Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-03-30
THE THREE lions.
By 4 RIDER HAGGARD
CHAPTER II.

CHAPTER II.
"The lions came back no more that
night, and by ths next morning my
nerves had got pretty straight again,
but was full of wrath when thought
of all that l had gone through at the
hands, or rather noses, Of those four
lions, and of the fate of my after OK, Kap-
tein. He was splendid OK, and ! was
very fond of him. So wroth was / that,
like a fool, l determined to go for the
whole family of them. 1t was worthy
Of a greenhorn out on his first hunting
trip, but did it nevertheless.
Accordingly, after breakfast, having
rubbed some oil upon my leg, which
was very sore from the cubs tongue,
took the driver, Tom, who did not half
like the job, and having armed myself
with an ordinary double number twelve |
smoothbore, the first breechloader ever
had, started. / took the smoothbore |
because it shot bullet very well, and
my experience has been that a round
ball from smoothbore is quite as effect
i've against lion as an express bullet.
The lion is soft and not difficult ami
NAL to finish if you hit him anywhere in
the body. A buck takes far more
killing.
"Well, / started, and the first thing !
set to work to do was to try to make out
whereabouts the brutes lay up for the
day. About three hundred yards from
the wagon was the crest of q rise, COW
cred with single mimosa trees, dotted
about in parklike fashion, and beyond
this was a stretch Of open plain, run
ming down to dry pan, or water hole,
which covered about an acre of ground
and was densely clothed with reeds,
now in the sere and yellow leaf. From
the farther edge of this pan the ground
sloped up again to q great cleft or null
lab, which had been cut out by the &C
ton of water and was pretty thickly
sprinkled with bush, among which grew
some large trees, forget of what sort.
sit at once struck me that the dry pan
would be likely place to find my friends
in, as there is nothing lion is fonder OF
than lying UP in reeds, through which
he can see things without being seen
himself. Accordingly thither went
and prospected. Before had got half
way round the pan found the remains
of a blue vilderbeeste that had evidently
been killed within the last three or four
days and partially devoured by lions,
and from other indications about was
soon assured that if the family were not
in the pan that day they spent a good
deal of their spare time there. But il
there the question was how to get then
out, for it was clearly impossible tx
think Of going in after them unless one
was quite determined to commit suicide
"Now there was a strong wind blow
ing from the direction of the wagol
across the reedy pan toward the busl
clad kloof or donga, and this first CAV
me the idea of firing the reeds, which
as think l told you, were pretty dry
Accordingly Tom took some matche
and began starting little fires to the left
and did the same to the right. Blu
the reeds were still green at the bottom
and we should never have got them we
alight had it not been for the winC
which got stronger and stronger as tn
sun got higher and forced the fire int
them. At last, after half an hour
trouble, the fame got hold and bega
to spread out like a fan, whereupon
got around to the farther side of I'll
pan to wait for the lions, standing we
out in the open as we stood at the cops
today where you shot the woodcock.
"It was rather risky thing to do, b1
used to be so sure of my shooting
those days that I did not SO much mil
the risk. Scarcely had l got roul
when heard the reeds parting befo
the onward rush of some animal. mo
for it, said |. On it came. could S
that it was yellow and prepared for
ton. when, instead of lion, out boun
ed beautiful reit-bok which had be
lying in the shelter of the pan. 1t mu
by the way, have been a reit-bok OF
peculiarly confding nature to lay it's
down with the lion like the lamb
prophecy, but suppose that the rec
were thick and that it kept long W
off.
"Well, let the reit-bok go, and
went like the wind, and kept my e.
fixed upon the reeds. The fire was bu
ing like furnace now, the flames Graz
ling and roaring as they bit into
reeds, sending spouts of fire twenty +
and more into the air, and making
hot air dance above it in way that
perfectly dazzling. But the reeds W
still half green and created an enorm'
quantity OF smoke, which came roll
toward me like curtain, lying very i
on account of the wind. Presently abe
the cracking of the fire Iheard astart
roar, then another and another. So
lions were at home.
81 was beginning to get excited ne
for, as you fellows know, there is nc
ing in experience to warm up y
nerves like lion at close quarters,
less it is wounded buffalo, and l
still more SO when I made out thror
the smoke tnct the lions were all NOV
about on the .;treme edge Of the rec
Occasionally they would pop their ne
out like rabbits from burrow,
then, catching sight of me stand
about fifty yards out, draw them b
again. l knew that it must be gett
pretty warm behind them, and that t
could not keep the game up for lc
and I was not mistaken, for sudde
q Tw6 Mrs. Burnside, Adds
,.-.@~ N. Y, writes Noven
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