Baden-Powell of MafekingFletcher, J. S. (Joseph Smith)
History
Baden-Powell of Mafeking
Fletcher, J. S. (Joseph Smith)
Baden-Powell of Gilwell, Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, Baron, 1857-1941; Generals -- Great Britain -- Biography
and biting out great mouthfuls of flesh from the quivering carcase of
his maddened antagonist. He seemed now to be having all the best of it,
so much so that the boar discreetly stumbled and fell forward, whether
by accident or design I know not, but the effect was to bring the tiger
clean over his head, sprawling clumsily on the ground ... the tables
were turned. Getting his forefeet on the tiger's prostrate carcase, the
boar now gave two or three short, ripping gashes with his strong white
tusks, almost disembowelling his foe, and then exhausted seemingly
by the effort, apparently giddy and sick, he staggered aside and lay
down, panting and champing his tusks, but still defiant...." One can
conceive, after reading this passage, that Baden-Powell must needs have
a considerable respect for the wild pig of India, and find in him a foe
worthy his own skill and courage.
An extract from the journal which he kept during the Matabele Campaign
shows Baden-Powell in the character of lion-hunter:--
"_October 10th_ (to be marked with a red mark when I can get a red
pencil).--Jackson and a native boy accompanied me scouting this
morning; we then started off at three in the morning, so that by dawn
we were in sight of one of the hills we expected might be occupied by
Paget, and where we hoped to see his fires. We saw none there; but on
our way, in moving round the hill which overlooks our camp, we saw a
match struck high up near the top of the mountain. This one little
spark told us a good deal. It showed that the enemy were there; that
they were awake and alert (I say 'they' because one nigger would not
be up there by himself in the dark), and that they were aware of our
force being at Posselt's (or otherwise they would not be occupying that
hill). However, they could not see anything of us, as it was then quite
dark; and we went further on among the mountains. In the early morning
light we crossed the deep river-bed of the Umchingwe River, and, in
doing so, we noticed the fresh spoor of a lion in the sand. We went on,
and had a good look at the enemy's stronghold; and on our way back,
as we approached this river-bed, we agreed to go quietly, in case the
lion should be moving about in it. On looking down over the bank, my
heart jumped into my mouth, when I saw a grand old brute just walking
in behind a bush. Jackson could not see him, but was off his horse as
quick as I was, and ready with his gun; too ready, indeed, for the
moment that the lion appeared, walking majestically out from behind the
bush that had hidden him, Jackson fired hurriedly, striking the ground
under his foot, and, as we afterwards discovered, knocking off one
of his claws. The lion tossed up his shaggy head and looked at us in
dignified surprise. Then I fired, and hit him in the ribs with a leaden
bullet from my Lee-Metford. He reeled, sprang round, and staggered a
few paces, when Jackson, who was firing a Martini-Henry, let him have
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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