The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-09-30

| Dirk took the first watch and | retired
| to the wagon, but not to sleep. The
night was intensely dark, and for a
wonder, very cloudy and still. There
was not breath of wind to stir a leaf
on the trees, and everything animate
and inanimate seemed lulled to ALSO
lutte quietude and repose. l suppose
must have dozed in a fitful kind of
manner, for / was startled about two
hours before daybreak by Dirk pulling
at my leg. l was instantly by his side
on the seat where the driver sits to
manage the oxen whilst treking.
What is the natter? / whispered,
cautiously.
There are lions prowling about on
| the left of the wagon, answered Dirk,
in subdued tones. THE oxen and horse
have smelt them, and are very rest
less
About fifty yards from our outspan a
considerable number of trees and
bushes were ~ growing, which, in the
gloom of the night. gave shelter to the
animals and prevented them being
seen from our position. 1 was strain
| ing my eyes, seeking in vain to dis
cover some moving object, when Klaas
crept cautiously up TO the front of the
wagon and pointed to the extreme
saw two splendid lions move slowly
! from cover. In spite OF the darkness,
neither Dirk nor myself could resist
] the temptation of a shot, and almost
simultaneously two rifles blazed away,
their sharp cracks noisily breaking the
Oppressive stiffness. Whether we hit
or missed, / know not to this day,
though it was Klaas's opinion that it
was a bad miss, for he asserted that
ne saw the huge -cats pass quickly
round to the side where the bushmen
were sleeping.
Had 1 possessed my dogs, would
have loosed them, but unfortunately
| only two days before they had been
killed and eaten by pack of wolves.
Acting upon Klaas's idea that the
quarry was making for the buShmen's
quarters, we left the wagon-box and
went to the kraal. Here, however, all
was quiet and we came to the conclu-
sion that no attack would be made upon
US. We therefore heaped more fuel on
the fires, looked to the oxen, who
seemed to have quoted down, and left
klaas to continue the watch.
THE ATTACK.
For over an hour nothing occurred to
disturb our rest and / was just push
ing off into blissful Inconsistencies
when loud crash, followed by screams
of terror from the women and children,
effectually dispelled my sleepiness. In
moment the whole camp was in an
uproar.
Bushmen were shouting, Dirk was
swearing and women were yelling in
the shrillest of trebles. Rifle in hand,
L rushed to the kraal just in time to
see monstrous lion leap back into the
darkness of the night, carrying child
in his mouth. / fired without taking
much aim, and unfortunately was again
unsuccessful. Dirk and Klaas both
fired Immediately after me, but the big
brute got clean away with the scream
ing human prey. 1 turned sick at the
sight and was about to order a general
pursuit, when numerous pairs of gleam-
ing eyes all around us showed me the
| hopelessneSs of the task We were
hemmed in and surrounded by a for
| midable troop of lions, and it would
require all our skill to save our own
lives should they have the temerity to
| break through the fire and the wall of
| branches. The beasts were probably
reckless from hunger, and when in this
condition they would not hesitate to
attack their puny Bushman foes. This
consideration induced me to order the
removal of my black guests from their
| frail lager to the surer protection of
! the-wagon. The kraal was about twen-
| ty-five yards distant, and there was
some peril to be incurred in bringing the
|
In fact, before the transition was ac-
complished some of the lions got near
both sides of the wagon where the cattle
were tethered, and the latter testified
their knowledge of the near presence of
enemies by an agitated paving of the
ground and by loud snorts and violent
tremblings. However, the human cargo
was got across without any mishap, but
the fires at the kraal soon burned them
selves out, and our position was rem
dered more difficult by the darkness
| which ensued.
From this time we kept up a regular
fusilade whenever we saw a lion, OF
| thought we saw one, although the fir.
ing scarcely did more than keep then
at bay. Once an immense brute got
quite close and was in the act of spring
ing upon my horse, when we rushed
| forward and planted three bullets into
his body. He fell dead, and we after
wards found that by a lucky chance
one had pierced his heart.
i During this frantic hubbub and noise
the oxen were making strenuous eff
forts to break from the reams which
fastened them to the wagon. At las
one succeeded in getting loose anC
rushed away madly into the gloom. /
was useless to attempt to follow, anC
all our efforts were required to save tn,
other fifteen and the horse, which latte
was invaluable, for without him
should have only a poor chance of pro
curing fresh meat.
At last a CLEAN of light became visi
BILE in the eastern horizon-a welcome
isight to men besieged by RELENTLESS:
foes. By o'clock the sun would show