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

tho bride was pulled over his ears, and,
recovering himself, he dalted away
among q grove of trees that stood by the
wayside
$50 intent was tho lion on the horse
that he paid no attention to me, lying
defenseless before him.
"Crawling swiftly along the ground,
he pursued MarergO, 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 q 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 md lift
ing of his quarters, which l knew meant
"The lion probably thought so, too,
for he kept dodging to try and take his
opponent by n flank movement. But the
old horse knew his game, and pivoting
on his forelcgs still brought his stern
guns to bear Oh the enemy.
"Soon, with a roar the lion made his
spring, but Marengo lashed ont both
heels together with such excellent judg-
ment of time and distance that, catching
him full i'll the chest, he knocked him
all of heap to the ground, where he lay
taotionlcss. Then with neigh of tri-
umph and n flourish of his heels, away he
gallopcd through tho grove out on to
the plain and WAS safe.
''rhe lion lay so still that I thought
he was dead, or at any rate quite hOr8 dc
combat, and was just running to pick up
the bridlc 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.
"Suddenly his head stopped wogging,
he prickcd his ears, and by the flash OF
Ii eye and changed expression, l knew
he had seen mo.
"Only one thing was to be done, and
I did it, The outcrmost tree was large
and low-branrhcd. TO it / ran, and up
it scrambl d, and had Just perchcd il
fork about fifteen feet above terra.
frma rs the lion arrived ut the bottom.
"Looking up at me 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 chattcrCd Mt me as cat chat
ters at bird out of reach. His laws
snapped like steel trap and his look
was perfectly diabolcal. When he was
tired of chatterinG he stood and growlcd.
"Cntching sight Of the bride, he walked
TO 1t, smellcd it, rnttcd it, and then
! came back and lay down and glarcd at
| me.
my carbinc-confound it was slung
Mt my saddle. My only weapon, besides
my hanger, was Il pocket pistol, douhlc-
barrellcd, and what in those days we
called brecchloadrr-tha is, the bar
lels unscrcwed to load, and then screwed
| on again.
4" 1t would have been handy weapon
| against man at close quarters. for it
threw a good ball but for lion Re
| sides the beast was too far off.
| "Ihcn the thought flashed into my
mind, where was Cognoc?
" | supposed he had run away and
hidden somewhere. If the lion got sight
of him. it would, I knew, be soon all
over with the poor little fellow.
"All MT once there arose, close At hand,
an awful and familiar yell. 1t mad a
strange, muilicd tone, but there was no
| mistaking Cognac's voice.
| 'Agaln 1T came, resonant, long drawn,
and scpulchrI. 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 to listen
that they were almost inside out, when
| fI, hnIn nr a.,
tlce there popped small yellow head
with long cars.
"'Down, down, Cognac = [ cried III
my agony; 20 back, sirr
"a cry of delight, cut short hy pit
cous whine, was bis reply, rs he spi"d
me, and then dnshing fully yard 20,
ward the lion, he barkcd deiimtly.
"With low growl and ruillmg name
the beast charged at the little dog.
"Back went Cognnc into his cave n.
quick as n rabbit, and stormcd at hin
from inside.
Thrusting his great paw right down
the hole, the lion tried to claw lim out
Oh, how l trcmhlcd for CoGnac!
But he kept up such IA c,asclcss fir
of swapping and snarling that it wa
plain he was either well round cornn
or that the i.2l" WAS deep enough for hi
safety.
! "All the same, to sec The great COW
! ardly beast digging away at my poo
little dog like that was more In IN
could stand. Cooking my pistol,
houted, and as he looked up i fred n
his hlood-s shot eye. He shook his head
mrl gave him the other barrel.
- With q scream Of race he bOundCt
back.
"Cognac Immediately shot forth h
mead and maUltcd him with jrcrin
barks.
" But lie was not to ho drawn again
and after bit he lay down further G.
and pretended to go asleep. Cognl
barkcd ut him till he was tired, and thc
returned into his castle.
"Rcloading, I found I had onlv tI,r,
outlets left, and concluded to rcscr,
them for crisis.
"lt was no. past noon. To beeui
khe time, ] smoked pipe or Two, snl
a song, and cut my name, Co%nac'
and Marengo's on tho tree, leaving
space for the lions, which / dctcrlni,',
should be Wcllmgton. I wished ]
| Wn1II1