51
On the
Spoor of
the King
of Beasts
By Lord Delamere
kO get good sport la
I thing Is to get a
I good shikari. There
hmIImi men to
be found with, care
and good luck, but a
great many who are
absolutely worthless.
In addition to oth
ers. I have always had one man. Ab
dulla Ash or. as head shikari. Besides
being an agreeable companion, he is
tar and away the best finder of game I
have ever seen In the country.
His pluck Is undeniable, and the
only difficulty I have had with
him U to prevent him going
where I did not care to go myself.
This may sound exaggerated praise of
a native, but among other things he
grappled a Uon which had knocked me
down, being severely mauled before
ha got the brute off. so that I natur
ally entertain a very high opinion of
him. Owing to his skill in tracking
I have only lost one wounded lion out
of many that were hit, and that was
not his fault, S3 the blood stopped al
most directly and the ground was
nothing but stones for miles. This
peaks for Itself, as any one who has
shot lions knows how difficult it Is to
(cover a wounded beast without dogs.
I only once had the help of dogs
after wounded lions. We were camped
down In the Haud among the Eideas.Il
Tillages under Sultan Derla. One day
I went out to try to get some meat
tor the natives, accompanied by a war
rior called Hassan and his pony. I
bad Just shot an oryx, and we were
cutting It up, when the smallest So
mali I have ever seen .came running
up to say he had Just observed five
lions asleep under a tree close by.
This man belonged to the low-caste
tribe of Hidgans people who do not
live together In one tribe, but are
scattered all over Somaliland In differ
ent villages, where they are chiefly
engaged In killing antelope for meat,
other Somalia, as a rule, thinking it
below their dignity to do anything but
go out occasionally on looting expedi
tions. Uidgans are armed with bows
and poisoned arrows, and each of
them carries a knife. Until quite
lately no other Somali would use
bow. nut now it is quite a common
thing to meet a native belonging to
another tribe who has discarded his
pears for a bow and quiver of
poisoned arrows.
Shooting Lions with Poisoned
Arrows.
Lions are occasionally killed by
Mldgan s, but the poison on the arrows
an not bo very strong, as frequently.
after being sick two or three times,
tho lion seems to recover and get
away. Captain Swayne gives an ac
count of the way in which these Mid
gans hunt the oryx with their dogs.
But to get on with my story. The
tittle hfidgan carried a bow nearly as
long as himself, and was followed by
about a doten small native dogs with
curly sterns and prick ears. These
little curs were wonderfully broken.
The man trotted off In front of us.
and when he got near the place where
he had seen the lions he simply put
out his hand, and all the dogs lay
down In a bunch and never attempted
to follow on after us. Then we stalked
carefully towards a big thorn tree ris
ing above the bush. This was where
the lions were said to be. The bush
was very open, and when we came in
sight of the tree the lions were just
decamping. There were four of them.
not five an old lioness and three
Hons, perhaps not quite full grown,
and with very little mane. Hassan
had followed close behind on his pony.
so I shouted to him to try and keep
. als eye on the lioness, and ran on my
self with Abdulla after one of the
lions. This one did not seem much
Inclined to run. and after a short
burst I managed to get a bullet Into
him somewhere Just as he disappeared
Into some thick bushes.
At that moment we caught sight of
another lion trotting along parallel to
as about 100 yards off. The wounded
one was keeping up a continuous low
growling In the bushes, so. thinking
he would not get far away, we ran to
cut off the other. He turned off when
ne caugni sign, or as. ana we had a
long, stern chase after him. as a re
sult of which I was so blown I could
not hit him. although be was lobbing
along not more than 100 yards ahead.
At last I did get a bullet Into his
flank. He at once turned, and. growl
ing fiercely, came bounding a few
yards towards us, as If trying to make
up his mind to charge. Whether he
would have done so or not I do not
know, as my second barrel caught him
on the point of the shoulder, bringing
him on to his nose, and before be
could recover himself I put In another
bullet from my second rifle and fin
ished him.
It is more than likely he would not
have charged, as I have several times
seen a lion make this kind of demon
stration when slightly hit. more.
think, to try to frighten his assailaat
than anything else. A lion that really
means charging op comes quite silent
ly, galloping very fast along the
ground like a dog.
A Wounded Lion at Bay.
While this was going on ire could
hear Hassan shouting in the distance,
so now we ran off towards the sound.
