The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-06-15
STORIES ABOUT LIONS.
A Little Child Carried Off by One of the
Eiprca


Fierce Beasts.
A missionary in Africa tells story of a
mother who left her little child at play
while she went to a neighbours hut and
upon her return found her child mIssin g.
She discovered by tracks that lion
ess had taken the baby up in her
mouth and carried it away. The poor mother
ran to her husband, who was at work, and
soon he had his gun and his spear in his
hands and the couple were hurrying after
the lion, following its tracks. They soon
came to a cave, where they saw a remark
able sight, Ii was evident that the lioness
had not hurt the child, for there both of
them were near the mouth of the cave
lying side by side, and both asleep.
The father feared he could not shoot the
liOnesS without killing the child, and he did
not know what to do. His quick-witted
wife, however, whispered to him:
Go little way off and make noise. l
will hide close by the den. When the animal
awakes she will leave the baby to find what
the noise means. Then will steal into the
den and get tile child"
So the man went Into the bush, and his
shouts speedily awakened the liOness, who
stealthjly moved in the direction of the
noise. The man walked backward to draw
the liOness on so the mother could get into
the den. just as the animal was about to
spring on him the native fired, and the
beast dropped dead. The woman had
already entered the den aud rescued the
child, and little after she had returned
with it to her home, the man followed with
a handsome lion skin. which he could
Away keep as a reminder of the peril and
rescue of his baby.
There is another sort of lion. however
with whom SelOus, the great English
hunter, has made us familiar. He is the
man-eater, the terror of the natives, because
he lies In wait for his human prey, lust as
he does for other animals. Nobody knows
why few lions differ from their fellows in
their love and search for human food. 1t is
believed, however, that by some chance get
ting taste OF human flesh, and finding it
good, they acquire the habit of seeking that
sort OF food IN preference TO any other. One
mau-eating lion is quite enough to drive the
natives of an extensive territory from their
homes. While SelOuS was hunting in North
ern MashOnaland four years ago he saw
many small deserted villages. On asking
the reason the answer was invariably:
The people could not remain any lOlger
The lions are too bad"
In one village three women had been killed
and eaten by these man-eaters. In another
a man and two girls, aud so on. The bold
ness OF these animals Is remarkable when
once they become ravenOus for human food.
Five years ago a young girl was standing
out side hut, when she thought she saw a
babOOn in the grass. She called out: Come
and see the babo0n," and several persons
rushed out just in tine to see lion spring
upon the girl and carry her away. 1t
was near this place that lion killed a Sleep
ing mau. Before he had time to begin his
meal the mans wife rushed out of her hut.
The lion left his first victim, killed and ate
the woman, and then departed, leaving the
mans body untouched. Sometimes the ma
tives muster up sufficient courage to organ
lie hunt for a man-eater, and if they sue
coed in killing him they Will very likely not
be mOlested again for years, though they
may nightly listen to the roar of lions in the
le.-GOldthwaite'S Geographical Maya