MAN-EATERS

Hokitika Guardian, 17 February 1927, Page 4

MAN-EATERS

TIiTC'K THAT ,SAVED A HUNTER. E.v SURGEON 1 R,EAIi-ADMIRAU C\ M. IiEADVELL, 0.8., K.H.P. •Tust ns, generation liv generation, the fox improves the alertness, .speed, and doubling capacity of the bare, the latter reaetively improves tlie subtlety and craft of the fox, so man and the grunt man-eating eats are slowly but surely improving each other’s offensive and defensive powers. Like the sentinel rook, which differentiates between tlm farmer with and without his gun, the lion and tiger, while, giving the armed European a wide berth, look upon the practically naked and defenceless natives of Africa land India. as so much meat.

Quito recently, thanks to the heavy price put on his head, a, man-eating tiger was shot in India that had taken ail appalling toll of human life. The ibeast was known by sight to the whole countryside owing to the fact that he woro a, collar.

Obviously lie had escaped from captivity and liis contact with his twolegged masters had begotten an intrepidity and cunning that were absolutely diabolical. He would attack an oxwagoii on the road in broad daylight while the wretched driver, cowering and chattering with terror, impotent,]y looked on. He would enter a village and carry off a piccaninny from under the very eyes of the parents. Always ho indulged in surprise attacks, travelling long distances between his kills, and for years skilfully avoided all traps, shikaris, and Sahib sportsmen. But at long last be succumbed to environmental forces in the shape of lead, cordite, and a human brain. Tt i.s not often that mian-caters have been discussed by a British Cabinet, yet such was the case in Lord Salisbury's Government when the railwav from Monibn.su to the great Central African lakes was under construction.

The lions played havoc with both coolies and officials. Two officials in the Athi River district were in the habit of sleeping stretched out on the cushions of a compartment. In the middle of tho night one of them awoke to discover the door wide open and his friend missing. Going to the door lie heard the crunching of bones. The lion was feeding! So startling a culmination to an already long death-roll had the effect of rousing even John Bull, and for once ho himself had to tread on the lion’s tail. A GRISLY FIND. ATaiiy years later I was on a biggamoslioot in this same district, and while forcing my way through a tangled mass of rock and scrub some two miles from the railway line I came across a hollow containing a number of scattered and bleached skeletons. Mixed up with tho bones of antelope and gazelle were those of two. possibly three, human beings. All higher animals, including even civilised man, are subject to conflicting emotions when confronted with the weird and uncanny—the unknown. By his antics the weasel paralyses the rabbit and so gains access to his jugular vein: bv his hovering tho hawk

mesmerises tho lark into a supine incapacity ; and by the swaying of his heady-eyed head the cobra fascinates bis prey. One night I was sitting with my twenty Wakikuyu bearers around our cam]) tiro on tho banks of tho Atbi River. 1 can see them now, their swarthy skins greased with evil-smell-ing hippopotamus fat, glistening in the flickering firelight, in marked contrast with their pointed, white, filed teeth; their hair, matted and clogged with tho red mud they love to rub into it, the longer locks hanging from their scalps in a succession of littlo .stalactites! their paunches distended with a recent gorge on rice and zebra; their tongue freely loosened l>y a great circulating bowl of punch. When one of tbo stories raised a perfect bowl of delight I asked the interpreter to repeat it to mo in English. He did so, and I had to join in the general laugh at au infallible remedy for frightening tbo hungriest of liian-ealers. “All you have to do.” said the AVakikuyu. “is k> turn your back on tbo lion, place your bead between vour legs, and. looking him in the eyes, walk straight at him.” Whereupon the lion would down bead and tail and bound away from the monstrosity. FACE TO FACE.

Although T have never tested this contortionist stratagem. T once applied the same principle of gesture with marked success. About 10 miles from Nairobi T had shot a splendid specimen of a hull rhinoceros, and stalled hack to cam]). Suddenly, not more than Id to 20 yards ahead, four magnificent lions stood up, shook themselves and blinked in I la" sunlight. 1 .stretched lily hand behind me.and in hated breath called out in Swahili. “Rifle! ltille!”

Getting no response, I stole a glance over my shoulder, and to my dismay saw the. hoy scuttling away. 1 tried to sidle away from the linns, but, they crept closer. Then f stood my ground and tbonglit'acd fheught again. They did likewise!

Tilings looked ugly. The animals began to get restless, and by the movements of their tails and the position of their ears showed they meant mischief. They knew 1 was “easy meat,” and they knew I knew it. Tho most incongruous ideas chased themselves through my bi'aiu. T had a vision of a dog, growling, hairs on end, backing away from an open parasol that had slightly moved in the faint breeze as it lay on the lawn. Here was my clue. As calmly as T could—for I was trembling with fright —-T unsluiig the ease of field-glasses from my shoulder and seizing the end of tho strap 1 rushed at the lions with fa Berserker yell and whirled the fieldglasses through the air at them. But long before even the short parabolic path of this projectile was completed bill four, with a series of deep-chested wough-woughs, had turned almnt and scampered off. A GOOD TURN TO THE RHINO.

A few days later I happened to run across that prince of sportsmen, Selous.

I told him of niv adventure and he described to me how one clay ho found himself witnessing a most astonishing drama. Reaching the summit of a rising piece of ground, he saw a rhinoceros galloping furiously, head low down, obviously charging something, then, as the beast careered madly along, an ostrich quietly hopped aside from his path, land continued cropping the herbage.

At first Selous thought the clumsy beast was charging some animal bo had not as yet discsovercd and that the part played by the ostrich was a mere side-show. But when ho saw the rhinoceros pull himself up, turn round, sniff the air, lower his head, and again charge down at the bird, it became clear that his presence annoyed him.

Once more the ostrich nipped aside and "’cut on feeding. But the onslaught was repealed again and agiin until the hind o-’m; old rhino was fairly sweating blood. “Then,” said Selous with a merry twinkle, “seeing that the worry and strain were beginning to tell on him. out of sheer pity I shot him!"