The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-08-27

About half an hour before noon heard
them firing their inuskets and caught
the sound of their voices, but they were
long way off. The noise reused up the
lions, and FOR two or three minutes they
evinced disposition to stink away. The
lioness and her cub did retreat few
rods, but the male held his ground, and
they soon returned. There were eight
natives in the party searching for me,
and though their near approach might
have sent the lions away the chances
were at least even that they would have
been attacked. They returned to camp
to report that they could discover no
trace of me, and the captain, who was
suffering severely. had to be content
with hoping that would come in dur
ing the day. had eaten very hearty
breakfast and was not very hungry at
noon. Like most other hunters, had
restricted myself as to water and could
go from 10 to 20 hours without suffering.
However, began to feel much put out
over the situation soon after noon and
determined to see what could do to-
ward driving my jailers away.
l was 10 feet above the level, and the
lions lay under the bushes about 80 feet
directly in front of and below me. Both
were eying me, while the cub frisked
around and occasionally approached the
base of the hill and growled at me like
an angry dog. got hold of piece of
rock weighing about pound, and with
my head and right arm out of the hole
flung it at the lions and uttered yell.
had only time to sink back when the head
of the male stopped the opening, and
though l knew he could not get at me his
snarls and growls so close to my face
made my hair stand on end. The old fell
low worked away for 10 minutes before
he gave up, and when dared look out
again L found him lying down between
me and the bush. The lioness and her
cub had disappeared, and for an hour /
hoped that they had been frightened
away. Then they returned from the di-
rection of the dead horse, and the blood
stains on their chops left no doubt as to
their errand. l expected the lion would
now go away for his dinner, but he did
not, and crouched down in the cave and
went to sleep, knowing that was per-
fectly helpless in the matter. 1t was
dusk when was aroused by the roaring
of the lion. Unless routed out of his lair
and holly pursued the lion does not drink
except by night and then only after eat
ing. He invariably roars with the COM
ing of night, and if he has laid by all day
he sets out i'll search of game as soon as
it is fairly dark
AS my jailers had had no sleep 1 did
not know how it would be with them,
but was fully determined to make a
break in case they drew. off. To attempt
to reach the camp would be hazardous
undertaking, but l would exchange the
cave for n tree which stood about 200
feet away. l got my head out of the
hole for look around, and in the dark
ness l could make out the forms of the
two old lions. The cub had probably
been laid up in the nearby lair. Lions
were roaring in different directions, and
after bit the fellow with roar like
half dozen foghorns seemed to be com
ing nearer. His approach greatly ex-
cited the pair before me. Had 1 pos
sessed "A little moro nerve think could
have crawled out and taken to tree,
but dared not chance it. There were
number of hyenas gliding about. and
scores of jackals were rushing to and
fro, and there was fear that they would
give the alarm. even if the lions did not
observe me.
The male scratched the earth and
roared again and again. while the female
circled about linn and leaped over him
and uttered a sort of cry which con-