Demoine courier., 1856-07-24

age by what name you please, but con-
slider i, one of The strongest tests Of a
mans mind TO remain a quie, spectator
of a doubtful combat, when his own life
depends upon the issue.
The lion slowly approached, and |
could measure with my senses the dis.
lance lha. separated US, Now | heard
his s~teps-now bis rustllng against the
trees and now his heavy and regular
breathing. ! stepped one or two PAGES
farther forward. toward The edge Of the
opening, where he was 10 come out, to
have as close. a shot as possible.
| could sill hear his steps al thirty pa
ces distant. then at ,wen;y, then at fl.
teen. and ye, ! vas all Me while afraid
lest he might mrn back, orin some man
ner avoid me, or that my gun might miss
fire. 400
What il ne should turn aside2 whatil
lie should no, come out OF the woods!
With every new sound my hear beatin
heavy thlpbs with The ;nloxicaion of
hope Now all the life IN my body
fu, he'd. through my veins, then again my
, very life was s,ilIed b. the emelIon.
The lion, after a momeu,sry pause:
that appeared 70 sae an age, started again
and | could see NE SENDER tops Of a
tee, whose. base he brushed. trembling
as he passed almost-wi.hin sight. No Y
no more barrier between .,na and him but
the thick foliage of a tree 1e
/ glanced a. the sight on my gun. IL
was balely visible; ,hanks to the finger
ing day, that ,,ilf hung on tlle' horizon,
The transparency of the air, and the stars
that were already burning above me-
This was enough for a sloseshol, and /
stepped silt farther ahead ,ba, | might
have a nearer marx. .
. But siill the animal dbl not show lin
self, and | began 10 fear lest ne should
haze The ms lucr Of my presence.~and,
instead of waiking slowly. ou., you'd
clear the masiic tree with u eingie
bound. .hsg gsa s.s 3s8us. .ma
As if to Justify my fears. he. com.
nenced growing, az fis, with .tyo or
three guileral sighs, and .ren increasing
to The fall furce Of hi, voice. -
Fellow hunter, i, is for you | Ian
writing. You only can understand am!
feel my emotions. There in The solemn
forest al night. s,anding alonei ia front OF
a ihicke,from whence are coming rosts
that would drown ihe oil OF The than
der. though. of'my single ball 10 burr
agaiasia Toe aha, has the slren.i: If a
/! huadred uen in his single arm, and tina
Kills witho ! mercy when he is Dol kill
ed himself. =.
You a ntrulv say tina, il. bad csp,nt
ed on my " strength !ttat my hear
would then have been troubled, my wye
dim, and nv land trembling. l'confe.s
ina. those roars made me feel my own
lu,leness, and tina, without a firm viii
| and an absolute confidence fsunded upon
lha. Arm Ina, is ever around us and sup
ports US. rwould have fal,ered and failed.
But ins,eaI Of Mat | could hear Ina
roar so near me without a fear, and 10
the lsst remained The master OF my.owr
heart and the director Of my actions
When | heard the lion making. hi.
las. STEPS | moved q liuie 10 one side.
His enormous head came o u from
The dense :loiiage, as he stepped with q
commanding grace into the light Of the
open glade. aud thea he halted half es.
posed, half concealed. While his grea
eyes uila.ed on me with n luok of as
ion,shmen, took my aim between TIT
eye and ear. and pressed the trigger.
From that instant until The report o.
the piece, my heart absolutely ceased te
beat. a#G sgs
Wi,hsthe explosion Gf the gun The
smoke sha, gu, every thing from my
VIEW, Cut a long 0 OF ogony stunned
my ear, aud frightened The forest.
My Two Arabs sprung 10 their feet, bu'
without moving from heir places.
waited with one knee on The ground, and
my poinard in my hahdsunti The smoke
that obscured the view should dissfpale.
Then ! saw. gradually, first a paw
and. heavens! what a paw for a living
beast-then a shoulder. then The dishev-
oiled name, and a, last the whole lion
stretched GU, Oh his side without sign Of
life.
Beware! don. 90 near him. shouted
Bon Aziz, as re threw a large s,one, a,
the body, il fell on his head aud bounded
off; he did no. move, the Ion was dead
That was the evening" OF eighth OF July
one thousand eight hundred and forty.
A Slight Mis-deal. s,W Rs
A young lawyer in the interior was
tie hero, a few evenings since, OF al
amusing mistake, a. Il is NOR wortt
while 10 spoil a story, especially q good
one "for relations sake" we purpo.et
10 give il. though the hero was geoe
Republican. The young lawyer hat
gone 10 the rurA. districts 10 try a cana,