AFRICAN ADVENTURES CONTINUED

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4689, 7 April 1894, Page 3

AFRICAN ADVENTURES CONTINUED

fuy A KASTERTONIAH.]

Just one TOk after having heard the adventure of the parson and the lion, tho remainder of our company arriveiLtflien tvo set about making jajf&ngement for'ourjourney. Owing mk tho rough and broken region, I through which wo had to pass, we were forced to procure two mule 1 !, on which we packed a large tent, aonio clothes and provisions. All being ready, our little company of fourMessrs Rogors, Giirriclt, Caroy and myself— set out in the direction of tho Mnzoo River, liesides a small wator bag, wo carr'rd our rifles for instaut use, should a umii-Ohter intiko bis objectionablo appiarauco, After travorsing a number of swamps, rock regions, and pussing through several clustering forests, wo at last

arrived on the banks of the Mazoo River,, where wo pitcW our canvas house a chimp of foliage. situated on tho (lieriver, from ..vliicli Ibo its name, was one ot the first spots whom the" yellow " was known to exist, and in consequence, we made tho r> gion our first homo. The whoh' surroundings abound in beautiful valleys, with tropical vegetation, lemon groves nnd steep rocky heights, whtln from tho depths of tho luxuriant foliugu erne the odour of dump leaves, moss and wild fruits. j After having rcfrc-hed ourselves and attended to tho tutored wounds, caused hy tho prickly thorns of this region, we sat down and, did justice to a hearty meal. Tho night was coming on, and we nil started out to barricade the outside of the tent. This was soon dono to our satisfaction when wo gathered round the firo and disensssed our nrraugfinenls for tho following day. After some argument it was settled t.iat Rogers and j Carey fhould start out in one ttirectiou, myself ir. another, and Gorrick who was far from well, to stop at tlif iitcsido. All being now sdtisfactori'/ arranged, some logs wore placed n iJhe fire, when we adjourned to ourapirtjve ■ couches, .At dsybrwl the next'morning, while the water in the (' billy " wns being heated for coffee, wo gathered together all that was necessary for tho day's ramble, A hasty meal was oaton, aud, after each had advised the other to exercise great cire, wn separated. After walking through the tangled growth of a beautiful forest for some hours and coming out upon an open glade, I sat down beneath tho shade of a olustered treo lo satisfy the pangs of hunger. Tho meat being eaten, I procured my pipe, when filling and lighting it, 1 was soon

under the influence of a soothing weed. I had been resting thus for half an hour, when suddenly I heard a swift rush, proving the proximity of some living creature. I arose with alacrity and SAW A LEOPARD

upon my coat, hat anil rillc, lying on the ground about too yards behind the tree. My first thought was whether I could climb the sapling in time to get beyond his reach ; but I further trouble, for, quite slowly, the animal Blank away, now looking back, I crept lo my returning to the tree, fcok a steady aim/attberetreating leokard, which was mow almost ut side Riew. Immediately after firing and wowing down tlio rifle, I began to ascend the tree, in tho belief that if I missad my aim,! the animal would return boforo I could re-load, & ftcr ascending to the topmost branch. I then looked about me, but could jee nothing of the spotted beast. Owing to ray iLaate in climbing tho sapling I hijl turned my face in an dirpion, and hence the supposed abseqee of tho leopard. Turning jUnd and looking in the right direc\n, I savi tho animal stretched and parent])' ilead, Descending to tho bund and re-loading my rifle,l then Iked towards the beast, feeling her nervous lest he should be hmniing ! death, After having ~i(own se?eral stones, and failing to (licit a rejjionse, I went closer to the pimal anil saw that the bullet had entered uiftlor the ear and had pierced the brain, Two hours later 1 was on my way homeward, having tho skin of the leopard wrapped round the stock of tho rifle. I could not understand Iwhy tho animal had Mi ■£& unmolested, 'but learned subsequently that tho brute in question is unable to bear the gaze of the human eyo. Hence, when it pounced upon toy slothes, it must have thought that I was asleep. I had wandered for something like an hour when 1 noticed that tho surroundings/sere anything but familiar, and gazing at tho sinking sun, I started out with hasto in a diftoront course, One, two, and three hours passed, when finding myself still enveloped in a tangled and stunted undergrowth and darkness all supremo 1 became quite alarmed, I felt angry with myself for having left the open glade without firEt having taken my bearings, 1 kept on through tho luxuriant growth, and at last was gladdened by tho sight of what appeared to be afiro. My fico and hands wore being injured as 1 moved hurriedly in and out the slmbbery, while threading my routo towards the light, An hour thus passed, when I came to a little swamp, and found it n.aWary.to change my course. I hear the roar of tho forest kingTand wafted to mo from the direction of the Gre, caused me to wave?, and lidded to my fright. Afloher hour passed, when, nfler A&tfK'g through' a dense tangleB|J» of.shrubs aud jungle, I at last SH to a little lagoon, where the Hit was explained, Myriads of iiro Hs were clustered together in and Hut the dumps of reeds and bushes, Editing tip the close vicinity with a ■illiancy equal to three or four streot Imps, I was not allowed rouoh time I reflect upon the situation, for like ■sudden peal of thunder came an ■ UNEARTHLY ROAR, Hftberating through the stillness jf H; forest, giving me the impression Ht at least a dozen lions were on Hjvmrpath, Not one moment did Hesitate, but with a fear that lent H| to my flight, I ran some twenty |Hyronped my rifle, and clambered Leo came crashing undergrowth, his coals of fire, and hBHHHh of the tree, whon, I slipped a his unwelcome atsniffing towards tBTTj ilhiwfor the moment T [Beret] if ever in thepast a lion was HHn to shoulder a gun aud shoot tho ■■Br. A few seconds passed, when |Ht'aneous)y witb tho heavy report Hie came one of tho most hideous SHbat ever I heard, causing me to HRlistance of three or four feet to ■ BR branch, to which I clung with HHation, whilo a cold perspiration Hgnningdown my face, Waal ' |9to be rescued, or was it that'

