Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-07-07
The Lions Embrace.

From the Poughkeepsie Press.
M. Chassaing, the celebrated French
lion hunter, while in Algeria, got two
shots at lion, which bounded away into
the covering of evergreen oak or ilexes,
groaning at the same time. as if much
hurt. The next morning the Arabs were
ordered to bring their horses from the
enc;.mpment, while they set off to fol
low the traces Of the wounded beast.
The Arabs assisted in the search, keep
ing, however, at respectable distance,
amid tufts of broom and diss or tall grass,
But we must let our hunter relate his
experience of a lions embrace in his own
words, for such experiences are not Of
everyday occurrence:
9 Suddenly powerful roar came forth
from the midst OF one OF these tufts, and
l saw the lion raise up, and with the
first bound he came within six yards of
where l stood. Hurried by the i'm
minence Of the danger I fired without
taking aim, and / had barey time to
press my finger on the trigger fefore the
enormous mass fell upon me, crushing
me down. was overthrown, my head
downward; the lion was over me and
had my right arm between his jaws.
Obeying the instinct OF preservation, |
endeavored to obtain possession OF my
pitols with the left; but they had fallen
out of nv waistband when ! was struck
down / was thus left helpless against
my terrible adversary, without any other
means OF defence than my arms, one of
which was paralyzed in the animals
mouth.
"The lion, however, let go my arm,
and sought to catch me by the head: the
spring which he took from behind to eff
feet this caused me to slip under him,
but his tooth took my lower lip in the
movement, and cut it down toithe chin. By
superhuman effort seized the lion by the
name over the ear and slipped my thumb
over his lower jaw. | managed to keep
it at a distance: another movement made
me slip further, SO that he could no long
er catch nay hand without changing his
position, but he seized my arm a second
time and bit severely. All this had taken
much less time than has been occupied
in the description. Never having los tiny
senses. | then shouted out, Here, Cap
tain, heipr' But in vain [ was alone.
My strength began to fail me, in
consequence of the prolonged resistance
| had opposed to my adversary, and the
pain that his bite gave me. was indeed
sinking, when perceived that the lion
was less vigorous; and that he appeared
even as if about to let go. This inspired
me with new courage, and also gave the
captain time 10 discharge his double-bar-
relied rifle into the TANKS of the animal.
Happy for me the balls had no impetus,
or they would have gone through me as
we'll. 1t was afterwards ascertained that
these balls not being conical, only penet-
rated an inch or two, whereas my last
ball, having struck it in the breast, had
injured it both in the lungs andr egions
Of the heart.
"These two new wounds hence only
increased the fury of the beast, which
| letting go OF my arm seized me by the
shoulder, the only part of me that he
could lay hold of; then, rising upon his
hind legs,he bounded towards the bottom
Of the ravine, CARVING me with him. This
was terrible moment, and [ thought [
had reached my last.
AS he went along my head struck
againsta tree, and my back chafed on
the rocks; nevertheless l shouted out:
Captain, take my gun; it has still
| one barrel loaded,
81 do not know if he heard me, but he
did nothing. 1t was in these frightful
| tortures that arrived at the bottom of
the ravine, always borne along by the
lion, also holding by him with the lett
hand. This resistance irritated him SO
much that he made two desperate efforts
to shake me off, and felt my shoulders
cracking in his formidable jaws. Sud
denly saw him sink down and fall over
on his left side, his headquarters pres
sing my legs; The lion was expiring! II
was high time. | let go the name, and
clutching by a tuft of grass raised my
self by supreme effort, stepped over the
PROSTATE beast, and climbed up to the
point from whence he Lad dragged me
Then the pain in my arm became agoniz
ing, and trying to move it arm and fingers
botn obeyed nv will. / saw with Joy nc
bones were broken, only the arm hac
been frightfully bitten"