The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-08-16
AN ALGERIAN LION STORY.

How I came to be sitting, in very good
company, one glorious September even
ing, in the little moonliohtcd garden of
the hotel ut Algiers is neither here nor
there.
My companions about the round table,
which was garnished with slim bottles,
glasses, and plies of cigarettes, were ali
Frenchmen-three old Algerian colonists,
the fourth an ex.Lieutcnant of the Navy,
who had exchanged life on the ocean
wave for that of n hunter in three QUAR-
tcrs of the globe.
Before linn,r had picked up in the
salon Du Chaillus golilh,-book, Which l
had never seen before, and my saying
something about this turned the conver-
sation in the garden upon wild beasts and
the hunting of th'm.
Some wonderful stories were told, cs-
pecially by the ex-sa.lor, though not .
bit more wonderful than many one hears
from old Indian srOrlsmcn.
For the matter of that tho most extra
ordinary sporting story | ever heard WAS
told by-of all men in the world-a hare
hunter, capped Herewith a snakc-and-
elephant narrative, quito unique Of its
kind.
Presently, a short silence. caused by
the uncorking and tasting of new bot
tic of Hermitage, was broken by the
eldest Of the party, who had not said
nuch before. He WAS goud-looking
man of fifty, with beard graycr thnn luis
head, and n merry twinkle in his oye.
What he said I shall repeat for the sake
f clearncss in the first person, just as
nc told the story himself.
"The adventure Of which 1 am going
to tell you, gentlemen, happened to mo a
good many years ago 1t was my first
serious interview with Il lion. Like most
serious things it had a comic side too
81 was a young man then, and had
pcen some half dozen years in Constan-
! tine farming in partnership with q
friend, nn old colonist, whose acQuaint-
ancc had made on board ship coming
out from Marscillcs.
Our business was corn and cattle
taising, and we did very well together,
until my partner died of n fever, and
lftcr that [ took . dislike to the place.
thought would Shift my ground into
this province, Algicrs, push toward
the frontier, and get n grant of govern
mont land and make q farm of it. SO,
getting ncighbor to give an eye to
things in my absence. l started on my
prospecting expedition.
say |, but l should say we, for
there were three of us, sworn comrades
rs ever were.
want; secondly, there was my horse Mar
bride. He was bred between a Barb
ON o,1 T,p,l;,l 81.
the colonel of chasscurs Of whom I
bought him in town, when his regiment
VAS going home. He stood about fif.
ecen hands two, carried the Barb head
and the rest of his body was all bone anG
muscle. His temper was rs good as his
courage was high me he would follow
about like dog, but he had one failing
aud that was an insupcrable objection
to the close proximity of anything, ex
tept one thing, that stood on four legs
We all have our pcculiaritics, and THU
Hnas his. Bipeds were all very well, bu
.nultiply the legs by two, ard he let ii,
Immediately, and never missed his aim
"Such was Marcngo.
"Tmrdly, there was Cognac, tn
faithfullcst. the most honest, the oldest
and the wickedest little dog tho worl
ever saw. He was more like n terric
than anything else; with n short yello,
coat,SSa fox's head, very long ears, and
| very short tail. The shrillness OF hi
1 bark pierced your ears like knife, bu
1 the awfulncss of his howl-he alway
| howlcd if left alonc-bnfllcs description,
| During the fourteen years / had him, h
seldom left me day or night. On jom
ncy he would run beside me, and whe
tired get up and sit in my wallet. RI
4 great pleasure of his life was to steal be
hind people and secretly bite their legs
| BY some mysterious affinity, he an
Marengo were friends from the frs
They now sleep under tho same tree.
"Wcll, VIC started, and after goin
over good deal OF ground, I thought
il had decided on location, and tumo
d my face homeward. My direction wa
by Alma, to strike tho great road tbs
| runs under the Atlas eastward into Cor
4 stantine.
| 1T was about 8 o'clock ono morning
when had been some two hours in til
saddle, that / emerged from n narro'
valley, or ravine, through which til
road ran, on to sandy plain dotte
with bushes and scrub.
81 had Just laid tho reins on Mare1
go's neck, whom suddenly he gave tro
mendous shy that pitched me clean of
1 "The next minute, with horribl
roar, n lion sprang right ut his head.
@ made sure he was on the top of hin
and so he would have been, but, {
Marengo wheeled short round like ligh
ming on his hind legs, the strcamin
rclns caught the brute's forepaw, an,
as it were, tripped him, so that he fe
sideways on the road.
! "The heavy jerk nearly brought IL