Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-03-02


the heart. / was 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 eve. | danced and rubbed, and
got it more or less clear just in time to
see the tail of the last lion vanishing
round the bushes up the kloof.
"If ever man was mad, | was that
man. IT was too bad, and such shot
in the omen too! 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 q general rule l never pre-
tended to be very brave (Which l am
noO. | was determined that | 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 plucEy fellow, a Swat 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 lion be-
hind every bush-there certainly were
four lions somewhere; the delicate ques-
ton was where. | peeped and poked
and looked in every possible direction,
with my heart in my mouth, and was at
last rewarded by catching a glimpse of
something yellow moving behind a 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 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 glazing. Tom
afterward killed him with his assagai.
Il opened the breech of the gun and
hurriedly pulled ont the old case, which
to Judge from from what ensued, must
| / suppose, have burst and left a portion
of its fabric sticking to the barrel. Al
any rate, when | tried to get in the new
case it would only enter half way, and
would you believe it?-this was the mo
ment that the liOneSs, attracted, Nc
/ doubt, by the outcry of her cub, chose tC
put in an appearance. There she stood
/ twenty PAGES or so from me, lashing hel
tail and looking Just as wicked as it il
/ possible TO conceive. Slowly l stepped
/ backward, trying to push in the new
! case. and as did so she moved on in lit
tie runs, dropping down after each run
/ The danger was imminent, and the cas-,
would not go in.
cat the moment l oddly enough
thought of the cartridge maker, who's
name | will not mention, and earncstl,
hoped that if the lion got me some con
dign punishment would overtake him
1t would not go in, so | tried to pull i
out. 1t would not come out either, anC
my gun was useless if | could not shu
it to use the other barrel. l might a
well have had no gun. Meanwhile | wa
walking backward, keeping my eye OF
the lioness, who was creeping FORWARD
on her belly without a sound, but lash
ing her tail and keeping her eye on me
and III it | saw that she was coming i'll
/ few seconds more. | dashed my wris
and the palm of my hand against tn
brass rim of the cartridge till the bloo
poured from them-look; there are tn
scars of it to this day."
Here Quatermain held up his RICH
hand to the light and showed us seve
or eight white cicatrices just where til
wrist is set into the hand
But 1t was not of the slightest use,
he went on; "the cartridge would nc
move. | only hope that no other ma
Will ever be put in such an awful pos
ton. The loness gathered herself t.
gether, and | gave myself up for 10,
when suddenly Tom shouted out frol
somewhere in my rear:
"'You are walking on to the wounde
cub; turn to the right
Il had the sense, dazed as / was,
take the hint, and Slowing round at rigl
angles, but still keeping my eyes on tn
lioness, continued my backward wall
ITO my intense relief, with low grow
the Strengthened herself, turned an
bounded off farther up the kloof.