The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-05-23

good. Bah /! there came his ugly
head around the corner again, max
ing straight for US.
when be was pretty near / kiss
ed Cognac and threw q little NOR
cake into the hole. Then / climbet
again to my perch, Cognac retiret
growing into his fortress, and tn
beast Of . lion mounted guard owe
US as before.
HE looked quite cool and com
Portable and had evidently had {
good drink.
Another hour, and he was still
there.
awhile / was wondering how Ion,
he really meant to stay, and if wa!
destined to spend all night on ,
bough like monkey, and on very
short commons, hegot up, and walk
ing quietly to the foot of the tree
without uttering sound, sprang W
at nae with all his might.
"He was quite yard short, but
l was 80 startled that l nearly los
my balance.
"His coup having failed, he lay
down right under the branch / wa.
on, COUGHING his head or his paws
as if to hide bis modification.
Suddenly the thought came into
my mind: Why not make a devil
and place it on his back? l dismiss.
ed it as ridiculous, but it came again
AS we have all, including our Eng.
lish friend here, been boys, you
know what / mean-not q fallen
angel, but the gun powder devil.
"Good! Well, it seemed feasible
I would try it.
II had plenty of powder in my
flask, 90 pouring some into my
hand, I moistened it well with spit
tie and kneaded away until it came
out q tiny vesuvius of black paste
Then l formed the little crater,
which / filled with a few grains OF
dry powder, and set it carefully on
the branch.
MY hands shook with excitement
l could hardly hold the flint and
steel, but l struck and struck-the
tinder ignited-now Vesuvius
"Whiff! whizz! The lion looked
up directly, but dropped it plumb
on the back of his neck. For an in.
slant he did not know what had
happened; then with an angry
growl up be jumped and tore say
agely at the big fiery flea on the back
of his neck, which sent shower Of
sparks into his mouth and nose.
"Again and again he tried, and
then raved wildly about, using the
most horrible leonine language, and
no wonder, for the devil had worked
we'll down among his greasy hair,
and must have stung him like a
hundred hornets. His back hair
and name burst into a flame, and he
shfieked with rage and terror.
"Then be went stark staring mad,
clapped his tail between his legs,
laid back his ears, and rushed out Of
the sroys-et4vsa1Fmi1ss an hour,
and disappeared up the ravine.
almost as mad as the lion, with
joy, and feeling sure that he was
gone for good, I tumbled down the
tree and ran off along the road as
hard as / could. with Cognac bark
ing at my heels. By and by / had
TO pull up, for the sun was still very
hot, but / walked as fast as I could,
looking out all the time for Maren-
90, who would not, l knew, 60 very
far from his master. Presently l
spied him in q hollow. A whistle.
and whinnying with delight, hs trot-
ted up and laid his head on my
shoulder.
SIN my hurry l had forgotten the
bride. but with my belt and hand
kerchief extemporized a halter, tied
one end around his nose, and, catch
ing up Coenac, mounted and gallop-
ed of, defying all the lions in Africa
to catch me.
, There were still two hours before
sunset to reach the next village, and
by hard riding did it. That We all
three Of us enjoyed our suppers goes
without saying. And that, gentle
men, is my story"
We agreed it was wonderful.-Aa
the Year Round.