The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-08-29
Alton Story.

~ see IuaC GOTH HOW'LL "a:
"Of course l do"
"Well. that is the tail of the lion
beating the ears"
We wisely halted to learn the enc
my's intentions, when with incom-
prehensible stupidity one of the
Arabs shouldered his rifle and shot
it off in the direction Of the lion.
Even if that rifle had been a Devils
mes or a Lepage, unless the Arab
had hit the line between the eyes,
the only result was the wounding
and exciting the lion. The conse-
quences had not long to be waited
fer. The lion instantly began bound
ing forward in fearful strides, and
our courage being equal to the occa-
sion, we climbed up the nearest trees
as quickly IS WI could, considering
discretion the better part of valor.
But the lion had seen us, and he ap-
preached like a steam engine. AS
fate would have it, he looked round
and chose the tree on which | sat
with two Zouaves, roaring tremend-
ously, and wildly beating the air
with his tail.
He then went a few steps back,
never for a moment losing sight of
US, and with a sudden bound jumped
at the tree and tore a big bit of bark
out and shook us in the branches
like grapes. A second time he tried
the same experiment with a rage
grand to behold; but after the third
time, failing to break the trunk,
which fortunately was a very solid
one, or to make us fall down, he be-
gan, first in a large circle, then grad
ually in narrower ones, to pace
around the tree, his tail always in
the air ready to strike. He never
for a moment turned his eye away
from the inhabitants of the leafy
roof. [ confess here that I did not
feel comfortable, and if any one tells
you he met q lion and he was perfect
~ calm and composed, take his mar
ration "cum grando Sails" I know
that Jules Gerad who killed eight
and-twenty lions, and who made
that sort of a thing his profession,
once only, once in his life, after hav-
ing waited a whole night for a lion,
suddenly heard some wood cracking
behind him, and turning round he
beheld the head of the beast. Then
he said, II looked at him and he
lookeda t me for what I fancy was a
full minute, but may have been half
a miaute or less, and when I thought
the comedy had lasted quite long
enough, bringing my rifle into posi-
ton, I let the whole courtesy" (this
was his expression) sin the lions eye,
and [ have no doubt that n second
later would have been-too late"
Anyhow, we felt a curious sensa-
ton with this monster SO near and
seemingly so determined to wait any
length of time for he looked up at us
with the clearest possible expression;
as much as to say: You just come
down, you towards, and let us have
fair fight; we will soon see who will
get the best Of it. And he continued
slowly waking around the tree,
watching us as if to espy every move
ment of ours. At last he marched
so slowly and so near, always hold
ing up his proud, majestic head, that
I said to my comrades: 1--WE have
six good shots. The next time he
comes within my range l shall slow
ly take aim and fire; if I miss him,
do not he rash, wait your chance
one of us must kill When he
neared me [ took aim slowly and
cautiously, knowing the danger i'll
failed. One second more-I pressed
the trigger, the ball went straight in
at the corner Of his eye and he fell.
Now was the question, was he dead
or did he, as they often do, pretend
and lie motionless?" The blood flow
ed freely and he seemed not to have
any life, when n of the Zouaves
said: Isl, monsieur, me dome cent
francs (e4), je decends ct je lui dome
son reste." 1 said; II will give you
the amount with pleasure, but l do
not wish you to IRISH your lite for a
paltry sum, because if he is not quite
dead, you are dead the moment you
come near him. Well, the man
thought he would risk it. being of
the opinion the beast was dead. He
decended, his rifle under his arm.
his finger on the trigger, but as he
with the utmost caution neared the
lion, a violent, spasmodic stroke
with the tail made us fear that it was
all over with the man. At this criti-
cal moment he let the whole charge
in at the lions ear and fortunately
killed it. Then, of course, we all
came down, and now the Arabs be-
gan insulting him: "You robber,
you thief, you stole my sheep; you
dishonorable brigand, you murdered
my lamb" etc., etc. l don't know
whether the lion despised calumny,
but he replied nothing, which seems
the most practicable means of silenc-