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

after short time in captivity 1t 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-
diatey gave chase. There were four Of US in
the party and We soon rounded the lion up in
fine shape. While 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 ponies to face the
usual situation. One man rode in close and fired
at him with a revolver. The lion was wounded
MORALLY for the second time. but sprang say.
agely at him and seized him by the leg We
were Mortified TO the lion drag him or his
pony to the ground and rode forward to the
cue. We killed the lion over his body and so
saved his life but unfortunately our efforts were
unayang, for after living through an agony
OF torture for a 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 invigoratng
form Of sport. II 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 llon-hunting.
Quite a 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 10 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
was in the sotik country one day, trailing
out 10 inspect a detachment OF my force. who
were outpost duty. was alone, about an
hours march ahead of my porters and escort and.
It being very hot, decided to sit and rest until
my 0ara ru-ith 7 md
shady bush a short distance from my trail and
decided that this would be very suitable spot
to rest l went over to It and threw myself I'M
der its welcome shade. Then I took a satisfy.
ing drink from my water-bottle and filed my
pipe. | must have sat there for hour,
smoking and thinking Of what should do when
! reached London for my six months holiday.
which 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 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
it, open-mouthed with establishment
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
unaware OF my presence as ! was OF his II
laughable one although. In all conscience. It
might have ended very differently. My native
porters and servants we're firmly convinced that
! had the evil eye and therefore the lion world not
attack Nothing could shake their faith in my
power over the king of beasts" II I 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
taking a stroll out from the camp when the
had cooled of in the evening ! knew that
no lions ever in this vicinity and 50
did not bother 10 take gun with My sport
ing little fox-terrier, "Micky Dooan," kept me
company
turned my footsteps toward a small stream
about mile and a half from the camp. On ar
rival at the banks OF the almost dredup river
I stood for while watching a young reed buck
gamboling with its mother. Micky Doolan chased
imaginary rats with deep content Suddenly tbs