Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-01-25
BURLINGTON, THURSDAY JANUARY % 1894
A LIONS FEAST.
Tom-Tom Pays the Forfeit For Sacrificing
Another's Life.

Another's Life.
We had our camp at the big bend of the
Xonga river, where it approaches nearest
the great desert of the Hottentot country,
and one morning word was brought in chat
we had captured very large lion in a pit
which had been dug for that purpose.
Among the natives who went out in ad
vance of us were two fellows who had been
threatening each other with personal vio-
lcuce ever since we left the Naal river. Both
were tall, strong men, and each had his fol-
lowing, rs is always the case, even i'll civil
lied communities. They had been re-
strained only 10y threats of the colonel to
turn them out of camp. They met at the
lion pit, and hy accident or otherwise Que
iosted the other. 1t was the spark leading
to AN explosion. TomTom, AS we had
nicknamed one of them seized the other,
whose title was ,Joe-.Ioe, and with "a
twist and wrench threw him into the pit
upon the lion. 1t was a terrible thing to
do, and neither the colonel nor ! believed
that Tom-Tom really had meant to do it,
though he would not have hestated to use
hatchet or knife.
We met the natives coming back with the
murderer in custody, and they demanded
that his life should pay the forfeit. The
pair of us ran on to the pit in hopes to save
.Ioe-Joe but we We're too late. The lion was
not only hungry, but in terrible temper
over his capture, and he had killed the man
a. soon as he could get to him Had the
victim lost his life in fair fight, nothing
would have been done. Had he been stabbed
to death in camp. the murderer would have
had to give his widow or other relatives
about 80 cents worth of beads. As it was
the men would hearof no punishment short
of death.
About 10 o'clock in the forenoon, having
exhausted every effort and the men begin
ming to threaten loudly, we turned Tom
Tom over to them. He had been very quiet
all the morning, and when told that he
must die he exhibited no emotion lie was
in his prime and had a wife and three chill
dren at home but he was too brave and
proud spirited to break down He was
given his choice of death-that is, they
would strip him and leave him bound hand
and foot on an anthill or he should be flung
to the lion, who had by that time eaten the
last morsel OF poor Joe-Joe. He would rath-
er have been shot or dubbed to death. but
they thought that would be getting off too
easy After thinking it over for awhile, he
said to MS:
Il have seen men left to the ants, ana 1t
was sometimes whole day before they
died. If am thrown into the PIT, the non
will Kill me WITHIN minute, ana there
Will he no suffering. Ana, TOO the man
who is killed by lion dies proud death,
and his wife ana children need not pe
ashamed to say how he died Yes, Will
die that way The lion will not be hungry
again before tomorrow, but | wish the men
to annoy HIM until he raves with anger.
Then he will finish me at once, and you can
get the cage up ana secure MN.
Iom-Iom talked the matter over as
calmly as II speaking OF an OK gone astray.
doubled our oiler only TO nave IL prompt
ly rejected, ana then turned nm over TO
the escort and saddied up ana rode away
nat followed was told to us on our re,
turn. portion OF the natives armed
themselves with long poles ana SUCKS ana
stones and angered the lion until he was
positively furious Tom-Tom was then led
forward by his guards. All agreed That he
was the least excited of the crowd. Iwc
strong fellows had been appointed to hng
him into the pit, but when he was brought
forward he said:
Il am to die for causing the death of a
man who thlrsted for my life. l do not
complain of that, but wish to die like a
man. Unblnd me and stand back. know
what lion can do. He can Kill an OK with
i"IScs' poi'o d' oiic oioe' i4e VIZ MI ii.'
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