The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1856-01-03
An Ai)NENTJ RE.

can porting eXpedlilan, recently puoiisneu I'D .
an English magazine:
Whist breakfast was preparing proceeded
TO take a saunter down TO the pool, not with
out some faint hopes OF a bath. though |
feared our horses 10 say nothing Of the other
animals who had visited it during the night,
might have muldied II too much Tor that
however, resolved 10 try, and throwing my
Mime into he hollow of my arm. and cock
las my wide awake over my eyes, lounsei
down path among the bushes now we'll
b~a en- By the feet Of men and hoeses. The
later found up to their bellies In the pool,
enjoying themselves aS completely the flies
would lei them: bur the water looked un-
commonly turbid. | thought | would skirt
along little Ia the lef, aud look Tor a cleaner
spot; and 50. climbing short steep. covered
with long grass aul underwood, pushed aside
some branches which interviewed between me
and a small clear space Of shorter turf, and.
To my very intense astoni,hment, though |
must saw no. az that moment TO my dismay,
| was 50 used to the sight of thrul-fuuud
myself within few wards 81 oae oi Tie finest
maze lions | ever saw and who WAS engaged
with look Of grave patrIarcha! interest In
watching the movements Of the horses below,
doubtless selecting one for his breakfast. Have
YOU not seen I.and>eer'S etching of the hon in
the old Tower Men gerie? In exactly the
same attitude. sill and unmoving, like a noble
statue. stood this eighbor Of mine; and for
few seconds, Iremainvd really los, in aimira-
ton of the grand beauty of the "tableau' he
presented.
1t was. however necessary to decide on
some line of action Immediately. | could not
help hitting him, if | chose to SIRE, but il
did not kill him outright with one shot, he
was 50 close 10 me that | could hardly hope
to escape without an ugly brush. Surely this
was a case in which discretion would be the
better part of valor: and he was SO absorbed
in contemplation of the horses below that he
had not vet noticed me, | concluded { as iona
than would say to steal off as | came. All,
that dry twig that would place itself in the way
of my very first retrograde footsteps The
sharp crackle effected what the more suhdued
noise Of previous movements had not done
and with a short startled growl, the beast
swung himself round and in second W as
staring at me with look which said, "Hullo?
who are you?' plainly as look could speak.
Instinctiyely | threw my rifle forward, cock
ing ii at the same moment, and some seconds
of perfect immovableness on each side ensue1,
during which | was trying to make out wheth
er he would charge or not. The study of
physiognomy is doutless pleasant enough on
the whole; but when your subject IS q big
male lien, and the depending on the study
whether You shall be Summarily smashed"
or let alone, why confess it becomes as Mr..
Weller says too exciting TO be pleasant.
How | studied every feature, trying TO de-
tect change Of some sort which gave me a
cluel Il came at last; he gradually lowered
his head. aad by his wi9gIing motion of his
hind quarters. which | could just spy over
his shoulder | saw he gathering his hind
legs under nina sure indication. What
Il i
moment of peril! That movement, brought
70 my recollection most wildly bitterly
parallel scene in my auHt's garden al Harrow,
where | watched her cat gathering herself up
in an exactly similar way to pounce "a
wrefched sparrow
The mex, moment he dashed a: me with a
hoarSe snarl, which sounded as thougha giant
had drawn tie bow suddenly across the strings
Of stupendous sioincelIo [ fired he
rushed in aiming as well as | could At the
middle of his forehead As | did So | was
swept down with the force OF an EXPRESS train,
and tor few seconds los ait consciousness.
The first thing | was sensible of soon
as | began to gel my senses together, was the
clear, strong voice of N. calling II me in
the most placid, though earnest manner:
Lie perfectly still. Walter, it's your only
chance
How my NeaFt ltdIeu Al me voice II-l 7
was at hand, but the words that announced i
at the same time, pointed out my extreme
danger; it needed only the mosi moderate exer
else of nv returning faculties to understand
why.
was living on ny face among the long
grass at ;l1. top of the Iitle steep have men
toned could see nothing but | could fee
the lion close to me. | could hear his deep
short angry breath, like st4ccofo purrs Of a.
enormous cat-could detect smaching noise
which | afterwards found arose from his lick
inr at a stream Of blood which flowed down
the side of his nose. from deep or hi,
forehead given by my bal-nay, | could fee
MS huge tail, as he rolled It sngrily acros
from side to side, rest for moment On nj
back now and then.
The bitter anguish Of those few wears 0
moments-well, YOU can guess all thai
Presently heard the crack Of a rife on ny
eff. sharp whistle close to my head, and
bird on my right, as the shot told among tn
FUR. succeeded bv another short, sharp snar
louder than the irst-another crack. sensa
ZION Ike red hot wire across my neck (be
ing at the bottom of the slope they could bu
lust sight the lion over nv head. and "
mad fred quarter OF an inch too low anothe
furious snarl, and then roar-sgch roar
within a ward OF my tympanun. | neve
heard such a sound out Of anything. living o
dead: then three more shots close together
and hustle ar one side which sounded lk
my neghbor settling down among the gras
and bushes.
Now roll, roll FOR your life"' shouted N
clear voice again. / was saved the trouble
The dying brute. in his commissions giving IN
kick with his hind legs which sent me flv
ing down the steep out of reach OF fur;he
danger