The Red Cloud chief., 1909-05-13
Quick Shooting in a Crisis.


AS the rifle came up to my shoulder
1t touched a branch, which seemed
to make crack like pistol shot, and
the lion turned half round to see what
1t was. At the same moment I fred,
and he fell, rolling over and over
against the fence, and roaring loudly.
Thinking that In his struggles he
might carry away some Of our zereba,
l gave him two more shots to finish
him. AS I shot the second time, the
other lion, which had run back a few
yards. came and stood close to the
donkey, looking straight towards us.
l pulled at his chest directly I was
loaded He plunged forward, hitting
the corner of our zereba, then swerved
of. and we heard him crash into a
bush, where we found him stone dead
In the morning. The bullet had gone
through his heart. These two lions
were very ine specimens. One had
a thick. alr'ost jet black name, the
other had lighter name. but for a
wild lion very thick. There Is no
doubt these were the lions seen the
day before. as the next day. riding
over to visit the other camp, I followed
their back trail to within a mile of
the spot.
Shortly before this I shot three
times at a lion which was eating my
donkey. The night was az dark as
pitch. The lion took very little not.ce
OF the two first shots, although one of
them hit the donkey in the ribs. TIE
third chNf a livnl
bullet hit the donkey In the stomach,
and, going through, caught the Lon at
the junction Of the neck with ths
chest, killing him on tho cpot. One
would think that SIT rlflo b.azed in
his face at about five yards would
frighten any lion. This one had killed
and eaten sheep the night before,
taking 1t from the sano village whore
sat up for him.
The two foregoing stories would
seem to show that largo percentage
Of the lions killed in Somal!,and are
shot at night over q bait. This Is nc.
really so, as 1t is quite chance is o
lion passes the place where you revo
donkey tied up. Night shooting, to
my mind. Is thing to be avoided, OK.
cept now and then as an experience.
1t generally means very disturbed
night. especially II there are any
hyenas about. and in tho morning you
are not f1t for hard days work. Oc.
casionally by bright moonlight It Is
very interesting, but II circumstances
admit OF lions being killed by day, 1t
Is rather like shooting boar IN a fine
pig.sticking country to kill lion over
a bait at night. Sometimes It is the
only chance you have Of getting q !ion,
either because you are moving CAMP
next day, or because the country Is
unsuitable for tracking. Under the
circumstances you are bound to try It.
have never myself shot mcre than
two lions In one night. but man
whom ! met In the country showed
me the skins of four he had shot when
sitting up over the dead body Of an
elephant. II was very dark or Ee
might have got any number, as he told
me he was shooting most OF the night,
and that in the morning there wers
tracks Of many lions all round the car.
cass.
have once or twice sat up over a
dead animal. This way of getting lions
Is only likely to be successful when
there are many hyenas about, as they
make such q noise that they will at.
tract eny lion that may como past
within a reasonable distance.
| By permission OF Longmans. Green &
Co.. New York.
! Copyright. isos by Benz. b. Hampton)