Canoe Boy Bitten by Lion 



the blazing torch in my right hand. We had a 

 short smoke. Tom was already asleep with his 

 feet towards the river ; close to his head was the 

 small canoe boy, wrapped in his blanket, but at 

 right angles to Tom's body. Opposite to Tom, 

 Weddell lay leaning on one arm. I was between 

 the canoe man and the river. My rifle, the *577 

 Express, was loaded and lay at my right hand. 

 Weddell also had his rifle close beside him. I 

 was in the act of knocking out the ashes from 

 my pipe when a lion or lioness jumped amongst 

 us, seizing the canoe boy, who happened to be 

 the nearest object. Both Weddell and I fired, 

 almost simultaneously, which made the animal 

 drop its prey. My shot was fired with one hand, 

 and how it was that one of us was not killed is 

 a mystery to me, for there were bodies, blankets, 

 and legs flying in all directions during the short 

 second whilst the pandemonium lasted. The 

 lion had seized the poor boy by his upper arm 

 and ribs, and he probably owed his life to the 

 fact that, nigger-like, he had covered his head 

 completely with his blanket. He had, though, 

 a very deep wound on his arm and a great gash 

 torn in his side. Luckily I had in my medicine 

 chest, which I happened to have with me, some 

 very excellent oils, which I used to dress the 

 wound with. I bound up the arm with a silk 

 handkerchief after washing the wound out 

 thoroughly with an antiseptic, then treated the 



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