The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-05-18

I
Just as had finished and the driver. a
man called Tom, was washing mp the
things, in comes the young scoundrel of
q voorlooper driving one OK before him.
"'Where are the other oxenT lasked.
"'Koos,' he said, 'koos (chief). the
other oxen have gone away. turned
my back for minute, and when
looked round again they were all gone
except Kaptein here, who was rubbing
his back against tree
"'You mean that you have been asleep
and let them stray, you villain. will
rub your back against stick | an
swered, feeling very angry. for 1t was
not n pleasant prospect to be stuck up in
that fever trap for a week or so while we
were hunting for the oxen. OF you go
and you. too, Tom. and mind you don't
come back till you have found them
They have trekked back along the Mid.
delburg road and are dozen miles off
by now, I'll be bound. Now, no words
Go, both Of your
"Tom, the driver, swore and caught
the lad hearty kick, which he richly
deserved, and then having tied old Kap-
tein up to the disselboom with n REIN
they got their assegais and sticks and
started. would have gone, too. only |
knew that somebody must look after the
wagon, and did not like to leave either
of the boys with it at night. | was in a
very bad temper indeed, although | was
pretty we'll used to this sort of occur
renee, and soothed myself by taking a
rifle and going to kill something.
For couple of hours poked about
without seeing anything that could get
a shot at, but at last, just as was again
within seventy yards of the wagon, |
put up an old Impala ram from behind
mimosa thorn. He ran straight for
the wagon, and it was not till he was
passing within a few feet of it that |
could get decent shot at him. Then
pulled and caught him half way down
the spine. Over he went, dead as door
nail, and pretty shot it was, though |
ought not to say it. This little incident
put me into rather better temper, es-
pecially as the buck had rolled over
right against the after part of the wag-
on, so had only to gut him. fix a REIN
round his legs and haul him up.
by the time had done this the sun
was down and the full moon was up, and
beautiful moon it was. And then there
came down that wonderful hush that
sometimes falls over the African bush in
the early hours of the night. No beast
was moving, and no bird called. Not a
breath Of air stirred the quiet trees, and
the shadows did not even culver: they
only grew. 1t was very oppressive and
very lonely. for there was not sign of
the cattle or the boys | was quite
thankful for the society of old Kaptein,
who was lying down contentedly against
the disselboom, chewing the cud with a
good conscience.
Presently, however, Kaptein began
to get restless. First he snorted; then
he got up and snorted again. | could
not make it out, so. like fool, got down
off the wagon box to have look round,
thinking it might be the lost oxen COM
ing.
Next instant regretted it, for all of
a sudden heard an awful roar and saw
something yellow flash past me and light
on poor Kaptein. Then came a below
of agony from the OK and crunch as
the lion put his teeth through the poor
brute's neck, and began to realize what
had happened. My rifle was - thI,x
wagon, and my first thought was to get
It, and turned and made a bolt for it.
! got my foot on the wheel and flung my
body forward on to the wagon, and there
stopped as if | were frozen. and no
wonder, for as was about to spring up
heard the lion behind me, and next
second felt the brute-aye, as plainly as
| can feel this table. felt him, | say.
shifting at my left leg that was hanging
down.
MY word, | did feel queer. don't
think that ever felt so queer before. |
dared not move for the life of me, and
the odd thing was that | seemed to lose
power over my leg, which had an insane
sort of inclination to kick out of its own
mere motion-just as hysterical people
want to laugh when they ought to be
particularly solemn. Well, the lion
shifted and shifted, beginning at my
ankle and slowly nosing away up to my
thigh. thought that he was going to
get hold then. but he did not. He only
growled softly and went back to the OK.
Shifting my head little | got full
view of him. He was the biggest lion
ever saw, and have seen great many.
and he had most tremendous black
name. What his teeth were like you
can see--look there; pretty big ones. amt
they?
Altogether he was magnificent ami
NAL. and as | lay there sprawling on the
fore tongue of the wagon it occurred to
me that he would look uncommonly we'll
in cage. He stood there by the carcass
Of poor Kaptein and deliberately disem-
boweled him as neatly as butcher could
have done. All this while dared not
move, for he kept lifting his head and
keeping an eye on me as he lifted his
bloody chops. When he had cleaned
Kaptein out he opened his mouth and
roared, and am not exaggerating when
say that the sound shook the wagon.
Instantly there came an answering roar.
'Heavenp l thought, there is his
mater
Hardly was the thought out of my
head when caught sight in the moon
light Of the lioness bounding along
through the long grass, and after her a
couple of cubs about the size of mastitfs
She stopped within few feet of my
head, and stood and waved her tail and
fxed me with her glowing yellow eyes
but just as thought that all was over
she turned and began to feed on Kap-
tein, and SC did the cubs. There were