Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 October 1891 — Stealing Lion Cubs. [ARTICLE]

Stealing Lion Cubs.

The lioness does not leave her cubs, even for a moment, until they are three months old and have finished teething. Gerard, the famous French lion-killer, says in his “Adventures,” that teething is an important crisis in the life of the lion cubs, and that a large number of the young die during that period. When the cubs have finished teething, the lioness leaves them a few hours ea ch day, and on her return brings mutton, carefully skinned and torn in small pieces. The Arabs, on discovering a litter of cubs, watch for the departure of the lioness, and then rob her of the whelps. They post themselves on a high cliff, or in a tree overlooking the lair. As soon as they see the lioness go down to the plain, and are sure that the lion is not near, they creep to the lair, wrap the cubs in the fold of their burnoose in order to smother their cries, and carry them to the edge of the woods, where men are waiting with horses. One day sixty Arabs surrounded the woods where there was a lair, and by shouts tried to rouse the lioness. She, however, remained in her hid-ing-place. Several Arabs then crept into the thicket and brought out the whelps. The Arabs, pleased at their success, were retiring to their tents, thinking they had nothing more tb fear. Suddenly the sheik, who was on horseback, and a little behind Ms men, saw the lioness rushing out of the woods diirectly at him. He called, and his nephew, Mecaoud, and his friend, Ali, ran to his aid. The lioness sprung at the young nephew, who, facing her with his gun at his shoulder, pulled the trigger when she came within six or seven feet. The cap only exploded. The youth threw the gun a wav, and presented bis left arm wrapped in his burnoose. The lion seized the arm, and began crushing the bones. The young man, without a cry, drew his pistol and fired in her breast. She dropped the arm and bounded on Ali, who fired a ball down her throat as she sprang at him. He was seized by the shoulder and thrown down, but the lioness, before she could injure him greatly, expired on his prostrate body- The nephew died the next day.