The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-09
MARROW ESCAPES
 OF BIG GAME HUNTERS
Knocked From Horse and Knecled on by Mad Elephant, Escapes With
 Few Bruises

F. c. Selous. king of big game hunters. has survived hundred close brushes with death says London Answers.
 He spent one thrilling night with five lions prowling round his frail shelter of saplings. Three of the Hons he shot with the blast of their hot breath in his very face, in a crowded and glorious five min utes. But he has never had a narrower escape than when wounded elephant charged him near the Umtali river.
 In vain he spurred his horse: the poor beast was too worn out to gallop. Mir. Selous heard two blood-eurdling screams over his head ATS upl" he thought. and then the tusk of the elephant crashed with terrific force Into his horses rear. and he was dashed to the ground
 Although stunned by the fall" he says, "I felt that was unhurt; but the smell of the elephant was very strong. And no wonder, for the huge animal was kneeling on mel
 Fortunately. I was thrown under It's body, had l been in front of the fore legs I should never have lived to tell the tale. 1 wrenched myself loose wfig- gled out from underneath, and escaped into the bush. with no more damage than bruised eye and stiff neck" A still more thrilling experience was that of Mr. Greenfield, in Somaliland, just score of years ago, when he was charged by a wounded lion A couple of
 
 the lion; and MT. Greenfield says over we went together. He had seized my left hand, and. pinning me down with a paw on my chest, began to chew at my arm. Then he made a grab, at my stom- | ach and when I managed, to turn over | on my face I felt his claws go Into my back"
 Although Mir. Greenf1elds arm was
 broken in two places he never felt ths
 slightest pain All that he felt. he tells us. was the lions hot breath on his face, and the blood pouring from his arm on to his thigh. Fortunately, at this crit ical moment. a wel-aimed shot from one of his men killed the monster Lord Hindlip never looked death more closely in the face than one day in 1901, when hunting in British East Africa A wounded lioness was charging through the long grass
 Waiting until she was within a few feet" he says T fired and jumped aside. As did so, her body hit me and found myself, stunned and dazed, sitting up sev- era1 yards away, wondering If my last shot had been successful. It had: for. several yards behind where I had atood, l saw the lioness biting the grass in her last death struggle"
 When hunting In Somaliland Capt. George Campbell was similarly bowled over by wounded and charging lion, and the next thing he knew was that the Hon was iyi1s dcfOsS HIS leBS, plnnlnE nm down, his huge head resting on his lap. An instant later the captains head boy. Kallndleh. rushed up. seated himself astride on the amnlmars back. and flung his arms tightly round his neck Luckily for both the lion was already dying, and while Kalindleh was imploring his master not to fire lest he should be hit, ''hls majesty gave in. lowered his head. and passed peacefully away" Maj. r. G. Jackson, the celebrated Arc- tic explorer, still recalls. with reminis- cent shudder. his encounter with a wounded bear nj Franz Joselfland. With l a fearful roar" he says, 'the bear rushed on me. his huge jaws gaping wide: his warm breath was on my face. his cruel | fangs glinted In the dim light 'Half-blnded by the flash of the rife In | the darkness, thrust the barrel with all my force down the animals throat" | He plunged his left hand into the bears mouth up to the wrist; the shap teeth deeply bit into 1t; he reeled under the shock of the collision. Drawing back his | rife, he was about to make a second thrust when to his amazement and de- light, the, bear, who had clearly had
 enough. turned sharply round and made
 his way swiftly to the water. crashing
 his way through the ice. and swimming to the safety of a distant foe.