The Helena independent., 1894-01-01
THE rost R1pEE's pREp1cA,lENrt..


how this article was suppressed by'a lion
forms an interesting episode in the early
history Of the colonization of Mashonaland
Here is Mr.. Selous' account Of 1t:
During the first few months after the
occupation of the country the weekly mail
was carried from Salisbury to Tuli by post
riders, post stations having been estah-
lished all along the line.of route, at dis
tances varying from Is to 40 miles one from
another. At each Of these posts two or three
men Of the British South Africa company's
police and as many horses were stationed,
and the light mailbag was carried rapidly
over the 400 miles Of road by relays of men
and horses The post riders always rode
day and night. ~
''Well, the mailbag which left Salisbury
on the 18th of December. 1890, carrying let
ters to anxious friends from the little band
of British pioneers in Mashonaland, also
bore my supplement to The Graphic Late
on the evening of Christmas day young
fellow named Thomas started southwark
from Matipis post station with the same
mailbag
'He rode one horse and led a SECOND that
carried the mailbag on pack saddle The
sky was cloudy. and overcast, drizzly rain
soon commenced to fall, and when night
IA
on such night alone through the endless
silent woods of the African wilderness
would be depressing ut any time, but more
particularly SO on Christmas night and es-
pecially SO after a Christmas dinner OF
'bully beef and hard biscuit.
However, young Thomas Che was but q
lad, not long out from home) soon had
something more enlivening to think about
than the Christmas dinner he had not eaten,
for suddenly both the horse he was riding
and tho pack animal he was leading COM
menced to snort and plunge and then gal
loped forward in the darkness along the
wagon track, and Mr.. Thomas Immediately
became aware that a lion was close behind
them, as every stride was accompanied by a
hoarsc, grating growl that, heard at close
quarters on n dark night, is not reassur-
ing sound. In this weird chase the dark
ness no doubt favored the lion, and prob
ably the horses never got properly into their
stride.
I'm any case it was but a matter of sec
ond or two before the lion sprang up and
seized the horse Thomas was riding, clasp
ing it from each side with it's massive legs
and digging its cruel claws deep into ei-
ther quarter. The horse was checked, and
the jerk threw Thomas from tho saddle,
but the sharpness of the lions claws, aided
by the pace at which the horse was going,
made them cut through skin and flesh like
go many knives, SO that the grim beast lost
his hold and fell to the ground, while the
horse rushed madly forward along the road.
THE lion at once took up the chase again,
neglecting to notice Thomas, who ran to
the nearest tree, which he climbed without
any unnecessary dawdling. Before long the
lion, not having been able toagain oyertake
either of the horses, came back to where he
had made his first spring and then, probably
scenting Thomas in the tree, walked up and
lay downat thefoot of it, Here he remained
the entire night, sometimes lying down and
at others walking round the tree. Thomas
had no rifle with him, but carried a revolver
slung over his shoulder. He was, however,
afraid to fire at the lion with this weapon,
as the tree in which he had taken refuge
was but small one, and he feared that the
dangerous beast beneath him might, If ir-
ritated by a wound, spring up and possibly
succeed in clawug him out of the tree.
ut was broad daylight the next morning
when Thomas heard the crack of a whip
end presently was rejoiced to see a wagon
train coming along the road. Then the
lion got up and walked sulkily away into
the bush. and Thomas came down the tree
Snd told his strange story to the people
with the wagons, with whom he returned
to Matipi's. Both horses turned up early
In the night at the next post station. The
TANKS of the one that had been attacked
were badly lacerated by the claws of the
lion, but it eventually recovered. The horse
which carried the mailbag seems to have
left the road and dashed away into the
bush when it's companion was seized by
the lion and eventually turned up at the
post station minus the mailbag, which was
doubtless torn off by the bushes through
which the terrified animal rushed.
-Four months later, after it had lain ON
the ground during the greater part of the
rainy season, the lost mailbag was picked
up by Mr.. Gourlay, who was on his way up
to Mashonaland and who came upon it q
short distance away from the road when
he was out shooting. 1t was brought back
to Salisbury and it's contents handed back
to the owners. My supplement to Tho
Graphic had, however, been u good deal in
jured by long exposure to the rain, and
had no time to spare just then to rewrite It,
so that. thanks to tho lion, 1t never xp-
eeareh in nrint"