MODE OF TRAVEL USED BY OUR MISSIONARIES IN SOUTH AFRICA
“He Shall Give His Angels Charge Over Thee”
By W. C. Dunscomb, M. D.
The Missionary with the Wild Beasts of Africa
Remarkable Deliverances
By W. C. DUNSCOMB, M. D.
“HE shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.”
As we have been visiting our mission stations in Africa, we have been strongly impressed with the loneliness of the situation. The mission farms are usually many miles from the nearest white neighbor. One wonders that, under these conditions, he rarely hears any expressions of worry or fear. As we listen to some of the experiences of the missionaries, we can understand how it is that the weak may become strong, and faint hearts stout.
When Brother Campbell was on his way to visit an outstation about forty miles from the Barotse Mission, he noticed, in the tall grass about twenty-five yards away, an animal that looked like a wild hog, but he could see only its back through the grass. He raised his gun and pulled the trigger, but it missed fire. He quickly threw in another cartridge, and again pulled the trigger, but again it missed fire. The gun never missed fire before nor since. Just then the animal sprang to its feet, and it proved to be a large lion. In another second the lioness bounded into view, and the two beasts disappeared in the tall grass together.
A wounded lion at short range is very dangerous, and usually kills the hunter. If the one animal is wounded or killed, its mate comes on, full of rage. Brother Campbell was alone at the time, as he had walked on ahead of his native carriers. He could well believe that his guardian angel was at his side, and directly interposed to save his life.
Once when Brother Anderson was on a similar visit to the outschools, he lay down at night beside the fire. As he was about to fall asleep, the oxen suddenly jumped up in alarm. He took the rifle, and had a good look around, but could see nothing, so he lay down and slept soundly. In the morning, as they were yoking the oxen to move onward, one of his native boys pointed out to him a lion’s tracks beside the spot where his head had been as he lay asleep. The tracks of the two fore paws were together, and had left a deep imprint in the soft ground, showing that the lion had been standing by the head of our sleeping brother, ready to spring upon him, but that the angel of the Lord had closed the lion’s mouth.
Again, when Brother Robinson was stationed at this mission, he went down to a water hole one day to drink. After satisfying his thirst, he turned around to retrace his steps, and came face to face with a lion, which evidently had been following him. He was quite alone, and unarmed. It was a terrifying situation. It was no use to attempt to run away, so our brother faced the lion, singing a hymn. Without any apparent reason, the lion turned and ran off through the tall grass.
To our missionaries on the frontier, and to our people throughout the world in the more troublesome times soon to overtake us, God will be a very present help in time of trouble. If we look to God in faith and trust, there is no need for fear or anxiety. The ninety-first psalm applies, I believe, particularly to these latter days.
