The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1901-10-19

when, following a period Of intense si.
lehce' CAME a far-away, deep, moaning
sound. While by no means loud OF
startling, it brought ne wide awake anf
sit'ing upright on my cot, my nerve,
tlngled with excitement; it was the
awakening roar OF lion!
EXcited voices from the direction O!
the campfire indicated my men had
heard the ominous sound and were wide
awake IN consequence; a moment later
could hear them p;ling dry bushwood
on the slunberng Goals The deep,
rumhling roars were repeated at inter
vals, apparently growing nearer and
DYING away in the same moaning note.
flnaily an intermnable time elapsed-a
creepy silence, in which the men hud-
died about the blazing campfire. Sud
I only there was the sound of brute
heavy gallop over the sand between the
wadi and our camp, mighty roar. fol-
lowed by thud. as donkey was fclled
to the ground, while his dying bray rang
out piteously on the night air; slight
noise of strugee-a few more stihed
| brays-and then silence, followed a mo-
, ment later by the sound of heavy body
being dragged across the sand.
Alter the first shock of excitement
had grasped my rifle and run toward
the men. When the Ion began to drag
the carcass of the donkey into the brush
| moved instinctively toward the sound,
at which the guide cried quickly. "Ka-
dabhar, sahib! bara kahid janwar!"
! (Have care, sir! A very dangerous
animaD | turned to upbraid them for
their cowardice in permitting the lion
to take one of Our pack animals before
their very eyes, but remembering that
the Sornal has an inherent fear of the
lion. thought better of it and returned
to my tent. resolving to square accounts
| with the marauder OH the morrow if he
could be found
was awakened at sunrise the follow
ing morning, and, rubbing my eyes
sleepily, found the darkness and the lion
had faded away together, while the
wadi was alive with the notes of birds
and wild fowl. After hasty breakfast
l filled my jacket pocket with cartridges
and, accompanied by the Somal guide,
Juno (who was an unusually expert
tracker and hunter), started on the
spoor of the lion. At the end of mile
we came upon the half-eaten carcass of
the donkey, lying at the edge Of small
thicket. A little careful reconnoitering
convinced us the lion was not in the I'M
mediate neighborhood, and after little
We found his trail, leading away from
the thicket. 1t had rained lightly dur
ing the early morning, and we found it
Exceedingly difficult to follow the spoor
over the sand, which was covered with
a thin growth of grass. When we had
followed it for a mile or more, it finally
led toward large tticket, some 200 or
more yards.in diameter, which was SUR
rounded with margin of tall, dry
jungle grass.
Lion there, sure. sahib" whispered
the Solnal, who had been following the
Ito me) obliterated spoor with all the
caution and skill of bloodhound. Zone
of us must go to the other side, ard the
other 60 on from the front, so he will
not pass through"
p "You may go around replied, and
after examining my rifle to make sure
it was in perfect order, cautiously ap-
preached the thicket.
l could at first see no sign of the
lion, and was about to call to the Somal,
when l suddenly made out the backs OF
two large yellow animals, nearly hidden
in the tall grass, and moment later
discovered there were two cubs with
them. They wre evidently disturbed,
but were gazing in the direction taken
by the Somal, not apparently having no.
ticed me. A moment later fine hon |
sprang out in the open, and, seeing me,
less than fifty PAGES distant, gave low
growl and disappeared into the thick
brush. The other, lioness, stood look
ing about, evidently reluctant to leave
her cubs. She was watching me closely.
giving ME an occasional side view OF
her teeth as she emitted kind OF wfln-
in growl.
A lions yellow eyes are singularly
especially if they happen to
be watching you, some fifty yards dis
tant, with only the open, level ground
between. They incline one to discretion.
and it wa. with the utmost caution
approached nearer in order to get with
in shooting distance, her eyes following
nv every move as l did so, and watch
ing intently on my part for the first sign
of coming charge. When l had ar
rived to within perhaps twenty yards,
she turned in the direction of the thick
ct. giving me an excellent view OF her
side, and aiming at the point OF her
shoulder, pressed the trigger. With
loud roar she sprang into the air and
seemed to fairly fly back through her
lair. | quickly threw in another cart
ridge and fred at her side just as she
disappeared into the thicket, and sec
ond later heard the roar of the Somals
elephant gun on the opposite side, fol-
lowed by the roars Of lion. Hasten
ing around, / came On the scene just IN
time to see the old fellow on one knee,
IN the act of discharging his second bar
rel into the vsry mouth OF the lion'
~v,A &o~ hVV1n