Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1890-09-05

tic chance for our lives. We resolved
to continue to travel eastward, and, as
our only hope lay in making the best Of
our present strength, we started at once.
After few miles we came upon
veldt Of yellow limestone. For three
hours or so we scrambled over huge
powders, but the fearful heat of the
sun was too much for us, and at noon we
were forced to lie in the shade of some
high rocks, exhausted and painting We
each had a hunting-knife--poor weapons
If we came upon any beast of prey,
After resting we pursued our way, some
times crossing plains Of hard-baked
clay, and then again marching over
tracts of limestone. AT last we saw
trees ahead, and as the sun was
setting we came to sandy plain where
zane and mangaton melons grew in
abundance. Parched and nearly deli
rious with heat, thirst and hunger, we
tore up those godsends Of the desert and
ate our fill Without those wonderful
productions Of nature, cool, sweet and
juicy, we could hardly have lived an
other day.
That night we slept in a widespread
ing tree, and though the cries and roars
of desert inhabitants echoed all around
us, we slept soundly and we'll Next
day we loaded ourselves with melons
and continued the march. We spoke
but little-neither of us wanted to dis
courage the other by the utterance 81
his thoughts. Tired, footsore and hot,
we reached at noon low range of hills.
Al the foot we found some inchie bulbs,
and feasted on them and some of our
melons. About five o'clock that after
noon we were pushing our way over u
rocky plain, dotted here and there with
clay beds on which grew tufts of tall
grasses and veldt thorn bushes. Pass
ing around a thorn bush we both came
to sudden halt at the sight we saw.
A great yellow lion lay outstretched on
a rocky ledge-not twenty yards away.
Before we could retreat he raised up
with threatening growl. We darted
behind the thorn bush and drew our
knives. The lion bounded round the
bush and we faced him. We were not
long in suspense, The great brute
crouched and, with fearful roar, he
sprang right at me. fell fiat and he
passed over me, but before could rise
his great claws struck my shoulder and
held me helpless on the ground. I re-
member hearinga horrible growl of pain
and rage, and then became unconscious.
When l regained my senses sat up
and looked around. A few yards away
the lion lay dead in a pool OF blood.
There was cut in his body over foot
long. Lieutenant V. R lay by his
side, his right hand still clutching the
knife, but my brave comrade was dead.
His head had been crushed by a stroke
of the lions paw and his chest crunched
in tho jaws of the mortally-wounded
brute.
dragged the body of my friend to a
cleft in the rocks and spent an hour
wedging powders in the rift and piling
up heap Of huge stones to protect the
remains from wild beasts and birds oil
prey, Already vultures were in sight
soaring in great circles over the spo,
where the dead lion lay. When the sun
went down | hacked passage into vol
bush and stopped the way with mass
of the sharp, thorny branches. All
night long jackals and hyenas snapped
and snarled around the carcass of the
dead monarch, and by morning they had
stripped the flesh off the bones When
! crawled out Of the protective shelter
of the vol bush | made for rolling
tract of land which gave promise Of
water. The melons were scattered and
smashed in the fight with the lion and
l had eaten my last inchie bulb. All
the forenoon | toiled forward without
seeing trace of zane or mangaton, and
finding only the poisonous scilla and
mario bulbs.
No pen can express the torture of thai
day. In the afternoon was wild with
thirst. The rocks danced before my
eyes and my brain was in whirl but
staggered on, A leopard bounded be
fore my path, and, with fierce, hoarse
shout rushed at it, longing to sink my
teeth into it's flesh and to suck it's blood
1t fed and chased it, but few leap:
took it out Of my sight The memory
of that day is burned into my mind.
Towards nightfall gained the SUNNI
of small hill, and, looking over a Ions
stretch of sand and rock, | saw sigh
that gave me feeling of delight sucl
as no words can describe. Three camp
fires were brightly burning about mile
away. have no idea how reached
them, but when German acquaintance
stepped forward and led me to seat
wept tears of grateful Joy,
My rescuers, as may call them, wer,
party of four German officers travel
ing westward, and when had refreshed
myself told my tale. 1t was instantly
decided to pursue the robbers and re
cover my war and contents. Their,
were seven horses with the party ant
two officers and four trusty blacks Sc
out with me early next morning. We car
ried only a small portion of dried meat
relying on the zane and melons TO
liquid refreshments The trail wa
plain, and on the afternoon of the shire
day we reached tho last campfire Of m,
former servants. Pushing on we came
in sight of the rascals as they wer
outspanning the cattle. Charging upol
them, we captured the whole gang be
fore they had time to organize any de
Tense. Some of them fired a few shots
but none of us were HIT DisarminI
them we led them away from the cam
and treated them according to the Soutl
African custom.
The damage to the property was bu
slight They had finished the liquo
and eaten all tho private store Of dain
ties, besides having killed and !easte
upon eight of the cattle.
The westward party kindly gaze ~
four men to drive the oxen, and one off