The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-04-11

several minutes. Then as the horrible
head was reared 10 hiss DC me l shattered
e with buchshot ! wax too late 20 save
the man, however. lie had been crushed
to n pulp-a fate that would surely have
been mine had / continued two minutes
longer In the lead
On the Benno river. 60 the east Of Cam
Groom mountains. we had wo OF three trsD~
act for lions. One Of the he was a log trap,
the same AZ is used for bd ars IN the United
States. II was, in fact. ! small but stout
log house. with a door connected with a
"hgure A" inside. We baited this trap
with fresh meat. but the lions would not
enter il. After IL had been unvisited fc-
two days I took my gun and started In
that direction This was AT about 10 clock
IN the morning. lapproach he'd the trap from
the side where the door was fitted aud
peered in, 90 find the bait untouched. As
Strengthened up one OF the biggest lions
ever saw turned the corner OF tho pen,
and we were face to face. think he had
been lying in the shade On the other side.
In my surprise ! dropped my gun, and |
realized that any moveni tent on my purt
To recover il would be "A signal for him to
attack The lion was as much astonished
as ] was Indeed his first idea was TO
drop his tall and bolt. At first ] could
have put my right hand dut and laid il on
his nose. but presently he shifted az me
and backed OF to a dista nce OF about 10
feet and then stood and stared at me
stared back. IL was the only thing could
do de was neither hunary nor petulant,
aud We finally laid down and rested his
head on his paws and kept his great vel
low eyes steadily fastened 10 mine. ! stood
like a stone for about o minutes. Then
/ sank TO my knees, feeling that II l did
not ] should soon lose my equilibrium. As
I went down he rose up with menacing
growl and seemed about tb spring, but as
remained quiet he sank down again and
resumed his stare
Next time you visit zoo go close TO the
bars Of a lions cage and see II you can
catch his eye. The chanceA will be against
il unless the visitors are faw and the place
quiet, but il you have the luck you will
find your flesh creeping about a minute.
The eye looks yellow at glance, but II
you are gazing into IL il will turn all col
OTIS under your stare. was dangerously
fascinated by the stare Of this beast, and
by and by felt a strange exultation and
wanted TO shout and wave my hands.
really believe | should have advanced upon
him had we been left uninterrupted two
minutes longer. One of the natives fol-
lowed after me, and as the sound Of his
footsteps in the brush redched the lions
ears he whined and seemed uneasy and
finally made bolt for the thicket. / was
stir on my knees when the native came
up and was so weak all that day that l
remained in camp.
Upon one OCCASION while hunting ele-
plants in Ceylon. / was riding over rough
ground TO head of the herd. The ground
was clear and open for at least n mile, with
the exception Of grove, and as passed
this an old bull elephant, who was either a
rogue or had separated from the herd
for purpose, charged out upon me. l
was mounted upon pretty fair horse, but
he was not sure footed, aud the elephant
gained rapidly upon us. ! was using voice
and spurs 20 drive the horse, but the ami
NAL was coming nearer and nearer when
my steed suddenly stumbled. / took fly
ing leap over his head and sprang up and
ran for the forest. but / Ind not gone 100
feet when the elephant crashed to earth.
He had stumbled over tile horse, which
was trying to rise from the fall The re
suit was curious enough. While the horse
vas not hurt in the least by the encounter,
the elephant was so injured that he could
not get TO his feet again and l stood at a
distance Of 20 feet and fred bullets into
him until he was deGd.
Near Kharme in Burma, some natives
once came about 90 miles 10 beg Of me 70
return with them and rid their village Of
the presence Of man eating tiger. ! went