Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-03-30

the old black named lion leading oy
few yards. never saw a more splendid
sight in all my hunting experience than
those four lions bounding across the
veldt, overshadowed by the dense pail of
smoke and backed by the fiery furnace
of the burning reeds.
81 reckoned that they would pass, on |
their road to the bushy kloof, within |
about Eve and twenty yards of me; so |
taking long breath ! got my gun well |
on to the lions shoulder-the black
named one-so as to allow for an inch or
two of motion, and catch him through
the heart. Twas on, dead on, and my
finger was Just beginning to tighten on
the trigger when suddenly ! went blind
"a bit of reed ash had drifted into my
right eye. / danced and rubbed, and
got it more or less clear just in time to
see the tail Of the last hon vanishing
round the bushes up the kloof.
"If ever man was mad, ! was that
man. 1t was too bad, and such a shot
in the open tool However, was not
going to be beaten, so / just turned and
marched for the kloof. Tom, the driver,
begged and implored me not to go; but,
though as general rule never pre-
tended to be very brave (Which / am
mott, I was determined that l would
either kill those lions or they should kill
me. So | told Tom that he need not
come unless he liked, but / was going,
and being plucky fellow, Swazi by
birth, he shrugged his shoulders, NUT
tered that was mad or bewitched and
followed doggedly in my tracks.
1--WE soon got to the kloof, which was
about three hundred yards in length and
but sparsely wooded, and then the real
fun began. There might be a lion be-
hind every bush-there certainly were
four lions somewhere; the delicate ques-
ton was where. 1 peeped and poked
and looked in every possible direction,
with my heart in my mouth, and was at
last rewarded by catching glimpse OF
something yellow moving behind bush.
At the same moment from another bush
opposite me out burst one of the cubs
and galloped back toward the burned
out pan. / whipped around and let
drive a snap shot that tipped him head
,, over heels, breaking his back within
two inches of the root of the tail, and
: there he lay helpless, but glaring. Ton
, afterward killed him with his assagai
!, 81 opened the breech Of the gun and
: hurriedly pulled out the old case, which
9 to Judge from from what ensued, must
: l suppose, have burst and left portion
!, of its fabric sticking to the barrel. A
,. any rate, when 1 tried to get in the nev
!, case it would only enter half way, and
. would you believe it?-this was the mo
: ment that the lioness, attracted, n
a doubt, by the outcry of her cub, chose
if put in an appearance. There she stood
n twenty PAGES or so from me, lashing he
y tail and looking just as wicked as it
% possible to conceive. Slowly | steppe
q backward, trying to push in the ne'
y case, and as 1 did SO she moved on in Ii
N tie runs, dropping down after each rul
h The danger was imminent, and the cas-
70 would not go in.
h cat the moment l oddly enoug
v thought of the cartridge maker, whoi
as name will not mention, and earnest
4 hoped that if the lion got me some CO.
nj dign punishment would oyertake hir
n. 1t would not go in, so l tried to pull
al out. 1t would not come out either, al
d my gun was useless if | could not sh
he it to use the other barrel. / might
to well have had no gun. Meanwhile I W
RS walking backward, keeping my eye
an the lioness, who was creeping forwa
, / on her belly without sound, but las
he ing her tail and keeping her eye on N
ell and in it saw that she was coming IL
$50 few seconds more. l dashed my WI
and the palm of my hand against t
,ut brass rim of the cartridge till the bio
in poured from them-look; there are t
nd scars of it to this dayr"
nd Here Quatermain held up his rig
IRE hand to the light and showed us sev
ow OF eight white cicatrices just where
see wrist is set into the hand.
&C. .'But it was not of the slightest us
nd he went on; "the cartridge would
cen move. only hope that no other N
,st, will ever be put in such an awful pt
{ ton. The lioness gathered herself
self gether, and gave myself up for
of when suddenly Tom shouted out Fl
eds somewhere in my rear:
way "'You are walking on to the woun'
cub; turn to the right
it 81 had the sense. dazed as l was
yes take the hint, and Slowing round at RI
I'm angles, but still keeping my eyes on
lck- lioness, continued my backward W;
the ITO my intense relief, with a low gr
feet she Strengthened herself, turned
the bounded off farther up the kloof.