The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-03-14
The LADY AND THE LION.
Modern Diana Who IL Much LioniKed in
English Society ut Present.

tnEii-h society NJ Present
London. Feb. l0.-The lion OF the hour Is
lady who kills lions. and who has mad
many thrilling escapes from falling a vic
tim to her hunting ar5or. All England is
talking OF the bravery Of this Diana of
to-day, by name Mrs. Alan Gardner. BY
nature q reserved and rather quiet WON
an, who. prior 10 her marriage. no more
thought OF boarding the lion in his IA
tive jungle than OF assaultiug the red
coated sentry al the gate Of Buckingham
Palace
Allan Gardner, the husband OF the hero
Inc OF the hunting field, is brother Of
Lord O2sl0w. formerly Governor of New
Zealand. The absorbing passion Of Alan
Gardner's life has been the killing OF big
game. and when ne married the pretty
daughter Of Sir James Blyth. barOnet. he
had no intention OF changing his habits
and becoming a domesticated man. OF
the contrary. he proposed TO introduce
Mrs Gardner to the fercest inhabitants
Of the widest jungle that the world con
tanned. and well has he carried out his
plans
The wife soon became as enthusiasts
huntress as her husband was a hunter.
she accompanied Alan 10 New Zealand.
where the two cut loose from civilization
and penetrated into the Temotest regions
in the search for game: together the two
shot lions in Somaliland; in Spain and on
the Rocky Mountains the rifles Of the
pair rang out, until the trophies Of the
chase that accumulated in the pretty
place they call home when in England
comprised the finest collections Of horns
Isles
Thus far Mrs. Alan Gardner has come
through he. encounters with wild beasts
without a scratch of claw or mark of
teeth. That she will always be IS fortU-
nate is rot possible, for the stories that
have been told of her intrepidity IL the
hunt show that she = absolutely fearless
when on a shooting expedition. From the
numerous hunting episodes related by her
admirinS husband, Tor il is extremely Oif-
hcult 70 induce Mrs. Gardner to talk Of
her achievements, one is selected that Is
especially thrilling.
the husband and wife were hunting in
SomaIiland, . mountainous, and. for the
most part, une1plorei country in the east
eTn part Of the African continent II is a
wild place. wild in the nature of its for
nation and in the nature Of its inhab-
ltants, besides being given up 10 a large
extent 10 wild beasts This latter feat
IRE or the country just suited Mr.. and
Mrs, Alan Gardner. and they penetrated
into the interior killing small game as
they went, and looking daily for lions.
one morning they came across ire
tracks Of an animal that they knew a.
once could be none bat the king OF beasts
All the morning and part Of the afternoon
they followed the trail through the deuS-
est Of African forests until at last the
door OF decaying flesh, poisoning the
warm. bright dag, apprised them that the
mons lair WSS rear A deep grOwl came
threateningiy from the bush near BY. and
Mrs. Gardner shot IN the direction of the
sound. The answer was 4 terrific roar
that crashed through the forest I'm com
pany with the noise Of the rifle Next in
slant there came flying through the air
huge Ion, with eyes abiaZe. claws out
spread, and snarling jaws. 1t was sit
uatiOn 10 paraiyze the nerves of a strong
man. but Mrs. Gardner never fiinched or
waYereQ. In telling the story afterWard
Mr.. Gardner said:
My first impulse was to shoot ut the
big brute: but quick glance at my wife
showed that she Was perfectly cool ami
] determined TO let her have the whole
glory Of the kill. The spring Of the Ion
was a true one. and it would have gone
hard With us had Mrs. Gardners aim
failed. | must confess that | was more
nervous than she as she fred al the big
head with the bristling name The bull
let entered the Hons eye, penetrated to
the brain and killed him instantly.
A quick jump alone saved my wife
from being knocked down and pArhaps
seriously injured BY the falling mass that
landed almost directly where she had
stood. We brought the skin back with Us
and it can now be seen at our country
home
As for Mrs. Gardner, she says she had
no time 10 feel afraid. The leap came so
suddenly that the instinct of self-preser-
walton alone was sufficient to keep her
nerves strong and make her aim true.
4 popularity of the nature of this mod
ern Diana is the ease with which she
transforms herself from q huntrpsS of
Wild beasts 20 q quiet and dignified cOun-
try lady. No one Is more popular at the
social functions where Mrs Gardner is
liOniZed. 1t is found difficult to reconcile
the appearance Of the modest little lady
Of the gentle face and graceful figure with
the stories of big killing and narrow es-
capes from death in primitive forest At
the claws and teeth Of fierce beasts