Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1912-05-23

duly fortunate IN encounters with the lion. ana
that alone makes him appear anything but the
~1>ins OF beasts" that he is so popularity supposed
TO be
cor I'm hunting where elephants were concerned.
with Hons ! have never had any serious uou0'e.
In fact I have rather sueakiug contempt LOT
thoni for they are harmless except when they
are wounded and followed into the long grass, or
In the case of liOncss with CUBS. 50 great Il
roofsrnpt have the men In East Africa for them
that they have now taken 20 hunting them on
horseback riding them down and shooting them
with rcvolvcrs.
shall endeavor 70 show why the hunters Of
Africa look so lightly upon these tawny beasts
OF the Jungle I must confess. unless be mis-
understood that lions may be as dangerous and
even more so than other animals Of the plains or
forests under certain circumstances, but II has
never ben my lot to experience any great dan.
ger from them. This Is primarily due TO an in
born caution begot as the result Of seven years
hunting in the wilderness Of tropical Africa.
Al times there are maneaters at large, but for
the most part they lions that have tasted
blood or that are too old to hunt their natural
prey, the zebras.
Man-eaters are a rarity rather than otherwise
in East Africa and Uganda. In fact know OF
only one case where a white man has been eat
en- by a lion during the whole seven years OF my
residence in East Africa The story OF this is
dreadful enough in its pitiless detail but there
Sng
was stationed al a small outlying government
post early in 1904 when native came in one
day and reported that a white man. who had
been prospecting for land, had disappeared and
left his caravan Of porters almost starving some
days march away from my post I fastened out
to search for the man and to relieve the porters
from their predicament
on my arrival at the camp found that the
porters had no idea what had become OF their
14,A g., ry1u. h,,N 1at1
came 20 the conclusion that the man had fallen
a victim TO a prowng beast Of the jungles
Instituted a close search and eventually found
the head and shoulders Of the poor fellow.
He had been eaten by lion. of that there
could be mistake, judging by the remains
The remnants Of the body in bad state
OF decomposition and l had them placed in
packinr-case for burial On my way to the grave
to perform the burial service | was almost
come with laughter despite the sad occasion,
by observing the packingcase coffin the stem
ced words. Keep in a cool place" STOW away
from the boilers" The packng-case had been
used to ship cans Of butter TO East Africa. hence
The painted signs
The natives occasionally fall victims to the
depredations Of lions but the white rarely
does for some unknown Even then the
deaths are more often due to gangrene setting
Tn where men have been mauled and rarely from
sctual direct killing
remember well my first meeting with lion
j coming home from dinner party late at
might in Narobi the capital OF East Africa and
had decided 10 inspect Of my military guards
the government railway buildings. When I
had approached enough 70 the sentry to
hear what going on. / surprised to hear
him banging the corrugated iron wall Of the
building with the butt end Of his MartnHenri
rife He shouting "Shoo, shoo," at the top
OF his voice
ran toward him to discover what was the
matter.
why are you making this noise, you fool?"
J cried.
Il lion. sir, very near eating zebra" he re
piled.
ran forward and there. sure enough. was a
big black.maned lion, in the bright moonlight,
eating q zebra within fifty yards o. the sentry.
He had evidently chased the zebra into the
township, killed It and was happily taking
his supper He paid not the slightest attention
TO the sentry's noise, but kept tearing great
masses Of flesh from the zebra's carcass. purring
loudly all the time like a huge cat
My sympathy was with the sentry for he dare
not leave his post and he dare not fire at the
iioon. for he was uncertain as TO the accuracy Of
his old weapon. which had been condemned for
many years by the government and was now
totally unfit for use.
Telling the sentry to take advantage Of the
safety offered him at the top Of a nearby lamp
post fastened to my house TO get my sporting
rife In order to do this ! had TO pass within
hundred yards Of the lion. who paid no atteu
ton to at all I hurried back TO the spot
with my tusty rife and fired al the lion. badly
wounding H. He dashed Of into the plains be
hind the town emitting angry roars as he went
decided TO follow him for time at least bu
after firing chase he outdistanced NE and
was forced To return 10 bed.
Next morning ! rode out into the plains anC
searched for him. ! soon picked up his SPOOL
and in two hours had killed my first lion within
few miles of Nairob township He was yer,
fine specimen and well worthy OF my initial ef
fort IN lon-hunting ! justly proud Of M
achievement but had 10 submit 10 a consider
able amount Of goodnatured char from M
brother officials for being so keen as 10 hunt m.
first lion by moonlight In the streets of the town
On another occasion a Young lion cub wa
found by party Of under the raised floor o
the corrugatediron postof7ce building in IN
main street of Narobi II had apparently COM
into town with its mother to view II by nigh
and had probably been frightened by something