The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-29
LIONS IN THE JUNGLE
Percy Selous' Adventure With Big
Game and Buckshot in Africa.
BAGGING KING OF BEASTS
Bait for His Royal Hishnes-A Try
ing Vigil = Bringing Down
Hyena-The Leopard and
the Porcupine.

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We had outspanned in Bechauana-
land, near the river Malopo. ] had
with me two Kaffir boys, a good horse
and, of course, a complete hunting and
camping outfit. Lions were said to be
numerous in the neighborhod, and j
was very DESTROYS of securing a speci-
men.
One night / was awakened by the
barking of the dogs and the uneasiness
of the oxen. / grabbed my carbine
hastily and endeavored to make out
what caused the disturbance. by the
meager light diffused by the young
moon, I could just distinguish the
forms of three large animals on the
ridge above the camp. ] could see that
they were lions. and shook up the al
ready awakening Kaffirs to make up
the fire again. / had half mind TO
fire, but thought IL safer not to do so,
the distance being too great. so ] wait
ed until morning, and as the flames be-
gan to shoot up and brighten the sur
roundings the lions became less plain
to view. / saw them, however. moving
away over the ridge. The remainder
of the night / sat up, for our animals
kept snorting and shifting restlessly,
whilst every now and again came that
rumbling roar. which, once heard, Is
never to be forgotten. But nothing &C.
CURED. although i was conscious of
some creature prowling around close
at hand. The roar Of the lions kept all
the while sounding more and more dis
tant. and as dawn began to break IL
ceased altogether. AS soon as IL was
light enough to see to any purpose,
stepped out, and as 1 did so. a large
hyenn jumped up from some bones
lying near by and made off. / fired at
him and rolled him over. and before he
could recover or the dogs get up. luck
fly got another bullet into him. this
time in the head. / fear he would
have made short work of the dogs,
for such pair of jaws would have
cut them in two at one snap. A hyena
IS never beautiful, and this one was
simply hideous. Just for curiosity's
sake 1 went to where he had been
feeding on the remains of an Eland
COW, which / had driven to within 100
yards of the camp two days previous
ly. and / found he had cracked UP the
thigh bone just as II II had been
gristle.
on examining the ground discov-
cred that the lions had not approached
any nearer than the ridge on which /
had seen them. After breakfast / re-
turned again with the dogs and fol-
lowed the spoor as far as the sand
lasted; but, when the ground became
rocker, could no longer hold It, and
the sun, as IL mounted higher, burnt
up the scent. so that the dogs could
make nothing of II, and l therefore re-
luctantly gave up further pursuit.
Away TO the east some antelope we're
visible against the bush belt lining the
river, but as had left my glass in the
wagon. l could not make out just what
they were. / thought / would try to
get one. however. i'm order to use IL as
bait in good position, considerably
nearer the wagon, in hopes that the
lion might return and give me a shot
under more favorable conditions. So /
went back for my horse. and leaving
the dogs behind. set out towards the
herd, which / had now made out to be
hartebeestes. The simmer of the heat
on the veldt is most trying to the sight
and often misleads even the expert
enced eve. objects often assume quite
unexpected aspects and eoloring. This
fact is wei known to hunters, but has
no reference to mirage" For in
stance. anyone who would imagine
that so brightly marked an animal as
the zebra would be always observable
on the sand; that the black stripes
would be obvious. Nothing of the sort.
IL IN at times almost impossible to dis
tinguish this animal at ALI, even though
you know for certain that IL is there,
so cunningly does all merge into a
whole.
Noting the exact location of the
game, l judged that by careful man.
euvering l might keep out of their
line of vision. especially as the wind
was in my favor. BY treading in and
out of the clumps of thorns-not al
ways an easy matter ON horseback
eventually got to within a couple of
hundred yards. and by lucky shot,
bowled one over with a bullet through
the neck, killing IL instantly. and saw
ing my horse the stiff gallop l had an
ticipated. for these creatures are as
swift as the wind. Throwing the car
cass, just as IL was. without opening,
across the saddle. took il TO a spot
which would give me a chance for a
telling shot, IL a lion should make its
appearance. But although 1 watched
the best part of the night. nothing
came OF my vigil, the jackalls reaping
the benefit OF all my careful prepara-
tions. The fact was, as l subsequently
found out, that the animals had seen
were lions in their prime and IL is not
often that such can be decoyed by a
carcass which they have not them
selves destroyed. Fate. however, had
willed that one of their number should
contribute his share to my list OF tro-
phies. though IL was not until some
time afterwards.
Next morning was. of course. about
looking for signs; but could make moth
ing out as TO lions. on going down
towards the river some half mile from
camp, my attention was attracted by
the unusual conduct of a leopard lie
was cutting all sorts of capers, at one
time ploughing along the ground with
his head, at another rearing upright
and tearing at his throat with his fore
paws. All this was curious. but IL was
my opportunity. and ! lost no time In
putting couple OF bullets into him.
the second of which laid him out nice
~ without giving me the trouble which
usually falls TO my lot when tackling
these great cats. On proceeding 10 in
veStigate the reasons for his strange
performance. my wonder ceased. IL
appeared that he had tackled a porcu-
pine with more gusto than discretion,
and one of the latters quilts had got
inserted under the root of his tongue
and was working deeper and deeper
a a..