The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-04-30
LIONS PLENTIFUL.
An Exciting Adventure with the Ami.
mails in South Africa.


mails in South Africa.
The following is an extract from the
letter of a young colonist now in
Mashonaland, sent to the Queens
town Free Press. The letter is writ
ten from Belengwa, a place 11U miles
southeast of Bulawayo:
"Writing to b last week, l gave
an account of rather exciting eXpe.
rienee 1 had with lions but since then
1 have been within two yards of them,
hearing the brutes roar, and seeing
them deyouring cows. l went down to
Fynns "a son of MI. Flynn of Kreil
fame; he is a native commissioner of
the district, and very smart young
fellow indeed, to dinner. was walk
ing, as it is only three miles from here.
l forgot to take my rifle with me. l
stayed at Fynn's until 8 o'clock, and
then walked over to the local store to
post my letters, leaving there shortly
after 10 to return to my camp. We
had been spinning yarns of different
lion experiences all the evening. Con-
sequently when l left 1 was full of
lions and their daring habits. How
ever, would not show the store people
that did not quite like the walk home
alone without a gun, and so started,
with my terror as a companion. Being
in good fettle | did the three and a
half miles in forty minutes. and got
home safely Very early next morning
l got a note from Flynn. saying that
within half an hour of my leaving the
store the lions had come down and
taken four donkeys belonging to a pros.
pector, and three calves out OF the
store kraal, all within fifteen yards Of
the store.
"A hunt was organized. and we
secured the neighborhood without re-
suit. returning at o'clock in the after
noon, when we found out that the
brutes had also taken and partly eaten
two cows and a calf belonging to Flynn.
Flynn, myself and Orphen mephew Of
the treasureD decided to build
scherm Ga small hut made of poles and
tied with green hide, and sit up all
night to see if they returned. Well,
as i'll luck would have it. the night
turned up bitterly cold, with drizzling
rain and as dark as pitch. We decided
to do relief for two hours. and keep
watch. The cows carcasses We're only
within two yards of the scherm.
During my watch. from 2 to S
o'clock, the lions turned up, and an
nounced their presence with roar
do not think l shall forget it. They
appeared to be very hungry. as they
promptly started to eat the dead cows
Flynn got first shot, and hit his lion
badly; in fact, we thought it was going
to attack the scherm. However, it
thought better of it and cleared Off
BY this time it was so dark that we
could not see the lions, and could only
shoot by guess work. got a shot at
the next one and missed; in fact, it
simply went on eating. I fired again
and hit. By Jove! He roared and
growled, gnashed his teeth and tried
to make for the scherm. Flynn fired
and hit him again. and we felt sure Of
having secured one at least
presently another came up. ana
Flynn fred again, but missed This one
cleared. Another came up. Flynn fired
and this one cleared, also All this
time we could hear my lion moaning
and growing. and felt sure we could
find him there in the morning. but. to-,
our disappointment. when we got out
the brute had gone. Although great
pools of blood could be traced where
he had rested we could not follow his
spoor for more than a mile. the rain
having washed out all trace of him.
We spent two days in trying to find the
bodies. but without success. l am sor-
ry. as l made so sure Of having hit and
killed one. | dare say some one would
be fortunate enough to find his skin be-
fore destroyed by birds The whole
experience was novel and exciting.
Orphen did not get a shot as the ami
mails came up from the lee side, and
we dare not move. Two were killed
some time ago with spring guns. This
district is fairly teeming with them,
and it is dangerous to move about at
night, whether you have rifle or not"