Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1856-04-25
ssIstt MlistsIIanp.


Tough Story about A Lion.
The following account of an sdven-
ture with a lion in the wilds Of South
ern Africa. is extracted from record
Of an African sporting expedition, re.
Gently published in an English maga-
zine:
Whilst breakfast was preparing,
proceeded to take saunter down to
the pool. not without some faint hopes
of bath. though | feared our horses,
to say nothing OF the other animals
who had visited II during the night,
might have muddied II too much for
that. However, Iresolved to try. and
throwing my Minnie into the hollow OF
my arm, and cccking my wide awake
over my eyes. lounged down path
among the bushes. now we'll beaten
by the feet Of men and horses.
The latter / found up to their bellies
in the pool, enjoying themselves as
completely as the flies would let them;
but the water looking uncommonly
turbid, l ihoughtI would skirt along
a little to the left aud look for clean
er spot; and SO, climbing a short steep.
covered with long grass and UNDER
wood. l dashed aside some branches
which intervened between me and a
small clear space of shorter turf. and
Ito my very intense astonishment,
though must say not at that moment
to my dismay, | was used to the sight
Of them--found myself within a few
yards Of one of the finest male lions
ever saw, and who was engaged with
a look Of grave patriachal interest in
watching the movement OF the horses
below--doubtless selecting one for his
breakfast. Have you seen Landseer's s
catching Of the lion in the old Tower
Managerie? In exactly the same at
titude, still an unmoving, like noble
statue. stood this neighbor OF mine;
and, for few moments, remained
really lost in admiration Of the grand
beauty Of the "tableau" he presented.
1t was, however, necessary to de-
eide on some line ofaction immediate
ly. l could not help hitting him If /
chose to fire. but il / did not kill him
outright with one shot, he was so close
TO me that ! could hardly hope to es-
cape without an ugly brush. Surely
this was case in which discretion
would be the better Of valor; and as he
wasso absorbed in the contemplation
Of the horses below that he had not
yet noticed me, concluded (as Jona-
than .sesld suy- - steal of as came.
Ahl that dry twig that would place
itself IN the way Of my very first ret
rogade footstep! The sharp crackle
effected what the more subdued noise
Of previous movements had not done,
and with a short startled growl, the
beast swung himself round, and in a
second, was starting at me with look
which said, "lIalloo! who are you? as
| plainly as look could speak. Instinct
lively i threw my rifle forward, cock
ing II at the same moment. and some
seconds Of perfect immovabieness on
each side cnsued, during which l was
trying TO make out whether he would
charge or not. The study Of physiog-
omy is doubtless pleasant enough on
the whole; but when your subject is a
big male lion and the question de-
pending on the study whether you
shall be summarily smashed" or let
alone. why I confess il becomes (as
Mr.. Wells says) too exciting to be
pleasant.
How I studied every feature. trying
to detect q change Of some sort which
eavea cluel II came at last; he grad
ually lowered his head. and by the
"wiggling" motion of his hind quar-
ters. which could just spy over his
shoulders. saw he was gathering bis
bind legs under him--a sure indica-
ton. What odd things come into
peoples minds in moments Of PERIL
That movement brought to my recol-
lection most vividly bitterly parallel
scene in my aunt's garden at Harrow,
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