Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-03-12
: THAEE LIONS.
nv 4 R1DEIR HAaaARD.

wagon, and i ala not llho W io9'o
either OF the boys with it at night. L
was in a very bad temper indeed, al
though was pretty we'll used to this
sort Of occurrence, and sOothed myself
by taking a rifle and going TO kill some
thing.
"For a couple Of hours pOked about
without seeing anything that l could get
a shot at, but at last, just as l was again
within seventy yards Of the wagon, l
put uD an old Impala ram from behind
4 mimosa thorn. He ran straight for the
wagon, and IL was not till he was pass
ing within few feet Of IL that l could
get a decent shot at him. Then l pulled
and caught him half way down the
spine. over he went, dead as door
nail, and a pretty shot IL was, though l
ought not TO say il. This little incident
'ArsU~ANn gather a better temper, es-
put me lnroN%tsA-Snk had rolled over
Decially as the 6reSAcO~mSeDS the wag-
right against the after part oNN..A..jn
on, so I had only to gut him, fiXa reA~N
round his legs and haul him up.
SPY the time l had done this the sun
was down and the full moon was up, and
a beautiful moon il 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, aud 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.
l was quite thankful for the society OF
old Kaptein, who was lying down con-
tentedly against the disSelbOOm, chew
ing the cud with a good conscience.
presently, however, Kaptein began
to get restless. First he snOrted; then
he got up and snorted again. l could
not make il out, so, like fool l got
down OF the wagon box 10 have a look
round, thinking it might be the lost
oxen coming.
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 below
OF agony from the OK and crunch as
the lion put his teeth through the poor
brute's neck, and l began TO realize
what had happened. My rifle was in the
wagon, and my first thought was to get
10, and l turned and made bolt for It,.
/ got my foot on the wheel and flung
my body forward on 10 the wagon, and
there stopped as il were frozen, and
no wonder, for as l was about TO spring
up 1 heard the lion behind me, and next
second I felt the brute-aye, as plainly
"a l can feel this table. felt him, l
say, shifting AT my leit>leg that was
hanging down.
MY word, did feel queer. l don't
think that 1 ever felt so queer before. l
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 70 kick out Of its own
mere motion-iaI as hysJerical people
waBtt0 laugh when they ought TO De
solemn. Well, the lion
shifted and shifted, beginning at my
ankle and slowly nosing away up to my
thigh. thought that ne was going 10
get hold then, but he did not, lie only
grOwled softly and went back 10 the OK.
Shifting my head lSttle l got full
view of him. He was the biggest lion
ever saw, and have seen great many,
and he had a most tremendous black
name. What his teeth were like you
can see-look there; pretty big ones,
amt they?
although he was magnificent ami
nal, and as l lay there Sprawling on the
fore tongue Of the wagon il occurred TO
me that he would look uncOmmOnly well
in cage. He stood there by the carcass
OF poor Eaptein and deliberately disem-
bowled him as neatly as butcher could
have done. An this while dared not
move, for he kept lifting his head aud
keeping an eye on me as he lifted his
bloody chops. When he had cleaned
KaDtein out he opened his mouth and
rOared, and am not eXaggeratlng when
l say that the sound shook the wagon.
Instantly there came an answering
roar.
"Heaveng thought, there is his
mate"
Hardly was the thought out OF my
head when l 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 mastiffs.
She stopped within a few feet of my
head, and stood and waved her tail and
fixed me with her glowing yellow eyes:
but just as l thought that all was over
she turned and began 10 feed on kap'
tein, and so did the cubs. There were
the four of them within eight feet Of me
growing aud Quarreling, rending and
tearing and Crunching poor kaptein'S
bones, and there 1 lay shaking with ter.
TOR and the cold perSpiration pouring
out Of me, feeling like another Daniel
come 20 Judgment in new sense Of the
phrase.
presently the cubs had eaten their
fiji and began to get restless. One went
around 10 the back Of the wagon and
pulled 40 the Impala buck that huns
there and the other came around my
way aud began the shifting game at my
leg. Indeed. he did more than that, for,
my trousers being hitched up little,
he began 70 lick the bare skin with hi:
rough tongue. The more he licked the
more be liked il, to judge FROM his in
creased vigOr and the loud purrlng noise
he made. Then 1 knew that the end
had come, for in another second his file
like tongue would have raSped through
the skin Of my leg-which was luckily
pretty tough-snd have got to the blood,
and then there would be no chance for
me. So just lay there and thought OF
my sins and prayed 70 the Almighty,
and thought that, after all, life was q
very enjoyable thing.
"And then all OF sudden I heard g
crashing Of bushes and the shouting and
whiStling of men, and there were the
two boys coming back with the cattle
which they had found trekking along
all together. The lions lifted their head:
and listened, and then without sound
bounded off-and tainted.
CHAPTER II