Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1883-06-14

uclCnCeleSS before MN.
Crawling swiftly along on the
ground, he pursued Marengo, whom
gave up for lost for his chance against
the savage brute among the trees seem
cd hopeless.
However, rs luck would have it,
there was IN open space about Il dozen
yards across. In the centre Of this Ma,
rcngo took his stand, with his tail to.
wad the lion and his head turned
sharply back over his shoulder, watch.
ing him.
"llc stood quite still, except for the
slight shifting of his hind feet and lift.
ing of his quarters, which | knew
mcantmiSchief
"rhe lion probably thought 50 too,
for he kept dodging TO try and take
his opponent by Il flank movement.
But the old horse knew his game, and
piyOting on his forclcgs still brought
bis stern guns to bear on the emmy.
"SOon, with 4 roar the lion made hi,
spring, but Marcngo laShed out botl
heels together with such excellent iud,
mcnt of time and distance that, catch,
ing him full in the chest, he knocked
him all Of heap to the ground, whcr,
he lay motionlcSS. Then, with Il neigh
Of triumph and II flourish of his heels,
away he galloped through the grove
out ON the plain and was safe.
"Thc lion lay so still that though
he was dead, or nj any rate, quite hOrs dc
combat, and was just running to pick
the bride and follow Marcngo, when
he sat up on his launches. This made
me stop.
AS he sat there with his head loose.
ly wagging from side to side, and
mouth half open, he looked quite va.
cant and idiotic.
suddenly his head stopped wag-
ging, he prickcd his ears, and BY the
flash of his scyc and changed expression,
| knew he had seen me,
"Only one thing was to be done. and
| did it, The outcrmoS' tree was large
and low-branchcd. 70 it ran, and III,
ii | scrambled, and had Just pcrchcd
in fork about fifteen feet above terra
lirma rs the lion arrived at the bottom.
Looking up nj me with two rcd-hut
Goals for eyes, his long nervous tail
lashing his sides, every hair ON his
body turned to wire, and his Great
claws protrudcd, he chartered ut me Us
a cat chattcrs at bird out Of reach.
His jaws snapped like Il steel trap. and
his look was perfectly diaboical. When
he was tired of chattcring he stood and
growlcd.
Catching sight OF the bride, he
walk to it, smollcd it, pattcd it, aud
then came back and lay down and
glared III me.
My carbinc cunfoundit was ~lung
n my saddle. My only weapon, beside,
my hanger, was apoCkct pistol, doubIc.
barrcllcd, and what in those dry3 we
called = brccchIoadcr that i- the bar
rclS mlscrCwcd TO load, and then screw.
cd ON again
1t would have been handy weapon
against man al cLosU quarters, for it
threw good ball; in, for Il lioal Be-
sides, the beast was too far of.
"Thcn the thought flashed into my
mind, where was Cognac?
Il supposed he had run away aud
hidden somewhere. II the lion got
sight of him, it would, kncT, be soon
all over with the poor little fellow.
"All at once there arose, close at
hand, an awful and familiar Veil. Il
had strange, mutlled tone, but there
was no mistaking 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 aston
ishcd and turned his cars 50 far back
to listen that they were almost inside
out, when from some hole among the
roots of the tree there popped Il small
yellow head with long ears.
"'Down, down, Cognacr cried in
my agony; go back, sirr
"a cry of delight, cut short by n pit
cous whine, was his reply, rs he Spicd
me, and then daShinG fully Il yard
toward the lion, he barkcd dclianlly.
"With low growl and rulflng name,
the beast charged at the little dog.
Back went Cognac into the cave as
quick us rabbit, and stormcd ut him
from inside.
'Thrusting his great pawright down
the hole, the lion tried to claw him out,
Oh, how tremblcd for Cognac!
But he kept up such u ceasclcss fire
of swapping and snarling that it was
plain he was either well round cor
nCr 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 he looked up ] fired at
his bloodshot 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 iccring
barks.
"But he was not TO bU drawn again,
and after bit he lay down further of,
and pretended to 90 to sleep. Cognac
barkcd 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 crisis.
at was now past noon. To beguilc
the time smoked pipe or two, sang
4 song and cut my name, Cognac's and
Marongo's on the tree, leaving a space
for the lions, which | determined
should be Wellington. | wished he
would go away. Having some milk in
my bottle, took Il drink, and should
have liked to give some to Cognac.
The lion began to pant, with his red,
thorny tongue hanging foot out of his
mouth. He was as NANCY and disrcp-
utable-looking brute as over ! saw.
By and by he got up and snuiled the
air all around him, and then, without
as much rs looking at me, walked off
and went deliberately down the road.
"Slipping to the ground, | caught up
Cognac, who had crept out directly,
and, after looking carefully round for
the lion, was smothering me with ca
resses. The lion was turning toward a
bushy clump in hollow about 200
yards of. That light green foliage
willows, water! Had the cunning
brute shifted it outP
"Anyhow, it was o relief TO stretch
ones legs after sitting six mortal hours
on q branch. Tho lion disappeared
round the bushes. | strained my eyes
n,n,. tbn ,,1n,,, l,,I ,.,,,1l ,,,