Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-07-05
Then with neigh of triumph, and -four


launches. This caused me to stop.
GAS he sat there, with his head loosely
Wagging from side to side, and mouth half
open, he looked quite vacant and idiotic.
'"Suddenly his head stopped wagging, he
pricked his ears, and by the flash of his eyes
and changed expression, | knew he had
seen me.
"Only one thing was to be done, and | did
it. The outermost tree was large and low
branched. TO it | ran, and up it | scram-
bled, and had just perched in fork about
fifteen feet above terra firma, as the lion
arrived at the bottom.
Choking up at me with two red-hot Goals
for ewes, his long, nervous tail lashing his
sides, every hair on his body turned to
wire, and his great claws protruded,, ne
chartered at me as cat chatters at bird
out of reach. His jaws snapped like steel
trap, and his look was perfectly diabollcal::
When he tired of chattering, he stood ana
growled.
Catching sight of the bride, he walked
to it, smelled it, patted it, and then came
back and glared at me.
s'My carbine, confound it! was slung at
my saddle. My only weapon, besides my
hanger, was a pocket-pistol, double-bar-
relied, and what in those days we called a
Observation-Disclosures is, the barrels unscreW-
ed to load, and then screwed on again.
''It would have been a handy weapon
against man at close quarters, for it threw
a good ball but for lion! Besides, the
beast was too far off.
"Then the thought flashed into my mind,
where was Cognac?
''I supposed he had run away and hid
den somewhere. If the lion got sight of
him, it would, knew, soon be over with
the poor little fellow.
call at once there arose, close at hand,
an awful and familiar yell. 1t had a
strange, muffled tone, but there was no
mistaking Cognac's voice.
again it came, resonant, long-draWn and
sepulchral. 1t seemed to come from IN
side the tree. Where the deuce was ne?
sThe lion appeared utterly astonished,
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 small yellow head with long ears.
"'Down, down, Cognac" l cried, in my
agony; go back, siro
"a cry of deli ight, cut short by a piteouss
whine, was his reply, as he spied me, and
then dashing fully yard toward the lion,
he barked defiantly.
sWith a low growl and ruffiing name,
the beast charged at the little dog.
"Back went Cognac into his cave, as quick
as rabbit, and stormed on him from inside.
"Thrusting his great paw right down the
hole, the lion tried to claw him out. On!
how I trembled for Cognac.
"But he kept up such a ceaseless fire OF
swapping and snarling that it was plain ne
was either we'll around corner, or that the
hole was deep enough for his safety.
Gail the same, tC see that great coWardly
beast digging away at my poor little dog
like that, was more than l could stand.
Cooking my pistol, / shouted, and as he
looked up fired at his blood-shot 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.
s'But he was not to be drawn again, and
tended to 60 to sleep. Cognac barked at
him till he was tired, and then retired to
his castle.
'Reloading, found had only three bull
lets left, and concluded to reserve them for
a crisis.
''It was now past noon. TO beguile the
time, smoked a pipe or two, sang song,
and cut my name, Cognac's and Marengo's
on the tree, leaving a space for the lions,
which | determined should be Wellington.
I wished he would go away. Having some
milk inmy bottle, took a drink, and should
have liked to give some to Cognac::, The
lion began to pant, with his red, thornly
tongue hanging foot out of his mouth.
He was as NANCY and disreputabe-looki
a brute as ever saw. By-and-by he got up
and shifted the air all around him, and then,
without as much as looking at me, walked
off, and went deliberately down the road.
'Slipping to the ground, / caught up Cog
nae, who had crept out directly, and after
looking carefully around for the lion, was
smothering me with caresses. The lion was
turning toward bushy clump in hollow
about two hundred yards off. That light
green foliage-willows, water! Had the
cunning brute snuffed it out?
"Anyhow, it was relief to stretch ones
legs after sitting six mortal hours on a
branch. The lion disappeared around the
bushes. strained my eyes over the plain,
but could see nothing moving. Then gave
Cognac a drink of milk and a few bits OF
bread-cake, for which he was very grateful.
Of course it was no use beginning race
against lion with only 200 yards start in
any number of miles. The tree was better
than that.
"All the same, he was gone long time;
perhaps he was really gone for good. Bah !!
there came his ugly head around the corner
again, making straight for us.
''When he was pretty near, / kissed Cog
nae, and threw a bit Of cake into the hole.
Then climbed again to my perch, Cognac
retired, growing, into his fortress, and the
beast of /; lion mounted guard over us as
before.
"He looked quite cool and comfortable,
and had evidently had a good drink.
"Another hour and he was still there.
"While I was wondering how long he
ro. ll1, meant tO Stay and if | was destined
to spend all night on bOugh like amonkey,
and on very short commons, he got up, and
walking quietly to the foot of the tree, with
out uttering a sound, sprang up at me with
all his might.
sHe was quite yard short, but was so
startled, that nearly lost my balance.
ellis coup having failed, he lay down
right under the branch | was on, cOuching
his head on his paws us if to hide his mortl-
| ticatiOn.
"Suddenly the thought came into my
mind why not make a devil and drop 1t
on his back? / dismissed the subject as ri
diculous, but it came again. AS we have
all, including our English friend here, been
bows, you know what l mean-not fallen
angel, but the gunpOwder devil.
"Good! Well, it scented feasible-1
would try it.
81 had plenty ofpowder in my little flask ;
so pouring some into my hand, l moistened
| it with spittle and kneaded away until it
came out tiny Nesuvius of black paste.
Then | formed the little crater, which |
filled with few grains of dry powder, and
set it carefully on the branch.
"Ny hands shook so with excitement,
that | could hardly hold the flint and steel ;
but struck and struck-the tinder ignited-
now Nesuvius!
| ><1f