The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1868-11-04

back. What TaS to be done? -
The opportunity presenting itaelf TO
the bridegroom Of wining forever his
w:fe's affections by noble act Dof de-
votedness was too good 10 be- lost.
Balls were accordipely Tammsd down
the barrel of every e9p, the bridal was
placed in the centre ofa sort,of square
| formed by the assistants, aDdStBe es!
cort moved bravely forwards headed by
Small. Already they had adyap cef
within thirty yards.from the lioGs vhe'
| never moved. ,u1l u zo-3e f3r
| Small Dow-ordered his friends to stoP,.
and saying torhis young wife, nnsee if
you have married a man, walked
straight up to the lion, and command,
ed him to clear the way.
AZ twenty PAGES, the lion, until then
crouching and motionless, raised his
monstrors head, and was evidently pre-
pairing for spring. Small, regardless
of his wife's screams, and the entreststs'
of his relatives, who called to him to
retreat, put one knee 10 the ground,
levelled the barrel of bis gun toward
the animal. took steady aim and fred
In an instant the wounded and furious
animal bounded forward on the unfor-
innate ma |, knocked bfm to the ground,
and tore him to shreds iE the twink ling
of an eye. then rushed madly toward
the square, in the centre of which stopP
the wretched bride -
"Let no one fire." cried Smail's faith
er, "untll he touches the barrels Of our
guns" - E'-ii@
But where is the man sufficiently
selfpossessed to await without finch
ing that hurricane called lion, as he
rushes on toward his prey with im-
mense bounds, with name floating in
rhe wind. expanded jaws, and eyes in4'
famed with fury? -ai,3
The whole party now fred at onCe.'
without needing in what direction their
halls went, and the lion dcshed on the
square, which he anickly overthrow,
smashing the bones and tearing the
flesh of all whom he found before him.
Some Of the men had managed to es-
cape, dragging after them with much.
difficulty the poor bride, almost dead
ny this time with fright, but they were
quickly followed by their Unsuitable
"nerny, and torn to rieces one only,
more fortunate than the r,st, having
contrived to reach the foot of steep
rock, upon which. thanks to his efforts.
the woman found refuge. .l'-5"'
He had already climbed the ROCKS
some little way, when the lion again
advanced, if possible still more furious,
and at one spring caught thu right leg
If the man, and dragged him down with
him to the ground ; while the unhappy
bride, crawling with hands and feet so
rhe summit of the rock, was dootried to-
witness from her inaccessible retreat
the hideous spectacle of the death
agony of the last of her defenders.
After two or three useless attempts.
he lion, finding he could not get at the
woman, returned to the body of the
asst victim, and began tearing it in, bits,'
as to revenge himself for the loss of the
'ast living prey which vas thus cip9-'
ing his grasp.
The remainder of the night passed
way without any new incident. ssAs
snou as the day began to- dawn, the
lion left foot the rock, and retired to-
ward the mountains; he went off very
slowly. and did not finally abandonEhis
post without stopping more than: oocs'
his road, and throwing back visit
ful glance on the prey he was leaving
behind.
A short time after the animals de-
Larture, troop of horseman came
across the plain, and on Smail's widow
making signals of distress With her veil,
or she was now without strength or.
voice, they eallopedtoward her, and
'ook her back to her father. The poor
hine expired, however. on the followi-'