Evening star., 1898-12-17
FACED BY A LION,
n "heeiman Makes Great Speed for
About Two Miles

Prom the British Central Africa Gazette
rode on my bicycle from Blantyre on
Monday afternoon. August D. and reached
MT Stroud's CMrs. Bunces agent before
the sun went down, and after waiting for a
IeW minutes started again, just after sun
SET by the time l got to the Namazi cross
H4s '"heFe my private road crosses the
oiafity yFe-Homora main road-beyond Mr.
MOI NJ piantation) it had got quite dark
except lor 4 little light the new moon WAS
giving Inc main road has only lust re-
tehtiy been made, and is quite soft and
!"iiipy' besides being very steep for at least
hdII us length The rest of it is fairly
ie'ei' put none Of it is in a condition for
cNcIlhS' except the portion which extends
from my hrst plantation to my house, which
was made some time ago, and is now nice
and hard.
W h7n left the main road I dismounted
ana started pushing my bicycle I'D the hin
but before | had gone far | heard q booy,,
pouy pushlng its way through the bush on
my ieIt. L thought it was some big game
possibly an eiand or buffalo but as I feIf
a certain amount of uneasiness l went to
the OtEer side of the road and pushed avav
as quickly as 1 could. When / had gone \
snort instance up the slope | looked around
ana almost had fit when I saw a f,Ij
grown hon standing across the road broad
side on, with his head turned toUord ,,
ana as looked he started in pursuit at :
tehipted TO mount my machine but owing
10 the slope and my excitement l failed
twice The third time l succeeded in get
tlng way, and L did pedal for all I was
worth, but the machine kept wabbling
across the road, and saw that the lion had
lessen td the distance between us nv about
hal1- though | was still fifty yards from the
top OF the slope. He kept up low growl-
ing all the time, and ! could hear him more
anu more distinctly every time as he still
ItsSehed the distance between u.s. / think
could easily have outStripped him If il
hdd peen level but the machine kept I'D n
rattle, rattle over the inequalities in the
ROAD ana once or twice | was almost
thrown of. l did not dare to look hack.
indeed. there was no need, as the growl
plainly told me that he was almost on me
but at last L reached the crest and flew
down the opposite slope. / then suddenly
remembered that there was an open cul-
vert across the road some 200 yards ahead
nut there was no time to dsmount so |
rode into 1t, and the shock flung me high
out OF the saddle. but fell back on it with
out being knocked off. Fortunately the side
OF the drain next the hill was high and the
opposite side low. that the machine was
not stuck in the culvert, and though the
front FORK was twisted and the front wheel
grated against it, it was not quite jammed
ana l was able to ride on. When l reached
the smooth part of the road near my first
plantation l was able to get up a good rate
OF speed, but l no longer heard the growI
in the rear.
Next morning I went back along the road
and l 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
10 my house, distance of about two miles