Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-06-29

here, Master Leo" | say, struggling
against the ungenerous eXultation that IL
such a supreme moment Of ones existanc,
will iise in the best-tutored sportsman
breast
"Confound you, yes" growled Leo
and then, with that quick smile that /,
one of his charms lighting up his hand
come face like ray of light; II beg your
pardon, old fellow / congratulate you
It was lovely shot, and mine were vile. "
We got out Of the boat and ran 10 the
buck, which was shot through The spine,
md stone dead. Ii took Us quarter of
IN hour or more to clean it and cut of us
much Of the best meat as We could carry
md having packed this away, We had
barely light enough to row up into tie
agoon-like space, into which, there being
I hollow in the swamp. the river here ex-
banded Just as the light vanished We
cast anchor about fifty yards from the
edge Of the lake We did not dare 10 90
ashore, not knowing if We should find dry
ground to camp on, and greatly fearing
the poisonous eXhalatlOns from the marsh,
which we thought We would be freer
! from on the water. So We lighted Ian
tern, and made our evening meal of anoth
er ported tongue ia the best fashion that
we could, and then prepared 10 go to
sleep only however, to find that sleep
was impossible. For, whether they
were attracted by the lantern, or by tue
unaccustomed smell of a white man, for
which they had been waiting for the last
thousand years or So, | know not, but
certainly We We're presently attacked by
tens Of thousands Of the most blood
thirsty, rertiuacious, and huge mosquitoes
that ever saw or read Of. La clouds they
came, and pinged and buzzed and bit TIL
we were nearly mad Tobacco smoke
only seemed 10 stir them into merrier
and more active life, till at length We
were driven to covering ourselves with
blankets, head and all, aud sitting to slow.
ly stew aud continually scratch and swear
beneath them. And as we sat, suddenly
'OtAAuS OGt INT IAuuucl lulOuGu Tue
silence came the deep roar of lion, and
then Of second lion, moving among the
reeds within fifty yards of US.
i say, said Leo sticking his head out
from under his blanket. lucky We amt
on the band, eh Ayunculary' Leo some
times addressed me in this disrespectful
way Curse it. mosquito has bitten
me on the nose, and the head vanished
again.
Shortly after this the moon came up,
ana Notwithstanding every variety Of roar
that echoed over the water to Us from the
lions on the banks, We began thinking
ourselves perfectly secure, to gradually
doze Off
l don't quite know what it was that
made me poke my head out of the friend.
ly shelter of the blanket-perhaps that |
found that the mosquitoes were biting
right through it. Anyhow, a. | did SO |
heard Job whisper, in frightened voice.
."Oh, my stars, look there"
Instantly we all of Us looked, and this !
was what We saw in the moonlight Near
the shore were two wide and overwhelming
circles of concentric rings, ripping away
across the surface of the water, and in the |
heart and center of the circle were two
dark aud moving objects
What is it?' asked l.
I, n .b,oa 10 - ,aJ I;oo,
ed Job in tone which was at odd MIX
ture of a sense of personal injury, habit
ual respect, and acknowledged fear,
and they are swimming here 10 hurt US, ="
he added nervously picking up an III ia
his agitation. looked again there was
no doubt about it; could catch the glare
Of their ferocious eyes, Attracted. either
by the smell Of the newly killed water
buck meat or of ourselves the hungry
beasts were actually storming our position
Leo already had his rifle in his hand.
| shouted to him to wait till they were
nearer, and meanwhile grabbed my own.
Some fifteen feet from Us the water shall
lowed Oh a bank to the depth of about
fifteen inches, and presently the sfrst Of
them-it was the lioness-got on to it, and
shook herself and roareI At that mo.
ment Leo fired, and the buletiwent right
down her open mouth and out of her neck
and down she dropped with splaeh,
dead The second Iona full grown
male-was some two spaces behind iher.
At this second he got his. fore-psws on to
the bank, when a strange thing happened.
There was rush aud disturbance. OF the
water such as ons sees in a pond in Eng
land when a pike takes a little fish, only
thousand times fercer and larger and
suddenly the lion gave most terrific
'narling roar, and sprung forward .on to
he bank, dragging something black with
aim
Allah shouted Mahomed. "a croco.
lille has got him by The leg"
And sure enough be had. We could
al. TT