MAULED BY A LION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14853, 2 December 1911, Page 2 (Supplement)

MAULED BY A LION.

AN EXCITING ADVENTURE. Whim travelling along the banks of i Ismail river known as the Knlanyom, in Africa, the Diißo Adolphue Frederick of Mecklenburg galloped ahead of his party in the hope of getting a snapshot of a troop of zebras. In his book "In tin Heart of Africa," he tells the startling tale of what followed. . "Suddenly I heard successive -hots behind me in the distance. As I had aa j understanding with Wintgens that •, game except buffaloes and lions was to is I fired at, I knew that the .shots must rata the presence of one or the ether. So I - j turned back, arid soon caught sight „i ! Wintgens accompanied by two Askari coming towards mo with lilies ready. ' "The herr lieutenant haw shot a lion,'' shouted one. .'■''!" "Where is he hiding?" I asked.'' ' ."I do not know ; we have lost him hers : by the mountain."' • There could be no doubt that the linn was lying between ,Wintgfii& and'me It j seemed almost as if his puifueis h.4 passed over him as lie was crouching in the grass. Suddenly one 01, the \.«mi' at my side stopped sharply, and with characteristic gesture pointed his index finger toward the tall reed-grass by the fiver, and yelled out "Look, baiia'suitwi,' many, many lions!" ; ■ Indeed, I actually beheld five Mont hurrying to the protecting river with that heavy, slouching gait peculiar to their kind, Will one shot Wintgens finished the earthly career of a lioness. One of the others vanished into the reeds. One of the Askari, a Masai, who was not enamoured of peaceful pursuit*, --. splendid, grand-looking fellow, like all his warlike race, approached the scrub in hum fearlees fashion. On a sudden the bloodcurdling roar of a lion resounded three ■ times in quick succession, and the boast sprang out with flattened ears and gaping jaws right among us. We all fell back except the Masai, who was a few paces off on my left. Shooting loud, and mad with excitement,' lie stretched out his left arm, in! which ha held his rifle, against the lion. But tin beast seized him in ,; the twinkling of an eye. The next moment they were rolling together like a ball on the ground., M the ; same instant I raised my gun to my shoulder and gave the lion a bullet *• five paces; but the aim was had, and the beast, with two great bounds, lied back, growling, into the scrub before I could think.of a second shot. ■ • ' ■'.:.;. The Masai lay on ; the ground streaming blood, but had - sustained ,no re&\lys&nwsM injury. I hastened to bandage the nearlysenseless man an best I could, M staunch 1 the flow of blood. , A draught of water, coupled with his incredible stoicism, Enabled him to recuperate so quickly tlwt* he sustained the five-hour return journey to the camp without collapsing. .;■■{■■;•■•■ ; .