The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1859-06-17
81 did SO, and could now plainly distinguish

"Larl hesItated moment, and then, gras-
ping me by the arm, he pointed into the wood
"'Look See There ? be cried, wbirng
me half around as he spoke.
81 did look-and | saw sight-a sight that
made my hair stand and my heart leap. Not ia
rifle NOT even pistol and yet there-not
twenty yards dstant-was huge Nubian lion
crawling toward US. | could see his eyes burn;
l could see his long tail sweep the grass; and
could see thatae was advancing for spring.
'"He's hungry,22 said-the Nubian, or-s4Ss
would not be coming on in that way
Then he'll attack us ISuggested.
/ ''Of course he will"
And not a weapon for defense'
81 have my spear returned LarI. Now
to the back of those bushes-quick-an let
HIM come. Have your knife out in case. .ot
need.
81 hardly knew what my companion meant,
but saw, just upon our left, clump OF
! bushes bearing small red berry. They were
not over four feet high, and occupied space
some eight feet long by four wide. When ..e
had gained position behind them, | looked
for the lion. He had stopped as he saw as
take this covert, but we were hiddenlirom his
sight, as there were openings in the foliage
through which both parties could obtain view
of each other.
"'We are gone said l, trembling with fear,
as saw the huge monster settle upon his belly
and move toward Us.
" "'Perhaps not, whispered Lari, without
taking his eye from the lion. keep still
don't move, for your life y
"'But what can you do with that spear - |
asked.
{" Perhaps nohing-but wait and see y
81 did wait but though it was only a few |
moments, yet it was season OF terrible sts-
Pense to me. am not co ward, nor was |
ever one but come 10 be situated as ! was then, |
with full-grown lion before you, not twenty |
yards off and only little patch of bushes as an |
apology for shelter, through which the beast |
could watch your every movement, and with |
that unearlhIy purrlng, roaring growl, hardly |
PeFceptl5Ie IN tone, but making the air tremb!a /
with ITS ntensIty-have all this, as l had Il /
then, and you don't tremble, then you are
made of sterneF stuff than most men.
''Once cast my eyes upon Lari who was al
my right, and saw that he was as calm as &
rock. His great brown eye was fixed up2p 4 @.
lion with bnrrsng paze. ard sis ttetG ~ /
set like the Jaws OF wee. He was upon his !
right knee, with his left foot braced before him,
and his long spear, which he held with Grm
grasp, had tie end of the shaft set against the
hard ground behind him, with the sharp steel |
head elevated just to the top of bushes.
'''HIStn he uttered, gathering himself for
an effort and as | turned / saw the lion |
cautiously advancing upon his belly. When !
about five yards of he stopped and gathered |
himself for spring. [ saw his huge claws I
settle into the ground, aud | saw his great
shaggy head start upward, as he lett his couch |
With my heart as still as death | bowed NY
head and shrank down toward the earth. /
heard a shock-a momentary struggle--a |
crashing sound, as OF the breaking of wood -
and then was knocked over by a heavy body |
coming in contact with my shoulder. With |
a powerful effort struggled from beneath the |
weight and gained my feet
"Ihe first thing saw was Lari, for it was
he who had fallen against me- The next was
the lion, who lay only few feet off, with The |
head OF the spear buried deep in his throat, the |
shalt being broken off about midway. He was
roaIng with deep hoarSe sound, and tearing !
the dirt up with his claws.
81 think that found his heart before it |
broke, said Lari, as he gained his feet. I'll the
shaft had held | would have pinned hm
through the heaIt, and Sent him twenty feet
over behind US. But, tell you, he's heavy
one TO lift
''T'he monster was dead ic few minutes,
and we then held an examination. The lance
head had entered the lower part of the throat,
directly beneath the toreshoulder, aud gone
clean through the heart.
g you must have had good aim said T."
@ But 1t was a good mark replied Lari.-
'When | saw him coming, | had just turned |
the point right for his heart, and be killed
himself
''lt was all very simple, and it NAV hayaS
been very easily done but, assure you, a
man must have pretty steady nerve to do it
efectually.
'We could not move the lion then, nor
could we stop to take his skin off, for it was
very nearly dark. So We resolved 10 wait
until morning, and then have help.
"When we reached the lower corner of The
waste, we saw glimmerng of water through
the trees and, upon pushing our way down,
we were lucky enough to find ourselves onIy
a few rods from the tent. On the next morning
we all went out together, and found the lion /
just as We had left him. HIS BODY measured, |
from the end of his nose to the insertion of his |
tail, eight feet and nine inches, and when STAN
ding, he must have been nearly five feet high.
We took off his skin yerv carefully. and |
when ! reached home I had it stuffed and set
up. 1t looks very innocent now as my chit |
dren pat 1t with their hands but never look |
at 1t without thinking of the time when it |
looked terrible enough TO me-"
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The WilIiamsport Gazette, Governor
PACKERS home organ, last week raised the |
names OF Wright and Rowe to ITS masthead. |