The Texas Republican. [volume] (Marshall, Tex.) 1849-1869, 1858-04-24
LIFE OF a LION.

LIFE OF a LION.
J.i ma sketch the story T y liou's life
beginning with his marriage. which takes
Mace toward the end Of January. tie ha.
6rs, to seek his wife, but AS the males are
mora abundant than females. who are often
cut eli in infancy, It is not rare to ma a
Young lady pes,ered 10y the addresses OF
three or four eslanls, who quarrel with the
acerbity of Jealous lovers. II one does
no, succeed in disabling or driving away
tho others. madam impatient and dlssatls'
fed leads them into the presence oi an old
lion. whom she has appreciated at a dis
lance. The lovers fly at him with the
temerity of youth and evaporation the
old fellow receives them with calm assnr'
,nc, bsenks the neck Of the first with his
,cfrible lnws, smashes the leg OF the second
and tears out the eye oil 'he third, No
.,oner il the day won and the field clear,
than the lion losses his name in the air, ms
he tosts. and then ctouches by the side OF
the lady, who as reward for bis courage
Inks his wounds carosslngly. When two
admit lions are the rivals, the encounter II,
more serious.
An Arab pefched in tree one night,
say loues- followed by tawny with a
all grown maue she hay down At the foot
Of a tree, the lion STOPPED ON his path, and
,,emed to listen. The Nab then heard the
distant growing Of hon. which was m
.,antly replied to by the lioness under the
if.e. This made her husband roar ia'
riou.ly.
The distant lion WAS heard approaching
aod IA he came nearer the lionees roafed
lander which seemed to ariiaic her husband,
in, h. matched towards her n. if 10 force
her In bs silcui. aud then spraug back to
I'm. old post, roaring defiance at h's Dis
iaut rival.
Thus continued about An honr, when n
hhck lion made h, appearance on the plaza.
rne Homes. rose to go toward him, but her
hu.hani, guessing her intention, honu'cd
towards hjs rival Tho two croucbed aud
s2ranu a, each other, rolling ON She grass
in the cmhrace of death lbeir bones
cracked, their llssh was torn. their ciies oi
f,re md agony rent the air, aud all Ihi"
time the linness croached, ard wagged her
tail slowly in sign of satisfaction. W hen
the combat ended, and both various "efe
stretched on the plain, she rose, sme't them
satisfied herseli that they were dead, and
',ol,ed ol, quite tegntdlcss of the uneom'
phmeuisry epidct which the indignant
Nrab shouted after her.
This. Gerard tells ". is m example OF
the eonjngsl fidelity of my lady whereas
the lion never qnits his wife. unless forced,
and : quite pattern OF corJngal aieeuon'
Dnr hon. then, Is married. let us say
lie /, the slave OF his wife. |. is she who
AWAY. takes precedence; when she stops
no stops On arriving al tn" do"f me
collection OF tents --what Wa can Nu'
har.."1 for their supper she hes down while
be leans into the lnelosure and brings To
ber ,he hootv. lie watches her while shr
oats ,.kinr care that no one distnrhs her ,
and not ull her appetite is satisfied does he
hcrin his meal. Towards the end 81 pe>
remb4r they seek Az Isolated taVine sad
thers she presents her lord with one, two ana
sometimes three, puppies, generally one
male one female. II the reader has ever
seen or handled puppy Hon, he viii IN,
ders,snd the iiola,ry ol the father ana
mother. She never quits them Tor an -
slant and he oul, quits them to hung home
simmer When they aye three mouth. old
her weaving commences. Tho mother
accustoms them gradually TO Il, by ahsent>
ng herself Tor longer and longer periods
and bringing them pieces oI mutton care,
fully skinned. The father. whose hah''ual
demeanor ia grave. becomes iaiiened WIN
the frivolous sports OF children, aud iof 'he
sake OF tranquility removes hrs lodging TO-
= dis,,nce--withinr reach. however. to read
or assistance II required. II the age Of
tour or five months the ch'lnfeh io''oM
their mother to the border oil the Forest
where their father brings them their supper
At six months old they accompany theH
father and mother in sll their nocturnal eS>
petitions. From eight to twelve months
they learn to attack sheep. goats, AMI even
bulls but they are so awkward they "su-
sly wound ten for ono they s'll It u not
mi they are two years old that they can
kill "A horse or bull Mt one bite. While
their education is thus in progress 'hey are
ten times more ruinons to the ARABS, since
The family does not content 'tsel' win Kill
ling the cattle required for 's own cons
aumplion, but killing that the children may
learn how to kill At three ye.rs old the
children qui. home aud sci up FOR themselves,
becoming fathers and mothers in their Turn.
The places are occupied by another brood.
At eight years old the lion reaches maturi-
,y aud lives to thirty or forty. When adult.
he il A msgnificent creature very different
in sins. n.nect. color aud disposition from
- II NJ Aa u IA