The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-06-20

bling the note found by us, he started Il,
once, compelling the reluctant native u
go along.
Striking into the forest at the spot
whence the lion had emerged, they quickly
found the trail and soon came within sight
of the beast, who did not bother himself
about them at all as he logged along at q
dog trot. Harold took the lead; but.
though never more than so yards behnG
the Hon, he dared not shoot for fear of hit
ting Koa.
Expecting every moment to sec the mon.
ster drop his burden and turn to attack
him, the boy kept right on, hoping thus
to gain favorable shot. But the fearless
or perhaps disdainful brute never relaxed
his hold, never even looked around, and
beyond occasionally uttering a murmur-
ing growl seemed actually Indifferent t.
his pGrsuer's presence.
When the creature finally entered the
jungle copse, Harold was within 20 yards
of him and dashed into the cover without
moments hesitation, disrcgardng the
warning cry of MHtu, who, in deadly ter
Tor, inglorously climbed n tree, whence
he overlooked all that next occurred. lie
cav, he said the lion drag his prey through
the low entrance of his den, drop it inside
s
last determined to chastisc the mpudcnt
hunter. But as he was coming out of the
narrow passagCway Harold, who was hur
ricdly unstrapping the blanket roll from
his back, preparatory to entering, and was
standing at one side of the hole sent "A
bullet through his head, and he fell stone
dead without so much us kickl
"Bravcst white man ever WASH said
Matu on reaching this point. Then l
slid down tree and skinned lion, but Mas
ter Beeton he pulled Kola out of den, pour
ed water in him S mouth and tied up him's
shoulder good, same as doctor man"
Kola's wounds were broken collar bone
and badly lacerated shoulder, deep into
which the lions fang had sunk while
dragging his heavy body along. He soon
revived, it seems, and then the party left
the den, Harold tenderly supporting the
injured man and Matu carrying the two
guns and the pelt On attempting how
ever, to regain the point at which they had
entered the plateau they became complete
ly bewildered-''tu turned round" as lost
men will, and after wandering about for
several hours they struck at venture into
the forest coming, by good fortune, to
the creek, which they reached by penetrat-
ing much narrower belt of timber than
that through which we had forced our way.
BY this time Kola had become too weak
to proceed, and Harold decided to remain
by the water until he should get stronger.
When we found them, both of the un-
wounded men were nearly worn out by
fatigue, as the place was so infested by
wild beasts that they had been Obliged to
| keep up big fire day and night, subsist-
ing meanwhile upon such small game as
happened to come within easy reach. Sew
eral times they heard the trumpeting of
elephants, and without going 20 yards
from the fire Harold had shot too inquis-
| tive leopard.
Ny wo old hunters at once took charge
| If matters. prepared hot coffee and proper
| Loou Tor the party, made Beeton and his
| "onrade 20 to bed, poulticed Kola's in
lan.cI shoulder and made things in gen
| rr~l coy and comfortable
The good fellows sat up all night-their
second sleepless bookkeeping watch and
nursing the patient, who next morning
was able to walk, leaning ON the arm of
his preserver, to whom he showed the most
touching gratitude and affection.
Having three axes now, we soon cut q
passable way out to the plain. While trav-
ersing this we came across and ultimately
killed bull elephant, whose tusks ex-
tracted by much labor, we found, on reach
ing Kkope, weighed SO pounds.
Notwithstanding the delay of securing
and carrying these, we arrived at the river
| little after noon All our chattels were
as we left them, but the bones of the hip
popotamus were picked clean. The great
skull was still intact, however, and Harold
preserved it to add TO his trophies.
We staid three days at this place and
had excellent sport, killing a fine lioness,
one black and two spotted leopards, sever
al crocodiles and an immense bustard
Splendid eating) besides any number of
wild geese, ducks and other waterfowl.
The details would make of this mere
hunting story but may say that 1S-year
old Harold proved not only the life and
soul of the party, but the most successful
hunter of us all.
On the morning of the 18th we packed
all our peltries and other belongings as
well as our six selves into the boat--load-
ing her down to the waters edge by the
way-and after camping out one night
more arrived safely at home on the 18th
without further serious adventure
Yet Kola's "bimeby'' was long in COM
ing, for it was fully six months before he
was perfectly sound again, during all
which time Harold and another friend
paid a surgeon to attend him and supplied
every want of himself and family. The
mans recovery, under the circumstances,
was, the doctor said, almost miracle, as
even much slighter wounds, made by a
lions or tiger teeth. he had usually found
to prove fatally Thompson, in Romance