When we started the shouts seemed
to be almost stationary, but as we ran
they got further and further off till
at last we could hear nothing. We
then turned to go back for the wound
ed lion. As we got near the place
where we had left him, we could bear
tremendous row going on, men
shouting, dogs barking, and the unmis
takable grunts of an angry lion. Run
ning up, we found the lion, with his
shoulder broken, standing in a bush
surrounded at a respectful distance
by the little dogs. They kept up an
Incessant yapping, and every now and
then the lion would make a drive at
them, but they were much too quick
for him with his broken shoulder, and
were at him again directly he re
treated to the bush. The little Mid
gan and one of my men were close
by, yelling with excitement. As I
walked up to try to get a shot with
out hitting one of the pack, the lion
took no more notice of the dogs, but
kept his eyes fixed on me. I never
saw a lion look nastier, but I suppose
his broken shoulder had sickened him,
and I shot him without difficulty. The
Hidgan, after calling his dogs, had
run on after us, and had come on the
wounded lion. We skinned this beast,
and the little Mldgan rather amused
us, as he got so very much annoyed
because his dogs would not eat some
great chunks of raw lion-flesh he cut
eft and offered them. We were on
our way to skin the other Hon when
we met Hassan looking rather sorry
for himself. He said that the lioness
had trotted quite quietly at first, and
he had brought her round in a circle
towards the place where he had left
us, riding alongside of her, and shout
ing to let us know where he
WITH A SAVAGE SNARL HE CHARGED DIRECTLY AT THE TH
Unluckily she crossed the track of
the wounded lion, and after smelling
at the blood she became perfectly un
manageable, making off at a gallop
and charging him whenever he got
in front to try to turn her. At last
she had gone into the thick bush on
some hills, where he had lost her.
When we had skinned the other lion
we made a cast to try to pick up the
fourth, but could make nothing of
him I never got this lion, although
he killed one of our donkeys the next
day.
Badgering an Angry Lioness.
We had not been back in camp very
long when my companion came in, say
ing he had run across a lioness in
the hills, which he was sure was the
one we bad seen, as sne was very
angry. She had run into some long
grass, and had charged out towards
his men. when they were going up to
light It. He was very unwell with
fever at the time, and although he
had two or three shots, he was so
shaky he could not hit her, and at
last felt so 111 he had to give her up.
His shikari told me tne lioness was
very much beat from being -badgered
about In the sun and he was sure we
could find her. I owed her one for
frightening Hassan, so we started at
once, Hassan not coming, but sending
a relation of his on the same pony.
After a short ride we got to the place
and found the tracks going into a
long strip of high feathery grass. We
cast all around and could find no
tracks coming out, so decided to burn
the patch. It was about 200 yards
long and perhaps 50 broad. I could
not command the whole, of it, so
told the men to light it at the top
and along one side, and Abdulla and
I took up our station halfway down
the other side, about 30 yards out
from the edge. At the bottom end I
put the warrior on the pony to see
it the lioness broke that way. Al
most directly the grass was lit a big
spotted hyena blundered out and came
within a few yards of us, but the
great part of the patch was burnt bo
J fore there was any sign
' Ten I caught sight of
or the lioness.
along through the thin grass at the
edge of the strip going towards the
bottom end. She did not see us, as
we were rather behind her and stand
ing quite still.
When I shot she seemed to stumble
forward, but recovering herself
caught sight of the man on the pony,
and before I could Bhoot again she
was half way towards him, going like
a flash. He had not seen her when
I shot, as she was hidden by the
grass, and by the time be got his pony
turned around and started she was
close to him. He galloped straight
away from me, and I dare not fire at
the lioness for fear of bitting him.
For nearly 200 yards it looked any
money on the lioness. She got right
under the pony's tail, but did not seem
to know how to strike, and at length,
to my great relief, the pony began
to gain on her. She at once pulled up,
and turned into a bush where she lay
down stretched out at full length,
panting. Running up, I shot her be
fore she could prepare for another ef
fort. My first bullet had gone through
the muscles of the forearm just below
the shoulder, and being solid had only
drilled quite a small hole. The na
tives said that the reason she could
not catch the pony was because a lion
could not spring before a momentary
halt to crouch. If this is so, a pony
could always get away from a lion
galloping straight behind It, unless the
pony was such a bad one that the lion
could come alongside. On two or
three occasions I have been chased
myself in the open grass plain, but
have always got a fair start, and my
pony has had no difficulty in keeping
out of the lion's way. A pony bey of
mine was very nearly caught one day
in the open. He was trying to round
up a lion, and got rather too close
to it on a tired pony. He only just
got away. This same lion afterwards
chased me and two or three of my
men for quite a long time. Unless a
pony falls down, I am sure there is
nothing to be feared from a lion in
the open, if one gives him a pretty
wide berth, so as to get a start when
he charges. As a rule the lion will
give up the chase after 100 yards or
so. This pony of Hassan's was about
the best I ever saw in Somaliland.
