Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1860-05-05

Il
The author Of a recent work on Algeria
relates the following incident, which occur.
red while marching with body Of French
troops on their way to attack the Kabyles
1--WE had ridden carelessly forward, admi-
ring the view, or Specializing on the game
to be found ii the mountain passes, when
the sudden halt aud the unslinging of car.
hines startled u.s. Pushing past the rear
files, we galloped to the front Just in time to
prevent the sergent who led the advance, fir
ing at the noble lion, who, advancing toward
the same path which were pursuing,
had halted abruptly at our view. He had
evidently come from different direction to
the one we were pursuing, and was making
at the very pile Of the mountains whose
sombre color had excited our curiosity
Five minutes later and we should not have
seen him but, as it happened, there he
stood, evidently very much astonsed at thus
plumpiug so suddenly on so large party.
Were we to fire, we should doubtless either
kill or mOrtly wonnd the animal. In the
first case, all would be well, and we should
be the richer by lions skin in the second
place, we should be sure to lose one or more
men, and it was responsibility the young
officer in command would not assume.
Hastily giving the order to unSling the car.
bines, he closed mp the men with some diff
liculty, for the horses were very restive
In case the lion showed disposition to at
tack, all we're to face toward him, aud it
was to be hoped a general discharge would
| prove mortal. If disposed to let US do so,
we were to pass him quietly.
| ] have often heard that the lion by dav in
no was resembles the same animal by night.
During the darkness, seeking his prey where
he can find it, he will attack anything with
the greatest ferocty but, during the day.
time it being his proper period Of sleep and
being, besides, generally gorged with food,
he seldom attacks man. In the present
instance, had little confidence in the ef-
feet of our fire, for our horses, as their riders
approached their dreaded enemy, became
more and more alarmed and restive The
lion was doubtless, the one had heard roar
in the distance the pPcvious night, and he
had been to the other side, seeking his food
among the douars Of the native tribes near
Teuient, from which he was now returning
to his den
/ Our files were closed up--we neared the
/ lion, who showed no symptoms of fear gaz-
ed at rs, not savagely, but apparently with
great curiosity Then he moved his tail to
and fro, like cat and as we neared him,
he deliberately sat down on his hind quar-.
ters, looking then, for all the world, like a
queer colord, large Newfoundland dog Just
as we ranged up with him, passing by in
single file, the horses heads and tails were
together, he opened his large month with
a mighty yawn, uttering, as he did so, o
sound between heavy sigh and a groan.
This he did without rising, and in a most
sleepy manner, as though he were supremely
indifferent to our presence.
All this time our horses were terribly ex-
cited, and my own, a jet black Syrian barb,
which had carried me many a mile over the
plains of Wallachia and Rommela, and who,
from his intense love of mischief and fight
ing, had long since christened "Bashi-Ba-
zourk," was now completely cewed, and
though walking at very slow pace, his
black coat was white with foam. / 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 escort moved past, l contempat-
ed the noble brute. He was spended
male, of the color called by the natives the
"black lion," and which, they say, is the
fiercest and most terrible of all. He seem
ed sleepy and quiet enough just then, and
did not even look at me. The jangling of
the mems arms appeared to catch his atten-
tion ;and it was indeed, but moments
space that was allowed me for contempla.
tion, for slight move on his part caused
my horse to bound aside so as almost to un'
horse me- and when recovered my seat
and my power over my frightened steed
the sleeply fellow had deliberately lain down
and resting his noble head on two mighty
paws, he followed us with his eyes as w
moved slowly away.