IN THE JAWS OF A LION.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3450, 15 January 1880, Page 2

IN THE JAWS OF A LION.

I was out after porcupines, and was lying down one night near a porcupine's hole, waiting for him to come out. I had no gun, but only my hunting knife and a large knob kerrie, with which to knock the porcupine on his nose; for that as you know kills him at once. I did not hear a sound until 1 found the grass near me more and a lion got his paws on me and lifted me up. The brute pressed his claws into me, but, luckily, my leather belt prevented hi* teeth from damaging me, and he carried me, holding on to my belt and coat If either of these had given way I should have been laid hold of in a far more rough manner. A lion is like a cat' in one tiling, he can hold a lire creature in his mouth without damagin&jj^just as I hare seen a cat carry a mousy. I knew the nature of the lion well enough to know that if I struggled I should have had my neck broken! or my head smashed in an instance; so I did not struggle, but quiet!y drew my knife and thought what . was the best to do. I thought at first of trying to strike him on the heart, but I thought I could not reach that part of him, and his skin looked so loose that I could not strike deep enough, carried as I was I knew it would be life or death with me in an instant, so turning myself a bit, I gashed the lion's nose and cut it through. The lion dropped me as I should drop a poisonous snake, and jumped away roaring with- pain. He stood for an'instant looking at me, but as I did not more, he did not seem to like to carry me again. More than once he came up to within a few yards, licking the blood as it poured from his nose; bat there I remained like a stone, and he was fairly afraid to tackle me again. I know a buffalo and an ox are very sensative about the nose, and a eat, if just tipped on the nose can't stand it, so I though a lion might be the same, and so it proved.—Among the Zulus.