The Lion and the Elephant. Charles John Andersson
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the Hottentots; again and again the murderous roar of attack was repeated. We heard John and Ruyter shriek, 'The lion! the lion!' Still for a few moments we thought he was chasing one of the dogs round the kraal: but next instant John Stofolus rushed into the midst of us almost speech- less with fear and terror, his eyes bursting from their sockets, and shrieked out, 'The lion! the lion! he has got Hendrich, he dragged him away from the fire beside me, I struck him with the burn- ing brand upon the head, and he would not let go his hold. Hendrich is dead! God! Hendrich is dead! Let us take fire and seek him.' On hearing this the rest of my people rushed about, shrieking and yelling as if they were mad. I was angry with them for their folly, and told them that if they did not stand still and keep quiet the lion would have another of us, and that very likely there was a troop of them. I ordered the dogs, which were nearly all fast, to be made loose, and the fire to be increased as far as could be. I then shouted Hendrich's name, but all was still. I told my men that Hendrich was dead, and that a regiment of soldiers could not now help him, and, hunting my dogs forward, had every- thing brought within the kraal, when we lighted our fire and closed the entrance as well as we could.
"My terrified people sat round the fire with guns in their hands till the day broke, still fancying that every moment the lion would return and spring again into the midst of us. When the dogs were
THE LION.
first let go, the stupid brutes, as clogs often prove when most required, instead of going at the lion, rushed fiercely on one another, and fought des- perately for several minutes ; after this they got his wind, and, going at him, disclosed to us his posi- tion. They kept up a continued barking until the day dawned, the lion occasionally springing after them and driving them in upon the kraal. The horrible monster lay all night within forty yards of us, consuming the wretched man whom he had chosen for his prey. He had dragged him into a little hollow at the back of the thick bush, beside which the fire was kindled, and there he remained until the day dawned, careless of our proximity.
"It appeared that when the unfortunate Hen d rich rose to drive in the ox, the lion had watched him to his fireside, and he had scarcely lain down when the brute sprang upon him and Ruyter (for both lay under one blanklet) with his appalling murderous roar, and roaring as he lay, grappled him with his fearful claws, and kept biting him on the breast and shoulder, all the while feeling for his neck ; having got hold of which, he at once dragged him back- wards, round the bush into the dense shade.
"As the lion lay upon the unfortunate man, lie faintly cried, 'Help me, help me! O God! men, help me!' After which the fearful beast got a hold of his neck, and then all was still, except that his comrades heard the bones of the neck crashing between the teeth of the lion. John Stofolus had lain with his back to the fire on the opposite side, and on hearing the lion he sprang up, and, seizing a
THE "MAN-EATER" SLAIN.
large flaming brand belaboured him on the head with the burning wood; but the brute did not take any notice of him. The Bushman had a nar- row escape, the lion having inflicted two gashes in his seat with his claws.
"The next morning, just as the day began to dawn, we heard the lion dragging something up the river-side, under cover of the bank. We drove the cattle out of the kraal, and then proceeded to in- spect the scene of the night's awful tragedy. In the hollow, where the lion had lain consuming his prey, we found one leg of the unfortunate Hendrich, bitten off below the knee, the shoe still on the foot, and fragments -of the pea-coat lay around. Poor Hendrich ! I knew the fragments of that old coat, and had often marked them hanging in the dense covers where the elephant had charged after my unfortunate after-rider. Hendrich was by far the best man 1 had about my waggon, of a most cheer- ful disposition, a first-rate waggon-driver, fearless in the field, ever active, willing, and obliging; his loss to us all was very serious. I felt confounded and utterly sick in my heart."
It is satisfactory to add that the poor Hottentot, who met so horrible a death, was revenged on the afternoon of the following day, when Gordon Cum- ming gallantly attacked and slew the "man-eater."
Happily, I may here remark in parenthesis, a similar calamity to those just recorded never occurred in my own encampment, though on various occasions, during the hours of darkness, lions have prowled about in its immediate vicinity,
THE LION.
making the welkin ring with their horrible roar- ing. On a certain night, indeed, as was seen by their tracks, they approached to within a dozen paces of the fire of one of ray men. On this occasion, they, moreover, killed ray two best dogs, who had attacked them, and so cowed the remaining two that for a long time afterwards they would hardly leave my heels. When lions thus visited our bivouac, the Damaras accompanying me were in the habit of making the most hideous noises, cursing and swearing at the beasts—a custom also prevalent amongst the North African Arabs.
"On another occasion at about midnight," Gordon Gumming elsewhere tells us, "a lion made a most daring attack on my cattle 'kraal' charging com- pletely through the thick thorn hedge; he sent the panic-stricken cattle flying in dire confusion, and dashed to the ground a valuable ox, which lay groaning in his powerful grasp. I was awakened by the noise, and instantly directing a troop of the dogs to be let loose, the cowardly beast was put to flight. The poor ox sprang to his feet, and joined his companions, but his fore and hind quarters were so fearfully lacerated that I was necessitated to shoot him on the following morning."
On a dark and stormy night, it is to be noted, the lion, " the stealthy prowling tyrant of the wilderness," is ever the most active and daring, and consequently, at such times, it behoves the traveller to be more specially on his guard.
Moffatt also testifies to the daring of the lion.
DARING OF THE LION.
"On the night of our third day's journey in the country of the Balalas," writes the worthy Missionary, "we halted at a pool (khokhale), and listened on the lonely plain for the sounds of an inhabitant, but could discover no light, and, amid the darkness, were unable to trace footsteps to the water. We let loose the wearied oxen to drink and graze ; but as we were ignorant of the character of the company with which we might have to spend the night, we took a fire-brand, and examined the edges of the pool, to see, from the imprints, what animals were in the habit of drinking there, and with terror discovered many 'spoors' of lions. We immediately collected the oxen, and brought them to the waggon, to which we fastened them with the strongest thongs we had, having discovered in their appearance something which indicated that, either from scent or sight, they knew danger was near. The two Barolongs had brought a young cow with them, and though I recommended their making her fast also, they very humorously replied * that she was too wise to leave the waggons and oxen, even though a lion should be scented.' We took a little supper, which was followed by our even- ing hymn and prayer. I retired only a few minutes to my waggon to prepare for the night, when the whole of the oxen started to their feet. A lion had seized the cow in question only a few steps from their tails, and dragged it to the distance of thirty or forty paces, where we distinctly heard it tearing the animal and breaking its bones, whilst its bellow- ings were most pitiful. When these were over, I
F
THE LION
seized my gun, but as it was too dark to see any object at half the distance., I aimed at the spot where the devouring jaws of the lion were heard. I fired again and again, to which he replied with tremendous roars, at the same time making a rush towards the waggons, so as exceedingly to terrify the oxen. The two Barolongs engaged to take fire-brands, advanced a few yards, and threw them at him so as to afford me a degree of light that I might take aim, the place being bushy. They had scarcely dis- charged them from their hands when the flame went out, and the enraged animal rushed towards them with such swiftness that I had barely time to turn the gun and fire between the men and the lion, and providentially the ball struck the ground immediately under his head, as we found by examina- tion the following morning. From this surprise he returned, growling fearfully. The men darted through some thorn-bushes, with countenances indicative of the utmost terror. It was now the opinion of all that we had better let him alone if he