FOREST AND FRONTIERS
OR, ADVENTURES AMONG THE INDIANS
By Roualeyn Gordon-Cumming
PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED
Chicago
M. A. Donohue & Company
The most daring and adventurous of all hunters is Mr. Roualeyn GordonCumming. Being an officer in the British service at the Cape of GoodHope, his love of hunting adventures led him to resign his commissionin the army, and devote himself for five years to exploring theinterior of Africa, and hunting wild beasts. We shall quote his ownaccount of some of his adventures.
The first incident of his career, to which we invite the reader'sattention, is one which he calls an attack on four patriarchal lions.It occurred in the interior of Africa, not far from the junction ofthe rivers Mariqua and Limpopo. He thus describes it.
A few days after this, just as Swint had milked the cows, and wasdriving them from the wooded peninsula in which we lay, athwart theopen ground, to graze with my other cattle in the forest beyond, hebeheld four majestic lions walking slowly across the valley, a fewhundred yards below my camp, and disappear over the river's bank, at afavorite drinking place. These mighty monarchs of the waste had beenholding a prolonged repast over the carcases of some zebras killed byPresent, and had now come down the river to slake their thirst. Thisbeing reported, I instantly saddled two horses, and, directing my boysto lead after me as quickly as possible my small remaining pack ofsore-footed dogs, I rode forth, accompanied by Carey carrying a sparegun, to give battle to the four grim lions. As I rode out of thepeninsula, they showed themselves on the banks of the river, and,guessing that their first move would be a disgraceful retreat, Idetermined to ride so as to make them think that I had not observedthem, until I should be able to cut off their retreat from the river,across the open vley, to the endless forest beyond. That point beinggained, I knew that they, still doubtful of my having observed them,would hold their ground on the river's bank until my dogs came up,when I could more advantageously make the attack.
I cantered along, holding as if I meant to pass the lions at adistance of a quarter of a mile, until I was opposite to them, when Ialtered my course, and inclined a little nearer. The lions showedsymptoms of uneasiness; they rose to their feet, and, overhauling usfor half a minute, disappeared over the bank. They reappeared,however, directly, a little farther down; and finding that theirpresent position was bare, they walked majestically along the top ofthe bank to a spot a few hundred yards lower, where the bank was wellwooded. Here they seemed half inclined to await my attack; twostretched out their massive arms, and lay down in the grass, and theother two sat up like dogs upon their haunches. Deeming it probablethat when my dogs came up and I approached they would still retreatand make a bolt across the vley, I directed Carey to canter forwardand take up the ground in the centre of the vley about four hundredyards in advance; whereby the lions would be compelled either to giveus battle or swim the river, which, although narrow, I knew they wouldbe very reluctant to do.
I now sat in my saddle, anxiously waiting the arrival of my dogs; andwhilst thus momentarily disengaged, I was much struck with