The Winnipeg Tribune from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada • Page 45

THE WINNIPEG TRIBUNE TOUNG PEOnrS SEOTTOTf Lions Are Tricky Creatures 1 TTHOM the earliest rSfo e' few animals have teen tre: Lncwn to man than the lion. fh present day lhi animal is fjur.d throughout Africa. There ate distinct species cf lions. F.lack mined, tawny and The inane begins to when the beast is about three years old and is fully developed at five. The lion usually walks, sonr.e times trots, and his fastest pace is a succession of bounds.

The animal is chiefly found in plains and rocky places inter spersed with oense thorn thickets, while it also frequents the patches forest and high grass land along the banks of rivers, near a drink ing place. Here they are very fond of lying in wait for their prey. In the daytime I have seen as many as twenty lions together, counting the cubs, but these sights are only to be found in uninhabited country where there has not been much shooting. It is at night, however, that the animal is most active. starting th? prow! absut half past in 'he evrrirr v.

hn its, characteristic ror is or.t heard 1 from all directions. Hunt in Pairs low, muffled sound. The zebra, scenting their deadly enemy, stampede madly away with barks of terror, generally in the direction of the waiting lioness, who makes her spring when they come in line, and soon pulls her prey to the ground by biting it through the back of the neck, or by striking the animal a terrific blow with the paw, smashing the skull. I have witnessed scenes in the daytime, and in wet weather have frequently noticed the spoor near kills which foretold the recently enacted tragedy. Unfortunately there have been so many faked Alms of African life shown at the movies, that the general public cannot obtain true knowledge of the ways and habits of the animals found in that country.

Films Faked In the film "Simba" 'the Swahale word for lion), one sees a group of lions yawning and stretching as if they knew they were having their pictures taken. Again we see them at bay within a ring of Lumbura warriors intent on blooding their spears. I tpentd up the humbura country twenty six years ago and will here relate a few exciting experiences while hunting with them. There is a glorious uncertainty afcout lion hunting, you can never judge what a lion will do. He may torn and run or he may charge you, or quietly stalk you.

I left camp one morning on my daily task of shooting meat for the carriers. Ammunition being scarce, I used to take only five cartridges, knowing that if I could not ret a I When game is plentiful they pen erally hunt in pairs. Their favorite fcod is ze bra or pig, but nothing comes amiss to them, especially if they are hungry. When a herd of zebra are located the lioness goes to the windward cf them and there lies in the path by which thinks they will come. As soon as she has taken up her position her mate works round the herd in the opposite direction and gives them his wind, giving cut loud, deep toned roars.

These are repeated in quick succession, each increasing in loudness to the third or fourth, when his voice dies in Hunting the King of Beasts Is Exciting Sport By JOHN ALFRED JORDAN, F.Z.S.j (Hunter, Explorer, Nomad) I buck in five shots, it was not my day out, and if I carried more I was bound to be tempted to blaze it away, with the same result. That day I rode a Muscat donkey. Game was scarce, and I had a stiff day, but killed two Topi harteb.est w.th two shots. Leaving the porters to skin and carry back the meat. I continued with, one boy to lock after the monkey in case I came across anything.

But I had no luck and about live o'clock we headed for camp, some four miles away. We had to pass a great deal of buhh before entering a patch of forest on the other side of which, the camp was pitched. 1 I1HEX about 300 yards from the forest I got a strong smell of lion, so jumped off the donkey and gave the reins to the bey and took the rifle which he was carrying. I was only just in time, for when came round a bush there lay the lioness, crouched for the spring, having smelt the donkey. When the saw me she altered her mind and stood up, giving out a snarl cf rage and disgust.

I had forgotten for the moment whether there was a cartridge in the breech or not, and hurriedly pulled back the bolt to see. The cartridge was there ail right, but with the jerk cf the bolt it fell out and disap 1 peared in the thick grass. I had no time to pick it up, so forced in an I other out of the magazine. This motion evidently upset the lioness and she turned tail and Bed. I had a glancing shot and took It, but the bullet struck a little bark of the shoulder.

This only raised the animal's temper, and she swung around for a charge. I had only one cartridge in the rifle and another somewhere 1 at my feet. I knelt down to be certain of my shot, at the same time feeling round for the other car tridge while I kept my eyes on the enragd bast. All at once she gave I out a terrific roar which sent a cold shiver down my spine and then turned and bolted for the bush. I gave her the other car tridge in the rump just as she reached it.

