The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-05-31

Cape to Lake Nyassa," Ia now publish
ing an account of his exploits as lion
and elephant hunter, winch the French
papers are printing conspicuously. The
following Is his story of a lion chase In
1chiroom:
"Two natives came to me, sent by the
chief of neighboring village. Tney
told me that lilo u had carried away an
old woman and that he was still Prov
ling around the neighborhood. We set
out out immediatelyla land after a march OF
four hours We arrived at the village.
Night was coming on and it was i'm
possible to do any thing in the darkness.
The best plan was to wait for daylight.
A little distance from this habitation
thers was another village. where the ma
tives were dancing to the music OF TAM
tams. at half-past In the morning !
heari shrieks md cries in the little VII
lage, and Just al got out with my gun
In hand, followed by my men, weeping
woman threw herself at my feet wringina
her hands and explaining that liun hEd
carrisd aw ay her son.
"By torcElig hts we found our way to
the other village, and, on inquirinR. we
learned that the lion had carried away
the boy just rs he opened the door OF the
hut to fetch some irewoou that was at
the threshold. The cries uttered by the
people in the village frightened the lion
away, and, moreover. 1t was impossible
to find any trace of him with the torch
lights. Daylight soon appeared. told
the natives not 20 come In any great
crowd. So tsu men only accompanied
me In silence, according to orders. AS
soon as there wa, sufficient light to fol-
low the trail we went to the hut from
which the child had been carried away.
1--WE found the trail behind the house.
which proved that the brute had gone
around 1t. With the trail there were foot
marks of the child. Evidently he had
been seizsd b, the upper part OF the body.
Then we found few drops of blood.
The animal passed through one OF the
srreets-if we may call them strsets-of
the village. leading toward the river, go.
| ing along with his burden in front of
more than twenty huts. The Inhabitants
had not been aroused by the woman's
cries until after the beast had passed.
Still following the track. Wa reached the
stream, where the animsl halted and left
| his prey beside him. This was proved
by tne presence of a little pool of blood.
Then he crossed the river, which was on
| ly one foot deep, passing obliquely. AL
most descending the current, for four or
tive metres. then coming out and enter
| ing the reeds which line the stream.
HBefore following the trail any further
sent Tam barika to watch the outer edge
of the thick bushes and to find If there
were any. traces of 1.-THE :animal having
passed through. A wsll-known whistle
| from him notified us that such was the
case, 80 took to the clearing In order to
get to him as quickly as possible. After
running for q short distance through the
tall grass we came upon new pool OF
blood which showed where the beast had
stopped again, Then we found ourselves
in little open plain still on the trail Of
the nocturnal maneates. After that we
entered q wood, where We discovered clots
Of blood and the belt Of pearls thai the
little fellow had worn around his loins.
After that we found part of his scanty
clothing, which was.torn off by the BUSH
es. A pool of blood indicated where the
brute began to tear ur his victim.
"Finally, on the opposite edge of the
wood we passed intolthe high grass, where
| terrible growl brought US TO sudden
bait. There we listened. We knew thai
| the animal was there; but WAS he going
to charger We heard nothing more. 1
cooked my gun and kept within reach of
my hand my six charges Of buckshot car
tridges. When all was ready l advanced
| IN the grass with my hand upon the
| trigger, watching CLOSELY and listening
| for the slightest sound. Ten metres be-
fore us We heard the rustling oftths long
grass and we saw the heads Of 1t waving,
but nothing more. We continued to ad
vance slowly. To the right there was a
tree. made eign to Kambombe. who
climbed 1t like a monkey In few jumps.
Soon he was in the trees fork and on the
watch. The child is here, he said, but
there is no Hon. Then turning to the
right he shouted: Here he isl Come this
wayP a.,
right. Then signalled to the natives to
follow US and with movement of my
arms made them understand that they
were to watch the grass to the left. sent
| Radiant to tell them to make q noise 90
as to frightsn the lion toward me. Then
l placed myself In a little opening and
remained motionless. watching the bunch
of bushes from which I expected every
moment to SEQ the .brute emerge. Kam-
bonnie In the tree Whispered: He's going
away. No, he is coming back now. He
stops and looks in the direction Of the
men. Now he's coming your way In
walk. Here be. comes! here he comes
Step hack o littlel'
|
which listened to thess words. Taking
his advice 1 stepped back two PAGES. Ny
men were behind me with their arms
ready. Don't fire except In case of necss-
sity,' said /. Don't be in alhurry. said
| Tamabriak. The tall grass moved for
ward like d wave and the lion came out at
about eight metres from me, walking
slowly aud occasionally looking behind
him. At last he saw .me. He stopped,
showed his teeth, growled and advanced
without changing his course At the same
moment he dashed his tail. lowered his
followed him With my gun, ! aimed az
| the nape of his neck and pulled the trig-
ger. HIS legs bent as II they were rub
Der. and he rolled over dead as log.
she WAS an old fellow of ordinary sise
and extremely thin. The child that he
intended to devour was about IA yenrs old
and must have been killed the very mo-
meut he was seized because these felines
never carry of struggling prey unless
they are Obliged to do - ny a surprise.
We carried back on an improvised litter
the bodies of the two actors IN this noc-