The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-08-23

take her place upon his right. She lay
in the act of springing, and at but lit
tie distance.
"ComeW
There was no movement, and the whip
was raised and fell heavily upon her
head. That was all that was needed to
| awaken her latent ire, and, with a roar
! like that given in her native forest, she
! sprang with almost resistless force to-
| wards him. A sharp, stinging blow on
the bridge of the nose for a moment
cowed her, and she might have been con-
| quered, had she not partially fell upon
and upset the pail and deluged the floor
of the cage in blood!
Then all became the widest COM
motion-the most terrible and savage
sounds. Every beast sprang down, Tapped
the blood, and then turned upon him.
Even the veteran lion appeared to forget
the long years of training, and some
thing of his young forest life blazed
forth.
Amberly comprehended all in an in
slant, and the father triumphed over the
actor. He snatched up the now terrified
and screaming child, sprang with her to
the door, thrust her into the hands of
the watchful attendant, and would have
followed, had not the lioness grappled
and drawn him back, rending his
shoulders with her sharp claws, and
causing the blood tostream over his rich
dress.
He was fighting against most desper-
ate odds, knew it, backed into corner,
and called for his irons. One, red hot at
the end, was handed to him, but at the
first stoke the lioness sent it whirling,
and her sharp teeth almost met for mo-
ment in his thigh.
Gland me something sharp with which
can brain the brutep'
Every thing upon which hands could
be laid was thrust to him, but he failed
to reach them, and the danger was be
coming more and more imminent. The
blood had been Tapped up clean-al
were mad with desire, the tiger and the
leopard crouching upon him. Then the
majesty of command asserted itself.
"Come, Samson"
, The old lion came forward at tn,
/ words, seemed to comprehend that some
, thing was wrong, thrust himself between
his master and his raging mate, and, whel
she turned upon him, sent her rollin,
, with blow of his great paw.
p 1AC IIIOi hhN Z SoSthPSo
! but, bleeding, wounded as he was, h
i would not retreat, and turned his atten
/ ton to separating the now tangled mas
i of fighting animals. Picking up on
q leopard after another, he drew them int
a farther corner of the cage, draggin
o the tiger, with the lioness clinging to
! and tearing its glossy hide, thither, tor
: open its jaws by main strength, hurle
- it back, and shut the partition; turned
reeled to the door, fell upon it, and We
:, dragged through to safety, even with tn
# lioness rattling behind him as it VIZ
~ % closing.
9 9 A few steps taken, and the Lilo
e Tanner fell fainting by the side of his a
-. ready insensible wife, who lay with he
u affrighted child hugged closely to ht
g scarcely-beating heart.
g Then the silence that had been
y death was broken by the most tumultuo1
q shouts, and breath was drawn again, an
Il half-fainting women and fear-palsie
i men felt as if mountain had been lifte
le from their hearts.
le Lame, torn, and weak, the Lion Tam
u entered the cage next day before tt
Is Is most unprecedented crowd, it havil
ID been advertised that he would do so
IL his bloody clothes, but never again cou
he be tempted to take child or pail
ty blood behind the bars.