The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1897-07-16

power Of enforcing obedience and the
strong outline Of your nose would in
dicatc the General, but your eye is
too quick, and your mouth, with the
corners indicating curiosity, tempt ME
to believe that you are IA great travel
er. l will even venture to say you
are q hunter who has sought the
largest game. Shall call you an
Allan Quartermain,' or an explorer
who has striven to benefit the world
by discovery in Africa?'
"'Well DONE he answered, 4 am
neither an Allan Quartermain' nor an
explorer. but have been to Africa.
or course, l met with some animals
and became Il good shot, but not Il
hunter, by any means. Stanley told
me once that he could trust me alone
with a gun il it wasn't loaded, which
was his quaint way OF admitting that
l could defend myself
"'COme, said I, do you not think
that my remarkable guess is worthy
OF story Of some Of your adventures?'
al will tell you one.'
"'Before l begin l want to say that
1 am much amused at the lion stories
I read in the papers. The writer's
have never seen tropical landscape,
Zulu, or wild lion, and yet they
describe them all at great length, and
the papers devote their space to them.
l admit they are sometimes very clev.
erly written, and will do very well for
those who do not know where they are
at fault, but how can they describe
correctly what they have never ex-
pcricnced? give those writers credit
for Il marvelously vivid imagination.
will tell you one Of my experiences,
and you will see that it takes Il man
who has been there to get the true
ring out CT even slight adventure.
al had penetrated farther than
usual that year, and having met with
much success, was on my way to the
coast, when one day we came uncx.
pectedly upon il Zulu village. The
people were in great excitement, and
impellcd by curiosity, Indicated by
the turned corner OF his mouth,
thought i L moved my boats under
Il bluff, and sent one OF my men to as
certain the cause. ! learned that this
community was about to 20 to war
with ncighb0rng tribe, and were
making ready to sacritice Two chill
dren to some spirit whom they wished
to aid them in the conquest. Two
lions had been prowling around for a
day or so, and the chiefs declared that
they had been sent to receive the sac
ritlcc as a token OF the loyalty OF the
tribe to their god OF war; ] deter
mined to prevent such horrible pro-
cecding II possible. l decided to act
alone. l ordered my men to hold the
boats in readiness to move at any
moment, and at dusk set out on my
perilOus expedition.
"'Thc Zulus had formed u sort Uf
procession, and were marching to-
ward q clunlp OF trees about FIVE hun
dred yards inland, where they pro.
posed to leave the children To be dc.
vourcd. Twas armed with my repeat
ing rifle, very fine weapon OF forty
eight caliber, a cutlass, and a very
long and strong Zulu spear. Skirting
the wood with great caution, / was
rapidly approaching the trees where
the procession had now arrived, when
l found must make a long detOur to
avoid swampy mud hole, into which
l came very near falling. When l
succeeded In reaching the spot where
the children had been left, 1t was
very dark, and the Zulus had gone.
The poor little things were tied to u
tree, which stood apart from the
clump about twenty-five feet. They
were boy and girl. The boy was
gagged, and the poor little girl was In
a dead faint from fright. Twas about
to cut them loose, when a laundering
roar, so near that the ground trcm-
blcd, made me clutch my spear in h0r-
ritled surprise. l dared not fire my
heavy rifle, except as a last resort, for
the report would surely bring the Zu-
lus. looked toward the brush and
saw two eyes, which glowcd 0min.
Ously in the darkness. placed my
spear against the tree, and holding
the point in the direction from which
the lion must spring, l awaited the
attack.
"'He evidently saw the point of the
spear. for he moved uncasily from
side to side, as II seeking chance to
jump by IL. followed his motions,
till, with M angry snarl, lie sat upon
his launches, thus showing his intcn-
tion to jump OVER 1t. Fur moment
lie was mOtionless, and then, good
Heaven! he came. As he went into
the air, l moved the spear quickly
under him. He came down upon It,
breaking it 10 an instant. His great
paw struck mc'-hc put his finger on
tho queer scar on his cheek-'and ]
fell with awful force against the little
Hlrl. The lion lay inoti0nlcss, for tht
spear had entered his heart.
Ill, with some ditiiculty, extrlcated
| myself from under his heavy body
which lay across my legs. foupf
the girl stone dead. but the hoy wa