The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-06-10

Son Mhlenet ehe non mad withdrawn
moving rs though stationarv animal
We're shaking itwith conYulsiye tbroes
(all of which is explained more Inv ges-
lures than bywords). The doctor. clam.
bering up beside the boy, thinks he can
even descry (as the grass stems bend
and droop before some writhinu ohiect1
the lions waving tail and n yellow
gray haunch. He fires and descends from
the ant hill to reload. a rush comes
through the grass, deafeninp ronr:
some great yellow object in tho mir
above him-momentarily- ouoinst
the sky--yellow eyes-(insensibility).
Click, clock, click clock, click
clock. wonder what that funny sound
is. Am ina train? No, it is the ell
gines of the steamer-or is it the pulse
beating in my temples? Then 1 have
been asleep, and in broad daylight,
with the blue sky above me and in the
broiling sun. How foolishl But not
must be something more. know there
has something happened. Let me think
tho lion, of course-a lion jumped at
me. Then must be wounded. Let's
see" (raises himself painfully on his
right army.
My Godl A pool of my own blood
My left arm has no feeling. Chewed by
the lion, hand almost detached, rest of
arm mass of blood, muscle, bono and
khaki. Oh, God, I'm going to die
can't live-he has torn open my stom-
achl That must be the pancreas. I'm
like butchers shop" (Whimpers. A
blubbering sound attracts his attention.
"Hellol You here, Juma? Plucky chap.
Thought you'd have cut and run.
Where's Saidi? Eth? Speak louder. I'm
deaf Oh, gone to gunboat. Quite right.
"What-the lion?' (Turns his head
slightly "There, still living; looks
pretty sick too" (The lion is lying four
yards away, partly OH his side, one
crippled fore paw turned back, the 9th
er outstretched, and the great head
resting on it. eying the men with SOL
emn yellow eyes, no longer fierce, the
pupil shrunk to pin point
With each conclusive shudder of the
lions body the blood round him widcns
slightly. By heaven, if I've got to die,
I'll die like man. and he shall go first
Who can tell? He might recover and
hurt the boy. See here, Juma'' Ito Ju-
ma, who is supporting his back, 'be
very gentle, take a cartridge out of my
belt, put it in the rifie-so. Now-uh,
ah Mind my arm. Now give mo the
rifle i'll my right hand and come between
my legs-so. Stoop very low down, like
that.
Now, I'm going to rest the rifle OH
your shoulder and take aim. Keep very
still, won't hurt you. Keep still. I'll
aim just between the brute's eyes" "a
minutes pause. Bangl Doctor falls
back fainting. Lion stretches out his
head three times with spasmodic up
ward movement, the tail and limbs-all
but the crippled one-stiffen, the claws
stand out from their sheaths and the
beast dies.)
"Juma, is that you? Water; how de-
licious! More-and on my forehead-so
What brick you arel Upon my word,
I'd like to leave you something, Juma
You must tell them that said So you
know, for sticking. by me. God bless
you'll Is the lion dead?' (The sobbing
boy mods "Yes.") "Well, then, must
die, too. I'm enough of doctor to know
that. Don't cry. Tell them bore it like
man. But it's beastly hard. Who'd
have thought my days shooting would
have ended like this?" (Whimpers.)
"Beastly hard. I'm so young, and I've
done SO we'll up to now-and there's
mother Who will break it to her?
She'll never get over it-and Lily-and,
damn it all, can't even send 'em mes
sages How can one tell such things to
n black boy? S'pose I'm dying primarily
from the shock-know I'm dying some
how-can't raise my head to look
mother, mother!
"What rot to go ON like that, as if it
could do any good! See here, Juma,
more water-so Now listen. Inc ndirini
anal, ndi mlongo I've Oh, God, how
can tell him? It's all slipping away
from me. For the blood is the life.
Where have heard that? The blood is
the life-slipping away-slipping away.
[ must be i'll a boat, it is so soothing
up and down, up and down-so rest
full" (Sighs gently. Dies. Sir II. H. :
Johnston i'll Saturday Review.