Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1883-06-27


| it scrambled, and had just perched
! i'm fork about fifteen feet above terra
lrma rs the lion arrived nj the bottom.
Looking up at me with two red-hOt
Goals for eyes, his long nervous tail
| lashing his sides, every hair on his
body turned TO wire, and his great
claws protruded, he chartered 1T mo as
q cat chattcrs at n bird out of reach.
His jaws snapped like a steel trap, and
his look was perfectly diabolical. When
he was tired Of chattcring he stood and
growlcd.
Catching sight Of the bride, he
walk TO it, smcllcd il, patted il, and
then came back and lay down and
gared at me.
"My carbine-c confound twas slung
at my saddle. Ny only weapon, besides
my hanger, was pocket pistol, double.
barrclled, and what in those days we
called a breechloader-tha is the bar
rels unscrewed to load. and then screw
ed on again.
1T would have been n HANDY weapon
against a man at close quarters, for it
threw good ball; but for lion! Be
sides, the beast was too far of.
"Then the thought flashed into my
mind, where was Cognac?
Il supposed he had run away and
hidden somewhere. Ii the lion got
sight of him, it would, knew, be soon
all over with the poor little fellow.
"All at once there arose, close at
hand, an awful and familiar yell. 1t
had strange, muflled tone, but there
was no mistaking CO9nac's voice.
Again it came, resonant, long
drawn, and sepulchral. 1t seemed to
come from inside the tree. Where the
deuce was he?
The lion appeared utterly aston
ished and turned his ears so far back
to listen that they were almost inside
out, when from some hole among the
roots Of the tree there popped q small
yellow head with long ears.
Down, down, Cognac' / cried in
my agony; go back, sir!'
~ cry OF delight, cut short by pit
eOus whine. was his reply, rs he spied
me, and then dashing fully q ward
toward the lion, he barked defiantly.
"With low growl and ruilling name,
the beast charged at the little dog.
Back went Cognac into the cave as
quick IS a rabbit, and stormed at him
from inside
'Thrusting his great paw right down
the hole, the lion tried to claw him out.
Oh, how trcmbled for Cognac!
But he kept up such q cCaseless fire
of swapping and snarlipg that it was
plain he was either well round q cor
ner or that the hole was deep enough
for his safety.
"All the same, TO see the great cow
ardly beast digging away at my poor
little dog like that was more than |
could stand. Cooking my pistol,
shouted, and as ho looked up ] fired at
his b}oodshot eye He shook his head,
and . gave him the other barrel.
"With scream Of rage, he bounded
back.
"Cognac Immediately shot forth his
head, and insulted him with jeering
barks.
"1But he was not to be drawn again,
ana after bit he lay down further off,
fand pretended TO 90 TO sleep. Coonac
barked at him till he was tired, and
then retired into his castle.
"RelOading, found had only three
bullets left, and concluded TO reserve
them for a crisis
1T was now past noon. To beguilc
the time ! smoked pipe or two, sang
song and out my name, Cognac's and
Marengo's on the tree, leaving a space
for the lions, which 1 determined
should b0 Wellington. | wished he
would 90 away. Having some milk in
my bottle, took a drink, and should
have liked to give some to Cognac.
The lion began to pant, with his red,
thorny tongue hanging u foot out of his