Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-19
BY wYNANT DAVIS HUBBARD.
~ HUMBWA, shumbwa-a-a-

The table boy ran TO the edge OF the
compound. The shouter was still
long way off, running toward us along
a path Every few steps he waved ms
spears, leaping in the air and shouting
--Shumbwa! Shumbwa!
Mangineera and Longone, my gun
bearers, came running from the dlrec-
ton of the cages. Both were grinnlng
broadly.
He came back" said Mangineera, as
he reached me.
"Shumbwa! Shumbwa!' The run
ners voice nearly cracked in his ex-
citement. A hundred yards away he
commenced shouting his story. "A
lion. a big lion. Inkos. We have him.
Charlie is watching. But he cannot
get away. The other lion Is there also;
Two lions. Shumbwa! Shumowa!
Leaping, painting, pouring with sweat
he drew up in front of me.
What is it, Gongwolo?" asked.
"a lion. I'nkos!" he replied, gasping.
"They came back last night ana one Is
caught Another is standing IN the
reeds beside it. 1t charged Charlie and
me- 1t is very savage"
(which one charged and which is
very savage? Also, did you see how the
one lion is caught?" I asked quickly.
THE other one charged, Inkos. 1t
will not leave its brother in the trSp.
Charlie is watching from far away.
They are making a great noise, roar
ing" answered the boy.
But the one in the trap! Is
caught firnnly?" I broke off to give
orders. Matches, see that the truck
has plenty of water. Hurry now. Man.
gineera, go and get plenty of ropes ana
choppers. Longone, beat the anvil and
bring me Is boys. I want Luoango,
ionic. Mafichan, Jam, the Funny Little
Man.
CoNGwoLO had caught his
~ breath.
"No, I'nkos," he answered to my
pushed into the thick bush where you
set the traps and at first heard moth
ing. Then the chain ratified and we
looked hard, but, still seeing nothing,
went closer" His eyes rolled at the
memory. "There was roar and a
huge lion rushed at us. We ran.
Another lion came after us from the
reeds and Charlie shot at 1t. We did
not see how the one in the traps was
caught"
Matches came running over. II have
nut the water in, I'nkos. 1t drank
lot, but it filled now"
"All right" I answered. Walking
over to the grass shelter, started the
truck and backed it out.
"Lubin." wanted my houseboy.
s'Lubin."
Here, rnkos." he shouted from
somewhere.
Bring my shooting jacket and my
rife-the new one with two barrels
like a shotgun" shouted back.
Coming" he replied.
Mangineera piled ropes into the
back. Longone came running with
line Of natives behind him. They, too,
FTu- I,o0V orsc
with me and off we started, the natives
yelling excitedly and clutching wildly
to anything that offered handhold.
I was letting the truck out. No matter
how firmly that lion might be caught,
one could never know at what moment
it might jerk or work itself loose. we
needed lions badly just then Tor the
picture we were making and had no
Intention of losing this one speed
could prevent it.
some DAYS before my trappers had
reported that three lions had formed
the habit of hunting down a marrow,
tree-filled donga about three miles from
camp. The donga ended at the Kafue
River in tangled mass OF papyrus,
crooked trees, vines and small open
glades Of sweet water grass. AT night
Buffalo, In particular, visited II every
night to drink and Craze, and pookoo,
koodoo and reedbuck antelope were al
WAYS there. In every way 1t was q per-
feet place for lions, offering as 1t did
shelter, food, water and secure place
to lie on the sand and roll.
"A FTER studying the spot had called
IA In my scattered traps and, taking
eight, made q large set. They were
powerful double spring traps, but DIFF
erent from those in common use In that
the Jaws did not meet. When they
snapped shut there was wide space
between the bars of steel which pre-
vented the bones of the foot from be-
coming crushed and, in most cases, did
not even lacerate the skin.
Such traps are dangerous, because,
although they take firm hold OF the
trapped animal, the open space affords
the beast an opportunity to pull out.
Any one approaching a trapped lion,
for instance, never can know until the
last mament whether or not 1t Is
securely caught.
was thinking of this as we careened
across tie veld-bouncing and heaving,
for we hEd no roads. The natives stop
ped chatNering. Possibly they were too
busy holding on to talk, but perhaps
they realized that we were about to at
tempt something that was considerable
of feat. The nearer we came to the
traps the more considerable Of feat 1t
seemed.
Ahead of us could see the open
country which hay on each side of the
donga We rushed out of the trees and
bounced over tillocks of grass. Down
into a deep depression and then up
again. I slowed down. looking for
Charlie For moment the weld looked
blank, then saw him detach himself
cautiously from one Of two big thorn
trees ahead and motion for us to
come on.
We drew up beneath the tree. Charlie
could scarcely speak. his mouth was so
dry with excitement. His eyes rolled
and his mustache jerked up and down
as he told his story.
There were at least two lions. One
was caught and the other was proving
around the traps, coming to the edge Of
the reeds occasionally to see II any one
was about Twice since Charles COM
panions had left the lion had started to
charge, only to think better of it and
return to the reeds The trapped lion
had made no sound save for the occa-
sional rattle Of the chains.
THE natives gathered around, plying
Charlie with questions Was it a
big lion?" How many were there?"
Did it have a mane?' Where was
it?"
After some talk the situation re-
solved itself into this: There was one
lion which was caught in one of the
traps. Which trap Charlie did not
know, but that did not matter greatly
for had set the eight in a circle about
the base Of clump Of crooked trees