Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-09-21
aslisesllausuus 8eading.
LION cHEWs MANS LEG.
The Hunter Remains Conscious Under
the Trying Ordeal.
(To be Continued.)

The Hunter Remains Conscious Under
the Trying Ordeal.
Frederick Courtney Selous, the we'll
known African hunter and naturalist,
who Is just back in England after
several months spent in the region In
which Col. Roosevelt has been dis
playing his prowess, describes rather
realistically the unfortunate encounter
In June Of Harry Williams. one of
William N. McMillan's hunting COM
panions, with lion, which left its
wicked marks upon him. Williams es-
cape with his life was very narrow,
and It was for long time a question
whether ne would not be compelled to
sacrifice a leg.
It appears that Williams has nerve
enough, but scarcely the cool judg-
ment necessary in facing the fiercer
wild beasts Of the jungle. II Roose-
velt errs seriously, says Mr.. Selous, 1t
Is in holding his fire too long, thus
vastly increasing the risk in the event
Of his missing. On the other hand, of
course, the aim is all the surer from
the shortening Of the range. Williams
fault was exactly the opposite sort.
He fired too soon.
Going through grass about breast
high, with his gun-bearer, one day, a
lion suddenly arose and started to
move away from them. This behavior,
by the way, Mr.. Selous says, Is not at
all unusual. Williams was anxious to
get the lion, and clapped his hands to
irritate 1t. 1t turned and walked to-
ward the hunter, but the distance be-
tween them was still several hundred
yards. Williams took aim, but instead
of waiting calmly until the beast had
drawn comparatively near, fired pre-
maturely, one charge Of his heavy gun
Immediately following the other. The
first ball flew wide and the second
merely grazed the lions shoulder.
Then lashing his tail in intense an
ger, the great cat came forward by
leaps. The gunbearer had another gun,
but there was no time for him to hand
1t to his chief.
There were no large trees near at
hand that could be climbed. The only
semblance Of protection was a young
bamboo copse, and around this Will
liams ran. In less time than 1t takes
to tell 1t, the lion had him. He seized
one of his legs and sank his teeth into
it. Luckily the lion, who was an old
fellow, had lost one Of his longer
tusks, but the corresponding one on
the other side of the jaw passed just
between the two bones Of the lacerated
leg, and then the huge lion, with this
grip upon him, shook the unlucky hum
ter as a dog does fowl which 1t has
caught in similar manner.
Williams life at that moment was
worth only a very small purchase.
One stroke of the lions paw upon the
head would have finished him. All this
time the gunbearer was displaying a
grit unusual in his kind. He ap-
preached the lion, striving to discharge
the other gun. But he did not under
stand the method Of working the gum
Try as he would he could not in
ject a cartridge into the firing cham
ber. In tones Of entreaty he asked
Williams how it was done. Though
suffering great agony the hunter re-
tanned his consciousness. He gave the
needed directions while the lion was
ravenously chewing his leg. The ma
tive fired two big charges into the
flank Of the beast, and it rolled over
dead. Yet 1t proved a rather difficult
task to withdraw its teeth from the
wound in Williams leg. The latter
was taken as quickly as possible into
camp and one of the Uganda railway
surgeons was summoned.
1t was found after a few hours that
poison from the fang Of the lion had
inflltrated the flesh, muscles, and ten
dons around the bone Of the leg. The
consequent inflammation was severe
and threatening. Unfortunately the
wound was permitted to heal too rap
idly in the outer part, and thus was
closed before the septic suppuration
had ceased. Several operations were
performed to save the leg. At last
accounts Mr.. Williams had not yet
wholly recovered, but he has, at least,
the satisfaction Of owning the skin Of
the beast that mauled him.