He would not put a price on It, be
cause he said he could make quite a
respectable income by making looting
expeditions on its back, as it was so
fast nobody could catch it.
Killing Camels to Save a Pony.
A year after this I met Hassan
again, and asked him how his pony
was. He said it was very well, but
that he had very nearly lost It a short
time before. He had been down in
the waterless plain on a looting ex
pedition with some other Eidegalla
warriors. After a successful raid they
split up to avoid pursuit, and Hassan
was on his way home driving some of
the looted camels in front of him. It
was a very dry year, and although it
was the rainy season, he had been
unable to find any water In pools to
give his pony. The result was that
having been ridden hard for two or
three days with little or no water to
drink, the pony got beat, and at last
lay down, about 20 miles from the
wells they were making for. No
amount of stick would get it on its
legs again, and Hassan was In de
spair. He knew there were no vil
lages at the wells where he could get
vessels in which to carry water back
to the pony, and it seemed as if noti
ng could be done to save it. At last
he thought of a plan. Driving the
camels at top speed to the wells, he
gave them as much water as they
could drink, and hurried them back
again. He found the pony where he
had left it, in a very bad way. but
immediately proceeding to kin and cut
open the camels, he took the water out
of their stomachs and gave it to the
pony, which revived sufficiently to
struggle to the wells. After a few
days' rest It completely recovered.
Hassan added that he could very soon
get some more camels, and that hfc
would rather have cut the throats of
a hundred than have lost his pony.
This story shows a great deal of re-
iL
source In a native, but the life a So
mali leads makes him wonderfully
quick at finding a way out of a fix of
this kind. It was very lucky the pony
was not killed by lions or hyenas
while Hassan was away.
Just before Hassan's pony was near
ly caught by the lioness we had a pony
killed by lions, the man on his back
escaping rather cleverly. At that time
we had two separate camps, six or
seven miles apart, each of them on the
edge of the Marar Prairie, on a ban
or open grass plain many miles In ex
tent. This was the best place for
lions it has ever been my luck to come
across. Hardly a day passed that
lions were not seen by one or the other
of us, very often right out in the open,
miles from any bush. It was cool,
cloudy weather while we were there,
and the lions seemed to do most of
their hunting In the daytime. There
were so many, and they were so bold,
that the Somalis were quite nervous
about walking through the bush In the
daytime. Between us we shot 24
lions In this place in a little over a
fortnight. Besides lions there was
more game than I have ever seen any
where else. Large herds of hart
beeste, oryx, and Sommering's gazelle
were to be seen feeding in every direc
tion. Besides this, in the open there
were a good many ostriches and a few
hunting cheetahs. In the bush at the
back of our camps were Waller's ga
zelles, leopards, warthog, and innu
merable dikdik and birds. In the
rocky hills I saw several klip-springers.
One morning my companion was
roused by his natives, who told him
that three lions were just crossing a
strip of open ground within 100 yards
of his camp. Before he was ready,
two or three of the men jumped on
ponies and galloped after the lions
three very fine males with manes
which were by that time making off.
The natives meant to try and keep
them engaged till the hunter had
time to get his rifle and cartridges
ICKET WHERE I WAS CONCE
and catch them np. The lions were
galloping among scattered mimosa
scrub, making for the thick bush be
yond, and with - an object In view a
lion can get along at a very fair pace
In the cool of the morning. One of
the men got a start of the others and
was rapidly overhauling the Hons,
when he lost sight of them for a mo
ment. He galloped up to the hush
where he had last seen them, and as
he rounded it, one lion came at him
from behind and the other two from
the front. They had got sick of run
ning and had waited for him. The na
tive did a very clever thing. There
was no chance of getting away by
galloping, as he was regularly hemmed
in, so, half checking the pony, he put
his heel on its wither, and Jumped
right into the middle of a mimosa
bush. Almost as he jumped the lions
knocked the pony over, and when my
companion came up he found them
eating it, taking no notice of the
dismounted men close by. The first shot
hit one, and while he was following
it up the other two gave his men the
slip. These two lions were decidedly
out of luck, as I got them the same
night.
