The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-07
TREED BY A LION FAMILY.
Embarrassing Position of n Mechan-
icaI Engineer I'm south Africa.

1t falls to the lot of but few men to
| come so near to a violent death and yet
escape unharmed as was the case with J.
| A. Smith, who had been working as a
| mechanical engineer at the Inez. Having
| finished the work for which he had been
| engaged, he left the Inez, intending to cy-
Gle into Salisbury, stopping for a couple
of days at the Great Bear He left the
| latter place for GadZima. travelling alcng
the line of railway extension. On reach
ing the spot where the line crosses the
umfuli River he found, as the bridge is
not yet erected. that he would have to go
round by the deviation and cross at the
railway drift. This necessitated wading
through the river and carrying the bicy-
Gle. On reaching the level again he put
his machine down in order to resume his
boots and socks, and. feeling rather IA
tigued after his exertions, stayed for
brief rest.
While enjoying the rest his attention
was drawn by a troop of very fine sable
two magnificent bulls and three cows
making their way up from the other side
of the river in the direction of a fringe
OF forest beyond. Feeling sufficiently re-
freshed, he picked up his machine pre-
paratory to starting again for Gadzima,
which he wished to reach before it be-
came dark. The next moment MIR. Smith
received a shock which he Will not for
get for many a long day. About fifty
yards away, and slightly to his right were
three lions. so intent on stalking the sa
BILE that they were not looking in his di-
rection,
1t was an awkward position. to say the
least, and for a brief space he stood ike
one petrified, but, although his limbs for
a mn 10 lind
tive enough The largest of the three
was huge blackmaned lion, the second
was ioness, while the third was an
almost tull-grOWn cub.
The latter was the first to observe Mr.
Smith, and. uttering a low growl. made
for the unhappy man, who dropping his
bicycle, stayed not on the order of his
going, but went for a friendly tree at
top speed. He had just time to notice
that the parent lions had started in the
wake of their young hopeful. the sight
celerate his pace. The tree was but a
short distance away, but to the hunter
1t appeared mile, expecting every sec
ond TO be struck down. 1t was destitute
of branches for about ten feet up. and
how he managed to climb it at all will |
forever remain a mystery to him. Just |
as he thought himself safe, however. |
there was terrific roar behind him, and |
he had an uncanny feeling that he was |
being dragged off the tree. The lion, out |
stripping his mate in the chase. had made |
Il
inches only. Even as II was his claws |
tore away the greater part of Mr.. Smiths |
trousers and inflicted several fairly deep |
scratches-a narrow escape, indeed.
Exhausted and painting, trembling in |
every limb, with the perspiration stream |
ing out of him he managed to draw him |
self up into comparative security. and |
here FOR nearly an hour he remained in |
this dreadful position, while the BAIL ID |
lion, now joined by the lioness, ragged be- |
low. every now and again making frantic |
HWN9a
so unpleasantly near as to almost bring |
on nausea. The tree. it should be mem I
toned, was small maponda, about eigh-
teen feet high.
At first Mr. Smith could not understand |
what had become Of the young lion. which |
went for him first. and but for the fact |
that he was not in position to appre-
ciate the humor of the thing he witnessed
the extreme, though to it alone he is firm
ly convinced, his life was due. II seems
that Leo junior stopped halfway to ex-
anime the bicycle, which had been flung
down hastily, with the result that the
front wheel was still revolving.
This arrested the young lions attention |
and. Ike a child with a new toy. he
turned aside to examine this curious phe-
nomenon Cautiously giving it pat with
one of his huge paws. which only made it
go round faster, his wonder increased. and
he sat down on his launches. regarding |
It with a puzzled air, and not for some |
lime did he join the parent couple at the
foot of the tree, but not until he had
mounted" the machine considerably .
and twisted the handlebar. During the
.enure of his unpleasant perch Mr.. Smith
EAST many wistf1l chances in the dirac-
ion of his double-barreled gun. which
vas strapped to his bicycle, but it might /
IS well have been a hundred miles away. ,
He cast his eyes about in order to discov-
IT some place of retreat as soon as the ,
ions should retire, and to his great joy,
saw & hut some three hundred yards {
way.
Just before dark his captors began to
,ay less attention to him. and. seeming |
he sable again In the vicinity by the aid :
# strong breeze. they left after about /
hree-quarters of an hour, to the extreme ,
e!ief of their unfortunate prisoner. After
rating for about half an hour. until ev- '
rything was quiet, he cautiously de- |
cended, and not daring to go back for | (
lis gun, fe;rrfully made his way to the 7
nut referred to. making quick sprints
rom tree to tree. There was no roof.
nd the hut was but a fiimsy structure,
ut. after making the entrance as secure
$ possible, and kindling a big fire. he
Don dropped off to sleep. At daybreak
e was able to resume his journey, event
ally reaching Gadzima and Sansbury
l..