AN ENCOUNTER WITH A LION

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4366, 25 May 1901, Page 6 (Supplement)

AN ENCOUNTER WITH A LION

Lieutenant Carpaux, sen of the famous sculptoi*, is coming home from tho Soudan on sick leave. He was long iu hospital at Domson from the effects of wounds inflicted In' a lion. He thus describes the accident:—“One morning I started off with a tirailleur to see what I oould do iu the way of lion hunting. Wo had not gone far when we espied a superb beast with a glorious mane. I fired, and he ran further into the scrub. I felt sure I had wounded him. and we went to look for him. After beating about some time in the jungle, I came to a small clearing, and saw. 50 yards off, the lion facing me, and lashing his side with his tail. I dropped on one knee, aimed at, the head, and fired. The brute, roaring awfully, bounded forward towards us, and ray tirailleur ran off into tho scrub. I fired again, and hit tho lion, bub without killing him, and in a moment we were face to face. I was then knocked over, and felt my right reg crinkle as it squeezed in a vice. I vainly tried to seize the brute by the throat, hut was too firmly held down. Tho feeling that I was lost came librae to me with terrible force. Suddenly I felt the grip on me relax, and, what seemed to me miraculous, the lion moved off a few feet and stood looking in the direction in which ray man had fled. “If he thinks me dead,” I thought, ‘perhaps I may bo saved.’ AAdiile ho stood I was able to get held cf my rifle, and rapidly aimed and fired just as be was turning round to finish me. Ho fell dead. Aly leg was in a fearful state, and so were my chest and shoulder : but. no bone was broken and no main artery cut. This is the twentieth day after the accident, and I am still in hospital.”