The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-08-15

80 intent was the lion on the horse, !
that he paid no attention to me, lying !
defenseless before him.
Crawling swiftly along the ground,
he pursued Marcrgo, whom / gave up
for lost--for his chance against the 1.-THE
brute among the trees seemed hopeless.
" However, as luck would have it,
there was an open space about dozen
yards across. In the centre Of this
Marengo took his stand. with his tail
toward the lion and his head turned
sharply back over his shoulder, watching
him.
"He stood quite still, except for the
slight shifting Of his hind feet and lift
ing Of his quarters, which knew meant
mischief.
"'Ihc lion probably thought so, too,
for he kept lodging TO try and take his
by flank movement. But the
old horse knew his game, and pivoting
ON his forelegs still brought his stern
guns to bear on the enemy.
"Soon, with roar the lion made his
spring, but Marcngo dashed ont both
heels together with such excellent iudg.
ment of time and distnncc that, catching
him full III the chest, lie knocked Inn
all Of a heap to the ground, where hclay
iaotionlcss. Then with neigh Of tri-
umph and n flourish Of his heeLs, away he
galloped through the grove out on to
the plain and WIS safe.
"The lion lay 50 still that I thought
he WAS dead. or at any rate quite hors d.
combat, and was just running to pick mp
the bride and follow Marengo, when he
sat up on his launches. This made me
stop.
"As he sat there with his head loosely
wagging from side 20 side, and mouth
half open, he looked quite vacant and
idiotic.
"Suddcnly his head stopped wagging,
he pricked his ears, and by the flash of
his eye and changed expression, l knew
he had seen me.
"Only one thing was to be done, and
did it. The outermost tree WAS larg"
and low-branched. To it | ran, and up
it scrambled, and had Just pcrchcd III
a foiS about fifteen feet above terra.
tirma as the lion arrived Mt the bottom.
Cooking up at ne with two rcd-hot
Goals for eyes, his long nervous tail lash,
ing his sides, every hair on his body
turned to wire, and his great claws pro-
truded, he chartered at me as cat chat
tiers at n bird out Of reach. His jaws
snapped like steel trap, and his look
was perfectly diabolical. When he was
tired of chattcring he stood and growlcd
Catching sight Of the bride, he walked
to it, smelled it, pattcd it, and then
came back and lay down and glared at
me.
"My carbine-confound it was slung
at my saddle. Ny only weapon, besides
my hanger, was pockct-pistol, double
barrelled, and what in those days we
called brecchloader-that is, the bar
rels unscrcwed to load, and then screwed
on again.
cit would have been n handy weapon
against man Mt close quarters, fpr ii
threw Il good ball but for lion! Re.
sides the beast was too far of.
"rhcn the thought flashed into my
mind, where was Cognac?
81 supposed he had run away and
hidden somewhere. If the lion got sight
of him. it would, / knew, he soon al
over with the poor little fellow.
"All at once there arose, close NJ hand
m awful and familiar yell. 1t mad /
strange, muilled tone, but there was NJ
installing Cognac's voice.
"Again it came, resonant, long-drawn
and scpulchral. 1t seemed to COME
from inside the tree. Where the deuce
was he?
"Thc lion appeared utterly astonishcd,
and turned his ears so far back 10 listen
that they were almost inside out when
from some hole among the roots of the
tree there popped small yellow head
with long ears.
"Down, down, Cognac : / cried ii
my agony; go back, sir !
"a cry of delight, cut short by pit.
eous whine, was his reply, as he sricd
me, and then doshing fully yard To-
ward the lion, he barked dciiautly.
"With low growl and ruiling name
the beast charged ut the little dog.
"Back went Cognac into his cave rs
quick as n rabbit, and stormed at hin
from inside.
Thrusting his great paw right dow
the hole, the lion tried to claw him out
Oh, how tremblcd for Cognacl
"But he kept mp such ccascless fir
Of swapping and snarling that it wa
plain he was either well round cornc
or that the hole was deep enough for hi
safety.
:! "All the same, to see the great COW
7 rdly beast digging away Mt my poe
little dog like that was more than
could stand. Cooking my pistol,
shouted, and MS he looked up | fired ;
, his hlood.shot eye. He shook his heaC
and | gave him the other barrel.
with scream of rage he bounde
: back.
l "Cornac immediately shot forth h
} head and insulted him with jecrir
: banks. =.
"But he was not to be drawn agai
l and after bit he lay down further {
!. and pretended to go asleep. Cogn'
barkcd at him till he was tired, and the
g returned into his castle.
| "Rcloading, / found had only thr
d bullets left, and concluded to reser
$ them for crisis.
It 1T was now past noon. To bHgu1
l. Tho time, I smoked pipe or two, sal
a gong, and cut my name, Cognac
:, and Marengo's on the tree, leaving
10 space ana for the lions, which determine
W shonld be wellington. l wished
le would 90 away. Having some milk
ID my bottle, took drink and c sno"
have liked to give some TO Gogn'
n The lion began to pant, with ms 7 !
g thorny tongue hanging foot OUT , Oh
Fl. mouth. He was NANCY ana diSreI
lie toble.looking brute as ever saw. l
md.by he got up and snuiied the AR
n, round him, and then, without as m nv
rs IS looking at me, walked oil anu VT
IT. deliberately down the road. , ,,,.,t
ng Shipping to the ground, ] caught
Il ,z.',a ,'l,o had crept out dlrccl