The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1899-04-22
SUICIDE or THE LION.
A Kaffir Hunters Word Picture OF Strange
Event in South Africa.


from Cape Town, South Africa. Inc
name of the boyle was 40 years oiu'
but all natives employed by Europeans
in Africa are boys, though their mar
be gray and their years three score
and ten-was Tamaya and his MASTER
Cant Jack Mason, detailed him to my
special service during my stay at his
place. THE Willows Tamaya was
a good representative of his hne race
a skilled hunter, brave and trustwor-
thy. and a mastery handler OF the
three or four hundred words In his
vocabulary when he told the strange
things he had seen and undergone In
the African wilderness. He and were
hunting for antelope one day and had
stopped for luncheon in the shadow
of Breakneck Rock. 1t was a rocky
bluff. which fell on one side in a sheer
precipice 200 feet to the plain; on the
other side gradual slope, covered
with bushes and small trees, led up
to the summit.
at was here that lion jump and
die said the Kaffir No, not this place
here He walked away few PAGES.
and, stopping, pointed with his hand
first I'D to the top Of the cliff, where
projecting shelf covered the base,
and then to the ground at his feet. he
made a sweeping gesture with MS
arm. indicating that it was meant TO
|, take in the distance from the top to
the ground where we stood. Then he
came back to me and told the story.
at was long ago-many years-so
long, The Kafir held up the thumb
and fingers of his right hand twice.
and then two fingers to signify that
1t was twelve years. That horse run
away from the kraal and l 60 after
him and the Old Nick catch sooner
than that horse. 1 60 so half a day,
and SO half day, and come to the
kraal and no horse have, and Baas
Mason swear and say 1 catch him
horse tomorrow or catch him whip.
Bimeby tomorrow go and think
climb that rock and look long
way round, and mebbe l see that
horse. So go round behind him, that
rock. where he go up so, so easy, and
/ climb one, two, tree miles, mebbe,
and get up. and look, but l think
sooner l see Baas Mason's whip than
that damn horse. Then / think l go
out on the rock-there.' The Kaffir
pointed to the projecting top of the
cliff. He all one piece, big, smooth
like that designating the level ground
where we were sitting. Then some
thing say in my head lion, lion, and
| l look back and there he comes up that
path like he come catch me.
81 have no gun, but there is tree
| go up where that lion no get me.
| But he no see me or care. He cone
| on and he walk slow. So and Tamaya
| initiated the movement of a four-foot-
| ed animal walking painfully with
measured step. Big. he mighty big,
never l see a lion so big, bur he old
and his head hang down, down, and
| ! think he no see me. He old, and
his tail dra-ag. on the ground and the
| rib stick out so. He go slow, slow, by
| me, and go out on the rock and he
| stand and he look off there, and l
| think bimeby he go way, and l go to
kraal. But he stay and he roar low.
SO like OK when he smell the lion; then
| he roar so;' the Kaffir, initiating a
| lions voice, deepened and strength
ened the sound; and he lift his head
and his tail switch SO. Then he roar
loud, loud-never l hear a lion roar
ell nd I 1rNv ~
hat and l reach to catch him, and
look again, and there is the rock and
the lion be no there.
"T wait and wait, and bimeby get
down and go to that rock and get
down so and look and there that lion
is down on the ground and he lies So
dead-and he never kick. And 1 go
back to kraal, and l tell Baas and he
say l come with big lie because l no
catch that horse, and If lie l catch
that whip. And he ride out, and l go
and he bring whip, and he find that
lion--there. And he say: ''That thing
l never saw since l came here, con-
found the horse! Tamaya tell the
truth"
mo rendering that can give will
carry the effect of the Kaffir's story,
acted out as it was at every stage
with voice and pantomime. Capt.
Mason told me that it doubtless was
true in every detail: that he had rid
den out with Tamaya after the Kaffir
had brought him the tale and they had
found the lion dead where he had fal-
len. He must have been killed instant
ly by the fall and could not have NOV
ed from where he struck or rolled-but
the body lay forty PAGES from the foot
of the cliff, and fully twenty-five PAGES
beyond the projecting rock above.
showing that the lion had leaped and
not fallen down the precipice.
How do l account for 1t? l don't
account for it, said Capt. Mason. Or.
rather there is only one explanation
that the lion got tired of the game and
quit. He was big fellow, and he
must have made noble showing in
his prime. Now he was old and tooth
less; blind, maybe, starved and alto
gether run to seed; but so much of
the lion was left in the shaky body
the heart to make dignified ending"
History Of English Coins.
Henry Ill issued the FIRST current