The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1912-05-24

after short time in captivity. 1t often happens
this way
A 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
fine shape. While one of US fired at him in the
open plain with a 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 I'M
usual situation. One man rode in close and fired
at him with 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 efforts were
unayailing. for after living through an agony
of torture for a week or more, he died from gan
creme poisoning.
That it the first and only case where the hunt
ers have suffered from this new and invigorating
form Of sport. 1t beats pg-sticking 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
Quite a number of lions have fallen victims
in the field as 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
l was in the Sotik country one day, trailing
out to inspect a detachment Of my force, who
were on outpost duty | was alone. about
hours march ahead of my porters and escort and
it being very hot, decid ed to sit and rest until
my caravan came up with me. a large and
shady bush a short distance from my trail and
decided that this would kbe very suitable gpot
to rest. l went over to lit and threw myself I'M
der Its welcome shade. Then took satisfy
ing drink from my watAer-bottle and filled nv
pipe. must have sat fhere for over an hour
smoking and thinking of what should do when
I reached London fer my six months holiday
which was within measurable distance
| thought of no dauger 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 instant's swish
ing of the grass and the cracking Of twigs and
then 10 and behold big blackmaned lion bound
ed away from the other side of the bush! | was
too astonished to fire and could only stare after
It, open-mouthed with establishment
l do not know to this day what had really
happened, but I suspect that the lion had been
asleep in the shade on the other side Of the bush,
as unaware of my presence as I was of his 1t
was certainly a remarkable experience and
laughable one although, in all conscience, 1t
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 cos'd shake their faith in my
power over the king Of beasts" If had known
of the proximity Of this wonderfully fine speci-
men, 1 should certainly not have sat down and
smoked so unconceruodly beside the thornbush.
At Muhoroni station in the Nyando valley,
near Lake Victoria, in the latter part of 1904
was taking a stroll ont from the camp when the
sun had cooled off in the evening I knew that
no lions were ever seen in this vicinity and so
did not bother to take gun with me. Ny sport
ing little fozerrier, "AIicky Doolan," kept me
company
l 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,
I stood for a while watching young reed buck
gamboling with its mother. Micky Doolan chased
imaginary rats with deep content. Suddenly the