Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-04-17

yards OF the righs hand bush, when
Elmi suddenly seized my arm, point
ing the rife he carried into the base
of the bush and Kissed: See! See!
The lion! Shoot him! Springr
"Once more must admit that could
see nothing. Strain my eyes as l
would, could distinguish nothing like
lion in that bush. I decided rather
recklessly, and perhaps from some
sense Of shame that a black man
should be so superior in eyesight, to
fire. There was no installing the re-
sponse-a growl more savage than
ever had heard in my life before. I
also saw through the thick smoke the
electric CONFUSION with which the
beast pulled itself together for a
spring. The movement disclosed the
position of the head and shoulder, and
put the second bullet well in behind
the shoulder. The beast, still growl-
ing. but mortally sick, crawled cut be-
yond. I now saw it was lioness.
Elmi handed me the As, and third
bullet, raking forward from the stern,
stretched her among the grass.
while rushing forward to examine
the beast and in the excitement Of the
moment utterly forgetting the second
lion in the other bush, now behind us,
l was promptly reminded by shouts
and two rapidly fired shots in that d.
rection. Turning round, I was just in
~ $50 o1r
bound out toward me, yellow streak,
from the thick covert, growing and
snarling / remember seeing her white
teeth as she commenced another growl
she was only twenty yards away
but that movement was her last. A
Paradox ball on the shoulder dropped
her from our sight.
while Elmi and I were thus occu-
pied we had heard several rife shots
away on our right. 1t now TRANSFERRED
| that a third lioness had also been Sc
cured by the guns who had gone of
in that direction All three lionesses
were dragged out Of the covert by our
boys and laid in a row on the grass
| outside. where scene Of indescriba-
BILE excitement ensued, the niggers
dancing and jumping around the dead
! beasts to an accompaniment of shrieks,
beating of tomtoms and other fear
some Instruments, including biscuit
tins"
| In the open the hunter continually
uses his powerful fieldglasses in seek
! ing game, and at times he discovers a
| lion that may be approached by
means of bush stalhing-that is, by
warily stealing close enough to him to
secure shot. But to insure success
the animal must not be disturbed, and
annoying difficulties arise. The shift
ing winds and numerous small fowl
and animals that start up noisily from
underfoot serve to warn the intended
prey. BY getting SO that the wind
blows from the lion toward the hunter,
or nearly so, the animal does not detect
| the hunters scent, but the variable
African breezes frequently put the
hunter to windward, and the lion
quickly discovers his enemy's pres.
I ence. Bush stalking is usually en-
| plOy6u Ill
Deep ravines are favorite shelter
of lions during the rainy seasons. Out
| lying rock koppes around the noun
| tains Of Uganda are during these sea
sons also popular retreats. The lions
lie outside their caves by day on
shelves of rock and have two outside
| beds so that when the overpowering
midday sun makes one bed too hot
they change to the other, SO chosen as
to be more shaded at that period. In
the dry season they find enough shell.
4 ter in the grass and reed beds or
among the heavy canes. When the
| lions are out of their rocky diUrnal
lairs and in the open veldt pursuit OF
4 them is greatly assisted by having
capable mounts on hand-mounts the
tsetse fly has overlooked. Lions, find
ing that they cannot catch or escape
from horsemen in the open, vii
crouch, awaiting attack, and thus af
ford a target.
Veteran hunters have learned t
watch other animals during lion hunt:
lOI VI tAS iutlOi . pACSCllSS
For instance, If herd of grazing an
telopes is divided, the divisions feedin,
on both sides of an open stretch Of ia
n vorable ground, they often find tina
the open space is a zone through
which lions scent is blowing denot
ing the beasts close presence to wind
ward. Mounted Somali warriors ar
often used to scout the rolling countr.
for lion tracks.
East African lions show a marked
luminosity to mounted men, arising
probably from the advantage given b.
the horses speed. They will attacl
mounted men when unmolested ant
when the circumstances would war
rant their avoiding unmounted me-
until attacked. Recently few mile
north Of Lake Isolt, which Mr.. Roose
Welt will pass, a lion sprang from
clump of.bushes upon mounted Eng
llsh army officer and companion
threw the officer and his pony to tn
ground, breaking the pony's back, an
then killed the other man, tearin
away his face The Englishman kille