Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-01-11
y. U. IIUN AhII'
Major-General Commanding.
Cooped Up by Lion and freed by Rhi-
noceros.

On my second trip to Africa as agent
of the Hamburg animal house, and one
night when encamped on a stream in
the Transvaal, there arose a storm OF
such severity that most of our live
stock broke away and ran oil In terror.
As soon as daylight came we started out
to recover the animals. Two horses
which | was after led me long chase,
and as passed over some broken ground
close to a great mass of rock my horse
stumbled and threw me over his mead.
| wasn't much hurt by the fall, but the
horse acted in manner unaccounta0le
to me. He ran off at the top OF his
speed, never needing my signal calls
and my rifle was strapped TO the saddle
and my revolvers in the holsters. For
a minute was lost in establishment at
| his conduct. but then the mystery was
explained in a way to startle me. Acout
five rods off, standing beside bush, was
one of the largest lions | ever saw. He
stood facing me, and was switching his
tail right and left.
In the mass of rock ten feet to my
right was an opening, and | jumped Tor
il and squeezed in just as the lion came
up. Luckily for me, at least on this oc-
casion, was thin in flesh, weighing less
than l9O pounds. The hole was very
irregular and ran back about eight feet,
and was tall enough for me TO stand up
in. 1t was also lucky that the lion was
big fellow, for he worked his hardest
to get at me, and gave up only after If
teen minutes trial. His head was too
big for the opening. and when he
reached for me with his paws he fell
short by three our four feet. When |
first realized that | was safe | regarded
the situation as a good joke on the lion,
but later on | had reason 10 change my
views.
The lion had been asleep under the
bush when | came galloping up. HIS
near presence was what frightened my
horse into running off as he dld, ana the
beast had been somewhat confused over
the row and had DELAYED rushing upon
me until | had gained shelter. when
he found he could not reach me he was
very mad and growled and roared and
bit at the rocks and / shouted and kick
ed at him to keep the fun going on. Al
ter ten or fifteen minutes useless work
the lion backed away and lay down IN
front of my prison, and then began 10
realize the situation. 1t was a hot
morning and was already thirsty, while
I had been In such a hurry to leave
camp that | had eaten nothing. The
rocks were still dripping with the rains
of the previous night, and | could thus
take the edge off my thirst. | also had
matches and cigars, and was not so badly
off for a brief siege.
fully expected his majesty to retire
within an hour or two, rs he lay full In
the sun, and it is the custom OF all the
feline tribe to sleep by day and TO retire
to shady and secluded spot. judged
my distance from camp to be ABOUT SIX
miles. and if any of our people came
that way the lion would be pretty sure
TO make a sneak. Up TO noon was mo-
mentarily expecting to hear their ap-
proach. II then occurred TO me that no
one would know exactly which way
went or how far l had galloped, and
they might search for whole day and
not come within miles of me. by high
noon the lion was painting with the heat.
but he would not move, although there
was shade only twenty feet away.
could not stretch out at full length,
but I got a comfortable position and fell
asleep soon after noon. and did not open
my eyes again until just at shutdown.
| could not see that the lion had moved
an inch. but he lay with his head on his
paws. as if he had also taken a long
nap. Ny people had no doubt searched
for me. but they had not come in the
right direction. and might as well pre-
pare 10 spend the night in the cave,
was very hungry and. thirsty by this
time. licked the damp rocks all
aroaund NE to cool my tongue, but had
not morSel of anything to stay my
stomach. With loose stone broke off
pieces from the rocks and flung them
out at the lion, but he only growled and
showed his teeth in reply. l then made
as if would crawl out, but he had his
head at the opening in an instant, and
his eyes were so full Of fire that they