Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-03-17
A RACE WITH A LION.
Exciting Adventure OF ,Cyclist In Cen
trail Africa


AIR. d. G. Robertson, Gala estate,
Namazi, about midway between i,lan-
tyre ard Zomba, send the following
note 10 the British Central Africa Ga
zctte:
Irode out Oh my bicycle from Blan-
tyre on Monday afternoon, August
22, and reached Mr.. Stroud's (Mrs.
Druce's agent before the sun went
down. and after waiting for few min
utes started again. just after sunset
BY the time got to the Namazi cross
ing (where my private road crosses the
Blantyre-Zomba main road-beyond
Mr. Morkers plantation) it had got
quite dark. except for little light the
new moon was giving. The road lead
ing to the Gaia estate from the main
road has only just recently been made,
and is quite soft and lumpy, besides
E.ins very steep for at least half its
length. The rest of It is fairly level,
BIT; none Of it is in condition for
cycling yet, 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 left the main road / DIS
mounted, and started pushing my BIZ
cycle up the hill, but before l had
gone far I heard heavy body pushing
its way through the bush on my left.
thought it was some big game, pos
sibly an Gland or buffalo, but as I felt
certain amount of uneasiness went
to the other side Of the road and
pushed away as quickly as I could.
When I had gone short distance up
tie slope | looked around and almost
had fit when I saw full-grown lion
standing across the road, broadside
on, with his head turned towards me,
and, as I looked, he started in pursuit.
I attempted to mount my machine,
but, owing to the slope and my ex-
citement, I failed twice. The third
time / succeeded in getting away, and
/ did pedal for all / was worth, but
the machine kept webbing across the
road, and | saw that the lion had less
ened the distance between us by about
half, though l was still SO yards from
the top Of the slope. He kept up
low growing ali the time, and I could
hear him more and more distinctly
every time as he still lessened the
distance between us. / think I could
easily have outstripped him if it had
been level, but the machine kept up
a rattle, rattle, over the inequalities in
the road and once or twice was al
most 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 few down the opposite
slope. then suddenly remembered
that there was an open culvert across
the road some 200 yards ahead, but
there was no time to dismount, go
rode into it, and the shock flung me
high out Of the saddle, but fell back
on it without being knocked off. For
tunately 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 on.
When I reached the smooth part of
the road near my first plantation 1 was
able to get up a good rate Of speed,
but no longer heard the growl in the
rear: Next morning I went back
along the road, and I found the lion
had come as far as the culvert and had
there come to stand. ) The chase,
therefore, lasted along the whole road
from the main line through the for
est to my house, a distance of about
two miles.