Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1897-09-04
FROSTBURG, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, Is

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ton whittier the lion had withdrawn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
(all of which is explained more by ges-
lures than by words). The doctor, clam
bering up beside the boy, thinks he can
even descry Gas the grass stems bend
and droop before some writhing object)
the lions waving tail and a yellow
gray haunch. He fires and descends from
the ant hill to reload. A rush comes
through the grass, deafening roar;
some great yellow object in the air
above him-momentarily- against
the sky-yellow eyes-(insensibility).
"Click, clock, click clock, click
clock. l wonder what that funny sound
is. Am l in a 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 foolish! But not
must be something more. know there
has something happened. Let me think
the lion, of course-a lion jumped at
me. Then 1 must be wounded. Let's
see" (raises himself painfully on his
right arm).
my God! 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, 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.
"Hello! You here, Juma? Plucky chap.
Thought you'd have cut and run.
Where's Saidi? Eh? 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 on 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 a pin point.
With each conclusive shudder of the
lions body the blood round him widens
slightly. "By heaven, if I've got to die,
I'll die like man. and he shall 60 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 rife-so Now-uh,
ah! Mind my arm. Now give me 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, 1 won't hurt you. Keep still. I'll
aim just between the brute's eyes," "a
minutes pause. Bang! 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 tho
beast dies)
"Juma, is that you? Water; how de-
licious! More-and Oh my forehead-so
What brick you are! Upon my word,
I'd like to leave you something, Juma.
You must tell them that I said so, you
know, for sticking by me. God bless
you! Is the lion dead?" (The sobbing
boy mods yes "Well, then, must
die, too. Pm enough of a doctor to know
that. Don't cry. Tell them I 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 well 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
a 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 60 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 l 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 in boat, it is SO soothing
I'D and down, up and down-so rest
full" (Sighs gently. Dies Sir H. H.
Johnston in Saturday Review.