The Greeley tribune., 1905-11-16
AMONG HHD BEASTS.
Croeodiies, Lions and Hfppopotami
Endanger Lives OF Railway
Builders in Africa.

bS"uSfs IN Africa.
The building Of the bridge at Vic
toria Fails and the Cape to Cairo
Railway has suddenly and necessarily
brought a graat many people together
ut this spot, where there was previous
ly but an occasional traveller or hunter.
Besides the birds and the butterflies
anu the hsA, the chief living animals
were lions, elephants. hippopotami, /
crocodiles, Iacaa.s and hyenas.
The crocolLles We're found 10 be so
numerous many as thirty bafrg
seen together s0metiues-that they
have had 10 be killed in great numbers .
lJr the safety OF the people at work.
one giant saLriau killed a man and a
woman, and was itself killed only af-
Ter seiZl-S another man. 4 native
woman was taking water from the
river when the crocodile knocked her
in with its tail, seized her in its hor-
rid mouth and dragged her away. Her
husband was close by, but was power
less TO save her. He determined TO
be avenged, however, and for several
nights waited in a canoe with q load
ed gun. He, too, disappeared, and it is
thought the crocodile knocked him out
Of the canoe as it had knocked his
wife off the bank, and taken him to its
hole.
\ week later it got another man, but
instead of taking him into it's hole, il
carried him to an island. Here its
victim got hold Of the reeds and strong
grass, and held on so tightly that the
crocodile could not get away with him.
OF course he screamed with all his
might, and gang Of men with crow
bars went 10 rescue him. This they
succeeded in doing, and also in Staying
the dangerous monster. These crOco-
diIes are so TaVelous that it is not pos
sible even to keep dogs with safety,
and parents living near the river are
in constant dread OF losing their chill
dren.
A Lion Terror.
One OF the lions killed had also filled
up The measure of its iniquiJy ere il
met its doom. The scene of its depre-
GaLions was 2 native village some dis
taace north Of the Falls. The native
huts are very slender, being built
mainly of reeds. In such a hut a wo-
man was sitting when the lion pushed
aside the door. walked in and seized
her, carrying her away to his lair in
the dense bush. Then he had an OK.
This was in the enclosure with other
cattle and dCDkeys.
The lion, failing 10 get into the en-
closure, so frightened the animals with
his attempts that they rushed in q hud-
died, terrified mass from end 10 end,
and their weight upon the palisading
broke it down. They rushed out
through the opening, which was just
what the lion wanted, for he had now
nothing to do but TO take his choice.
After the OK, he selected a donkey on
lis next visit, and then sheep, and
finally another OK. At last the natives
becamspaniC stricken until some white
men reasSurGi them, telling them they
would sit up all night for the lion and
shoot him. The lion came and got
| away with another OK. for the white
men, tired with the watch, had fallen
| asleep. However, they were able to
track him.
1t was important that having prom
ised to kill the lion they should do 50,
for that is the secret Of the white
mans power over the uatiye-neyer 10
| break his word. So they set off 10 the
thick bush half mile away, whittier
! the lions tracks led them. There they
came uDCn him and killed him with
| one bullet. that entered the right nos
t-il. This was what big game hunt
| rrs consider a good kill, as the bullet
| did not Jistigure the lion nor inJure
| his skin. Near by was the carcass ol
| an OK, and a little further in the bush,
/ in a sort of tunnel of impenetrao!
thorn. were the gnawed bOnes-the re-
mains of some of his former victims.