Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-02-27

FORM.
koodoo or an Gland. To my delight
there the little creature lay-the huge
bullet had decapitated it. Considering all
the circumstances do not think I have
often made better shot than this, but
if any one doubts, let him try his hand
at rabbits head fifty yards away with
an elephant gun and three-ounce ball.
1 picked up the Petite in triumph and
returned to the camp. There we skinned
him and toasted him over the fire. He
just made a good meal for US, keeping
his hind legs for breakfast.
There was no moon that night, and so
it CHANGED that when l suddenly remem-
bered the lion spoor, and suggested that
we had better tie up the horses quite
close to US, we could not find them,
though we knew that they were grazing
within fifty yards. This being So we
could only make up the fire and take our
chance. Shortly afterward I went to
sleep with little T ia in my arms. Sud
denly was awak ned by hearing that
peculiar painful sound, the scream of a
horse, quite close to the fire, which was
still burning brightly. Next second
there came a noise of galloping hoofs,
and before 1 could even rise my poor
horse appeared in the ring Of freight.
As in flash of lightning 1 saw his star
ing eyes and wide-stretched nostrils, and
the broken rein with which he had been
knee-haltered flying in the air. Also
saw something else, for on his back was
great dark form with glowing eyes,
and from the form came a growing
sound. 1t was lion.
The horse dashed on. He galloped
right through the fire, for which he had
run in his terror-fortunately, however,
without treading on us-and vanished
into the night. We heard his hoofs for
hundred yards or more; then there was
silence, broken now and again by dis
tant growls. AS may be imagained, we
did not sleep any moro that night, but
waited anxiously till, two hours later,
the dawn broke.
AS soon as there was sufficient light
we rose, and, leaving Tota still asleep.
crept cautiously in the direction in
which tho horse had vanished. When
we had gone fifty yards or so we made
out the remains lying on the veldt, and
caught sight of two great cat-like forms
sinking away in the gray light
To go any further was useless; we
knew all about it ROW, and we turned to
look for the other horse. But our cup of
misfortune was not vet full. 1t was no
where to be found. Soon we came upon its
spoor, and then we saw what had hap
pened. Terrified by the sight and smell
of the lions, it had with desperate ef-
fort also burst the rein with which it had
been knee-haltered and galloped far
away. For now we were left alone in
these vast solitUdeS without horse to
carry us, and with child who was not
old enough to walk more than little
way at time.
Well, it was no use giving in, SO, with
few words, we went back to our camp,
where 1 found Tota crying because she
had woke to find herself alone, and ate
little food. Then We prepared to start.
First, we divided such articles as we
must take with us into two equal parts,
rejecting every thing that we could pos
sibly do without. Then, by an after
thought, we filed cur water-bottles,
though at the time I was rather against
doing so because of the extra weight
But Indaba-zimbi ovcrruled me in the
matter, fortunately for all three of US.
1 settled to look after Tota for the first
march, and gave the elephant. gun to
Indaba-zimbi At length all was ready
and we set out on foot By the help of
occasional lifts over rough places, Tota
managed to walk up the slope on the
hillside where 1 had shot the Petite
buck. At length we reached 1T, and,
looking at the country beyond, gave
an exclamation of dismay. To say
that 1t was desert would be saying too
much; it was more like the Bsrroo In
the Cape-a vast sandy waste, studded
here and there with low shrubs and
scattered rocks. But 1t was great ex-I
panse Of desolate land, stretching as far
as the eye could reach, and bordered far
away by line of purple hills, in the
center of which a great solitary peak
scared high into the air.