Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-08-10

him bow, arrows and spear. He made
all haste to sally forth. for beneath the
throne which he had left void, CRATE
was lifted. and lion of Atlas coming
forth from his lair, majestically entered
the circus. s2ei oal 5e-4l
He is truly the king of beasts, for when
with roar he saluted the day, all the
spectators trembled and the courser,
himself, for the first time, mistrusting the
nimbleness of his feet, answered with a
neigh of alright. Silas alone, was ha-
bituatcd to this powerful voice for, ha-
wing more than once heard it resoundine
through the desert which extended from
Lake Asphaltos to the source of the Noise.
he prepared himself for attack and de-
fence, while sheltering behind post ve-
ry near to that which Aetee was bound,
and made ready the best and keenest of
his arrows. During this time his noble
and puissant enemy slowly and confide Mt
ly advanced, showing the wrinkles of his
broad face, and sweeping the sand with
his tail.
The keepers lanced him to arouse him,
by darts muffled with streamers ofdiffer-
emit colors but he, impossible and grave,
continued to advance, not disquieting
himself with these contrivances, when
suddenly, amid the offensive wands, a
sharp and kissing arrow sped like light
ming. to bury itself in one of his shoulders.
He suddenly stopped with more astonish-
ment than pain, and, as he could not
comprehend that a human being would
have the hardihood to attack him, he yet
doubted concerning the wound. But
soon his glaring eyes guessed it; his
jaws opened; roar, heavy and prolong-
ed, like the rumbling of thunder, escaped
as out of cavern, from the depth ofhis
breast. He seized the arrow fixed in
the wound, and crushed it between his
teeth, casting around him look which,
despite the grating that protected them,
caused the spectators to recoil He
sought for an object on which his royal
rage might fall. AT this moment he per-
ceived the courser, trembling as if he
were standing on ice, though he was CO.
vered with sweat and foam. Ceasing to
roar, but uttering short cry, sharp and
reiterated, he made bound which
brought him within twenty PAGES of this,
the first victim of his choice.
Now commenced a second course,
more wonderful even than the first, for
there is not much of science itself in man
to mar the instinct of animals. Force and
swiftness were promptly put forth in all
their savage energy, and the eyes of two
hundred thousand spectators were turned
for a time from the two christians to fol-
low round the amphitheatre this fantas-
| tic chase, the more agreeable to the
crowd that it was the less expected. A
second leap brought the lion to the horse,
which, crouching at the back part of tho
circus, could flee neither to the right nor
the left. He sprang over the head of
his enemy, whom he had set himself to
pursue with unequal bounds, bristling his
hair, and utterring from time to time
sharp growlings, which the fugitive an
swered by neighings OF terror.
Soon. the ill-fated courser, fascinated,
(as women and gazelles are said to be at
the sight of serpents,) fell down, strug-
gled, and rolled upon the sand in the ago
ny of terror. At this moment a second
arrow left the bow of Silas. and buried
itself deep between the ribs of the lion
The lion turned himself; this instant suf-
feed the Syrian to send his enemy a
third messenger of pain. The lion sprung
upon the man, who received him upon
gether. and were seen to tear shreds of
flesh. Many of the spectators were
sprinkled with showers of blood. Actee
uttered cry of adieu TO her Christian
brother. She no longer had defender,
but she no longer had the enemy. The
lion survived only long enough for ven
geance; and the agony of the execution
er commenced when that of the victim
| terminated. AS to the horse, he lay
dead, without even having been touched
by the lion.
Now all eyes were directed to Actee,
whom the death of Silas had left de-
fenceless. Some of the spectators rose 10
demand her merciful release, when the
cry, " sit down, sit down !" was heard.
for at the lower steps crate was raised,
and tigress crept into the arena.
Hardly escaped from her den. she
crouched to the earth, looking around
with ferocity, but without inquietude or
astonishment. Soon she snuffed the air,
and began 10 crawl like serpent towards
the place where the horse had fallen
Arrived there, she reared against the
CRATE, smelling and biting the bars which
he had touched, roared immoderatsly, ex-
amined the iron, the sand and the air for
the absent prey. Soon the emanation
from the bloody. yet warm and palpita-
ting flesh, reached her; she marched
straight toward the tree against which
had been enacted the combat between ST.
las and the lion, turning neither to the
right nor the left, except to pick up the
shreds of flesh strewed by the noble ami
NAL who had preceded her in the circus.
At length she came to pool of blood
which the sand had not absorbed, and
began to drink like thirsty dog. roaring