The herald., 1898-02-02
SPORTSMEN'S PARADISE
HUNTING THE KING OF BEASTS
IN SOUTH AFRICA
Across the Kalahari Desert, the Great
Thirst Land Of the
Continent

the Kalahari desert, the great thirst
land of South Africa, and spend few
weeks in the abundant game country
that lies on the southern shores of the
Bosletti river
Never to be forgotten are the first few
days we spent in that hunters paradise.
Almost every kind of game known to
South Africa. except the elephant, buff
falo and rhinoceros, lay around us In
sufficient plenty to make sport success
full without being easy. We had to work
for all We got, but there was always the
certainty of being rewarded for our toll
with hard chase and noble quarry.
In the course Of single days hunting.
it was no uncommon thing to sight gl-
raffe, Burchell's zebra, wildebeest, koo-
doc and springbok; while along the river
banks swarmed innumerable waterfowl,
as well as pelicans, fiamingoes, cormo-
rants, eagles, ducks, geese and cranes,
down to snipe, teal partridge and grouse.
Add to these attractions the recollection
Of severe journey safely accomplished
and the ever-present charms of dwelling
beneath brilliant sunshine under
strange sky and among strange people,
and you can imagine the intoxication of
few weeks sport by the shores of the
Bosletti.
We were greeted with the news that a
lion had been lately seen in the neighbor-
hood, prowling round a native kraal.
With game so plentiful 1t was too much
to hope that he would pay us visit, but
we determined to hold ourselves in read
mess to receive him, Thorn bushes were
collected and bound together to form a
strong fence and large fire was lighted.
The horses We're tethered with more than
usual care to the wagon wheels, and We
thought it just as we'll to tie the oxen to
their yokes with new and unused set
of buffalo reins No lion came that
night, nor the next, but the third night
brought with it the expected visitor.
We had just settled comfortab bly, in our
kartels when a slight shiver ran through
the wagon. Climbing down to see what
was the matter, 1 found my favorite
horse pulling uneasily at the tether. The
oxen were all standing up and gazing
steadily in one direction. A cloud was
over the face of the moon, and though l
looked closely / could see nothing; 80,
passing down the line of cattle, I said
few words to each, knowing that nothing
soothes a frightened beast so much as
the sound of a human voice. Orders
were given to stir up the fire and see to
the fastenings of the animals. There
was not sound to be heard save an oc-
casional low giggle of Jackal of the
screaming of hyena. The cattle stood
motionless, all facing doggedly the same
way. Suddenly they began to plunge
and kick, and simultaneously, out of the
semi darkness, and close by us, though
where it was impossible to say, came
that most awful thunder of a lions roar
filing heaven and earth with it's terrify-
| ing music. The cattle made frantic ef-
| forts to burst their yokes, and every
minute we expected the wagon to topple
over or the trektow to break. The dogs
ran whining between wheels, and the
panic horses tugged helplessly
at their tethers. We ran about, shouting
at the top Of our voices to stay the alarm,
and my chum walked up to the fence
with his rifle cooked, ready to shoot at
sight. Luckily the reins held good and
the marauder came no nearer.
The next morning we took up the
beasts spoor and followed it for three or
four miles. 1t led us into sort of thick
ct or haak-doorn, shrivelled mopani
in which to encounter a lion, or, indeed,
any animal. Confident that we had run
him to earth, Joseph, our head hunter,
sent in the dogs to rout him out. We re-
manned outside some hundred yards
apart. No sound came from the bush,
and was beginning to thing the spoor-
ers for once had made mistake, when
my eye caught something moving on the
outskirts of the thicket. 1t crept fur
lively along, still half screened by the
trees, then stopped and raised it's head,
as the yelping of a dog came through
the bush. That seemed to decide it, for
without more ado it came out into the
open, shambling quickly along, with
head down, and so gave me my first
glimpse of a wild lion.
The sight was immensely disappoint-
ing. There was nothing majestic about
him. That skulking beast, gray-yellow
in hue, almost maneless, stealing shame
facedly along like an unwieldly cat-was
that the monarch of the forest? The av-
erage lion of the menagerte has twice
his grandeur and three times his growth
of name, such Is the effect Of regular and
generous feeding. Still he was a lion,
and as such deserving of being killed.
1t was clear he was making tracks for
another thicket a quarter of a mile away.
The wind was in my favor and waited
for him to give me good shot. He
stopped abruptly on catching sight Of
me, raised his head for a moment, but
instantly lowered it again. The dis
tance between US was some seventy five
PAGES of clear ground. He looked at me
steadily, his tall standing upright like
an iron rod. expected the two or three
premonitory twitches that are said to
precede a charge, and brought by rifle
up to my shoulder. But he turned and
trotted away more stealthily and less
majestically, if possible, than before
fired as he turned broadside on, and
heard with keenest delight the tell-tale
thud of the bullet. 1t brought him to
the ground with a howl of pain, and I
ran thirty yards closer, reloading as 1
went He was up almost instantly, and
/ could see the vicious gleam Of his yell
low eyes. Up went his tail. and after a
curious, half reckless toss of his head he
came quickly toward me, not in a series
of bounds, but with that low rushing
gait which is probably his natural mode
Of progression. aimed for the nose, at
twelve PAGES, hoping to penetrate to the
brain, and ran swiftly to one side the
moment did so, The precaution proved
unnecessary, for the bullet went home,
and the beast fell in his tracks.
We found on cutting the lion open that