The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-04-01

carried her head above 1t. At last, with q
slow, cat tread. she crept up the hill to the
front of the Office building on the main av
enue. BY this time Mr.. Erkenbrecher had
returned from the city, bringing with him q
Mr.. Stewart, from one of the mensgeries.
Mr.. Stewart had raised this lioness, and
was confident he could get her back
to the cage. safe. His plan was to get
cali and put 1t in the cage, and drop the cage
down to the floor of the house and then
drive her in. Messrs- Erkennrecher and
Oskamp located themselves on the roof of
French's' stable. Mr.. f. borrowed an opera
glass and watched the maneuvers through
il like general on the field of battle. The
garden men placed themselves under Mr..
Stewards orders. The latter let the wagon
bed down to the floor, but did not get the
fatted calf. he then proceeded up to The top
OF the hill, where the lioness, crouching in
the deep mud, was
SWINGING HER TAIL
and licking her chops and watching for
victim. Stewart came up behind the beast
and addressed it IS "kitty," in a kindly
way. She evidently knew his voice, for she
turned her head and pricked up her ears,
end her eyes glistened. But she was not to
be caught by even an old friend and keeper.
She had tasted blood right fresh from the
veins, and she was Bound to have more
she was free at last; no more cage aud
keeper - not for 4" Kitty!D Her
eyes lighted up with vicious CLEAN
and she growled hosrse defiance.
Stewart commenced pelting her with sticks
and pebbles, thinking to drive her into the
stable. But she turned on him, and he was
forced to retreat slowly, still facing her
backing. He then went down the Hill with
quite crowd of men, thinking she would
follow. She did follow, but in a way they
hadn't bargained for. Several men in the
crowd had guns loaded with shot. Kerney
had one. John Nordheim had one to which |
was set bsyonet. Mr.. p. McEvoy a con- |
tracing carpenter, who lives near the old |
Clifton toll gate, had his gun with him. !
MIR. McEvoy is crack shot, with |
nerves Of steel. He is a prominent men,
Der of the Cincinnati Fishing and Shooting |
Club, aud delights in chance to show his /
quick eye and complete command of nerve. |
He was the man tor this emergency it soon |
turned out. As the mon retreated down |
the bill all seemed to understand that the |
Honess was about to make dash. and by |
consent, without a word McEvoy
was looked to to shoot at the right time |
The lionesS dragged herself forward through |
the mud to the brow of the little hill, and |
looked down upon the men who were back |
ing slowly away. They did not dare to turn |
their backs upon her. Then gathering her.
self she made atremendous flying leap down |
bound was upon them. Kerney was stand |
ing by stump as she
wHIzzED BY HIM IN THE AIR.
McEvoy had his six hundred dollar, No. 10, |
English gun, double-barreled, both barrels |
loaded with No. shot, at his shoulder, try
ing to get bead on a vital point. At her
section bound she jumped clean over Nc
Evoy's head knocking of his hat. This
leap brought her upon Nordheim and Hont.
The former, who had no chance to use his
Oayonet, was struck in the breast and |
knocked down. Hont was down. For two
Or three seconds there was a confusion
Of two men and the lIoness, the men scream
ing and the beast roaring, upon the ground.
The men were both down and bleeding.
The lioness could brain them and disem-
bowel them. 1t was a terrible spectacle. The
men were now upon the ground and help
him, McEvoy, with his gun still
1T his shoulder, turned in his
tracks. He was marvelously coo. for first
5x perience 10 lion hunting. He had tussled
hand to head with the hugely sntlered buck,
be had faced the coming of the grizzly bear
Of California, and slaughtered bruin. But l.
here was a novel and terrible emergency.
The lioness had to be killed within Sec
)nd or two, or she would kill those
men. Already she had bitten Nordheim
through the left bullock and Hont
through the thigh. Bat 10 shoot seemed
for the men ard the beast
We're all three together. But McEvoy was
,almness itself: his sight was unerring and
liS nerves were steel. He fired barrel and
he shot merely grazed the back of the lion
,ss. He must touch vital spot in the next
second; he must shoot under that mans
lrm, under the bsasts's shoulder into her
leart. He was only ten feet away. Bangi
lfnnQCc WAS fkrOnuh fhal
lesrt! Through hole into which one could
hrust four fingers, the beasts life ebbed
way into the porous earth, The rescued
men, pale as deatn, staggered to their feet
nd thanked God for McEvoy's gun and aim.