The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1860-03-24
An1rry retrieved by a Lion.

kHS dutlOT Oh y recent Work on Algeria
relates the following incident which occur
red wiiii9 marching with body OF French
troops on their way TO attack the kabyles:
We ha4 ridden carelessly forward adj
miring TIE view, or speculating on the
game 10 be found in those mountain passes.
when the sudden halt and the unsiinr;n >
OF carbipes startled US Pushing past the
rear files, we galloped 10 the front Just in
/ time to prevent the sergeant who led the
advance firing at noble lion, who. adyan-
eng toward the same path which We were
pursuing, had halted abruptly at our view
lie bad evidently came from . diner eat
direction to the one we were pursuing. and
was making TO the very pile Of the noun
: ta!n> whose somDre coiors had excited our
curiosity. Five minutes later and We
should not have seen him; but as it hap
pened, there he stood, evidently very much
astonl>hed ut thus pumping suddenly on
so large q party We're we to fire. We
should doubtless either kill or rnortaIly
wound the animal. Il the first case. a!l
wonld be well, and we should be the rich
or by .. lion skin; in the second place
we should be sure to lose one or more men
and IT was responsibility the young OIL
Ger in command would not assume Has
tily giving the order to unsiing the car
bines, he closed up the uun with some
difficulty, for the horses be very res;iye
In casSthe lion showedAa disposition 70
attack all were 10 face toward him. and 1t
was to.be hoped that the general discharge
would prove mortal If disposed TO let
Us 90 20, we were TO pass him quietly
have often heard that the lion by day
in no way resembles the same by night:
Dur;k the darkness. seeking his prev
where he can find it, he will ATTACK any
thing with the greatest frrocity. but dur
ing the day time, il being his period OF
sleep, and being besides, generally -soreed
with food, he seldom attacks man. In
the present instance, had l;;tle conf
dence. IN the effect OF our fire. for our hor-
ses' as Their riders approach their dreaded
enemy. become more and more alarmed
and res:iye- The lion was. doubtless. the
one had heard roar in the distance the
previous nIght, sud lac had been TO the
other s.iie seeking bis food among the
toncrs nj .lss !Ia.Sse sfiovs near Teniens
from wascA ne vas now returning TO Ms
Our flies vel closed up. we near the
lipn, who showed no symptoms OF fear;
eazed AZ us, not savaeely, bu. apparently
with great curiosity. Then ne moved his
tail To and fro. Ike large cat. and as we
neared nIm he deliberately sat down on
ms hIudquarters. looking then for all the
world. Ike queer colore1 newfoundland
d"s, Just Is we ranged up with him.
passing by Ia single Me, the norses' heads
and t2Iis were together ne opeued hi
large mouth with q mighty yawi. utt-riuc
Ss he tild So sound betw cen heavy sigh
and arowl This he did without rising.
ana III mos, sleepy manner. as though
he were supremeiy indifferent 10 our pres
ence.
All this time our horses were terribly
excited. and my own = Jet black Syrian
barb which had carried me many a mile
over the plains of Walachina and Roume-
llo, and who, from his intense love of mis-
chief and fighting, had long since chris
tened Bashi Bazourl,, was now com
pieteiy cowed, and though walking ct a
very slow pace, his black coat WAS all
white with loan. | was not fifteen PAGES
from the lion, and | could not resist the
fancy that seized me to rein in and look at
HIM. Trembling in every limb, my horse
obeyed me, and as the rear files OF our es-
cort moved past, contemplated the noble
brute lie was q splendid male OF the
color called 10y the natives the black IL
on, and which. they say is the most fierce
and terrible of all. He seemed sleepy and
quiet enough just then. and did not even
look at NE. The .jangling OF the men
arms appeared to catch his attention. and
it was indeed but moments space, that
was allowed me for contemplation, for a
slight move on his part caused my horse
to bound aside so as almost 10 unhorse
me, and when | had recovered my seat
and my power over my frightened steed,
the sleepy fellow had deliberately lain
down, and resting his noble head on two
mighty paws, he followed us with his eyes
rs we moved slowly away.