Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-07-03
A MOTHERS STRATAGEM.

among her passengers, pound nome 10
England, Mr.. Benton, young mission
airy, and his beautiful wife Helen, with
their child-a little girl three years old.
For three weeks the vessel encountered
succession. of head winds and violent
squalls, which, driving her toward land,
at length compelled her captain to anchor
in small bay on the coast of Morocco.
1t was beautiful spot, but few hundred
yards from one of the half-detached peaks
of the Atlas mountains
Gazing inland, the passengers beheld a
wealth OF verdure, with tall trees and
climbing plants, and flowers OF varlegated
hue, many of the latter ascending to the
| tops of the rocky hills, and hanging down
| in long, graceful festoons over the valleys
| between.
In the afternoon, the gale having abated,
| the captain lowered boat to make sound
ings in the bay
II would so like to take little Clara
| ashore" said Helen to her husband
You know she has been teasing us all
| day long for some of those pretty flow
| ers"
Very we'll; if the Captain will take
the trouble to put us ashore, we VIII 60"
said Benton.
The Captain having readily given his
consent, the two passengers were soon
| landed on the beach,
"DOn't go too far away, Sir" said the
| skipper, as he showed off again.
| But little Clara, breaking from her pa
rents, now ran up one of the lofty rocky
| elevations, the sides of which were COW
cred with shrubbery Of the most attractive
| color.
| "Wait for me, George" said Helen to
| her husband, land | will bring her
back"
The height the child was ascending to
being very steep, she had proceeded about
a hundred yards ere her mother overlook
her. The naked arms and shoulders of
the little one were by this time scratched
in several places from contact with the
briers. Mrs. Benton, therefore, dipping
her handkerchief in spring trickling
down rock, was about applying 1t to
the bleeding parts, when she was sud
denly startled by a roar, deep and pro
| longed, like rumbling thunder, apparently
emerging from the very heart OF the
mountain, and shaking it to its center.
Terrified, she turned to behold an awful
spectacle-the huge, bristling head and
| round, glaring eyes of that most dreadful
of wild beasts-an African lion.
First the head, and then the supple,
tawny body, appeared from the shrub
berry, the tail whisking furiously to and
| fro, the fiery tongue and sharp tangs vlsl-
| BILE, as a second roar came booming from
the cavernous throat.
Just Ieavenn' was all the poor lady
could gasp, as with a mothers instinct she
! snatched the child to her breast.
Mr.. Benton now saw the danger. He
was unarmcd, but he shouted to the men
in the boat, who, turning, also perceived
Helen's peril.
To gain the ships side to call for and
obtain loaded muskets, was, with the Cap
| tain, the work of a few minutes. Then
he directed the boat ashore. A cracking
report was heard as one of the weapons
was discharged, and, with a terrible roar
the lion turned, slightly wounded. look
ing toward the seamen.
Only for a moment, however; the next,
away he went in pursuit of Mrs. Bcnton,
who, with the speed of desperation, her
child clasped tightly in her arms, was
| fleeing up the height.
On she ran, the lion, though wounded
gaining fast. Now and then she would
turn to behold that hideous head within
few yards Of her, the eyes now resem-
bling great white circles with lambert
points OF flame in the center, while the
| closed teeth and wrinkled nostrils beto-
kcned that it scented the blood from the
scratches the little one had received, and
which had reused to the utmost the hun
CRY desires of the savage beast,
Gasping, painting, wild with terror and
anxiety, the fugitive hurried along, scarce
| ly hearing, far below, the shouts of the
pursuing seamen. They could not help
her-they were not near enough. The
victims would be torn to pieces and de
vOured long ere they could attack the lion.
This Mrs, Benton comprehended. She
saw no way of escapc-hcr only help was
| in Providence.
Watching the figures, as he sped on at
the head of the scamen, the young mis-
siOnary almost screamed in his great ago
ny, expecting every moment to see his
wife and child fall prey to the monster
! The lion now being in a line with the flu
| gitive, the muskets were useless in the
hands of the sailors, who would not fire at
| the animal for fear of hitting Mrs. Ben
| ton.
The strength Of the latter, in spite of her
efforts, was evidently giving way Her
| limbs trembled under her-she swayed
| from side to side-her gasping sobs could
be heard even by the sailors.
| The savage pursuer now gained with
| fearful rapidity
Great Heavenn' screamed Mr.. Benton,
striking his forehead with his hand, ''can
| nothing be done?"
Already the lion was within three yards
of the fugitive.
"Fire!' shouted the missionary. II
give you leave There is no other alterna-
| tive"
"True," answered the Captain as pale as
| death; ait must be either the lion or the
bullet"
He gave his orders; the men took aim,
and fired But neither the beast nor the
| lady was harmed. In their fear lest they
should hit the latter, the marksmen had
aimed too high.
On went the pursuer and pursued, the
| lion now not more than two yards behind
his intended victims.
Mrs. Benton saw ahead a clump of
slender trees, evidently growing from
cleft in the rock. A wild hope animated
| her, and gave renewed strength to her
faltering limbs. By getting behind the
| trees, and lodging, might she not contrive
| to elude the animal until the party from
| below should arrive?
The cluster Of trees was now the covet-
| ed goal, and she strained every nerve to
reach it. But when she was within ten
| feet of it, she met with a fearful disap-
pointment-a deep, yawning chasm, right
| in her path, between her and the trees,
and which had hitherto been hidden from