Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1882-09-14

use to him when he was drowned; and,
in short. he wouldn't bulge.
"Well. if you won't put me across"
said l at last, .'lend me your boat, and
I'll just do the job for myself; / can
very well take my horse with me. so I'll
just leave him here in pledge that I'll
pay for the boat when come back"
keep horse for you. master, quite
willing: but 'spose you try cross to-day
you never come back to ask for him "
He spoke so positively that. though
I'm not easily frightened, | certainly
did feel rather uncomfortable How
ever. when you've got TO doa thing of
that sort. the less you think of it the
better, so jumped into the boat and
showed of.
had barely got clear of the shore
when found that the old fellow was
right. for the boat shot down the stream
like an arrow. l saw in a moment III at
there was no hope of padding her
across, and that all l could do was Just
to keep her head straight. But hadn' t
the chance of doing even that very
long. for just then big tree came driv-
ing along, and hitting my boat full on
the quarter. smashed her like an egg
shell. had Just time to clutch the pro-
jecting roots and whisk myself up on to
them, and then tree and | went away
down stream together at l don't know
how many miles an hour.
At first | was so reioiced at escaping
Just when all seemed over with me,
that didn't think much of what was
to come next; but before long l got
something to think of with a ven
geance. The tree. as I've said. was a
large one, and the branch end (the OPP
posite one to where l sat was all one
mass of green leaves. All at once, Just
as was shifting myself to a safer place
among the roots, the leaves suddenly
shook and parted, and ont peeped the
great yellow head and fierce eyes of an
enormous lion,
don't think ever got such a fright
in my life My gun had gone to the bot
tom along with the boat. and the only
weapon had left was short hunting
knife, which against such beast as
that would be no more use than a
bodkin. 1 fairly gave myself up for
lost, making sure that in another mo-
ment he'd spring forward and tear me
to bits.
But whether it was that he had al
ready gorged himself with prey, or
whether Gas l suspecD he was really
frightened at finding himself in such a
scrape, he showed no disposition to at
tack me. so long at least rs remained
still The instant l made any move
han ha xx-n.,il han rsn
and lashing his tail. as if he were going
to fall on me at once. So. to avoid pro-
voking him, was forced to remain
stock-still. although sitting SO long in
one position cramped me dreadfully.
There we sat, Mr.. Lion and l. staring
at each other with all our might
very picturesque group. no doubt. if
there had been anybody there to see it.
Down, down the stream We went, the
banks seeming to race past US as if We
were going by train, while all around
broken timber. wagon-wheels. trees,
bushes and the carcasses of drowned
horses and cattle went whirling past US
upon the thick brown water.
All at once noticed that the lion
seemed to be getting strangely restless,
and turning his great head from side
to side in a nervous kind of way, as if
he saw or heard something he didn't
like. At first couldn't imagine what
on earth was the matter with him, but
presently caught sound which scared
me much worse than it had done the
lion. Far in the distance 1 could hear
a dull, booming roar. which l had
heard too often not to recognize at
once; we were nearing waterfall!
! had seen the great falls of the Fish
River more than once. and the bare
thought of being carried over those
tremendous preeipices made my very
blood run cold. Yet being devoured