The evening times., 1898-11-23
A RACE FOR LIFE.

ID. c. Robertson tells OF race with a
lion in an African jungle, as follows:
rode on my bicycle from Biantyre on
Monday afternoon, August o. and reach.
ed Mr.. Strouds CMrs. Bunce's agent be-
fore the sun went down, and after wait
ing for few minutes, started again, just
after sunset. BY the time | got TO the
Namazi crossing (where my private road
crosses the Blantyre-Zombra main Eoad
beyond Mr.. Morkei's plantationJ it had
got quite dark. except for a little light
the new moon was giving. TIE main
road has only just recently been made.
and it quite soft and lGmpy. besides be-
ing very steep for at least half It's length.
The rest of it Is fairy levei, bGt none of
il is III u condition for cycling yet, ex-
cept the portion which extends from my
first plantation to my house. which was
made some time ago. and Is now nice
and hard.
When / left the main road l dismosmt-
ed, and started pushing my bicycle up
the hill, but before 1 had gone far I
heard d heavy body pushing its way
through the bush on my left. / thought
II was some big game. possibly an Gland
or buffalo but as feft certain amount
of uneasiHess / went 10 the other side OF
the road, and pushed away As quickly as
/ could. When / had gone short dis
tance up the slope ! looked round and
almost had a fJ when 1 saw d full
grown lion standing across the road.
broa1side on. with his head turned to-
wards me and, as | looked he started in
pursuit I attempted to mount my ma
chine. but. owing TO the slope and my
excitement | failed twice.
The third time j succeeded in getting
away. and | did pedal for all | was worth
but the machine kept wobbling across the
road. and ! saw that the lion had less
cned the distance between Es by about
half. though | was still so yards from
the top of the slope. He kept up a low
growing all the time. and | could hear
him more and more distinctly every time
he still lessened the distance between
us. | think I could easily have outsJrip-
ped him if II had been level. but the ma
chine kept up a rattle, rattle. over the
inequalities of the road, and once or twice
l was almost thrown of. ] did not dare
to look back: indeed there was no need
as the groHl plainly told me that he was
almost on me but a last l reached the
crest and flew down the opposite slope.
/ then suddenly remembered that there
was an open CuIvert across the road some
-S' s~AC5N' ''NS NiANAN vas ~ NfA@i- -
dismOunt. so | rode into il, and the shock
flung me high cut OF the saddle. but ! fell
back on il without being knocked off
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
cu!yert. and though the front fork was
twisted and the front wheel grated against
il. it was not quite jammed. and | was
able to ride ON. When l reached the
smooth part of the read near my first
plantation ! was able to get no a good
rate of speed. but ] no longer heard the
growl in the rear. Next morning I went
back along the road and found the lion
had come as far as the culvert and had
there come Ia a stand. The chase there
fore lasted along the whole road from the
main line through the forest To my house.
4 distance OF about two miles.