The Jasper news., 1912-05-30

after a short time in captivity II often happens
this way
party of us went out one Sunday after lions
and adopted the novel method Of riding them
down on pony-back We had not been out long
before we put up" big tawny fellow and imme.
diately gave chase There were four OF us In
the party and We soon rounded the lion up in
hne shape While one Of us fired at him IN the
open plain with revolver wounding him badly
he came to bay, clawing up the earth in huge
patches with his claws and emitting terrifying
roars
We closed in upon him from all sides. having
much ado in getting our ponies to face the I'M
usual situation. One man rode in close and fired
at him with revolver The lion was wounded
mortaly for the second time. but sprang saw.
aEely at him anG seized him by the leg. We
were Mortified to the lion drag him of his
pony to the ground and rode forward to the res.
cue. We killed the lion over his body and so
saved his life but unfortunately our efforts were
unavalng for after living through an agony
Of torture for week more he died from gan,
creme poisoning.
That it the first and only case where the hunt,
ers have suffered from this new and nvigorating
form Of sport, It beats pigsticking as an oxcit.
ing form OF sport and is infinitely more enervat-
ing than shooting lions by approved methods Of
hunting. There is something in the wild ride
and the attendant risk which is altogether fasci.
mating and irresistible for most men who have
once tried this method OF lion-hunting
Quite number OF lions have fallen victims
in the field as the result Of this plan OF at
tack In fact, the game warden has no less than
four lions TO his credit from this method OF kill.
ing alone to say nothing Of the numbers which
have fallen to his rife by the accepted form Of
staying
in the Souk country one day. trailing
out to inspect a detachment of my force who
were on outpost duty. I was alone about
hours march ahead Of my porters and escort and,
It being very hot, l decided to sit and rest until
my caravan came up with me I saw a large and
shady bush short distance from my trail and
decided that this would be a very suitable spot
to rest | went over to It and threw myself un.
der its welcome shade Then ! took a satisfy
ing drink from my waterbotte and filed my
pipe | must have sat there for over an hour.
smoking and thinking Of what I should do when
] reached London for my six months holiday,
which was within measurable distance
| thought Of no danger and smoked and built
castles in the air In due course my porters
hove in sight and they approached they began
to sing Justify. Suddenly from behind me some
thing big moved. There nstant's swish
ing Of the grass and the cracking Of twgs and
then, 10 and behold a big backmaned lion bound
ed away from the other side OF the bushl | was
too astonished to fire and could only stare after
II, open-mouthed with astonishment
I do not know TO this day what had really
happened, but suspect that the lion had been
asleep in the shade on the other side OF the bush
as unaware Of my presence as l was Of his II
laughabe one, although. in all conscience II
might have ended very differently My native
pOrters and servants were firmly convinced that
had the evil eye and therefore the lion would not
attack me. Nothing could shake their faith in my
power over the king Of beasts" II had known
Of the proximity Of this wonderfully fine speci-
men, I should certainly not have sat down and
smoked so unconcernedly beside the thorn-bush
At Muhoroni station in the Nyando valley.
near Lake Victoria, in the latter part OF 1904 I
was taking a stroll out from the camp when the
sun had cooled on In the evening / knew that
no lions were ever seen in this vicinity and so
did not bother to take gun with me. My sport.
ing little fox.terrier. "Micky Doolan" kept me
company
l turned my footsteps toward a small stream
about mile and a half from the camp On ar.
rival at the banks Of the almost dried-up river
l stood for a while watching young reed buck
gambolng with its mother Micky Doolan chased
imaginary rats WITH deep content Suddenly the