Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-07-18
A PAIR OF PET LIONS.
ANTICS OF THE TERRoRs or THE
FOREST THAT ARE AMUSING.


with Tame Animals at First.
Previous to making up country trips
in South Africa | always laid in a sup
ply Of calico dresses and pound packages
Of tea to serve as presents for the wives
Of the Beers in the outlying districts.
Tea Is used by them only in cases Of sick
ness, and the donation Of a calico dress
Is always met by an interchange of dairy
and hen roost products. In one of my
trips, while in the neighborhood of an
old vrouw, finding that the larder needed
replenishing, dumped on my shooting
pony and cantered over to her house,
followed by my Kaffir henchman Jan
uary," carrying basket containing the
tea and dress. The noise Of my pony's
hoofs on the sunbaked earth caught the
old lady's ears, and she met me at the
door with the explanation:
"rm so glad You have comer"
"Why7'
because / have pair Of young lions
for you"
"Where are theyg'
Knocking about the house some
where"
| Immediately dismounted, handing
the reins to January, started indoors,
and finally brought up in the kitchen,
where found the whelps asleep on the
hearth On asking how they were capt
ured she informed me that some two
weeks previous her son had shot a
lioness, and, finding her in milk. hunted
around until hepicked up the youngsters.
Immediately bargained for them with
the understanding that they We're to be
given all the milk they would drink, not
leased and kept until my return, some
three months ahead. The tea and dress
were then produced, and January had To
enlist the services of one of the farm
Kaffirs 10 assist in carrying to the wagons
the butter and eggs which were received
in exchange.
On my return | found the cubs had
been partially weaned, which was fort
innate, rs it would have been impossible
to get fresh milk for them daily. Taking
them in my arms | started toward my
cart, which had been driven up in front
of the house, for the purpose of throwing
them ON my bed; but the oxen bolted on
catching scent Of them, and it required
deal Of patience before they would al
low them to be loaded.
| On coming mp with my train of wag-
ons, loaded with antelope, guns, etc, the
cart was prudently kept some distance
in the rear, for fear Of a stampede of the
teams, aud it was fully week before
the oxen became thoroughly accustomed
| to lion odor.
The whelps would pass the time while
travelling lolling about ON my bed, which
shared with them ut night, but rs soon
as we stopped and the oxen were turned
loose for grazing their heads would be
thrust out from the front OF the cart
waiting To be lifted out, SO that they
could have their customary game Of
romps with the dogs and myself.
We had reached the more thickly set
tied portion of the country when one
day, just as we were Uutspanning, a
couple Of young Beers cantered up to
the wagons, enc Of whom carried u fine
chacma seated behind him. On dis,
mounting the reins We're handed to the
baboon, who had seated himself just in
front of the horses, and started for the
cart in search of the "square rigger'-
l. e, gin flas.s-in order to pave the way
to purchasing the baboon.
On reaching it the heads of both
whelps appeared. expecting to be lifted
out, as was customary. On catching
sight of them the baboon gave IA scream
! the horses n saort of terror, and each on,
! took a separate path across the veldt
: followed by pair of disappearing Beers
: | saved my SIN, but lost the chance o
buying a fire chacma, and sulkily re
fused to join in the usual frolic.
The trip home was made without fur
Their incident and on arriving the young
! sters were allowed the run of the house
. bait at night they would persist in shar
{ ing my bed with me. After having beer
7 nearly snothered by trick which the,
G had of lying across my face, final,
= COMPROMISED matters by arranging co
alongside my bed with IA stout wir
screen intervening.
! OF course Inc arrival of the youn
i lions was soon noised about, aud | di
/ not lack company, especially on S1nda
/, afternoons, when my establishment II
/ sembled miniature geological garden
] and the female whelp seemed to selec
just such occasions to play pranks on tn
= hipeds of her own sex.
Her favorite ambush was under tn
= table of the dining room, the door Q
: which opened on the passageway throug
= the house. So long as males passed sh
e would remain quiet. but Us sure as
. single female or party of them al
o tempted to pass through she wonli
e spring out and crouch just in front o
: them, invariably causing hasty retro
! grade movement, accompanied by a st
Ties of screams. Once, while in the real
giving some directions to the Kafiirs,
e was startled by a piercing shrek, an
II turned just in time To see frightene
|. female dart out of the back door an
il come AT racing speed toward tie. In 5
e doing she had to pass directly under
: tree in which was chained baboon.
So soon Is she was fairly under
! the brute dropped on to her shoulder
. whisked off Der bonnet and wrap an
) was mp ON his perch in "A jiffy. Sh
dropped in dead faint, and before
}, could dash so'ne water into her face an
II bring her to Ter senses the bonnet an
II wrap We're torn into shreds, and on lool
e ing toward the house saw the head {
u the lioness lying over the doorsill, seen
Y ingly enjoying tbs mischief she la
: wrought. F crest and Stream.