The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1897-06-02

is. Am l III train? No, 1t is the Ell
gines of the steamer-or is it the pulse
beating i'll my temples? Then l have
been asleep. and i'll broad daylight,
with the blue sky above mo and in the
broiling sun. How foolishl But not
must be something more. know there
has something happened. Let me think
tho lion, of course--a lion jumped at
me- Then l 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 bleed, muscle bone and
khaki. Oh, God. I'm going to die
cant live--he has torn open my stom-
achl That must be the pancrcas I'm
like IA butcher $ shop. (Whimpers. A
blubbering sound attracts his attention.
"Hellol You here, Juma? Plucky chap
Thought you'd have cut and run
Where's Saidi? Eth? Speak louder. I'm
deaf. oh, gone to gunhoat. Quite right
'What-the lion?" (Turns his head
slightly.) There. still living; looks
pretty sick toe. " {rhe lion is lying four
yards away. partly on his side, one
crippled fore paw turned back, the 9th
er outstIetchod, and the great head
resting ON it, eyine the men with sol
emn yellow eyes, no longer fierce, tho
pupil shrunk to Il pin point.
With each conclusive shudder of the
lions body the blood round him widens
slightly. BY heaven, if I've got to die,
III die like ii man, and he shall go first
Who can tell? lle might recover and
hurt the boy See here, Juma' fto Ju-
ma, whe is supporting his back, "be
very gentle, take n cartridge out of my
belt, put it in the ritlo-so. Nuw-uh,
all Mind my arm. Now give me the
rifle i'll my right hand and como between
my legs-so. Stoop very low down, like
that
Now, I'm going to rest the rifle ON
your shoulder and take aim. Keep very
still, | won't hurt you. Keep still. I'll
aim just between the hrute's Dyes " "a
minutes pause, Bang Doctor falls
back fainting Lion stretches out his
head three times with srasmodic up
ward movement, the tail and limbs-all
but the crippled one--stiiren, the claws
stand out from their shcaths and the
beast dies J
"Juma. is that you? Water how de
liciousl More-and ON my forchead-sn.
What "A brick you arol Upon my word,
I'd like to leave you something. Juma
You must tell them that | said So, you
know, for sticking by me Gnl bless
you'll Is the lion dead tThe sobhing
boy mods yes. y "Wcll, then, must
die, too I'm enough OF n doctor To know
that. Don'tcry. Tell them ! bore it like
n man. But it's boaslly hard Who'd
have thought my days shooting would
have ended like thisE" fWhimpers)
"Beastly hard. I'm SO young, aud I've
done so well up to now-and there's
mother. Who Will break it to her?
She'll never get over it-nnd Lily--and,
damn it all, can't even send 'em mes
sagesl How can one tell such things to
black boy? S'pose I'm dying primarily
from the shoek-know I'm dying some
how--can't raise my head to look
mother, motherl
What rot to 20 Oh like that, ns if il
could do any eood See here, Juma,
moro water-so. Now listen Inc ndirini
ANAL, ndi mlongo I've Oh, God, how
can | tell him? It's all slipping away
from me For tho blood is the life
Where have | heard that2 The blood is
the lfe-slipping awny-slipping away.
] must be in a boat, it is so soothing
up and down, up and down--so rest
full =" (Sighs gently. Dies Sir II. H.
Johnston in Saturday Review