Approaching Big Game in Jungle.
That morning a lioness killed a
heifer close to my camp. I had al
ready seen her tracks several times,
but they had always led us on to some
stony hills where we had lost them.
This time the same thing happened
again, so, thinking she would probably
come back that night to finish the
heifer, we decided to sit np for her.
We therefore made an enclosure of
thorns under a mimosa bush near by.
Tne hat top or tne busn came
down to meet the thorns built
up all around and one could
hardly tell tne wnoie thing was
not a bush. In the front there was a
hole to shoot through, and at the back
we left an opening so that we could
get inside. After this we returned
back to camp, and in the evening after
dinner went off again, taking my bed
ding on a donkey. This donkey was
also to serve as a bait, for the natives
had cut np and taken away the heifer.
We tied the donkey by one foreleg,
almost touching the fence of out
zereba, and after shoving in my bed
ding, crawled in through the opening
at the back. Two men who had
come with us crammed this hole up
with thorns, and then went away,
talking loudly to make the lioness
think that all was safe if she were
anywhere near.
After looking about for some time I
made out the lioness slinking along
behind our bush. She would not come
np to the donkey, but lay down some
way off under a bush. There was no
hole on that side, so I could not shoot
with any certainty; and at last, need
ing sleep, I lay down, telling Abdulla
to keep his eye on the lioness, and
wake me if there was any chance of
a shot. I had not slept long when he
tonched me, at the same time putting
his hand over my mouth to prevent
me calling out on beinc suddenlv
awoke. I got np on my knees, looking
out of the hole, but for a moment I
could not make out anything.
It was a lovely night, but even by
the brightest moonlight a Hon is net
a very easy thing to see. There was
an open glade In front of the donkey,
and, at last, standing out in the open.
I saw two lions. They seemed as If
they could not make out why the
donkey did not run away, and stood
quite still looking at him. As I
watched they suddenly started, and
came racing towards us side by side
like two enormous dogs. When the
lions got up to the donkey they did
not seem to stop their rush, bat
donkey and lions all went down with
a crash together. How they actually
knocked him over I did not see, as at
that moment I drew back my head
Involuntarily, because, although we
were absolutely safe Inside a mass of
mimosa thorns, the whole thing felt
unpleasantly close. When I looked
out again I could easily have touched
one of the lions, which was standing
with its forepaws on the donkey and
its hind quarters within a few inches
of our fence. The other lion was
standing on the far side looking me
straight in the face; but I am sure he
could not see me, as the moon was
right In his eyes, making them shine
as if they were alight. I could only
see his head, as the other lion's body
was In the way, so I determined to
give the one nearest me a shot. There
was very little of him to be seen ex
cept his hind quarters, but he was so
close I was sure the bullet would drive
right through him.
Quick Shooting in a Crisis.
As the rifle came up to my shoulder
it touched a branch, which seemed
to make a crack like a pistol shot, and
the lion turned half round to see what
it was. At the same moment I fired.
and ne leii, roiling over and over
against the fence, and roaring loudly.
Thinking that in his struggles he
might carry away some of our zereba.
I gave him two more shots to finish
him. As I shot the second time, the
other lion, which had run back a few
yards, came and stood close to the
donkey, looking straight towards us.
I pulled at his chest directly I
loaded. He plunged forward, hitting
the corner of our zereba, then swerved
off, and we heard him crash Into a
bush, where we found him stone dead
in the morning. The bullet had gone
through his heart. These two lions
were very Sne specimens. One bad
a thick, almost jet black mane, the
other had a lighter mane, but for a
wild lion very thick. There la no
doubt these were the lions sees the
day before, as the next day, riding
over to visit the other camp, I followed
their back trail to within a mile of
the spot.
Shortly before this I shot threo
times at a Uon which was eating my
donkey. The night was as dark a
pitch. The lion took very little notice
of the two first shots, although one of
them hit the donkey In the ribs. The
third shot was a very lucky one. The
bullet hit the donkey In the stomach.
and, going through, caught the lion at
the junction of the neck with tho
chest, killing him on the spot. One
would think that 8 577 riHe blazed in
his face at about five yards would
frighten any lion. This one had killed
and eaten a sheep the night before;
taking It from the same village where
I sat up for him.