tho lion, in attempting to shoot mo, had wounded itself ? Iwm not long left in doubt, Tho animal, while endeavouring to tike tbo leopard's akin from off tho rifle, had in someway disturbed the trigger, and I fervently hoped that it would provo a mortal wound, But do; lie got up, and hopped about on three legs, while tearing madly at tho skin which had accidently causod him injury, At this juncture I heard two shots far away in the distance, and knowing that the reports were from the rifles of my friends, I at oncegavo a prolonged New Zealand cooey. In a few moments it was answered with a second dischargo of a weapon, I took a little re.»t and again cooed, whon iu a few seconds a third report was wafted to ipo as.l sat perohed in the branches, with Loo, now rampant, at tho foot. I called ropoaledly, tho , successive roports coming nearer and ( nearer, until at last they came within ( about 200 yards. The lion was now |

on tho alert, and, with lashing tail, was looking in tho direotion from whonco came the voices of my comrades. I called out loudly to thein that Leo had me up a tree, but they came crashing on, apparently heedless of the fact, until when reaching a point within two or three cbnins: I again called out, but could not make them understand. They still moved on, and at last J called out madly: ''Stop I A linn is at tho foot of the tree in which lam parched I" My friends heard this, and also the prolonged growl issuing from the throat of the forest king, who, with lashing tail, was now surveying thorn, Carey, who was at tho moment crossing a little swamp by the means of a natural bridge, suddenly

1 FELb ISTO ITS SMJIY DEPTHS; 1 while Rogers made for a friendly perch, The f.inner, quickly recovering himself fiom the water, also ascended out of harm's way. Hero we were—three rwbk hwiteri—uW up trees, and a kmetl man-eater holding us at bay, Bi'comingimpatient in being forced to keep my cramped position, I asked Rogers if he would try aud ontico the monster towards him to allow me to procure my rifle. Failing in all else, Rogers at last descended to tho ground and en : deavoured to obtain his weapon; but the lion, who had been watching his movements, now rose and bounded towards him, forcing my comrade to nscond with celerity, Now that Leo j was absent from my location, I at once descended and very nervously picked up my rifle. Seeing that my movoiiionts were as yet unnoticed, and assuring myself of the proximity of the first step towards my late perch, 1 then re-loaded my weapon. In taking aim at tho monster, the darknras was very much against me; but now nnd again the brilliance from the fire.Hies flashing a particle of light, I risked a shot. Hearing a growl and a crash, and not knowing what to think, I again ascended to the branches, The lion came tumbling through the scrub, attracted by the noiso I had made in getting out of harm's reach, and took up his former position at the foot of the tree in which I was esconced. 1 called out to Caroy and Rogers to maintain a discreet silence, when the monster, neither hearing nor seeing us, would perhaps leave the neighhood. All agreeing to this, we waited further developments. Now and again I could hear an almost stilled sneeze from poor Carey, who was shivering in his perch, owing to the drenching be had received,

Something like an hour had passed, when from the distance, a fremondous roar was borne to our earn, The lion was now all attention, und settling himself, at as if in answer, gave back a succession of deafening roars. It now appeared to be sniOing the air, and after looking about and growling, the man-eater moved off iu the direction from whence the sounds bad come, and was soon lost to our view. It is, perhaps, needless to state that we experienced great relief, but none of us dared to descend to the ground, An hour later the first streaks of dawn began to lighten up the surroundings, and then wo lets our late perches. After sbaking hands and congratulating each other, we went cautiously through the forest, and throe hours later arrived at our tent, where we found poor Garrick in a raging fever, Thus ends the first of several personal advenluresduringotir exciting sojourn in tho land of Zambesi.