The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1912-05-31

after short time in captivitv II often hannans
this way
party of us went out one Sunday after lions
ana 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-
dlately gave chase There were four of us In
the party and soon rounded the lion I'D in
me 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 a revolver. The lion was wounded
mortally for the second time, but sprang saw
agely at him and seized him by the leg We
were Mortified to see the lion drag him off 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
unavailing, for after living through an agony
OF torture for a week or more he died from gan
creme poisoning.
That 1t the first and only case where the hunt.
ers have suffered from this and invigorating
form Of sport. 1t beats pigsticking as an excit-
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 a number Of lions have fallen victims
in the field the result Of this new 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 Sotik country one day, trailing
out to inspect detachment of my force, who
were on outpost duty. | was alone, about an
hours march ahead of my porters and escort and,
1t being very hot decided to sit and rest until
my caravan came up with me- l saw a large and
shady bush short distance from my trail and
decided that this would be very suitable spot
to rest. l went over to it and threw myself un.
der its welcome shade. Then l took a satisfy
ing drink from my water-bottle and filed my
pipe. must have sat there for over an hour,
smoking and thinking of what I should do when
l 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 as they approached they began
to sing Justify. Suddenly from behind me some
thing big moved. There was an instants swish
ing of the grass and the cracking of twigs and
then 10 and behold, big black-maned lion bound
ed away from the other side of the bush! I was
too astonished to fire and could only stare after
1t, open-mouthed with establishment.
do not know to this day what had really
happened, but l suspect that the lion had been
asleep in the shade the other side of the bush.
as unaware OF my presence as was OF his 1t
WAS certainly Il TSlnNTHdDle experience ana
laughable one although. in all conscience, It
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 spec-
men, should certainly not have sat down and
smoked unconcernedy beside the thorn-bush
At Muhoroni station In the Nyando valley
near Lake Victoria, in the latter part of 1904 I
n1rtv Pn11 g. Ar.
had cooled off 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
turned my footsteps toward small stream
about mile and half from the camp On ar.
rival at the banks of the almost dried-up river.
l stood for while watching young reed buck
gamboling with its mother. Micky Doolan chased
imaginary rats with deep content Suddenly the