The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1893-05-13

.few yards. nevar saw 81 more splendid
sight III al lny hunting, experience than
those fonr lions bounding across the
vellt, oyerslladowel by the dense pail Of
smoke and backed by the fiery furnace
of the burning reeds.
II rec.-oned that they would pass, on
their road to the busuy hloof, within
nb@.lt five and twenty yards Of me; so
taking lon:, breath got my gun well
on to the lions shouller-the black
named orc--so nc to allow for al inch or
two of motion. and catch hi.a through
the heart. was on, deal on, and my
hnger was just beginning to tighten On
the trigger when suddenly l 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 lion vanishing
round the bushes up the kloof.
If ever a man was mad, was that
man. 1t was too bad, and such a shot
in the o->en too! However, I was not
going to be beaten, SO just turned AID
marched for the kloof. Tom, the dri yer,
begged and implored ne not to go; but,
though as general rule | never pre-
tended to be very brave (Which am
! mott, ! 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 pluciy fellow, Swat by
birth, he, shrugged his shoulders, NUT
tered that wcs mad or bewitclled and
followed doggedly in my tracks.
"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-tLere certainly were
four lions somewhere; the delicate cues
ton was where. | peeped and poked
and looked in every possible direction,
with my heart in my mouth, and was ut
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 tho burned
out pan. l 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 lie lay helpless, but glaring. Tom
afterward killed him with his assagai.
81 opened the sbreech of the gun and
htrriedly pulled out the old case, which.
to judge from from what ensued, must,
suppose, have burst and left portion
Of its fabric sticking to the barrel. At
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
'nient that the lioness, attracted, no
doubt, by the cutlery of her cub, chose to
put in an appearance. There she stood,
-tE;sptL Eaes3 Ok SO from me, lashing her
"au s.
possible to conceive. Slowly 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 case
would not go in.
Sat the moment l oddly enough
thought of the cartridge maker, whose
name will not mention, and earnestly
hoped that il the lion got me some con-
dign punishment would overtake him.
1t would not go in, so l tried to pull it
out. It would not come out either, and
my gun was useless if could not shut
it to use the other barrel. | might as
well have had no gun. Meanwhile was
walking backward. keeping my eye on
the lioness. who was creeping forward
on her belly without sound, but lash
ing her tail and keeping her eye on me,
and in it saw that she was coming in
few seconds more. dashed my wrist
and the palm Of my hand against the
brass II Of the cartridge till the blood
poured from tLem-look; there are ths
scars Of it to this day.
Here Quaterlnain held up his right
hand to the light and showed us seven
or eight white cicatrices just where the
wrist is set into the hand.
'But it was not of the slightest use,"
he went on; '.the cartridge would not
move. only hope that no other man
will ever be put in such an awful posi-
ton. The lioness gathered herself to-
gether, and gave myself up for lost
when suddenly Tom shouted out from
somewhere in my rear:
'You are walking on to the wounded
cub; turn to the right
II had the sense, dazed Us | was, to
take the hint, and Slowing round at right
angles. but still keeping my eyes on the
lioness. continued my backward walk.
"To ayintense relief, with low growl !
she Strengthened herself, turned and
bounded off farther up the kloof.
CHAPTER III.