CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1900-05-17

road Is a rather unusual feat for lions.
yet that is what two OF them did some
time ago In Central Africa. near Vic
toria Nyanza. The matter was re-
ferred to by Lord Salisbury In one OF
his addresses to the British house Of
lords These lions were man-eaters.
and for more Fan eight months they
terrorized 6.00G laborers engaged In the
work of Construction. Scores of these
men they dragged on and devoured.
The greater part of the camp having
at length moved up the country be-
yond the forging ground of the lions.
several hundred were left behind to
build bridges. Upon tbese sas lions
made still more sanguinary descent.
Night after night they would carry
away one and sometimes two men.
They attacked white engineers. doc
tors. soldiers and military officers, as
well as laborers from India. coolies and
African natives. On almost any night
and at any time of the night the men
were liable to be aroused by the
shrieks OF their abducted comrades.
and to hear the cracking of their bones
and the tearing Of their limbs rod
or two away. while the lions growled
and Quarreled over their prey. Sick
men In tho bosn,taI dIea from sheer
terror at these horribie sounds and the
horrible scenes thew suggested. The
beasts were shot nj in the darkness.
but seldom hit For arearms Are or
torches they cared nothing. One OF
them leaped upon an officer. tore his
knapsack from his back and then car-
ried AWAY and devoured a soldier near
by. MANY became SO terror-stricken
that thew threw themselyes on the
rails in front of n coastward train and
insisted ON either being run over or
carried on on the train. Those who
STAYED forsook the tents and huts and
camped out on ton of the winter tanks.
on roofs and bridge girders. or in beds
dashed to the highest branches of the
trees. One night one of these broke.
letting Its dodgers fall within a few
feet OF the lions. But. being already
too occupied with deyourjr< a victim.
the brutcs gave no heed to this wind
fall" but let the intrudcrs escape until
another meal.
During the eight months TINT those
lions lived upon these railroad men
they would be occasionally wouaded
by a shot and Obliged to retire from
active life. thus giving the camp inter-
walls OF quiet. But they killed and ate
In sii nearly thirty natives of India.
twice as many African natives. be-
sides injuring many others OF various
nationaiities.
Ia
cause they confined their diet entirely
to human beings, to the neglect Of
every kind Of game. with which tho
region a5ounds. The white men vere
not numerous enough to hunt them
successfully and the Sepoys were too
unskiiled with firearms. Al length an
engineer OF the line. who spent months
of his time pursuing them, worn out by
loss Of sleep. sitting up In the moon
ligat and tracking them during the
day. succeeded In shooting them both
and putting an end to these man-cat-
ers' reign OF terror. They were each
over nine feet long.
Both Africa and Incja are In many
parts under the dominion of the lion
and tiger. Against the lion of South
Africa the native has to be constantly
or his guard. The Arabs nrrangc their
tents In . circle. In the center of which
the herds are penncd. and outside the
tents is rude hedge. When thcy
hear the animal begin roaring. and he
can be heard plainly AZ a distance OF
three miles. sometimes family nine
miles on. they kindle the heaps of
wood that have been piled mn before
each tent so that the OCCUPANT may
hurl n lighted brand at him. But some
OF the brutes have become SO wopted
10 the are. the ye;piug of the dogs and
the criex OF the people that they nav
no attention to them. He boldly leans
within the ipclosure. He drives men.
women and children into their tents.
silences tho dogs and stamped-s the
horses sheen and dogs through the
hedge and across the deaert
From the sheen. too frightened 10
Nee. he selects his supper. ana carries
n avav 10 the mountains. or. n tho
mood su,,. pur.,,e. the hor... ana