I then made a hasty search for the dropped bullet, and not being able to find it. shouted for Mar tlni, my boy, to come and search 1 for it. A voice answered me from the top of a tree, and looking up I saw my boy had played for safety. I ordered him to come down, and he took a long time abont it. The lioness had made no sound after entering the bush and I gave my I self credit of having killed her.

i When the boy reached me I asked him what he had done with the donkey, to receive the reply that he had done nothing with it. The donkey had used his own Judgment and bolted. On hearing this and i the elusive bulltt rankling in my mind I boxed the boy's ears. Used Discretion The boy was looking towards another bush and the blow made no impression. He just stHid pap.ng at the spot, so I a'so tinned and saw a ne biack manod lion watching us.

Not able to find the cartridge me both retired to a ready to climb in case the lion wished to make our acquaintance While we stood there two more lions with tawny manes came out of the bush. A moment later I noticed a movement towards some other bushes, and in that direction I saw several more lions. I counted eighteen altogether. I told the boy that it was no place for us, and as some of the lions were engaged in squabbling among themselves, we embraced the op portunity and hastily made a circle of the forest, getting back to camp just when It was growing dark. I expected to find the donkey had arrived before me, but theie was no sign of him.

That night the lions kept up an infernal din just outside the forest I posted two boys on guard and they k. pt up a roaring campfire, but the animals left us in peace. Next morning, as soon as we could see, I took a party of Lumb was warriors, armed with spears and shields, in addition to my gun bearer, and proceeded straight to the spot where I had seen the lions We soon found the blood spoor of the animal I had shot, and followed it into the thick bush, two of the warriors leading the way. I fully expected to come on the dead animal just inside the bush, but we only found the imprints of about a dozen lions In a circle where they had been lying, in the centre of which was a lot of dry leaves on which the wounded lioness had lnin. The leaves were fell into a donga, or gully, and landed on the body of the lioness." striked with showing trat she had b.ed heavi.y.

ki, from these signs that eer. not dead she could not be far away, so I took the lend, nlle i aiy fr a shot once we sighted r. The spoor continued to a stream where she had stopped to drink. We picked It up again on the oihe: side, when it led off to our right, kx ing near the bank of the river Following Lion It is nerve racking work foliw ing a wounded lion In the bubh. Tour mind is so intent on the quarry you are following that the least sound makes you grip the rifle In preparation for a charge.

Some monkeys gave me a start and then a bird flew up juet front of me. Each time I imagined it was the lioness and nerved myself ready for a shot. When we had tracked the spoor about 800 yards we came to some high grass. If I had been alone I should have circled round It and tried to pick op the spoor on the other side; but I could not make that suggestion to the warriors, knowing they would put it down to "cold feet" instead of prudence. So turning round I gave them a forced smile and whispered In a far from strong voice, "have your spears and shields ready in case she is on top of us before Are." I then forced a passage through the grass with the sensation of stepping Into my grave, and my intuition was cearly right.

I HAD only gone a few yard when I found myself falling. In making a frantic clutch at the grass to save myself I dropped the rifle. My hands were badly cat with the razor like edge of the grass, and down I fell into a donga or gully. Horror upon horror! I landed on a soft body, I knew at once by the smell and fee was the wounded lioness I was seeking. I felt paralyzed.

IJir.tw and voice refused their natural functions. I was aroused from D.y stupor by being knocked flat. I naturally thought in my agony of mind that it was from a blow of the animal's paw, but recovered ir.y senses on hearing the voice of Masonic, one of the warriors, who gave a yell of f.r. It was he who struck me ss he fell. The donga was so overgrown with grass that we could hard see.

With the assistance of tr.e others combined with our own frantio efforts, however, we wn had some light by tearing down the long rank grass. We found ourselves in a narrow donga, ebcut four yards wide, and seven or eight feet deep, and also alongside the lioness. Fortunately for me she was not only badly wounded, but had broken her pine and could not move. She was quickly die patched and her body was taken back to ramp Alarm Rais But I had not finished ith Hons 'About three o'clock the boy was herding some cattle of mine came into camp and reported he had lost them. I sent some warriors to go in search and also to look out for the donkey: I was just having a cup of tea when a warrior returned and said I had betttr come wKh my rifle because they had seen fresh spoor of lion on th.t cattle trail, and from the reading of the spoor the cattle were running, showing that they had teen chased by these brutes The fcerd boy admitted that he had lal' en.