The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-06-22
THE LION SLAYER.

| on Doar0 one OF the small gunbOats
placed on a great African lake-fresh
colored still, though slightly tanned by
exposure to the lake winds, with merry
Irish eyes Of blue gray, square cut
jaw and obstinate chin, long upper
lip, little whisker at the temples and
short wiry black brown hair.
Like many men of his class, he is a
potential Darwin, and, having no other
means to travel and study natural his
tory, has entered the navy as a surgeon.
He has landed on the shores of the lake
for days shooting, hoping to get an
elephant at least, but meantime content
to study sunbirds. Let us in magma
tion enter his mind, see through his
eyes what he saw and lay bare his
thoughts.
Grass, forest of grass, with stout
knotted stems six to eight feet high,
and abundant leaves starting from ev-
cry joint Each stem ends in dropping
plume of ripened seeds. As the doctor
forces his way through the tangled
heritage and canelike stalks the seeds
| shower down upon him, each one stead
led in its descent by its long, feathery
stipule. The seeds are sharp pointed and
barbed at the ends, SO they pierce their
way through his khaki clothing easily
and scratch the perspiring flesh beneath.
This raises to evaporation the dis
comfort already felt to be we'll nigh
unbearable, for the Doctors face is now
the color of raw beef from the sitting
heat and the frightful exertion of
forcing his way through such thick
ct of grass and his hands are scratched
and cut by contact with the razor edged
leaves. His terai hat is constantly be-
ing dragged off his head, and it is all
he can do to carry his gun and elbow
his way through the obstructing herb
age, protecting his face as we'll as posi-
BILE with the left hand.
So he is in an i'll temper and cannot
stop to notice the small weaver birds of |
fame color and black, the extraordi-
nary stick insects, exactly Stimulating
stalks of grass, and the green, leaf1ike
mantises which throng the dense brake
on either side. He is after bigger game.
The most experienced of his boys pio-
neers him through the sitting grass
jungle. Another boy with a second rifle
follows behind The idea is "ele- |
plants, " elephants having been report
ed hereabout the previous day, when |
suddenly (they have reached a space
where the grass is little drier, little
less dense) the pioneer boy comes
doubling back on his master with every
gesture expressive of 'Hushp'
The doctor stops, mops his boiling
face thankful for the momentary halt
and asks inquiringly, tElephants?'
NO." says the negro in painting
whisper; lion. There, therel No, not |
there. You see that ant hill? Well, |
climb on to its side, and you will see
the lion lying in clear space just be-
yond. A male lion, truly. Its body is
nearly white, and it's name is black"
With express rifle at full cock, the |
doctor advances gingerly through the
interlaoed grass, bent nearly double,
keeping the muzzle of the gun directed |
straight before him and shielding its
sensitive trigger from the intrusive
grass stems. The ant hill is reached.
He chambers ON to its sloping side.
GOOD God, the boys right What a
beauty, and asleep toor' But something
in the Doctors coming has aroused the |
lion, not ten yards away-aroused him
partially, for there is no sudden move
ment.
He raises the great head set in a col
lar of yellow, brown, black name.
Slowly the dim niotitating membrane
passes over the yellow eyes, but as they
are focusing to meet his own gaze the
doctor fres-fres precipitately This po-
sition on the sloping ant hill is inse-
cure), wounds the lion somewhere,
somehow, but does not kill him. The
beast gives a sharp, explosive roar,
seems to jump into the air with all four
feet and then in three bounds has
crashed off into the grass jungle. ST.
lence
well, I'm a muffp' thinks the doc
tor. He wasn't ten yards away, and /
didn't kill him dead. l don't know
quite where hit HMM the chest, 1
think. But he can't be far away, and l
must finish him off. F"
He descends from the ant hill into
the clear trampled space where the lion
had been lying At the spot where the
beast had made its first bound into the
dense grass hedge there is great squirt
of blood over the tangled greenery-the
dark crimson liquid still drips from
leaf blade to leaf blade. "Ah; thought |
sol He must be pretty badly hit "
Two black faces, with starting eyes
around the ant hill The doctor, raising
his head, recognizes his boys and beck
ons them down. The three converse in
whispers. The situation is explained
how the lion was wounded, the direc-
ton in which he bounded away. The |
boys urge caution. Lion plenty fierce.
Mkango mkali nditu. Master must take
care; better climb tree and look all |
around-not go into grass. " But there
is no tree anywhere near.
A boy hoists himself to the slender
summit of the ant hill and reports that
he sees the grass moving in the direc-
ton whittier the lion had withdrawn
moving as though a stationary animal
were shaking it with convulsive throes
Gall of which is explained more by GEES
lures than by words). The doctor, clam
bering up beside the boy, thinks he can
even descry las the grass stems bend |
and droop before some writhing objeot) |
the lions waving tail and yellow
gray haunch. He fires and descends from
the ant hill to reload. A rush comes
through the grass, a deafening roar;
some great yellow object in the air
above him-momentarily- against /
the sky-yellow eyes-( insensibility) i
"Click, clock, click clock, click /
clock. wonder what that funny sound
is. Am in train? No, it is the en-
gines of the steamer-or is it the pulse
beating in my temples? Then l 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. I know there
has something happened. Let me think
the lion, of course-a lion jumped at
me. Then / must be wounded Let's
see" (raises himself painfully on his
right arm).
My Godl A pool of my own blood
My left arm has no feeling Chewed by
the lion, hand almost detached, rest of /
arm a mass Of blood, muscle, bone and
khaki. Oh, God, I'm going to die
can't live-he has torn open my stom-
ach That must be the pancreas. I'm
like butchers shop" (Whimpers. A /
blubbering sound attracts his attention. |
''Hellol You here, Juma? Pluoky chap.
Thought you'd have cut and run.
Where's Saidi? Eh2 Speak louder. I'm
deaf Oh. gone to ounboat. Ouite right 1