Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-04-09

at Simba- Being keen sportsman
 after big game, and wishing to clear the station a little of It's unpleasant visitors, he, with his orderly, native. had made a platform of bars and cor rugated iron between the legs of the tank, about eight feet from the ground for lying in ambush there, and shoot ing the lions as they approached the tank at night. The station had an East Indian station master, with na- tives under him. On the evening of August IA there was full moon, oc- casionally covered by passing clouds. Capt. Stegand took his station on the platform at 6:S0 p. m., and the people of the station soon after went to bed, and the captain was alone on the look out. Nothing occurred up to ten o'clock, except the usual proving of jackals crossing and recrossing the scene in the moonlight. Then ! the watcher heard beast coming behind him, which proved to be lioness. She came up. paused under the platform. and the captain heard the Tapping of water beneath him. He moved to get a sight of her, and made noise in turning. The lioness made a side jump of about five yards and smelt the ground and listened. She thus ex- posed her side, and the captain fired two shots. The first shot hit her in the neck, the second in the heart. She gathered herself up like horse about to buck-as all beasts do when touched in the heart-and then bolted blindly towards the rail, ran on it for about ten yards, and fell between the rails.
 Knowing from experience that there is always lion where there is a lioness, the captain waited on the platform. A jackal which had smelt the blood of the lioness ran up and down on the track of it. Then the captain heard the noise of two lions crashing through the high grass at a different point from where the lioness emerged. One came out first and went up to the dead lioness and smelt the body and scratched at it In minute or two the other lion came out of the grass. Both together scratched the body, when they realized that she was dead, and both lay down for some time by the body. and then got up and roared, then lay down again, and again rose and roared. evidently performing a kind of Irish wake or funeral serv- Ice with dirge accompaniment over the deceased lioness.
 As the clouds occasionally gathered over the moon. Capt Stegand could not see the animals clear enough to shoot from the platform under the tank, SO he waited for them to come towards him, as he expected them to come and drink out of the pool They continued alternately lying down and getting up and roaring for two hours. jackal amusing himself by running up and down the track of the blood of the dead lIoness all the tine. Al last the two lions came towards the watcher. moving slowly and indistinct at first from the varying light of the moon They came on. one behind the othsr: the first lion held ais head down. The captain fired at him and struck his jaw. and the tullet glanced of his shoulder. He tumbIed over on his head. The captain fired a second shot and hit him just behind the heart. The beast spun round Ike a tsetotum. then rushed into the tall grszs out of sight The second lion stood watching in a sort of mae. then fol owed his companion slowly into the bush. ex- posing his right side. and the captain shot him through the heart. as hs knew. from his gathering himself up ir the uzral way. and then eoItins hrf-a1r fill he fall