Part 13 (1/2)
”I know very well, Swinton, that you are closely attentive to the peculiar habits of animals, and that they fore of the lion? and if so, suppose you tell us so about them”
”I have certainly studied the habits of the lion, and what I have gathered from my own observation and the information I received from others, I shall be most happy to communicate The lion undoubtedly does not kill wantonly--of that I have had repeated instances I recollect one which is rather reacity of the noble brute A ed to one of the Mission stations, on his return home from a visit to his friends, took a circuitous route to pass a pool of water, at which he hoped to kill an antelope The sun had risen to soht when he arrived there, and as he could not perceive any ga rock, the back part of which was covered with some brushwood He went down to the pool and had a hearty drink, returned to the rock, and after s weary, he lay down and fell fast asleep
”In a short time, the excessive heat reflected froe lion about a yard fro on his face For so every moment that he would be in the jaws of the monster; at last he recovered his presence of un, moved his hand slowly toward it; upon which the lion raised up his head and gave a tremendous roar which induced him hastily to withdraw his hand With this the lion appeared satisfied, and crouched with his head between his fore-paws as before After a little while the un The lion raised his head and gave another roar, and the man desisted; another and another atteer shown on the part of the lion”
”Why, the lion un for”
”Most certainly he did, and therefore would not allow the acious creature had been fired at before; but you observe, that he did not wish to harm the o away: you shall not take your musket to shoot me with, or I will tear you to pieces”
”It certainly was very curious Pray how did it end?”
”Why the heat of the sun on the rock was so overpowering, that the ony; his naked feet were so burned, that he was co one upon the other and changing theht also; the lion never ain, and the heat beca At noon, on that day, the lion rose and walked to the pool, which was only a few yards distant, looking behind him every moment to see if the un, and the lion, perceiving it, turned in rage, and was on the point of springing upon him; the man withdrew his hand, and the beast was pacified”
”How very strange!”
”The animal went to the water and drank; it then returned and lay down at the same place as before, about a yard froht passed away, and the lion kept at his post The next day, in the forenoon, the aniain went to the water, and while there looked as if he heard a noise in an opposite quarter, and then disappeared in the bushes
”Perceiving this, theto rise he found it not in his power, as the strength of his ankles was gone With his gun in his hand, he crept to the pool and drank, and, looking at his feet, he discovered that his toes had been quite roasted and the skin torn off as he crawled through the grass He sat at the pool for a fewthe lion's return, and resolved to send the contents of his gun through his head; but the lion did not return, so the poor fellow tied his gun on his back and crawled away on his hands and knees as well as he could He was quite exhausted, and could have proceeded no further, when providentially a person fell in with him and assisted him home; but he lost his toes, and was a cripple for life”
”What makes this story more remarkable is,” observed the Major, ”that the lion, as it is rational to suppose,thethat he had taken a meal but a short time before”
”I know many other curious and well-authenticated anecdotes about this noble aniive you; but I must look at my memorandum-book, or I may not be quite correct in my story One fact is very remarkable, and as I had it from Mr ----, the missionary, who stated that he had several ti for its correctness, the more so, as I did once perceive a similar fact myself; it is, that the fifth commandment is observed by lions--they honor their father and mother
”If an old lion is in coh they are in size equal to hiame, there is always one who is admitted by theame is come up with, it is this one who creeps up to it, and seizes it, while the others lie crouched upon the grass; if the old lion is successful, which he generally is, he retires from his victim, and lies down to breathe himself and rest for perhaps a quarter of an hour The others in the meantime draw round and lie down at a respectful distance, but never presuo near the animal which the old lion has killed
As soon as the old lion considers hioes up to the prey and co a considerable portion he will take a second rest, none of the others presu made a second repast, he then retires; the other lions watch his motions, and all rush to the remainder of the carcass, which is soon devoured I said that I witnessed an instance myself in corroboration of this state on a rock after collecting so lion seize an antelope; he had his paw upon the dead ani one immediately retired till his superior had dined first, and then came in for the reht it was the lion again,” said Alexander, ”but it is thunder; we are about to have a storm”
”Yes, and a fierce one too,” said the Major; ”I am afraid that we must break up our party and retire under cover We have so now dazzled them, and was followed by another, and an instantaneous peal of thunder
”There is no mistake in this,” said Swinton; ”and I can tell you that we shall have it upon us in less than a on”
”At all events it ash these Hottentots sober,” observed the Major, as they all walked away to their separate wagons for shelter
CHAPTER XIV
They had scarcely gained the wagons before the thunder and lightning beca It appeared as if they were in the very center of the contending elements, and the wind rose and bleith terrific force, while the rain poured down as if the flood-gates of heaven were indeed opened The lightning was so vivid, that for the second that it lasted you could see the country round to the horizon alloo reports of the thunder, which caused every article in the wagons, and the wagons thee tree, not fifty yards fro, and ca crash The Caffres had all roused up, and had sheltered theun to move, but had not yet recovered their senses--indeed, they were again stupefied by the clamor of the elements
The storain; the stars again e of the horizon announced the approach of daylight When the storm ceased, our travelers, who had not taken off their clothes, came out frouished fire
”Well,” said Alexander, ”I have been ht; I nohat an African storm is, and also the roar of an African lion Have you heard if there is any mischief done, Bremen?”
continued Alexander to the Hottentot, who stood by