The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-05-07
A REMARkABLE RACE.
Characteristics of the Beers IIlus-
trated by Dom Paul Kruger.

Characteristics of the Beers I1lus.
trated by Dom Paul Kruger.
Paul Kruger, the famous President
OF the Transvaal, is f. man of many
remarkable qualities, among which
courage and sagacity are foremost He
is now an old man, but the story of
his career, as Mr.. Poultney Bigelow
obtained it at Pretoria, shows that he
began early to be parsonage 1t is
not exactly commonplace bog. for
instance, who shoots big game ut :,
kills his first lion at II, and serves his
country as full-fedged soldier at l3.
This is a part of Paul Krugers rec
ord, however. AS it might lead one to
guess, he was gifted with a remarkable
physique as well as with great abili-
ties, and the tales of his youthful eX-
ploits are almost beyond belief. He
was peerless runner, for one thing,
and at IS outran horse in race Of
seven or eight hundred yards. This
story was told Mr.. Bigelow by an eye
witness, and confirmed by the ,)resi-
dent himself.
ION another OCCASION" narrateS Mr.
Bigelow, she ran a foot-race against
the pick of the Kafir chiefs. There
We're large prizes of good cattle. 1t
was long, whole days run across
country, past certain well-known land
marks-among others his own fathers
house. Young Kruger soon distancadj
all competitors, and when he rcachedi
his fathers mouse he was so far ahead
that he went in and had some coffee.
His father, however, was so angry
with him for running across corntryI
without his rifle that he very nearly
gave his son a flogging. He made ;he.
boy take light rifle with him when
he left to finish his race"
"And the old man was right, as it,
proved. At sunset the Kafir runners,i
though they ightened themselves by
casting aside shields, spears, and even,
their bangles, had been left ;lopelessly
behind; and young Kruger, seeing
something stirring in the grass
thought he might as well bring ali an
telope into camp with him, having
leisure to spare for the purpose.
"He aimed and pulled the trigger,
but the gun missed fire; and instead of
an antelope, there bounded up huge
lion, which had been disturbed by the
sound. The two faced each other, the
lion glaring at Kruger, and he rcturn-
ing the glare by the steady gaze CT his
fearless eyes.
The lion retreated a few steps, anL,
Kruger made as many steps forwards;
then Kruger commenced slowly taking
one step backward, followed by see
ond, and then third. But the lion
followed every move of Kruger, keep
ing always the same distance. This
work was getting to be very wearing,
not to say dangerous, particularly as
darkness was coming on and no sign
of relief.
Slowly and cautiously Kruger pre-
pared his musket for second shot He
raised, aimed, and pulled the trigger,
but again there was only the snap Of
the cap, and Kruger saw himself face
to face with a lion, and no weapon but
the stock Of a useless rifle. The last
snap of the lock had so infuriated the
beast that he made a spring into the
air and landed close to Kruger's feet
so close, indeed, that the earth was
thrown up into his face.
"He raised his gun to deal the ami
NAL a blow. but at this the lion We
treated, glancing sullenly over his
shoulder, until he was about fifty
yards away; then, as though by sud-
den impulse, the beast broke into
furious gallop, and disappeared over
the next hill
kruger joyfully resumed his race,
and in spite of all that had happened,
easily carried off the prize from the:
Kafir Chiefs