Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-07-24

where they had fallen, with the foot of the
ioness still in the wires.
I'VE snail now have peace for many
months. cried the people, and some OF the
old men declared that not another lion
would come within FIVE miles of the village
for the next half year. | subsequently as
certalned that this was the case. They
accounted for it not on the grounds that
two lions had been killed, but because of
the way they were killed.
Alter waiting three or four DAYS | went
north about twenty-five miles to a village
called lie Kin, where the inhabitants had
tor many weeks been living in a state of
terror. 1t was place almost exactly
similar to the other, and had about the
same number of inhabitants, but it appear
ed that thirty of the men were away with
caravan, and that none of those remaining
had the courage to face lion or the wit to
plan his destruction. Six people had been
killed within four weeks. and scarcely a
night passed that lion did not visit the
Enclosure. While the stockade was in bet
ter shape than that at Ell Kek, there was
one spot where the lions always entered, or
where the last three or four had leaped
over. This was where they had trenched
through mound, thus leaving the ground
next to the palisades higher than a few
feet away from it. The men declared the
poles to be Just as long there as anywhere
else. but could not understand that the
ay OF the ground gave wild beast at
least three feet of advantage in jumping in
or out
This spot was not over ten feet wide, and
after a close examination found that the
hons had taken about the center of it, The
/ last one had killed COW and dragged and
lifted her over, and the ends of the logs and
poles were covered with hair and dried
blood. On the first night OF my arrival it
seemed as if there were a dozen lions
proving about, but they contented them
selves with roaring and fighting The next
day had the villagers dig pit at the foot
of the stockade ten feet deep by four broad
and ten long. They then brought IL limbs
and made waffle large enough to spread
over the excavation for cover. My idea
was to capture lion alive, but so great
was the terror of tire people that they used
every argument against the plan. | was
determined, however, and went ahead
with mp plans. About twelve feet from
/ the stockade was as old abandoned hut.
This we repaired as we'll as we could, and
when night came took my station there
with native, each armed with a gun.
: We faced the spot where a lion would be
apt to enter in case any came, and all
around us were the live stock which had
been driven in for the night.
Soon after sunset we heard two lions roar
Then all was quiet for an hour, and had
begun to fear that none of the providers
would come near us, when | suddenly
caught sight Of a great object Oh the stock
AIDE. 1t was there only while you could
! count i've, for it was a lion in his leap.
He simply touched the top of the stockade
with his feet and then leaped to the
ground, and the next thing we heard was
a mutfled roar
He's III the pit-come on" | called
to the native, aud leaving my gun |
rushed out to the hole
Just as | reached it the beast roared
again, and heard him bounding about.
The waffle leaned against the stockade
and dragged it away and flung it over
the hole just in time to have it bumped by
the head of the lion as be sprang to get
out. | stood on it and called for help, but
it was ten minutes before | could get one
| of the cowardly rascals to come near me-
| Then they rolled large rocks on the waffle
and we had his royal highness secm ely i'm
| prlsoned. For a quarter of an hour the
beast made terrible fuss, but he finally
realized that he was helpless, and he grew
quiet. The village was awake all night
long, and when morning came and we could
see our prize we found him to be a full
grown male and a perfect specimen.
1t took all that day to build ID cage stout
enough to hold him, and during the day
and night we gave the animal neither food
nor drink. Next day We set about getting
him out of the pit. We accomplished this
after three or four hours hard work by
means of forked poles, noosed ropes, and
several blankets. He fought us every in
slant, and when he was finally safe in the
cage he kept up continuous roaring for
more than an hour. 1t was week before
started with him for Keshin, and during
that time not lion was seen nor heard.
Indeed, it was nearly four months before
another appeared. | got my captive down
to the sea in good shape. and it wasn't
three days before he was sold for so pounds
to 60 to the geological gardens at Bombay.
New York Sun.