Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1892-08-25

several years then, but had spent the
time in the large cities on the coast,
where | had many English and Ameri-
can friends. Business connected with
the American firm ] was representing
mt last required visit to the village
mentioned, and to certain high digni
tary who resided there, and set out on
my journey, taking with me only my
one servant an Americ an negro from
New Orleans.
The first part of my journey has been
Travelled too often and described too
frequently to need any description from
me. The time of which | wish to
speak particularly was the evening we
were approaching the village of LolSi.
j was travelling in palanquin, with
four bearers, and Sam, the negro, trot-
ted nimbly along by our side. We
were hurrying toward the village when
we met a gang of eighteen or twenty
natives, some of them armed with guns
and some with long poles with knives
fastened in the ends Instantly the
palaneuin was set down, and with vio-
lent gesticulatio1s the newcomers pro-
ceeded to detail something that was
evidently 4 great sensation.
When they had gone on the head
man among the bearers approached the
palanquin and told me the trouble.
The country around Lolli had been ter
rorized Tor months by a huge Iona
monster Of his kind Repeatedly he
had dragged away oxen and yearlings,
ard of late he bad taken to prowling
about the village ut night. Once he
had killed a goat that was tied at the
very corner of Il house, and the last
night he had rushed upon some chill
dren that were playing in the street,
and had dragged away little boy in
spite Of the shrieks and cries of his
companions All day the men of the
village had been hunting him, but as
yet they had seen not even trace OF
the murderer.
The bearers snatched up. the palan-
quin and started off at such rate that
it kept Sam in a full run to keep up
with them. He confided to me, how
ever, that he was mighty glad TO see
dem pagins humpin' deyselves," be-
cause he considered that was a good
ncighborhood to get out Of A brisk
trot of two or three miles brought us
to the outskirts of the village. We
found everything in the widest excite
ment, groups of women and children
and old men huddled together in the
streets, mothers clinging to their chill
dren, and here and there the people
already building huge bonfires, which
were to be kept burning all night to
frighten away the invader. After some
time we found a room where / was
given cot and Sam q bed on the floor,
and we both slept like the Seven
Sleepers, Notwithstanding the noise and
confusion around us
The next morning we found that most
of the Inhabitants had watched all
night, s.Ad that great bonfires had been
kept burning, yet in spite of their care
the lion had entered the village, and
had almost killed one of the natives
who CHANGED to fall asleep beside one
of the bonfires he had been left to
guard. This last attack had driven the
people wild, and it was utterly impos-
sible to get them to listen to reason.
The bearers of my palanquin were
panic-strickcn, and they trembled and
their teeth chattered whenever anyone
mentioned the lions. AS for me, busi-
ness cares were pressing upon me heav-
ily, and l found myself considerably
bored by all this unreasoning terror.
was anxious to start, so that ! could
get as far as possible on my journey
before the day was far advanced.
But found myself confronted by an
unexpected obstacle The goodfor-
nothing rascals positively refused to
start In vain l alternately coaxed
and threatened, offered them double
wages, and spent hours in trying to
persuade them. In vain Iwent out and
cndeavorcd to hire other carriers. The
lion, the lion-that was all heard. 1t
was late in tile afternoon at last when,
at the offer of four times the usual
wages, they sullsily motioned me into
the palanquin, picked it up and trotted
out Of the village. If they would hurry
knew that they still had time to reach
n bungalow where lived an English
man to whom | had a letter of introduc-
tion. But instead of hurrying they
went dragging along in such an un-
willing fashion that my hopes sank
yeIy rapidly.
sam, bitterly indignant, kepz mutter-
Ing to himself: "Never you mind. you
-. lnnr. rcnnlc l iacf wish had