The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1905-11-11
AMONG WILD BEASTS.
Crocodiies. Lions and Hippopotaml
Endanger Lives of Railway
Builders in Africa.

Builders in Africa.
toria Falls and the Cape to Cairo
Railway has suddenly and necessarily
brought great many people together
at this spot, where there was previous
~ but an occasional traveller or hunter.
Besides the birds and the butterflies
and the fish, the chief living animals
were lions, elephants, hippopotami,
crUcodiles, jackals and hyenas.
The crocodiles were found to be so
numerCus-as many as thirty being
seen together sometimes-that they
have had TO be killed in great numbers
for the safety of the people at work
One giant saurian killed a man and a
woman, and was itself killed only at
ter selling another man. A 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 a 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.
y week later it got another man, but
instead of taking him into its hole, it
carried him to an island. Here it's
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 to rescue him. This they
succeeded in doing, and also in Staying
! the dangerous monster. These Croco-
diles are so ravenous 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 iniquity ere it
met it's doom. The scene of its depre-
| cations was a native village some dis
lance north of the Falls. The native
! huts are very slender, being built
mainly Of reeds. In such a hut wo-
man was sitting when the lion pushed
aside the door, walked in and seized
! her, carrying her away to his lair in
|
This was in the enclosure with other
cattle and donkeys.
The lion, falling to get into the en-
closure, so fIi@htcncd the animals with
his attempts that they rushed ia 4 hud-
died, terrified mass from end to end,
and their weight upon tAe palisading
broke it down. They rushed CUT
through the Cngning. which was Just
what the lion wanted, for lie had now
nothing to do bat to tG.e his choice.
After tie OK. he selected donkey on
| lis next visit, and then q sheep, and
| finally another OK. At last the natives
| 1ccame panic stricken until some white
men treasured them, telling them they
would sit up all night for the lion anu
shoot him. The lion came and got
away with another OK, for the whit
men, tired with the watch, had fallen
asleep. However, they were able to
track him.
1t was important that having prom
Used to kill the lion they Should do so,
for that is the secret Of the whit
mans power over the native-never to
break his word. So they set off to the
thick bush half mile away, whittier
the lions tracks led them. There they
came upon him and killed him with
one bullet, that entered the right nos
tril. This was what big game hunt
CTS consider a good kill, as the bullet
did not disfgure the lion nor injure
his skin. Near by was the carcass of
an OK, and little further in the bush,
/ in a sort of tunnel of impenetrable
thorn, We're the gnawed bones-the re-
mains Of some of his former victims.
| Tame Baby HippopotamuS.