Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-30

-Ilt
age at night.
AS yet she had not seen me, her head being
surheu M away, and as was unable. to tahT
my gun from the ground without falling,
saw at once that could not take advantage
Oh the shot which she offered.
was debating whether | could not noise
lessly step aside under the shade of the dense
ukaku thorns, when she was joined by
splendid black-maned lion, who rose from the
ground not far from her and took up his
position alongside, with his tail toward me
and his head turned in the direction OF the
plain, where apparently he heard something
which arrested his attention. -
Meantime the cubs were chasing each otner
exactly in the same way as kittens, quite re-
CARELESS of my presence, when one OF tneiii'
possibly being slightly clawed by companion,
uttered narl which caused the lioness 70
look toward them. l Immediately knew thas
L was seen. 49,
Apparently her first instinct was to spring,
for she crouched down, her eyes blazing WIN WIN
green light; but, changing her mlnd, she
rushed forward with savage growl, ana gos
between me and the cubs, attracting, as sne
did so, the attention of the hon. l.
L gave myself up for lost. To attempt 70
hre was impossible, unless lay on the grsou1hu' 1
as had to use my gun in lieu OF my leit ieg,
and to withdraw it would instantly lay me
prostrate at the mercy of the honess. naa
heard OF kaffir who, when placed accldene-
ent, remained as still as statue, not Ials-
ing his eyes or making the slightest motion
that could be construed into one OF hostillIy,
when the honess retreated, driving her CUPS
before her, and leaving him infinitely reheyeu EYE,
by her departure. / determined to do ike
wiae-in fact, | had no other alternative.
As soon as the lion observed me, ne lay
down, resting his head on his fore-paWs ana
fixing his eyes>on me in a concentrated scare,
nor did he appear to interest himself IN sne
yNra s. h. xrrhn
alongside me, snarling in deep, savage tone,
and patting the cubs angrily with her paws.
In a few seconds she had driven them up TO
the hon, looking back frequently as she DID so'
as If she dreaded an attack on my part
The perspiration stood in drops upon my
forehead, and now that look back upon, the
scene, / hardly know how stood SO calmly nlS
through it. But when ones nerves are tightly
strung in any effort which has safety for ITS
object believe the average person IS capaple
Action under these circumstances ceases TO De
voluntary and becomes purely instIncclve, ana
hence little credit for bravery or presence
of mind" should be accorded under such con-
ditops.
Seeing that I entertained no hostile inten-
tions, the lion and lioness silently withdrew,
driving the cubs before them;' and when they
had gained distance of twenty yards both
bounded off as if glad to be quit OF my com
panv.
WneCner unlS was Une CdSc VI
heartily glad to be quit Of them and again
set myself to the painful task of crawling and
hopping alternately. and at length l gained
the plain outside the jungle.
From this point could see almost as far
as the outspan the exact spot where the wag.
ons stood being hidden by the cIumps OF
Jungle. which I ALREADY noticed as scat
tered irreguarlv about.
Bnt I could see the light thrown on the
neiqhboring thorn-trees by the fire; and now
being delivered from my many dangers, i let
myaelf down to the ground as gently as
could and fired a shot. An answering shot
Immediately followed from the camp, and, on
shouting, Tnyosi, my principal hunter, shortly
apneared.
He was greatly concerned on finding me in
snch plight, and quickly aided me to reach
the camp.
7 have only to add that it was three weeks
before could again use my injured leg: and
that Tnyosi encountered the author OF my
misfortune on the succeeding dav: and dis
matched it. Nv ball had snlntered the keit-
loa & horn. and had glanced off without infiict-
inc any further injury.
Although had-hee several wears hunting
in Africa I think [ NAV saw | came nearer
10 nv end on the above occasion than either
before or since and never does the twenty
first of Janrarv come round without recalling
to INV mind the narrow escape had ,,, upon
that date