The two foregoing stories would
seem to show that a large percentage
of the liens killed la Soaalilaml are
shot at night over a bait. This Is not
really so, as it Is quite a- chance it a
lion passes the place where yon have
a donkey tied up. Night shooting, to
my mind. Is a thing to be avoided, ex
cept now and then as an experience.
It generally means a very disturbed
night, especially if there are any
hyenas about, and In the morning yon
are not fit for a hard day's work. Oc
casionally by bright moonlight It Is
very Interesting, bat if circumstances
admit of lions being killed by day. It
is rather like shooting a boar in a fine
pig-sticking country to kill a lion over
a bait at night. Sometimes it Is the
only chance yon have of getting a lion,
either because you are moving- cam?
next day, or because the cone try is
unsuitable for tracking. Under the
circumstances yon are hound to try It.
I have never myself shot more than
two lions In one night, tat a man
whom I met in the country showed
ma the skins of four ho had shot when
sitting up over tee dead body of an
elephant. It was very dark or he
might have got any number, as he told
me he was shooting most of the night,
and that In the morning there were
tracks of many lions ail round the car
cass. I have once or twice sat np over a
dead animal. This way of getting Hons
is only likely to be successful when
there are many hyenas about, as they
make such a noise that they win at
tract any lion that may come past
within a reasonable distances.
By permission of Longmans; Green &
Co., Kew York.
(Copyright, 1309, by Ben. li. Hampton.)
KNEW HIS SON.
Prodigal
Son Father,
have re-
turned!
Father Yes, gol deru ye. I thought
you'd show up about the time the pret
ty summer boarders began to arrive
at the farm!
Ail Over.
While work on a new bunding
going on In a southern to a not foes;
ago an old negro employed as a hod
carrier suddenly slipped while sear
ing the third story and plunged head
long to the ground. Several passers
by rushed over expecting to Sad a
man dead with a broken seek, as the
old fellow had struck squarely en the
top of his bead. Finding the old man
still alive some one emptied the con
tents of a whisky bottle down his
throat. In a few moments the old
negro sat np and looked around.
"How do yon feel now, saeler
asked a bystander kindly.
"Well. sahV came the reply, "I wm
sorter cornfused when I fast started.
hut now dat I s hit Tm ail right!"
Not His Business.
"Pow'fui fertile country daoanthen
In Texas." said the colonel. Tea, seal
Why, eh, I know spots daooa then
where the trees grow so close togethen
that yoo-aH couldn't shove yoah haad
between theh trunks. And game, seh!
Why, seb, I've seen Fefcgisyub aa
In those same forests with asttehs
eight feet spread! Tea. seh!"
At this point some medaiesense tdfot
jskei the colonel how such deer ever
managed to get their antiers between
such tree trunks.
Thet. sen," said the eosooe, draw
ing himself up with squelching dig
nity, "Is theh business!"" Everybody's
Magazine.
Shiloh Church te Be ReeuiK.
An effort is being male to build a
suitable memorial chsrrb oa the site
of the original Shiloh church, oa Sht
Ioh battlefield, now one of the most
attractive of military parks. It was
on this very spot the blood r battle of
Shiloh was began on the doming of
April , 1852. It is the purpose t
build a memorial church to cost sot
less than J10.0OO. The names of a3
contributors win be recorded fa a
permanent register and kept on es
hibition In the church, which wfiX he
open to visitors and tourists.
Sheer white goods, in fact, any fine
wash goods when new, owe macst eC
their attractfvecess to the way they
are laundered, this being dose in a
manner to enhance their textile beaa
ty. Home laundering would he ensal
ly satisfactory If proper attention was
given to starching, the first essential
being good Starch, which has ssffieieBt
strength to stiffen, without thickening
the goods. Try Defiance Starch and
yon will be pleasantly surprised at the
improved appearance of your work.
T was Ever The.
There are so many fast yecog men
nowadays," remarked the first joccg
woman.
"H'm, yes; yon do seem Xf have
difficulty In catching one," replied the
other young woman.
Now they meet withoet speakingv
And If every mother's son of as
made a strenuous effort to reach the
top there wouldn't be such a crowd at
the bottom.
Nebraska Directory
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CROP PAYMENTS or 19 TEARS TKE
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4
