sud
denly leaped into the path before him
and barred his further progress. Had
the man turned to flee he would have
been struck down. He stood there,
easping with fright and ready to col
lapse. when it tsuddenly flashed upon him
that the lion appeared in playful mood.
The beast lay down and rolled over,
paved at the earth, and when the native
advanced step it became certain that the
lion was in for lark.
"While I was frightened almost to
DEATH said the man, 81 had sense
enough to humor him. jumped at him,
and he trisked and bounded like a
puppy. Then I retreated. and he ran
after me. 1t was two miles to the village,
and we kept up the play until within a
few rods OF the first hut. Ihad my hand
on him twenty times, and when entered