Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-03-18
A PAIR OF PET LIONS.
Amusing Antics Of the Young Ter
rors of the Forest.
An African Traveller Gives an Interesting
Account OF Their Capture and
Subsequent MlschievOus
Conduct.


Previous to making up-country trips
in South Africa" says writer in For
est and Stream, ST always laid in a sup
ply of calico dresses and pound pack
ages of tea to serve as presents for the
wives of the Beers In the outlying dis
tricts. Tea is used by them only in
cases of sickness, and the donation of o
calico dress is always met by an inter-
change of dairy and hen-roost products.
In one Of my trips, while in the neigh
borhood of an old vrouw, finding that
the larder needed replenishing. jumped
on my shooting pony and cantered to
her house, followed by my Kaffir hench-
man, January, carrying n basket con-
tanning the tea and dress. The noise
of my pony's hoofs on the sun-baied
earth caught the old lady's ears and she
met me at the door with the exclama
ton:
"'I'm so glad you have comet
"'Why?'
because have a pair Of young
lions for you.'
"'Where are they?
Knocking about the house some
where
''I 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 cap
tured she informed me that some two
weeks previous her son had shot lion
ess, and, finding her in milk, hunted
around until he picked up the young
sters. I Immediately bargained for
them, with the understanding that they
were to be given all the milk they would
drink, not teased, and kept until my re-
turn, some three months ahead. The
tea and dress were then produced, and
January had to enlist the services Of
one of the farm Kaffirs to assist in car
rying to the wagons the butter and
eggs which were received in exchange.
ION my return found the lions had
been partially weaned, which was for
tunate, as it would have been impossi-
BILE to get fresh milk for them daily.
Taking them in my arms, ! started to-
ward 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 q deal Of patience
before they would allow them TO be
loaded. On coming up with my train of
wagons loaded with antelope, guns,
etc, the cart was prudently kept some
distance in the rear, for fear of a STAN
pede of the teams, and it was fully
week before the oxen became thorough
~ accustomed to lion odor.
"We had reached the more thiclxly
settled portion of the country, when
one day, just as we were outspanning,
- g.
the wagons, one of whom carried fine
chacma seated behind him. On dis
mounting the reins were handed to the
balloon, which had seated himself Just
in front of the horses, and started for
the cart in search of the square rigger'
i. e.. gin f1ask-in order to pave the
way to purchasing the baboon. On
reaching it the heads Of both whelps
appeared, expecting to be lifted out, us
was customary. On catching sight of
them the baboon gave a scream, the
horses q snort of terror, and each one
took separate path across the veldt,
followed by pair of disappearing
Beers. saved my gin, but lost the
chance of buying a fine chacma, and
sulkily refused to join in the usual
frolic.
1.-THE trip home was made without
further incident, and on arriving the
youngsters were allowed the run Of the
house, but at night they would persist
in sharing my bed with me. After hav-
ing been nearly smothered by trick
which they had Of lying across my face
finally compromised matters by ar
ranging cot alongside my bed with a
stout wire screen intervening. OF course
the arrival of the young lions was soon
noised about. and did not lack COM
pany, especially on Sunday afternoons,
when my establishment resembled q
miniature geological garden, and the
female whelp seemed to select just such
occasions to play pranks on the bipeds
of her own sex.
"Her favorite ambush was under the
table of the dining-room, the door of
which opened on the passageway
through the house. So long as men
passed she would remain quiet, but as
sure as a single woman or party OF
them attempted to pass through she
would spring out and crouch Just in
front of them, invariably causing a
hasty retrograde movement, accom-
panied by series of screams. Once,
while in the rear, giving some directions
to the Kaffirs, I was startled by pierc-
ing shrek, and turned just in time to
see frightened female dart out of the
back door and come at racing speed
toward me. IN so doing she had to
pass directly under tree in which was
chained baboon.
$50 soon as she was fairly under it the
brute dropped on to her shoulders
whislxed off her bonnet and wrap and
was up on his perch in jiffy. She
dropped in dead faint, and before ]
could dash some water into her face anc
bring her to her senses the bonnet anG
wrap were torn into shreds, and OF
looking toward the house I saw the
head of the lioness lying over the door
sill seemingly enjoying the mischief She
had wrought.