Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-09-12

dark, as we approached one of these
openings, l crept forward and shot a
large eland, and we built fire and
ate our fill of roasted meat.
We had intended to climb tree on
this night, but darkness fell suddenly
while we were still eating, and then
we were afraid to move for fear of the
wild animals, which appeared as if by
magic. We gathered all the wood
within reach and kept a good fire
blazing until about midnight. Then
our fuel ran low, and the wild beasts
were emboldened to come nearer. We
had heard lions roaring in different
directions, but only one had come
close enough to prove menace. He
neither growled nor roared, but fitted
about like a shadow, and whenever
the fire got low he came so near that
we were in momentary expectation of
being attacked We were about ten
rods from "A tree which we could
climb, and when the fuel gave out and
the fire got so low that l knew the
lion would soon select one Of us for a
victim, | told Thomas that we would
make a rush for the tree and hope 70
get safe lodgment in the branches.
The boy was terribly frightened, and
l had scarcely spoken before he bolt
ed away for the tree, not waiting for
my company. The lion was on the
opposite side Of the fire, and my plan
was to rush at him with firebrands
and scare him far enough away to en-
able us to reach the tree. AS Tom
moved, the beast uttered low growl,
and | heard him as he bounded
through the darkness and seized the
boy. There was just one sharp cry,
and then | heard the lion dragging
the body away. While his attention
was thus employed l made a flank
movement and gained the tree, and
toward morning the forest became so
quiet that | got little sleep. Once
or twice | thought | heard the lion
growing and tearing, but nothing
came near to disturb me. When day
light came and | descended from my
perch, almost the first thing | saw
was Toms body lying on the grass
not over 200 feet from my tree. The
lion had made a meal of him right
there under my nose.
hid one gun in a tree and shoul-
dered the other and started off, still
going west; and made no halt until
noon, when l stopped to eat break
fast and dinner in one. 1t was while
devouring this meal that | was sud
denly surrounded by about thirty ma
tives. each one armed for war, and in
trice / found myself a captive.
They came on me so suddenly that l
could offer no defence, and this fact
no doubt saved my life. Only few of
the band, as soon became apparent,
had ever seen white man at close
investigated with the greatest inter
est and astonishment, and as soon as
| got little nerve | saw that it was
policy to humor them all L could.
Only one man, the leader carried
musket, that was an old flint lock
and out Of repair, while mine was a
fairly good weapon of percussion fire.
They could not make it out, and l set
up a mark and discharged it for their
benefit. Then / made them under
stand by signs that | had hidden an
other like it in the woods to the east,
and we at once started off in search
of it. | could not have followed my
trail a hundred rods, but one OF the
men picked it up so readily that most
of the wayiwas covered at lope. We
were no more than three hours max
ing the journey, and great was their
qualification at getting their hands on
the other weapon.
| had talked with two or three old
sailors who had taken to the bush IN
East Africa to escape cruel treatment
on shipboard, and by putting this and
that together | made up my mind
that had fallen in with the members
Of the Worumbu tribe They wear
no rings in their noses, as is the case
with the tribes north and south OF
them. but those worn in their ears
are so heavy that those organs are
pulled almost down to their shoulders.
From their signs of astonishment at
nv presence among them | judged
that they could have nothing to do
with the white men on the coast, and
in this | was correct | learned after
a few days that no more than five or
six men out of tribe numbering
thousands had ever seen a white
man. As they exhibited no evidence
of enmity or desire to injure me /
! tried to act as if at home in their
| company.
After resting bit we headed to the
southwest and travelled until dark,
when the band went into camp for
the night. All next day we kept the
same direction, and just at sundown
entered the village from which the
warriors had departed. 1t was almost
hidden by banana groves, had no
stockade or other defence, and l saw
many cattle and other evidences that
the people were pastoral rather than
warlike. | learned later on that the
party who found Inc were out after a
band from another tribe which had
been stealing their cattle. was an
object OF the greatest curiosity in the
| .-:II,oa and ,phila in one sense a Dris-