The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-11-26
PACED BY A LION.
wheelman Makes the Greatest Effort or
His Life for About Two Miles.

From the British Central Africa Gazette.
/ rode on my bicycle from Bantyre on
Monday afternoon, August g. and reached
Mr. Strouds (Mrs. Bunce's AGENT before
the sun went down, and after waiting for
few minutes started again, just after sun
set BY the time got to the Namazi cross
ing (where my private road crosses the
Blantyre-Zombra main road beyond MI.
Morkel's plantation 1t had got quite dark
except for a little light the new moon was
giving The main road has only just re-
Gently been made, and is quite soft and
lumpy besides being very steep for at least
half its length. The rest of 1t Is fairly
level, but none of it is in a condition for
cycling, except the portion which extends
from my first plantation to my house'
which was made some time ago. and Is
now nice and hard.
When I left the main road I dismounted
and started pushing my bicycle up the hiii'
but before 1 had gone far l heard heaVy
body pushing it's way through the bush on
nv left. I thought it was some big game,
possibly an Gland or buffalo, but as felt
a certain amount of uneasiness l went TO
the other side of the road and pushed away
as quickly as I could. When L had gone a
short distance up the slope 1 looked around
and almost had a fit when l saw full
grown lion standing across the road, broad
side on, with his head turned toward me,
and as | looked he started in pursuit. L at
tempted to mount my machine but owing
to the slope and my excitement failed
twice The third time I succeeded In get
ting away and I did pedal for all l was
worth but the machine kept wabbling
across the road, and saw that the lion had
lessened the distance between US by about
half. though I was still fifty yards from the
top of the slope. He kept up low growl-
ing all the time, and could hear him more
and more distinctly every time as he still
lessened the distance between us. l think
could easily have outstripped him II 1t
had been level, but the machine kept up
| rattle rattle over the Inequalities In the
! road and once or twice l was almost
thrown off I did not dare to look back;
indeed there was no need, as the growl
plainly told me that he was almost on me-
but at last I reached the crest, and flew
down the opposite slope. I then suddenly
remembered that there was an open cul-
vert across the road some 200 yards ahead,
but there was no time to dismount, so
rode into 1t, and the shock flung me high
| out of the saddle but fell back on 1t with
out being knocked of. Fortunately the side
| of the drain next the hill was high and the
opposite side low, so that the machine was
not stuck in the culvert, and though the
| front fork was twisted and the front wheel
grated against 1t, it was not quite jammed,
and I was able to ride When reached
the smooth part of the road near my first
plantation I was able to get up good rate
of speed, but I no longer heard the growl
| in the rear.
Next morning I went back along the road
and 7 found the lion had come as far as the
culvert and had there come to a stand The
chase. therefore. lasted along the whole
road from the main line through the forest
to my house, distance Of about two miles.