Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-07-05
The Sturp Teller.
A LION STORY

4
How came to be sitting, in very good
company, one glorious September evening,
in the little moon-lighted garden of the ho-
tel at Algiers, is neither here nor there.
NV companions about the round table,
which was garnished with slim bottles,
glasses and piles of cigarettes, were all
Frenchmen; three, old Algerian colonlsts
the fourth, an ex-lieutenant of the navy,
who had exchanged a life on the ocean wave
for that of a hunter in three-quarters OF the
globe.
Before dinner, 1 had picked ur in the sa-
loon DuChaillu's gorilla book, which had
never seen before, and my saying something
about this turned the conversation in the
garden upon wild beasts and the hunting OF
them.
Some wonderful stories were told, espe-
cially by the ex-sailor, though not a bit
more wonderful than one hears from old
Indian spOrtsmen.
For the matter of that, the most eXtraor-
dinary sporting story ever heard WIS told
by-of all men in the world-a hare hunter,
who capped Herewith snake-and-elephant
narrative, quite unique Of its kind.
Presently, a short silence, caused by the
uncorking and tasting Of new bottle of
Hermitage, was broken by the eldest OF the
party, who had not said much before. He
was good-looking man of fifty, with beard
grayer than his head, and a merry twinkle
in his eye. What he said l shall repeat, for
the sake of clearness, in the first person,
Just as he told the story himself.
"The adventure of which l am going to
tell you, gentlemen, happened to me a good
many years ago. 1t was my first serious in
terview with a lion. Like most serious
things, it had comic side, too.
81 was young man, then, and had been
some halfdozen years in Constantine, farm
onist, whose acquaintance l had made on
board ship coming out from Marsellles.
sOur business was corn and cattle raising,
and we did very we'll together, until my
partner died of fever, and after that 1 took
dislike to the place. 1 thought l would
shift my ground into this province, Algiers,
push toward the frontier, and get grant OF
Government land, and make farm of it.
So, getting a neighbor to give an eye to
things in my absence, | started on my pros
pecting expedition.
81 say |, but should say we, for there
were three of US, sworn comrades as ever
were.
"First, there was your humble servant /;
secondly, there was my horse Marengo, and
a better never looked through bride. He
was bred between Barb sire and an Eng
lish mare belonging to the Colonel OF Chas-
seurs of whom l bought him in town, when
his regiment was going home. He stood
about fifteen hands two, carried the Barb
head, and the rest of his boby was all bone
and muscle. His temper was as good as his
courage was high; me he would follow
about like dog, but he had one failing and
that was an insuperable objection to the
close proximity of anything, except one
thing that stood on four legs. We all have
our peculiarities, and this was his. Bipeds
were all very we'll, but multiply the legs
by two, and he let fly Immediately, and
never missed his aim
''Such was Marengo.
''Thirdly, there was COgnac, the faithful
est, the most honest, the oldest, and the
wickedest little dog the world ever saw.
He was more like a terrier than anything
else, with a short yellow coat, foX's head,
very long ears, and a very short tail. The
shrillness of his bark pierced your ears like
knife, but the artfulness of his howl-and
he always howled if left alone-batties de-
scription. During the fourteen years had
him, he seldom left me, day or night. On
when tired, get up and sit on my wallet
The greatest pleasure Of his life was to steal
behind people and secretly bite their legs
''By some mysterious affinity, he and Ma
rengo were friends from thevery first They
now sleep under the same tree.
"Well, we started, and after going over q
good deal of ground, thought had deci
ded on location, and turned my face home
ward. My direction was by Alma, to strike
the great road that runs under the Alta:
eastward into Constantine.
''It was about o'clock one morning
when l had been some two hours in the
saddle, that | emerged from narrow val
ley, or ravine, through which the road ran
on sandy plain dotted with bushes anC
scrub.
81 had just laid the reins on Marengo':
neck, when suddenly he gave a tremendOu:
shy that pitched me clean Off
''The next minute, with a horrible roar
lion sprang right at his head.
81 made sure he was on top of him, ant
so he would have been, but as Marengt
wheeled short around like lightning on hi
hind legs, the streaming reinS caught tht
brute's forepaw, and as it were, tripped hin
so that he fell sideways on the road.
''The heavy jerk nearly brought the horse
down, but the throat-latch broke, the bride
was pulled over his ears, and recovering
himself, he darted away among a grove O
trees that stood by the Wayside.
$50 intent was the lion on the horse, tina
he paid no attention to me lying defenseles
before him.
"Crawling swiftly along the ground, HI
pursued Marengo, whom l gave up for lost
for his chance against the 1.-THE brute anon!
the trees seemed hopeless.
"However, as luck would have it, ther
was an open space about dozen yard
across. In the centre Of this Marengo tool
his stand, with his tail toward the lion, ant
his head turned sharply back over his shoul
der, watching him.
'He stood quite still, except for the sligh
shifting of his hind feet and lifting of hi
quarters, which knew meant mischief.
"The lion probably thought so too, for h
kept dodging to try to take his opponen
by flank movement. But the old hors
knew his game, and pivOting on his fore
legs, still brought his stern guns to bear OF
the enemy.
'Soon with roar, the lion made hi
spring, but Marengo lashed out both heel
together with such excellent Judgment c
time and distance, that catching him fu
in the chest, he knocked him all of a hea