The times., 1897-05-16
ONE LION WHO WAS SCARED.
The African Experience of IA Brit
ish Military Hunter.

The African Experience of "a Brit
ish Military Hunter.
We were ON the deck of the steamer Gale
donia, rosing our way among the coral
reefs Of the Red Sea A dinner our Jolly
captain, "Bos'n Bil,'' az he was affec-
tioEataly called by the old timers. had
announced that il would be too hot to sleep
below and had advised US to keep 70 the
deck. Accordingly huge sailwas stretched
Iengthwise Of the promenade deck, and pre-
sently the old travellers emerged, one by
one, from the companion way, dressed in
the lightest Of paJamas, and settled them
selves IN the long manila couches which are
used for deck chairs in the tropics. The
conversation presently TUNED TO the sub
Ject Of shooting big game This il always
the way. Start an AnglC-Indian of the
military persuasion in a discussion OF
the Ten Commandments, and he viii drift
on to .'hIg game as inevitably as water
flows down hill. l was falling into a Goze,
Iulled hy the IIch, mellow monotone of the
English voices about me, when was a wax
ened by a remark Of the general
"oh, Iionisnothing buta hig, wildpnssy
cat, after all. He VIII fight If re il hLrery
or attac ked. but he is by Bomeans 4 natural
fighter, like tiger OF iiizziy
"Oh, come, now, general" objected
a voice
nc is so,'' insisted the nrst speaker.
'Ill never forget my first lion; but I've
never been really afraid OF oae since II
was when 1 was a junior lieutenant.
We had been having some pretty stiff
work in India, and when things settled
down party of US applied far Ieaveof abb
sence TO go over to Africa lion shooting
We got it and came down here To Alden,
then crossed over 70 the African coast in
an Arab dhow, made up OR party IF
guides, beaters, carriers and 50 on, and
started for a point in the foothills, where
our guides assured us the lions were thicker
than dogs i'll SonstantinopIe We had been
out three or four days when we pitched
camp near small river, which the guides
said was in the center OF the lion district.
We were all youngsters, and none Of u had
ever seen lion outside the zoo, so each
one was naturally anxious to get the first
glimpse Of the so-caIied Monarch of the
forest
During the afternoon ! lad tcen ex-
ploring The tanks OF the stream, and had
discovered a rocky POOL of considerable size
about half mile above the camp. Along
the edge of the evening Announced my in-
tention of walking up therefor bath The
guides tried to dissuade me, and told
thrilling tales OF being attacked by lions
and the like, but the beggars hate the very
idea OF bath. So laid 10 attention to
them, and, with my rifle over my shoulder,
trudged off 10 the pool. / disrobed on the
bank and plunged into the stream The
water was glorious, and l enIoyd floun-
deriug atouu mi 10 the full.
There was q clunIp of big towlders
just in the center OF the Iool, and /
swan over 10 them and sat down on a
small rock 10 rest, ! had remained Ier-
fectly quiet for about five minutes, when
the advance guard of "a swarm of black
flies discovered me, and locked longingly
over at my clothes. Then reaTly tunbled
off the rock, for there, ,curiously losing about
my garments, was lion, which, 10 my ex-
cited fancy, made Sir Edwin LaEdseer's
bronze ones in Trafalgar Square seem mere
babies
II sat very still and held my breath.
The beast poked about my garments for
q bit, and then, horror Of torrorSi he
piacidly lay down beside them and pre-
pared to go to sleep. In the meantime the
black fines began to arrive and settle ON
my naked back / stood it a. long as
could, hut finally made up my mind that
would As soon he eaten ny a lion as hy
flies; 50 suddenly sprang TO my feet, waved
my arms wildly, and at the top of my voice
yelled 'S-s-c-a-a-ti'
THE lion jumped at the same time thatI
did, gave Just ope glance at me, and then,
with tail erect, and name bristlng, dashed
off into the forest. He never PAUSED to
look hack, and l could hear him crashing
through the underbrush for quarter Of a
mile, quite as frightened as ! had been.
saedow n and laughed, then swan os cr, fut
on my clothes, and returned to camp The
next day one of our party shot a lion
which the guides claimed was the same
which had seen. Hewas only an ordinary
sized lion; but then / had my clothes on,
and he was dead.
The story was received without mur-
muir OF doubt, and in the discussion which
followed l fell asleep II it is true, it
certainly reduces the terrors of lion hunt
ing TO a minimum. York Herald