BRAVERY OF AN ENGLISH LADY IN AFRICA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 140, 14 June 1881, Page 1

BRAVERY OF AN ENGLISH LADY IN AFRICA.

[" Belgian Neva" J , Africa teams to be (he favorite banting ground this season lor the nobility of the sporting world,, more .especially for the English aristocracy. Lord and Lady Esmore went to Africa early ip the winter, and after various Nimrodetin experiences in South America, were m ra anxious than ever of meeting game worthy of their mettle. For that purpose they fixed aft once upon the Lower Soudan as their first bunting station. Shortly after arriving there, their bravery, intrepidity, and presence of minJ were put to a test which would have satisfied many an old hunter. An antelope bunt, as a matter of course, led the couple, and their friends and followers, after a few hourb' ride, to a genuine tropical forest; from a marshy swamp, in its lower part assuming the proportions of a small lake, gigantic palm trees lifted their heads, end invited the company to rest a their shade. The horses were unsaddled and given in charge of their grooma and some Soudanese. Lady Esmore, on hearing lUr, the forest harbored every sort ot game, soon became restless, and proposed to explore the same, little minding the (Mfliculiiea of toe advance. The party soon reached a sort of creek, shaded by the thick foliage of in enormous sycamore. At their approach the ungainly form of a rhinocerous rose before them, and forcing its paestge through the underwood and reeds disappeared from, sight much to tbe lady's ttnooyance. While lookiog disappointedly bfier the 'colossal pichyderm, she felt a light touch on ncr arm, and on turning rouid saw or.c j of the Soudanese servants wistfully pointing to tbe leafy root of a sycamore. Un glancing upwards, she espied tbe ferociously glittering eyes of a leopard, crouching on a branch of the tree, and evidently in wait for gome game coming to quench ita thirst in the 6c etk below. iNo sooner had she realised Ler position, tLaa she heard, tbe report of Lord Esmo're'igun, and saw the jeopard fall bleeciiag to the ground. A second ■hot stretched him apparently dead wi hin. a few feet of her. Ooe of the Soudanese ran towards the leopard in |or Jer to be the fint to offer the animal's , beautiful skin to the lady, but was seized by the agonizad beast and thrown vown f Lord i^imore seeing this snatched a spear: from , a, companion standing by, and rushed to freo the mac irom tbe daws of the leopard. At that moment a spotted otject bounded, through the cir, and Lady Esmore law a second leopard jumping down upon Lord Esmore, throwing him to the ground, and fastening bis ' ieetb and Iclaws. in hie shoulders. In spite of the evident danger of risking a ibot unJtr these circumstances, Lady Esmore did not hesitate asi pond. .The ball almost grazed her husband's head, but pierced that of the animal, which gave a wild bound, and in reeling back received anoiber abqt irqm the gaa of : Liadj Efimorei whose firmness c.ofy bfind ar.u pure aim extricated ber buibandJrom further diii&er. Lord Eemore was' more palpjufly than dun^erously hurt ; bis wite bandaged: the wounds as well: as possible; and the party returned to thejr haKiDfe glafpe;", whenjaif i'&tiwt a ; slow and hot ride through the desert i ook them bick to the village from which they bad started, with glowing hopei, in tbe inoroiog. Lkdy Esmore's preeenee of na,,iftff"~Ba<l~ undoubtedly Saved the life ot her husband, for the second bite of tUa infuriated animal jvould surely have proved fatal.