Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1855-10-26
Mistellaneous.
Thrilling Adventure tVithRLfOI

I
Africa, from which we make the following
exciting extract: iae
Whilst breakfast was preparing, 1 pfd-
proceeded 10 take saunter down to the
pool, not without some faint hopes Of a bath
though feared that our horses, TO say
nothing of the other animals who had visit
ed it during the night, might have mudded
| it too much for that. However, resolved
to try, and throwing my Mimic rife into the
hollow of my arm, and cooking my wide
awake over my eyes, lounged down the
path among the bushes. now well beaten
| by the feet of men and horses. The latter
l found up to their bellies in the pool en-.
loving themselves as completly as the flies
would let them; but as the water looked
uncommonly turbid. thought would skirt
along a little to the left and look for clean
er spot; and so climbing a short steep.
covered with long grass and underwood, I
pushed aside some branches which inter-
vened between me and small clear space
Of short turf, and-to my intense astonish.
ment though must say not at that mo-
ment to my dismay, / was so used TO the
sight of them-found myself within few
yards Of one of the finest male lions ever
saw, and who was engaged with look Of
patriarchal interest in watching the move
ments Of the horses below-donbtless Sc
llecting the one for bis breakfast Have
you seen LandseeIs sketching Of the lion n
the old Tower Menagerie? In exactly in
the same attitude, still and unmoving, like q
noble statute, stood this neighbor Of mine,
and, for few seconds. remained really
lost in admiration Of the grand beauty Of
the "tableau" he pres nted.
/ Il was, however, necessary to decide on
some line Of action Immediately. Icould
not help hitting him if / chose to FIRE, bus
il did not kill him outright with one shot
he was so close to me that could hardly
hope to escape without an ugly brush. I
concluded to retreat, but the sharp craekle
of dried tWig effected what the more sub
dued noise of my previous movements had
done, and with a short startled growl, the
beast swung bimself round, and in second
was staring at me with q look which said,
sHullo! who are you?" as plainly as looks
could speak. Instantly threw my rife for
ward, cooking il at the same moment, and
some seconds of perfect imnovableness on
each side ensued, during which j was try
ing to make out whether he would charge
or not. The study of pbysiognomy is
doubtless pleasant enough on the whole;
but when your subject is a Dig male lion,
and the question depending on the study
whether you shall be summarily Smashed
or let alone. why, confess it becomes las
Sammy Weller says too exciting to be
pleasant.
How / studied every feature, trying to
detect change Of some sort which might
give me a clue. It came at last, be grad
ually lowered his head, and by the "wagg-
ing motion of his headquarters, which
could Just spy over his shoulder, / saw be
was gathering his hind legs under him-s
sure indication. The next moment he
dashed at me with hosrse snarl, which
sounded as though giant had drawn the
bow suddenly across the strings of a stu
pendious bass fiddle. fired as be rushed
in, aiming as well as could at the middle
of his forehead As did so, vas swept
down with the force of an express train,
and for a few seconds lost all consciousness.
The FIRST thing I was sensible Of as soon
as began to get my senses together, was
the clear, strong voice of N. calling to
me in the most placid, though earnest man
ner:
Lie perfectly still. Walter; its your on.
y chance"
How my heart leaped at the voice! Help
was at hand, but the very words that an
nounced it at the same time pointed out my
extreme danger; it needed only the most
moderate exercise of my returning faculties,
to. understand why.
l was lying on my face among the long
grass at the top of the little steep l have
mentioned, I could see nothing, butI could
feel the lion close to me. | could hear his
deep, short angry breath, ike the rough
purrs of an enormous cat-could detect q
smackiDg noise, which I afterwsrd found
arose from his licking at a stream of blood
which flowed down the side of bis nose,
from deep score on his forehead given
him by my ball-nay, | could feel his huge
tail, as he rolled it across from side, rest for
IDOIleuL On uDI UoCk uOh duu bbcu
The bitter anguish Of those few years of
moments-Well you can guss all that -
Presently heard the crack of a rifle on my
left. and sharp whistle close to my head,
and 'thud" on my right, as the shot told
among the fur, succeeded by another short,
sharp snarl louder than the first-anoth
er crack, a sensation like red-hot wire
across nv neck (being at the bottom of the
slope they could but Just sight the lion over
nv head and n had fred quarter
of an inch too low another furious snarl,
and then a roar-such a roar-WiIhin q
yard of my ear never heard such sound
out of anything, living or dead; then three
or four more shots close together, and .
hustle at my side which sounded ike my
neighbor settling down among the grass
and bushes.
"Now rolf! roll for your life!" shouted
N-'s clear voice again. l was saved
the trouble-the dying brute in bis convuls-
ions, giving me kick with bis hind legs,
which sent me flying down the steep out