Adventure Magazine Cover — page 103: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

When the Rain Was Red forms of the slaves who were resigned to their expected fate. The women screeched maniacally and embraced one child after another in frenzy, and the men stepped forward and offered to capture the lion. The morning was spent making nets and preparing various makeshift implements for the capture as they suggested themselves, for catching lions was as foreign to the Mashona as it was to the Matabele. By midday everything was prepared and a thousand hunters set off, followed by the Insukamena in military file. The avowed mission of the latter was to give moral strength to the slaves and see that they kept their promise, for on the success of the ex- pedition depended their own reputation. _ There were many lions’ dens in the coun- try, and the lions were exceptionally large and strong, as there were plenty of Mashona cattle in the country for them to prey upon. It was not long before the hunters came toa den which was situated in such a place as one would expect it, amongst huge boulders on the sides of a barren hill. The den was so placed that by going to the top of the hill it was possible to get a clear view, almost a bird’s-eye view of its interior. About a quarter of a mile from the den the hunters stopped and held a consulta- tion in which it was decided to make a huge living circle around the lions’ lair and draw it in until the animals were within reaching distance. A powerfully built young Masho- na, who was proud of his strength and cour- age, crept up to the den to make sure that their quarry was there. Every eye watched him advance unarmed right into the rocks. A moment later there was a mighty roar and then all was still. After waiting some time and seeing that the youth who en- tered the den did not return it was decided that he must have been killed and that there was at least one lion in the den. By this time the circle was complete, the unarmed Mashona on the inside and the armed Matabele warriors on the outside. At a signal from one of the headmen the advance was begun at a jog-trot until the line was within a hundred yards of the den. To get a good view of the capture I took up a position on the hill over the lair. The circle of Mashonas became thicker as it got smaller, thus making a curtain of living beings between danger and the “‘invincible”’ Matebeles, whose belief in their own powers was not strong enough for them to risk 859 losing their right to the flattering appellation by coming into personal contact with a lion. Two half-grown cubs, scenting strange life in the vicinity of their home, came out and examined the ring of hunters with be- wildered curiosity. ‘They had evidently been feeding on the body of the young Mashona who had entered the den, for their muzzles and paws were red. They must have returned to their parents with a message of alarm, for a moment later a huge lion and his mate, both with gory mouths, stood with twitching tails in full view among the rocks. Ow started off in the opposite direction, : followed by the cubs, only to meet the solid mass of Mashonas who confronted them on all sides. Slowly the hunters closed in, the strong and courageous men in front, all making mighty efforts to overcome their trembling fear. The lions knew they were at bay. The cubs crouched in fright behind the rocks as the lion and his mate crept uneasily from place to place, their tails whipping the air and their faces grimacing in anger. An additional surprise awaited the un- happy Mashona. They were about to make a desperate rush when another lion and two lionesses emerged from the mouth of the cave. With a terrific growl the male bounded over the rocks like a springbok, followed by the females. They fell back when they saw their human enemies had cut off all possi- bility of retreat. All the enraged beasts set up a thunderous roaring, running nervously around the boulders but never taking their eyes off the hunters. The scene called up pictures of the Roman arena. An old Mashona, seeing such a formidable array of the terrible animals before them, cried out ina trembling voice. “‘Why attack these? Let us go to BHOEREE den where we can get one alone.” “Let us allow all but one of these to escape and throw all our effort against him,” cried another. “Yes, let us fall back! Let us fall back!” chorused the others, as they made an effort to retire, turning from the terror before them to face a worse one, for there was the wall of long, leveled spears, pointing at the hearts of the outer circle! As an example of what they could expect if their courage A HEAVY growl and the beasts COmiclbook (©