Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-03-28

An AFRICAN LION GROWN OLD STILL
HAD rHK pKARf 10 DIE.

from my ksffie guide last summer 10 the
Tsansvsal,r said W. 8. Mcintosh, who
arrived 10 New York . lev days ago
from Cape Town. "The name Of the
boy--he was about 10 years old, bat al
natives employed BY Europeans 10 Africa
are boys, though their hair be gray and
their years three-score and ten-was
Tsmaya, snd his master, Captain Jack
Mason, detailed him 70 my special
service during my stay at his place, The
Willows TAmaya was = good repre-
sentative Of his fne race, . skilled hunt
or, brave and Trustworthy, and mas
terly handler OF the three or four hundred
words In hls vocabulary when he told Of
strange things be had seen and under.
gone 10 the African wilderness. He and
I were hunting for antelope one day and
had stopped for luncheon In the shadow
OF Breakneck Rock. 1t was . rocky
biufY, which fell on one side In sheer
precipice 100 feet to the plsln; on the
other side gradual slope, covered with
bushes and small trees led up TO the
summit.
"'It was here that lion jump and die,
said the Ksflr while We we're smoking
our pipes. NO, not this plAce-here.'
He walked away few PAGES, and, stop
ping, pointed with bis hand first up to
The top OF the ciiff, where 4 projecting
sbelf overhung the base, and then 10 the
ground at his feet. He made = sweeping
gesture with his arm, indicating that Il
was meant to take In the distance from
the top to the ground where he stood.
Then be came back to NE and told me
the story.
"'It was long sgo-many years-so
long The Ksfiir held up the thumb
and fiugers Of his right hand twice, and
then two fingers TO signify that II Was
twelve years. That horse ran away
from the krssl and 60 after him, and
the debble catch sooner than that DID
horse. 20 so half day, and so half =
day, and come TO the krsal and no horse
have, and Bsss Mason swear and say |
catch him horse tomorrow or | catch
him whip. Bimeby tomorrow 90 and
think climb that rock and look long
way all round, and mebbe I see that
horse. So 90 round behind him, thsf
rock. where he 60 up so, so essy. and
climb one, two, tree miles, mebbe, and !
get up, and l look, but think sooner |
see Bsas Mason's whip than that id
horse. Then I think 60 out on that
rock--there.' The ksfiir pointed 20 the
projecting top OF the cliff He all one
piece, big, smooth-like that designat-
ing the level ground where we were sit
ting. Then something say In my head,
lion, and I look back and there he come
up that path like he come catch me.
al have no gun, but there Il tree and
| 90 up where that lion no get me. But
be- no see the or care. He come on and
he walk slow, so,' aud Tsmsya initiated
the movement OF = four-footed animal
walking painfully With measured step.
Big, he mighty big, never see lion 80
big, but he old and his head hang down,
down, and I think he no zee me. He
old. and his tall drs-sg on the ground
and the rib stick out so. He 60 slow,
slow BY me and 60 out on the rock and
he stand and he look OF there, and
think bimeby he 20 way, and GO To
krsxl. But he stay and he ,oar low, 40
like OF when ne smell the Hon; then he
roar so;' the Ksfilr, INIT .ting = lion.
voice, deepeoed and strengthened the
t0uUUt nuu ttt ltIt uSah uu't us t't'
switch so. Then he roar loud, loud
never rear lion roar like that fellow
roar-and drop my hat and ] reach 10
cstch him, and look sgsin, and there Is
the rock aud the lion be no there.
al walt and walt, and bimeby | get
down and 90 10 that rock and ! get
down so and look, and there that Hon II
down on the ground and he lie so--desd
-snd he never kick. Aud 90 back 10
krssI, aud I tell bass and he say come
with big lie because l no catch that
horse, II / lie / catch that whip. And
h. ride our, and 20. and he bring
hip, md he find that lion--tbere. And
he say:
..Th.t thing I never sa~ since came
here. DIN the horse. Txmsya Tell the
truth"
"No rendering that eau give will
carry the effect of thu X ,fiir's story,
acted out rs X WAS at every stsge with
voice and psniomime. Captain Mason
told me that IL doubtless was true In
every detail; that NJ had ridden out
with T,maya after the ksffir bad
brought him the tale, and they had
found the lion dead where he had fallen.
II. must have been killed INSTANTLY bv
the fall, and could not hsrv. moved from
where he struck or rolled-but the body
lay forty PAGES from the foot Of the cliff,
and fully twenty-five psces bevond the
projecting rock above, showing that the
lion had leaped and not fallen down the
precipice.
How do ? account for liz don't &C.
count for IT," said Captain Mason. "Or,
rather, there Ia only ono 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
snow he was old and t,othless; blind,
may be, starved, and altogether run To
seed; but SD much Of the lion was left
In the shsky body-rhe heart In make a
dignified ending. '"-New York Sun.