Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-07-10


on the road.
Every marriage. however, is not alike.
Ii some are accompanied by numerous re.
tinue; IT, sometimes. the happy couple mum.
Der amongs their guests many rich and
handsome horseman; at other times, as with
US, more than ere bridegroom has not even
enough to pay the fddlers who escort MIN.
Such being the case with Small, who had
paid down the day before his very last shil-
ling for his brides marriage portion, he as
sembled only his nearest relative, and pro-
ceeded with them on foot to the abode OF
his future father-in-law.
"Havlng regaled themselves plentifully
with mutton and conscoussou, and the mar
rage being concluded, they fired off a few
cartridges by way of salute, taking care TO
keep few for the journey back. There
was no ing of the marriage contract,
for the very reason that none of the assis-
tants knew how to write: and in the even
ing they all parted, wishing each other good
fortune and happiness.
"The bridegroom's douar was but a Ieapue
distant; the moon shone beautifully bright:
lne oride's escort numbered nine guns;
what was to be feared on the way! But it
is not unfrequently at the verv momsn. one
expects him the least that an intruder will
present himself.
"Smali was walking in front, beside his
orlde' to whom he was speaking, in soft,
low voice. about the happiness which await
ed Them under his tent. The friends of the
husband were following discreetly some
PAGES behind firing at times shot in the
alr; and the young wife seemed quite graft
ned with this little Offering of powder burnt
ln her honor. Everything, in short, went
on In the most satisfactory manner.
but, all of sudden, jealous individual
the devll-who had not been invited, and
VINO dehgnts in mischief, presents himself
unoer the shape''of an enormous lion, stretch
60 across the very path these happy young
lolKS were pursuing. They were about half
way between the two douars, and it was
fully as dangerous 20 90 forward as to draw
PACK. What was to be donel
"Ihe opportunity presented to the BRIDE
groom of winning forever his wife's affec-
tlons by noble act o. devotedness was too
good to be lost. Balls were accordingly
rammed down the barrel of every gun, the
bride was placed in the cente of sort of
square formed by the assistants, and the |
escort marched bravely forward headed by
Small. Already thev had advanced to with
IN thirty yards from the lion, who never
moved.
"SmaIl now ordered his friends to stop |
and saying to his young wife, See. now, if
you.have married man, he walk straight |
up to the lion, and commanded him to clear
the way.
cat twenty PAGES the lion, until then
crouching and motionless, raised his mon
strous head, and was evidently preparing
for spring. Small, regardless Sf his wifes
screams and the entreaties of his relatives.
who called 10 him to retreat, put one knee
to the ground, leveled the barrel of his gun
towards the animal, took a steady aim and
fired. In an instant the wounded and furi-
Gus animal bounded forward on the unfor-
tunate Small, knocked him to the ground,
and tore him to shreds in the twinking of an
eye, then rushed madly towards the square,
in the centre of which stood the wretched
bride.
"'Let no one fire. cried Smail's father,
unit: he touched the barrels ofour guns
But" added the narrator of this episode,
"where Is the man sufficiently self-possessed
to await without iincFing the hurricane
called lion, as he rushed on towards his
prey with immense bounds, with mane float
ing in the wind, expanded jaws, and eyes
inhamed with fury!
"The whole party now fired at once, with
out needing in what direction their balls
went, and the lion dashed on to the square,
which he quickly overthrew, smashing the
bones and tearing the flesh of all whom he
found before him Some of the men had
managed to escape, dragging after them
with much difficulty the poor bride, alnos
dead by this time with fright, but they
were quickly followed by their Unsuitable
enemy and torn to pieces; one only, more
fortunate than the rest having contrived to
reach the foot of a steep rock, upon which,
lha nks to his efforts, the women also found
a refuge.
''He had already climbed the rock some
little way, when the lion again advanced,
If possible still more furious, and at one
spring caught the leg of the man, and drag
ged him down with him to the ground;
while the unhappy bride crawling with
hands aud feet to the summit of the rock,
was doomed to witness from her inaccess-
BILE retreat the woful and hideous spectacle
of the death-agony of the last of her defen-
ders.
"After two or three useless attempts, the
lion, finding he could not get at the woman,
returned 10 the body of his last victim, and
began tearing it to bits, as if to revenge
himself for the loss Of the last living prey
which was thus eluding his grasp.
"The remainder of the night passed away
without any new incident. As soon as day
began to dawn, the lion left the foot of the
rock, and retired towards the mountains;
but le went off very slowly, and did not
finally abandon his post without stopping
more than once on his road, and throwing
back wishful glance on the party he was
leaving behind.
ga short time after the animals depar-
ture, a troop of horsemen came across the
plaln, ana on Omalls WIDOW making signals
of distress with her veil-for she was now
without strength of voice-they galloped
towards her, aud took her back to her fathe-.
The poor thing expired, however, on the
following day.
Il will spare the reader all the exclama-
tions the bad names, and the insult which
were showered on the devoted head of the
lion at the close of this story, the recital of
which lasted pretty far into the mig ht''
The young adventurer (Fremont) may be
a hero, but compare him with the tried
statesman Buchanan!--Springfet9 Argus.
Well, let Gus compare him." Every school
boy knows what Fremont has done for his |
country. His name is imperishably con-
nected with the most stirring incidents in