The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-04-04
WHOLE NUMBER 626.
An Army Reviewed by a Lion.

An Army Reviewed by n Lion.
The author OF 9 recent work on Algeria
relates the following incident which occurred
while marching with body OF French troops
on their way to attack the KubyIes:
We had ridden carelessly forward, admir-.
ing the view, or speculating on the game to
be found In those mountain passes. when the
sudden halt and unslnging Of corbines start.
led Us. Pushing past The rear files, we gal.
loped to the front just in time to prevent
the Sergeant, who lead the advance, firing
At noble lion, who, advancing towards the
same path we were pursuing, had halted
abruptly at our view. He had evidently
come from different direction to the one
we we're pursuing. and was making to the very
pile OF mountains whose sombre colors 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
astonished at thus Pumping suddenly on 90
large party. Were we to fire, we should
doubtless kill or mort,liy wound the animal.
In the first case oil would be we'll, and we
should be richer by lions skin; in the
second place, we should be sure to lose ono
or more men, and it was a responsibility the
young officer in comm md would not assume.
Hastily giving the order to unsling the car.
bines, he closed up the men with some dif6.
Guilty, the horses being very reslive. In case
the lion showed disposition to attack, all
were to face toward him, and It was to be
hoped that the general discharge would
} prove mortal. IL disposed to let Us do 80,
we we're to pass him quietly.
have often heard that the lion bV dsv
in no way resembles the same animal by
night. During the d,rkness, seeking bis
prey where he can find it, he will attack
anything with the grestest ferocity but dur.
ing the day time, it being his proper period
Of sleep, and being, besides, generally gor-
ged with food, he seldom attacks man.
In the present case, had little confidence
10 the effect OF our FIRE, for our horses, as
their riders approached their dreaded enemy,
become more and more alarmed and restive.
The lion was, doubtless, the one had heard
roar in the distance the previous night, and
he had been to the other side, seeking his
food am ing the donors of the native tribes
near Tenient, from which he was now
returning to his den.
Our files we'll closed up, we neared the
. lion, who showed no symptoms of fear
. gazed at Us not savngely, but apparently
" with great curiosity. Then he moved hi
. tail to and fro, like a large cat, and as WI
,, neared him he deliberately sat down on hi
u headquarters, looking then, for all tn
world, like a queer. .colored Newfoundan
u dog. Just as we ranged up with him, pass
ing by in single file, the horses heads ant
tails we're together, he opened his large
mouth with a mighty yawn, uttering, as h'
did so, sound between heavy sigh and I
growl. This he did without rising, and |,
most sleepy manner, as though he wat
supremHy Indifferent to our presence.
All this time our horses were terribly ex
cited and my own, jet black Syrian barb
which had carried me many mile over the
plain. of Wallachia and Roumelia,and who
from his intense love Of mischief and fight
ing, had long since chrstened "Bashi B q
, ourk." was now entirely cowed, and though
walking at a very slow pace, his black coat
was all whit loan. | was not fifteen pace
from the lion, and I could not resist tn
: fancy that siezed me to rein in and look a
him. Trembling in every limb, my hors'
obeyed me, and as the rear files OF our e.
, cort moved past, contemplated the noble
brute. He was splendid male, of the colo
called by the natives the "bIack lion," ant
which, they say, is the most fierce and ter
rible Of all. He seemed sleepy and quie
enough Just then, and did not even look Q
me. The jngIing Of the mems arms seem
ed to catch his attention, and indeed it wal
:, but moments space that was allowed mi
;, for contemplation, for slight move on hi
part caused my horse to bound aside go q
to almost un.horse me, aud when recover
ed my seOt and my power, the fellow ha
deliberately lain down, and resting his nobl
!. head on two mighty paws, he followed U
with his eyes as we moved slowly away.